Several months ago I was at a Tower records near where I live observing a
man bemoaning the deletion of Dutoit's Ravel cycle.  CURSE THEM!!!  Me and
a Tower employee concluded that this is one of those cycles that wasn't
going to go away and it would probably reappear as a Double-Decca.

Yesterday, I was at Tower records and guess what...Dutoit's Ravel cycle was
smiling at me from the new releases bin as a Double-Decca and now cheaper
than its previous incarnation.

My point, I don't trust the CM labels anymore than the rest or you but the
World has not ended and despite the fact that Seagrams now owns everything
in the Universe our worst fears have not come to pass.

My one regret is that the majors don't release as many new recordings as
I would like to see but to be honest I could not afford them even if they
were available.  I can afford reissues and the latest new offerings from
Naxos which more than competes with the majors anyway.  The Free-Market has
spoken the Polygrams and the Naxoi have each carved out their respective
niches.

I think that we all need to take a stress pill, relax and think things
over.

Steve M.