Over a decade ago, Sony and Philips agreed on a new digital form of distributing sound.

It was called a Compact Disc, and it killed the long-playing, black vinyl, single-grooved record album.

They said it was a vast improvement over the old-fashioned, outdated analog platform because CDs were virtually indestructible, could hold 70 minutes of music to an LP's less than 50, you didn't have to turn them over and, hey, they were compact!

The sound would be better, too. After all, nothing ever touched the music.

I love CDs. I own almost 600 of them. I only own 250 LPs and another 200 12" singles. Still.

When they first came out, all CD players were a grand a piece and the only source for CDs was Europe so you had to pay $25 a pop for them.

I paid $30.00 for a fresh off the German presses The Dreaming by Kate Bush which I actually stole out of another buyer's stash.

I bought them to play on my "second-generation" $450.00 Yamaha player that had this little tray that slid out - Cool! - instead of this door that popped up on the top.

Remember, at the time you could buy vinyl for $8.98 list, or $5.99 on sale. U.S. produced CDs were $15.95 if you could get them.

The record companies said the price disparity was due to "supply and demand" and that CDs would soon cost no more than LPs.

Wonder where that promise went.