Bon Jovi vs. Steve Jobs

I heard an interesting blurb on the radio this morning about Bon Jovi accusing Steve Jobs of "killing music". I didn't actually read the original article because that would require a subscription, but a Google search of the topic brings up various sources that paint a pretty decent picture of the situation.
As interesting a topic this may be from all perspectives, I'm interested in discussing what these implications mean for the active participant and the remixer. On one hand, I understand Jovi's suggestion that being able to download music and take it with us everywhere we go on iPods has changed how we listen to music, but I'm not sure that his claim that we no longer put the time aside dedicated solely to listening to our new musical investment has changed the 'magicalness' of the musical experience holds water. I think the act of remix may prove a bit of a counter to his claim. Although the way we listen to music may have changed, in order to be able to remix and interpret music, there still needs to be active participation. The ease by which people may now remix and the vastly growing number of remixes out there, regardless of medium, would suggest that there is still a pretty decent amount of active participation. By no means am I suggesting that Steve Jobs has been the sole provider of this opportunity, but I certainly don't think that his empire has impeded this at all, either. The only thing is, that these modes of participation have changed, and this is what Bon Jovi seems to have a problem with. They have changed in the past, and they will continue to change well into the future.
I'm curious to know if anyone else has any thoughts about what iTunes and iPods have done for music. Has the way that we interact with our music changed so much that we are totally disconnected from what we're consuming? Or have these modes given us new ways of sharing and obtaining? Have they given us the potential to remix or have access to new music that we may have never otherwise had the opportunity to be exposed to? Is music really dead?

Remix: a story of love and hate

So folks, I am currently listening to a remixes album of one of my favourite artists. I am left thinking about how entire albums of remixes can leave us with feelings of love or hate. To further this idea, I remembered the entire remix album brought forth by the artist Ciara which featured several remixes of the hit song 1-2 step. For those of you who don't recall the album, here's a link to youtube's version of one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBHNgV6_znU particular (probably the original) version.

The amount of disdain towards Ciara's entire remix album, contrasted with my own personal love of the Nine Inch Nails Year Zero Remixes (and APC's Remix album, both really good) is one experience of remix culture that I wanted to share. To break down the difference: the Nine Inch Nails album was released long after the artist was 'established', and all the remixes were created by 'established' Djs and other artists. The reason why I use the word 'established' in scare quotes is to show that establishing oneself as an artist is arbitrary. In this case it just means that they've been around for awhile, whereas Ciara had only recently debuted on the music scene.

So the question remains, for you as listeners/participants in remix culture: can a remix album make you love your chosen artist even more? Is there anything better to hear a great remix to your favourite song?

You can sometimes find new ways to enjoy particular songs: see here, two versions of A Perfect Circle's The Outsider. It's a little heavier than the aforeposted Florence and the Machine, but the remix is actually more popular than the original song (as it is in Residence Evil Apocalypse, hence the remix name)

The original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzyNWyZhUS0
The remix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzrWETIc28M