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Why Neil Young hates iTunes, Apple and the Steve Jobs effect

By thomascrampton ⋅ August 3, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

One highlight of the Fortune Brainstorm conference for me was the final speaker, Neil Young, the musician.

I knew Young would be obsessed with music, but I did not know technology was an obsession as well. He is currently figuring out how to make his boat-sized convertible (a Cadillac?) into a hybrid.

Young does not, however, see technology as a necessarily good thing, particularly in terms of music.

iTunes, Apple and Steve Jobs have a lot to answer for, Young said:

The CD was great when came out. Music could go to a little disk. but that same convenience has taken us on a detour down the convenience highway and quality has taken a complete back seat now.

The music sold on iTunes and other platforms degrade the quality of music to an extent that most people do not even realize, Young said. If listeners could see music as we can see an image, the resolution would be too low for consumers to accept.

Journalist John Huey, who interviewed Young on stage, raised the question as to whether Jobs is a hypocrite: In visiting Steve Jobs’ living room a few years ago, Huey had seen an incredible high-end stereo, complete with vacuum tube, vinyl records and amazing speakers.

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Comments for “Why Neil Young hates iTunes, Apple and the Steve Jobs effect”

  • annktrembley
    One highlight of the Fortune Brainstorm conference for me was the final speaker, Neil Young, the musician.I knew Young would be obsessed with music, but I did not know technology was an obsession as well. He is currently figuring out how to make his boat-sized fidelity 401k convertible (a Cadillac?) into a hybrid.Young does not, however, see technology as a necessarily good thing, particularly in terms of music.iTunes, Apple and Steve Jobs have a lot to answer for, Young said:
  • Inst, it hardly requires $600.00 headphones to discern the relatively lower quality of MP3 compression.
  • Inst
    It's really a matter of cost. A good Creative Labs sound card costs $150, while a decent headset may require $600.

    If your equipment cannot provide high-fidelity playback, then why bother with high-fidelity media?
  • Insider
    Hi - Interesting post, but no surprise about Neil Young. He's been an early adopter since the 70s, and has a special personal interest in technology as it enabled communication with his autistic child. I suggest giving 'Computer Boy' a revisit.
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thomascramptonconf

Thomas Crampton was a correspondent for the International Herald Tribune and The New York Times for more than a decade, reporting from five continents, writing a column on Asia and covering Asian politics, economics and culture. Currently based in Hong Kong, he writes here about China, the Internet and New Media seen from Asia, while also advising companies on digital communication strategies. For more information click here...