The poster above is from the late 1980s. HMV were barking mad, because they were selling new chart CDs for £9.99 in their sale.
35 years later, I still balk at paying more than a tenner for a new CD. Inflation is in the news a lot these days, but the cost of a CD seems to have been immune to 30+ years of price increases. Of course, CDs were grossly over-priced back when they were first released, especially compared to the mass-produced market-leader, vinyl. That's turned on its head now as well. The renaissance in record collecting, combined with a world wide vinyl shortage, means you're now paying up to three times as much for an new vinyl album as for a CD... which would have been unthinkable in the late 80s.
I can never get my head around inflation. The idea of paying nearly a pound for a bar of chocolate (that is smaller than the ones I paid 15p for when I was a kid) is almost enough to put me off chocolate forever. So I guess I should be grateful that CDs appear inflation-proof. For now, at least... until the hipster collectors ruin it for us all. Watch out. That day is coming.
From 1980, here's the only single (though it was a double A side) from Irish punk band The Threat. I'm not sure it was ever released on CD.
I'd never heard, or heard of, that single by The Threat before. A bit punk by numbers but because of that they sound like all those many local bands around all those many towns at the time, who never made it, but who had that certain charm on stage, a small but devoted bunch of fans, and who would no doubt have been immensely proud to make an actual record. Sweet!
ReplyDeleteI actually thought of you and your history when I was listening to it, C.
DeleteThey were obviously familiar with the early work of PIL, but I like that Threat single a lot. You could probably buy 20 new CDs for what a mint 7" of 'High Cost of Living' would set you back today, should you be able to find one.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how that track ended up in my collection... but I'm betting it came from one of you guys!
DeleteI thought I was aware of every post-punk 45 that was released back in 1980, but that's certainly the first time I've ever heard The Threat. Certainly has got PiL influences all over it, which is no bad thing. Thanks, Rol.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess I didn't get that track from your blog then...
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