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I like to read who played what and wrote what. Many of the artists are leaving lyrics out of the liner notes, but mention that they can be found at thier website so it makes it somewhat a pain to get lyric info. Guess that's just one way the web can be of some use for the artists. More pictures and artwork are always nice, too.

No matter how extensive the notes get on the pamphlets or folded up sheets get, I still miss the liner notes on LPs. I have a copy of KOB in the white DVD size box. It comes closer to the old LP ideal than anything else.

I'm naturally curious, and not a fan of style over substance. Granted music requires style, but I like it better with a dash of gray matter.

The really valuable notes come on record jackets, particularly on older jazz recordings. They are easier to access and can be read.

Extensive notes are an absolute must for most classical recordings. Pop albums should have basic information such as recording dates and venues. Lyrics are essential. And cut down on the interminable lists of thanks, eg to God or the session caterer.

Cover art on/in CD-packaging? Are you guys kidding? And no, I don't collect stamps!

I have gotten a great education and some unique insights from liner notes, especially from jazz albums.

Generally, liner notes are good for a history lesson, otherwise, they're a waste of time and eyesight (tiny type).

Lyrics to all songs on the disc are mandatory, as far as I'm concerned.

I listen to mostly classical, so I want historical details about different performances of the music. Also, I would like to know about the composer and how different versions of the music evolved over time. A good example is Jordi Savall's new recording of Boccherini. His version of the "Ritirata," the final section of La Musica Notturna di Madrid, is so different from the other two recordings I have of this piece (Europa Galante and the Artaria Quintet) that I would like to know more about any different editions of the piece. Savall, who usually comments more than adequately on the music he performs, is strangely silent on this one. The more information, the better. Finally, if the recording is a remake, I would like to know the date and locale of the original performance. Too often this is left out.

I miss the album review style liner notes that used to adorn the back of jazz albums. They were informative both before buying an unheard album and afterward. The CD form factor has too little room for such information. A good story about the album's creation is sometimes nice, such as was included with the recent Dizzy Gillespie & Charlie Parker Town Hall album. Most of us who bought the album probably already knew the story, but it was still interesting to read it in the liner notes.

For the price you pay, I would like to learn something about the music and the performer. The more the better. Artwork is nice, too, as well as lyrics to the songs. Definitely an advantage for LP's larger format. Many CD's have little more than a list of songs. And don't list the duration of each song, or of the CD. Since CDs can be over an hour long it's nice to know if you're getting your money's worth, or if you have time to listen to the CD before bedtime.

Have you noticed how some albums have lists of all band members' relatives and friends that supported their career, while others don't even have the list of songs. :-)

One of the things I so dread about the "download revolution" is the probable disappearance of tangible liner notes and cover art.

I buy mostly LP

I don't like self-indulgent notes that thank 100 people for "sandwiches and support." I don't like circumstantial accounts of how the artist decided to record a piece. "When I was growing up, my uncle had an Arcadia 78 of Kate Smith's version." I do like to know the song's origins, and I do like to see the musician's credited.

I like info on the recording, including the tech side. I also like anything the artists contribute about the music, the tour, the show -whatever. Most of all, I want to know the basics of the music: who wrote it, who sang and played it, etc.