Sometimes I wish I was young with a limited budget. Those were the times I had a handful of CDs that I listened to over and over again. And the ones that didn't grab me at first, I learned to like because I had few choices and a yen for variety. These albums I listened to and learned to pull little tidbits here and there that appealed to me. I worked and learned to like these songs.
Time goes on. Tastes change, budget grows, and cd collection flourishes. At times I think this is a detriment. Gone is the time I devoted to album listening, trying to pull some connecting factor out of the music. Not that I don't enjoy music anymore. On the contrary, my enjoyment and appreciativeness has increased greatly. The part that bums me out is that I'm not often "wowed" anymore. In the end, I have learned a few key things about my listening habits.
1. Some albums I instantly like. For some elusive reason, though, I'm wary when drawn to an album right away. It's like crack. I listen to it constantly, developing an insatiable appetite for it, humming along with it, singing along with it, thinking about it when I'm not listening to it. And then *poof* the honeymoon's over. I'm bored. No longer is the magic maintained. These cds get shelved and start collecting dust.
2. Some albums are just kinda "blah." They don't take many chances, don't do much wrong, don't do much right--just occupy some sort of musical middleground. These are safe albums that don't call attention to themselves. They too get shelved, but are played sporadically when I can't make up my mind for something else.
3. Rock-solid standards. These are the cds that usually get scratched. Not because of neglect, but instead, too much use. These are the "Beatles'," the "Stones'" the "Holliday's," the "Cash's," the "Vaughn's," the "Rachmaninoff's," or the what-have-you's of our collections. The classics we can always turn to for that goosebump factor. Ones we hope we never tire of because we'd have to give up a part of ourselves to never listen to again. These are the ones we use to show off our system because we know they won't fail to please.
4. And finally, the diamonds-in-the-rough. These are my favorite albums. Upon first listen they occupy the "blah" category. But there is some "thing," some tiny spark that gets planted and makes me grab for the cd again. I say to myself, "I know there is more to this album. I need to give it a chance." These albums reward my with multiple listens. It's like they hide all the good stuff and make me search for it. Ah, but there is method behind this madness. These albums I invest a sort of emotional attachment to. They almost reach the "rock-solid standard" status, but rarely do I let others onto my little gem. After all, it is something I learned to like, something I put the time into to glean a "connection" out of. These are ones I hesitate to recommend to others because I know it would kill me if others couldn't find the same enjoyment out of it that I did. But that is rather selfish thinking because everyone has different tastes.
I'm afraid my insatiable appetite for music will never end. I'm constantly trying new albums in hopes that I find the next "diamond-in-the-rough." Often, it is a disheartening journey--there is a lot of "blah" music out there. On the other hand, it is constantly rewarding--exposure to a myriad of sounds, and maybe challenging or expanding my taste in music. Sometimes I worry that I don't devote enough time to albums anymore, I don't give them a chance to grow on me. Let's face it though, I'm not a kid anymore. I have many more priorities in life and many other things that demand my attention.
Okay, it's late and I'm rambling. I don't remember the original intent behind this post.
Oh yeah--What kind of listening experiences do you guys have? Am I the only weird one who over-analyzes things? Anyone scared to count his/her music collection in fear of doing the math and figuring out how much money you've spent on everything?
