U.S. Recordings Most Telling, Not Best-Selling

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "James S. Tyre" <jstyre () jstyre com>
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2003 16:09:12 -0800
To: dave () farber net
Subject: U.S. Recordings Most Telling, Not Best-Selling


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-recordings28jan28,0,133
2897.story?coll=la%2Dhome%2Dtodays%2Dtimes
U.S. Recordings Most Telling, Not Best-Selling
By Aparna Kumar
Times Staff Writer

January 28 2003

WASHINGTON -- Leave it to the Library of Congress to come up with one of
the most eclectic playlists in America.

Library officials on Monday unveiled the premiere collection of the
National Recording Registry — an evocative cultural snapshot of the nation
over the last century, saluting equally the words of presidents and
generals, the artistry of jazz and classical masters, and the raw energy of
rock 'n' roll and hip-hop rebels.

The nascent catalog of 50 important recorded moments in American cultural
history ranged from President Theodore Roosevelt's denouncing corporate
swindlers to Bob Dylan's antiwar anthem "Blowin' in the Wind" to Billie
Holiday's haunting, socially conscious "Strange Fruit."

Also in the mix of recordings are the "Fireside Chats," President Franklin
D. Roosevelt's series of radio broadcasts to the nation from the 1930s and
1940s, Martin Luther King Jr.'s landmark "I Have a Dream" speech from 1963
and "The Message," an inner-city anthem by rap pioneers Grandmaster Flash
and the Furious Five.

"The registry was not intended by Congress to be another Grammy Awards or
'best of' list," Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said in
announcing the congressionally mandated archive. Instead, he said, the
songs, speeches and historic radio broadcasts, deemed "culturally,
historically or aesthetically significant" by a broad panel of experts,
inaugurate what the government and archivists hope will become a rich and
diverse repository of American sound recordings preserved for posterity,
with new items added annually.

Preserving America's aural history is imperative, Billington said, because
"bestsellers today are tomorrow's throwaways."

The registry, which is similar to an existing national registry aimed at
preserving American film, was established by the National Recording
Preservation Act of 2000, which requires that recordings must be at least
10 years old to qualify. In making this year's selections, Billington was
advised by 20 composers, musicians, musicologists, librarians, archivists
and representatives of the recording industry, who together make up the
National Preservation Board.

Since 1988, the board has sought to preserve films deemed "culturally,
historically or aesthetically important." Each year, 25 more films are
added to the list, which now includes a wide range of films — from "Gone
With the Wind" and "The Godfather" to "Woodstock" and "This Is Spinal Tap."
By 2002, the registry list numbered 350.

The library sought input from the public in compiling its audio list. But
Billington said the response was smaller than the panel had hoped it would
be. Those who wish to laud or criticize the board's choices, or make their
own suggestions for next year's list, can do so on the library's Web site.
Access to some of the recordings will be made available at the library's
site, http://www.loc.gov/rr/record.

....


--------------------------------------------------------------------
James S. Tyre                               mailto:jstyre () jstyre com
Law Offices of James S. Tyre          310-839-4114/310-839-4602(fax)
10736 Jefferson Blvd., #512               Culver City, CA 90230-4969
Co-founder, The Censorware Project             http://censorware.net



------ End of Forwarded Message

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To unsubscribe or update your address, click
  http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/