CD cover art compared to vinyl record art

The CD artwork to younger buyers seems largely disposable. They will put the CDs in a traveling case and take that in the car and then the CD artwork maybe in a closet somewhere collecting dust. With MP3s and iPods and such, they don't even look at the artwork. It's just something that they carry in their pocket that has 1500 songs; the artwork is disposable. Most people don't eagerly await their latest CD purchase or download with any kind of anticipation as to what the artwork is going to be. They were good stories in the 60s. People really thought the artwork meant something and it may mean nothing, but at least there was a feeling that this is as important as listening. Today, especially with younger people, there is not whole lot of thought going into the cover.

I don't hear too many people complaining that the music isn't good enough; the bigger the record companies are. Unfortunately, they have changed significantly in the last decades; Warner Brothers is a good example. They used to be one of the bigger labels. They are may be the biggest label that really nutured artists. They would sign people not thinking that they would make a huge lump sum with a big hit right away. But they would actually let them make several records and gain a following. Neil Young and Randy Norman were signed on Warner Brothers. Warner Brothers got bought up and all the mergers and stuff that has happened recently with these major labels (even the independents) is always subject to criticism. They will not really care about nurturing any artist or anything.
They will go after downloads just because it's a target. I mean they are not to be blamed for wanting access to music. The artists that are there are only going to have one song that you would like, and that's not a good thing. If you just want access to a pop song or even a good rock song or whatever, there is no need not to download it. If the record companies could get behind artists, they would maybe require fans to really invest in them, their careers, and their music and really have a legitimate fan base; then you are going to see sales. There is not going to be a problem with downloading. Downloading probably just cut through a lot of the schlock artists. If you have an artist who doesn't really have anything worthwhile other than may be a catchy hook, no fan should be faulted for wanting to download instead of wasting hard earned money to buy something that the record company just wants you to spend $13, $14 or $15. It seems more prevalent these days and it's unfortunate because you get very few artists today who are really at the forefront of something. And even independent artists, they are latched on to just as quickly, but with not as much money behind it. There are plenty of good artists who are both big and small, but there are some smaller artists too who are just cranking out whatever the latest underground sound will be in the market.