I've been using Real Rhapsody for the past week or so. I hate real player with a passion and was very skeptical at first but I like it.

Combined with MusicPlasma (thanks ninti), I've found 10 new bands that I wouldn't have tried otherwise and probably 10 more one hit wonders that are catchy enough to listen to but I can live without their CD.

I thought their business model was a little weird but this might work.

Seeing as I have no interest in trying out these businesses, I despise Real, and therefore have no interest venturing past their Rhapsody homepage, what format are the files in? Real only? That would be terrible.

For the time being, I like the other way to legally sample music online, by clicking on those preview links in Amazon, etc I might try one of these services eventually, though. I simply don't trust these companies that are offering at the moment. They're all companies I don't do business with already.


ps-oh, and did you get those Mark Lanegan albums?

Truth be told, I was trying to buy a copy of Molly Hatchet's Flirting with Disaster* and I signed up for Rhapsody by mistake thinking it was a download service. Actually, the service provides streaming files so you don't actually "save" a physical file (although it appears to cache them). Think 500,000 track radio station that you can program. The obvious downside to the service is if you cancel, no more music.

The thing that makes this nice for me is I can actually listen to these albums without having the CDs (which is a little tough right now being in France). Which is what I'm doing with the Mark Lanegan albums right now. The CDs I bought via Amazon are at my folks place in PA but I've been listening to Winding Sheet, Scraps at Midnight, and I'll Take Care of You. I just started listening to Here Comes that Weird Chill (Lexington Slowdown is the favorite so far). He keeps reminding me of Robbie Robertson with an axe to grind.

*I found a set of high school mix tapes the other day that needed to be an Empeg playlist. Flirtin with Disaster featured prominently in transitioning from Cum on Feel the Noize to Centerfold

Interesting. I suppose it's a service with a place. Your reason for using it seems like a good one.

That's great, I hope you like the albums. Here Comes that Weird Chill is slightly different from the rest of the albums, as it's just an EP, but yeah, Lexington Slowdown is great. That's my second favorite on that album next to Message to Mine.

My overall favorite of the moment is actually on one of the ones you have. I really like "Praying Ground" on Scraps at Midnight.

Oh, and I haven't listened to Robbie Robertson

Cum on Feel the Noize

Dang it... now I've got a CD to find...

Oh, and I haven't listened to Robbie Robertson

His first solo album is one of my favorite albums of all time, frequently showing up on my Desert Island Ten. Includes guest performances by Bono and Peter Gabriel. Production so lush you you could drown in it. "Broken Arrow" still gives me chills after all these years, and "Somewhere Down the Crazy River" evokes amazing imagery. A must-own.

(Edit: And I completely disagree with the Amazon wag who says that Rod Stewart's version of Broken Arrow was better. Robbie's version is spine-tingling and atmospheric, Rod's version is boring and pretentious.)

I'd never heard of Mark Lanegan, but the description "Robbie Robertson with an axe to grind" is tantalizing, I'll have to check it out.