Using Books for Reference Seems Positively Retro

This may seem like a bit of a stretch for a blog entry, but you'll have to bear with me. I've been without my laptop for a few days while it's in the shop for repairs, and I have found myself just shy of completely paralyzed. But as I've struggled to work without the absolutely essential tool I need to create quality content for this site, I stumbled upon some dusty reminders of the past that provided quite a boost. Back in the '80s, when average people still used books for information, I proudly wore out copies of the Rolling Stone Record Guide and the Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock. During my technological struggles this week, I spent a little time with my 20-year-old volumes of these works and found myself astounded at how many passages I remembered nearly verbatim. I guess back in those ancient times (newer editions of the Rolling Stone publication have changed their title to reflect the CD age by substituting "album" for "record") there just weren't as many choices for music information.

• Compare prices on the Rolling Stone Album Guide here.
• Compare prices on the Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock here.