His Master's Voice

From time to time a thought occurs to me which makes me think, "wow, that's amazing!" but then leaves me not quite able to work out what exactly is amazing about it.

This has happened again!

I was listening to the first three chapters of PAME!, which I have recorded with the intention of putting the whole thing online as a listen-to-able tale, and I started thinking about how people always get a surprise when they hear their own voices. Over the years I have got used to hearing my own voice played back to me but I still remember thinking - just like everyone else does - "that can't my voice, it's horrible!!" the first time I heard it.

Anyway, this led me on to consider recording in general and that's when this amazing-but-don't-quite-know-why thought occurred to me. Edison was the first person to record sound in... erm... 1877 (thanks, Google) on his newly invented Phonograph. Before that there had not been any way for any one to hear their own voices!

We've been able to see ourselves - at least reflections of ourselves - since the beginning of humanity; in pools of still water, in polished metals and silvered glass - but to hear our own voices - that has only been possible since 1877. Three million years minus the last 130 not able to record any sounds, music, voices...

"Wow!" I thought, "Amazing!"

And then I thought, "but what exactly is it that's amazing?"

Anyway, for bloggy purposes I will hide behind an adapted form of the avant garde poet or artist's defence, "it can mean whatever you want it to mean!"

So, "the amazement is whatever you wish to be amazed by!"

That should do it.