I Want My MP3

MP3s are a great way for skiers to keep on rockin’ in the free world.

Enough already with Metallica and their kvetching! MP3 technology is great, it’s here to stay, and it’s overrunning the Web faster than Britney Spears fan sites. Last year, for the first time since Al Gore created the Internet, “sex” was bumped out of the top spot as the most searched-for term on the Web. The new number one? “MP3.”

Skiers, in particular, should be jumping on the MP3 bandwagon. Why? First, no more trips to the record store: MP3s are downloadable right from your computer. Second, just like CDs, they’re digital quality, but without the skipping — perfect for skiers. Third, portable MP3 players are smaller, tougher, and lighter than most Walkmen; it’s like they were designed for ski-parka pockets. Fourth — and most important to financially deprived ski bums (and most upsetting to outspoken Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich) — you can get MP3s for free. Music-sharing engines like Napster and Gnutella and popular sites like mp3.com provide free downloads, and free desktop MP3 players are available all over the Web.

If Metallica were skiers, we bet they’d juice up their MP3 players (c’mon, Lars, you know you love Britney), go rip some turns, and just forget this whole Napster-lawsuit thing.

DISC OF THE MONTH
TOM WOPAT, The Still of the Night (Angel)
Folks, the last time we caught up with the Duke boys, it was in Hazzard County, and they were busy outrunnin’ mean old Boss Hogg. Now, here’s a funny story. Turns out Luke’s real name is Tom Wopat, and he’s been up performing on Broadway in New York City. If you’re like me, you never would have thought of old Luke as a jazz singer. But he went and made this album, and he sounds just like a regular old Harry Connick Jr. With maybe a little more feeling in his voice, if you know what I mean. Maybe one of these days he’ll get Daisy to join him for a duet. I’d like to see that. Wouldn’t you? — Charles Glass