I’m on vacation so of course I am thinking about how music is expressed on different formats, like this new Chris Stapleton record I got for Christmas. Note that it only has three tracks on side A and the center is blank - the album came on 2xLPs, like a lot of new vinyl.

My oldest records, like our beloved 1974 copy of Sticky Fingers (with real zipper sleeve!) are packed tight to the center. What’s going on?
The inside of a record spins slower than the outside, so the inner grooves are packed tighter, with more distortion and limited dynamic range. Physical formats have all kinds of weirdness like this that shape music itself. https://t.co/F1pxKVyGdL
But when vinyl was the only music format, no one wanted to flip records all the time. So everyone made use of the whole side, and artists and engineers would order albums to have the quieter songs on the inner grooves.
But now that streaming exists, no one’s thinking about album track order that way. And vinyl is selling well, but in relatively small numbers, and as much for the physical experience of handling the records. And no one wants to compromise inner groove sound quality.
So half of the new records I’ve bought recently are 2xLPs with no inner tracks. Like this very pretty copy of Taylor Swift’s Folklore
Distribution formats shape culture, and culture shapes distribution formats. It’s one of my favorite things to think about. (Because I am a giant nerd.)
Here’s a terrific @estellecaswell video on how longer disco songs drove the dominance of the 12-inch single. (Including New Order’s Blue Monday, one of my most treasured records. That sleeve!) https://t.co/rsZNYFzlns
And here’s @charlieharding and Nate Sloan with an episode of Switched on Pop that explores how streaming has restructured songs themselves. Tech and music, locked in a forever-dance: https://t.co/GxAgqunIUA
(I’ll go back on vacation now.)

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The chorus of this song uses the shlokas taken from Sundarkand of Ramayana.

It is a series of Sanskrit shlokas recited by Jambavant to Hanuman to remind Him of his true potential.

1. धीवर प्रसार शौर्य भरा: The brave persevering one, your bravery is taking you forward.


2. उतसारा स्थिरा घम्भीरा: The one who is leaping higher and higher, who is firm and stable and seriously determined.

3. ुग्रामा असामा शौर्या भावा: He is strong, and without an equal in the ability/mentality to fight

4. रौद्रमा नवा भीतिर्मा: His anger will cause new fears in his foes.

5.विजिटरीपुरु धीरधारा, कलोथरा शिखरा कठोरा: This is a complex expression seen only in Indic language poetry. The poet is stating that Shivudu is experiencing the intensity of climbing a tough peak, and likening

it to the feeling in a hard battle, when you see your enemy defeated, and blood flowing like a rivulet. This is classical Veera rasa.

6.कुलकु थारथिलीथा गम्भीरा, जाया विराट वीरा: His rough body itself is like a sharp weapon (because he is determined to win). Hail this complete

hero of the world.

7.विलयगागनथाला भिकारा, गरज्जद्धरा गारा: The hero is destructive in the air/sky as well (because he can leap at an enemy from a great height). He can defeat the enemy (simply) with his fearsome roar of war.