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October 15, 2008
The MP3 Debateby David Harrell
My apologies for a post that is completely off-topic, though it is somewhat topical...
Terry Teachout's piece in Saturday's Wall Street Journal about the release of some 1908 recordings by presidential candidates William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft (and tonight's presidential debate) got me thinking about one of the first things I ever listened to on my iPod -- the four 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debates. They're available for free download as mp3 files at Archive.org and are definitely worth a listen for anyone with a passing interest in politics or U.S. history.
While much of the content of the 1960 debates seems completely modern, there are some interesting anachronisms. For example, I never knew that the number of hydro-electric damns in the United States, relative to the number in the Soviet Union, was such a hot political topic. And though it's been a couple years since I listened to all four debates, I'm pretty certain that Kennedy made at least one reference to "colored" children when discussing public education.
The Wikipedia entry for the 1960 election expands on the conventional wisdom about the debates (Kennedy looked good on television and Nixon didn't, so television viewers thought Kennedy won, while radio listeners thought it a draw or a win for Nixon), noting that political observers gave Kennedy the nod for the first debate, Nixon the edge for the second and third debates, and the fourth debate was considered a tie.
When I listened to them, I didn't perceive a significant advantage for either candidate -- certainly no knock-out blows. Regardless, they're a fascinating listen and not a bad way to fill your morning commute for a week or so.
UPDATE: If you arrived at this page looking for an mp3 of the third Obama-McCain debate, you can download it here from NPR.
tags: mp3 presidential debates 1960 election
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The Layaways (my band)
New album: "The Space Between" is now available from eMusic.
"...about as melodic and hooky as indie pop can get." -- Absolute Powerpop
"Their laid-back, '60s era sounds are absolutely delightening." -- 3hive
"...melodic, garage-influenced shoegaze." -- RCRD LBL
Keep It to Yourself - free mp3
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Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, Lala.com, or CD Baby, listen to free streams at Last.fm and Napster.
"The Layaways make fine indie pop. Hushed vocals interweave with understated buzzing guitars. The whole LP is a revelation from the start." -- Lost Music
"A wonderfully crafted recording built around tasteful songwriting and musicianship..." -- PopMatters
Silence - free mp3
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It's written as a how-to guide for those looking to become music supervisors, but I found it to be a good resource for musicians (like me) who are trying to get their music used in movies, TV, etc.