With the cost of reasonable quality recording from a sound/mixing desk and practicalities of moving the technology getting cheaper and easier there seems to be a trend towards official ‘bootlegs’ seems to be increasing with Tori Amos being another convert. With CD sales reportedly dropping its another avenue to replace any lost income, and a good one for artists who have a reputation for good live performances.

Call me a luddite if you like, but apart from the fact that there is now a price tag associated to the concert recording what has happened to the romance of smugging in recording equipment and trying to get yourself a spot where the sound is perfect. The trick of timing when to swap recording media and so on.

It does also leave an interesting question when is a live recording a bootleg or an official live album ?