Trouble With Compact Discs

Randy Lewis hit a raw chord when he admitted that the emphasis on CD sound quality is antithetical to rock ‘n’ roll (“Risk of Compact Disc?” Calendar, Aug. 7). Trouble is, too many rock artists think they will become outdated or underclassed unless they use state-of-the-art digital production techniques to their fullest capacities. As Lewis noted, popular music has become inundated with overpriced, grandiose narcotic rock.

But there’s another problem with CDs that Lewis may have overlooked. Records can be flipped over, and CDs cannot.

There’s no denying that the Beatles’ “Sergeant Pepper” album is structured like a two-act play with an intermission between sides. The intermission can be as long or as short as the listener desires. This intermission is lacking on the “Sergeant Pepper” CD, unless the listener pre-programs it, an option that certainly has less spontaneity than the “Sergeant Pepper” album affords.

Perhaps CD players should be marketed with two more optional features. A special noise enhancement filter could, at the flick of a switch, reproduce 1966 analog tape quality, along with a few pops and scratches, perhaps. Also, a programmed pause mode could include a time delay intermission between any two songs, or a flip-over button could be used to continue CD playback at the listener’s discretion.

It’s about time CD player manufacturers made products with real rock ‘n’ roll audiophiles in mind.

TOM GRAVES

Los Alamitos