Walkmen!

Also, big props for being one of the Trade Marks that make the jump to generic nouns (hoover, etc).

As for how it affected music listening, there's probably a helluva thesis in there somewhere. Certainly it changed recorded music into a potentially more internalized thing--the old saw about the personal soundtrack and so on. But then again, I suppose it also somewhat fractured the experience of listening to music in public and created a means of isolating oneself even in the largest crowd.

Years and years ago, a friend of mine told me about this idea she had: She wanted to throw a dance party, encourage people to bring their favorite cassette of dance music, and hand everyone a Walkman at the door. The idea was that you would be able to see a whole roomful of people dancing, all to different beats, and hear no music.

As for direct effect on music, I haven't really thought about it, but I will.

I am here assuming that portable radios with headphones also predated walkmen.

Andrew

Quiet carriages in trains = CLASSIC btw. Me = grumpy old codger before his time.

(ps "rewind" button??! A no-no IIRC : always killed your batteries in double quick time)

1) The walkman party reminds me of the last Flaming Lips tour, where the audience could get a free set of headphones and radio at the door and listen to a mix of the concert on headphones while watching the show. It was good when you went to the bathroom anyway, but the 'phones were too cheap.

2) I think the walkman has done a lot to make music listening a less communal experience, which has a real downside. My listening tends to be personal to the point that it gets lonely sometimes, and much of it is done on headphones while riding the bus, etc.

i believe Paul du Gay, Stuart Hall etc did quite a big thing on the walkman, using it as an example for introductory cultural studies. i did actually buy the book in my first year but found it extremely unhelpful, despite it being like *the* cultural studies textbook.

a tv programme based on the book was actually screened recently at some ungodly hour as part of BBC2's learning zone. the programme made the subject seem more interesting but wasn't in any way more helpful.

Anyway, I'm old enough to remember before any music thing was any more portable than the average television. Life is better now, trust me. It's what makes tubes (waiting for them, travelling on crowded ones) bearable. You can soundtrack your own life.

Regarding the Walkmen (the band), please see the new thread, "Things You've Surprised Yourself by HATING" to get my take on it (if you give a rolling rat fuck, that is).

If I loved the first two albums and hated the third, will I get anything out of what this band has done since?

Oh shit sorry