I don't think I like music...

[Vacant Horizon]

i'll never stop listening to music. over the last few years however, with the advent of torrents etc., i've been a fiend. quantity over quailty. i've searching for that elusive visceral reaction to music i used get. you know, when the drums come in on stairway or cliffs of dover comes on the radio. but it's gone. i've either grown out of it or i'm just tired of it. i just listen to half way decent stuff these days...but nothing seems AMAZING anymore. part of me just wants to put Eno on a continuous loop around the house and be done with it. anyone getting me here? how do you listen to music?

[Beltmann]

Sometimes less is more. Modern technology makes it easy and cheap to have a steady stream of new music, but rushing from album to album is the best way to make sure nothing ever truly soaks in.

[theashtraysays]

I blame the "shuffle" feature on iPods.

[Al.Ducts]

I blame the "shuffle" feature on iPods.

 

Although if you take the time to fully immerse yourself in an album BEFORE committing to putting it on your iPod this feature can be quite nice to ensure a varied stream of phenomenal artists, songs, and albums.

 

And I love shuffling through Wilco's full catalog hearing the changes from one album to the next.

 

(Disclaimer: I do NOT work for apple )

[Vacant Horizon]

interesting how y'all have mentioned ipods. this has been a big part of my issue. i got this huge 30gb 3 years ago and it's only caused me headaches. i'm constantly changing what's on there looking for the that elusive, perfect set of songs. i'm thinking about totally going back to cds to just get into albums again and not just listening to everything randomly.

[bigshoulders]

I blame mp3s in general.

 

In this digital age when an album leaks weeks, sometimes months before the physical product is available, it's no small wonder to me that obtaining and listening to music is simply NOT the same as it once was. Back when I actually listened to CDs in the car, I would get lazy and not change the discs in the disc changer (remember those?) for mos. at a time. Albums had a chance to sink in, then. I'm thankful I steeped myself in many of the staples I still listen to now (namely Waits, Dylan, and to a lesser extent Wilco) when I wasn't so trigger happy on listening to whatever was next.

 

I'm getting better about making a conscious effort to listen to a full album these days. I happen to be stuck on Leonard Cohen at the moment. It's a wonderful rut.

[Maggie]

Over the last couple years I've become obsessed with finding new music. It started with live music torrents, back when I downloaded waaay too many shows, listening to each one only once, if even that. Then when my employment situation finally became stable I started buying as many CD's in one month as I used to purchase in one year. And finally I started buying mp3 albums as a way to get more for my money. That's when it got really ugly.

 

I'm glad that I finally have a somewhat varied selection of music, but when I get the iPod out or click over to iTunes I have a terrible time deciding what to listen to. The list has become overwhelming. This often leads me to the shuffle function - but then I spend more time skipping songs that actually listening to music. I end up going back to the tried and tested favorites, leaving my latest purchases with a play count of 1 or 2.

 

 

I recently put my emusic account on hold, and I'm making an effort not to browse amazon.com's music selection. I've got a couple pre-ordered albums scheduled to come my way over the next month and a half. Other than that I hope to keep my purchases to a minimum. Hopefully zero for a while.

[cooperissup3r]

And finally I started buying mp3 albums as a way to get more for my money.

 

you've been had!

 

 

ps - original poster...put eno on loop around the house and be done with it.

[brownie]

In response to Rider's first post in this thread, there have been several times in my life when I've thought that listening to music was 'over' for me, at least to the extent that new music would give me the thrill I was looking for. But this has always turned out to be a temporary thing, and something always comes along that knocks my socks off just as much as anything ever did. Sometimes it has been a whole year that I've felt 'over' music. It always comes back. Don't try to force it.

 

And I agree that trying to consume vast amounts of music in a short amount of time can lead to musical overload and overkill without anything really sinking in. I used to try to stay up on everything new and also all the artists that I love. I realized I can't do it. There's just too much music out there. So I made a conscious decision to just listen to whatever I felt like listening to at any given moment. And if that means listening to one album exclusively for an entire month or more, so be it. If I miss stuff, oh well, you can always go back and discover stuff you missed when it was first released - I've done this many times!

 

I'm currently on a bit of an exploration binge, listening to the iPod in shuffle mode (and I agree with those who say that can lead to being more concerned about what's coming next rather than enjoying what's playing right now)....but this too shall pass and I'm sure I'll eventually find an album or artist to focus on for months to the virtual exclusion of all others.

 

Don't worry about it. If you've been a music fiend since your youth, it won't go away. I'm pushing 50 and it hasn't gone away...well, as I said above, it has, temporarily, but it always, always comes back. I'm not worried.

[Wendy]

I admit to being in somewhat of a musical slump myself.

 

But like Brownie says, it will come back.

 

It doesn't help that my good PC is broken, I can't download music (much) and I also can't update my iPod. So I'm enjoying what I DO have on there for now. I'll have to catch up later when my PC gets fixed (or new one bought). I've just been buying CDs and listening mostly in the car, which is always a good place, IMO. It's just frustrating to be in limbo on the PC/iPod thing.

[Ghost of Electricity]

When this happens sometimes i start exploring other genres. Classical, African, and Indian classical for example have been fruitful. Part of the reason is that i know less about them, and therefore don't know what to expect. It makes for surprises and discovery. Inevitably I do come back though, to discover a few things that i missed when I was away.

[Maggie]

you've been had!

 

 

ps - original poster...put eno on loop around the house and be done with it.

 

 

Well, when I was paying 13 cents per song (or something around there) on emusic I was doing alright. The deals of the day on amazon were okay as well. But that all led to an unexscusable addiction. The instant gratification got to me.

[anthony]

I have found myself in the opposite situation, actually. I fond myself more inspired by music then ever. Let me explain by putting my musical listening experience in context:

 

Like most youth, I really got into music in high school. I nearly fell on the floor when the drums kicked in on Stairway. I drooled over the intro to Shine On You Crazy Diamond. I was astounded by Blood On The Tracks. My tastes ran the gamut from Anthrax to Steve Miller to Robert Johnson to John Coltrane.

 

But then, during the 1990s, I kinda lost interest. FM radio kept playing the same Lyrnrd Skynrd songs over and over and over ... I thought there were no more musical discoveries left to make. Sure KROQ played a few interesting tidbits: Radiohead, Oasis, Suiblime. But nothing revolutionary to my ears.

 

Then I signed up for XM radio.

 

Wow. My musical horizons broadened exponentially. There was so much good stuff out there that I had not heard! Wilco? Son Volt? Sonic Youth? Iron & Wine? Bright Eyes? My goodness. I felt (and still feel like) I can't keep up. I feel like I am just scratching the surface of what is out there.

 

Granted, I was notoriously sheltered; wallowing in a classic rock funk. But it seems to me there is way too much to absorb - for almost anyone. I think quality over quantity might be the answer. How many times have we bought a record, listened a few times, then stick it on the bottom of the pile because the next Tuesday the latest Indie Rock Record-of-the-week is released?

 

Just my two cents. YMMV, of course.

[jmacomber68w]

I recommend revisiting old albums you have not listened to in a while. Also, I recomend checking out bands that you have never heard of before. Variety is the spice of life!

[uncool2pillow]

I agree a lot with the 1st sentiment in this thread for a couple of reasons:

 

1) Info. overload. There's so much music available through torrents, iTunes, my convenient public library, etc. that I don't have time to fully absorb it.

 

2) Becoming a parent. I have tried to expose my kids to a lot of music I like and to kids' music we can all like, so I don't get a chance to listen to really loud, profane, dissonant, or "boring" stuff much anymore. When a new CD that I'm really excited about (Wilco, Old 97s) comes out, I can't listen to it 5 times straight while devouring the liner notes they way I used to.

 

The is a HUGE plus to listening to music with your kids though. I had a small tear rolling down my cheek when I was driving w/ my kids and we were listening to a mix CD I made. Both kids started singing along to "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young. Freaking AWESOME. That, and the chorus to "Just a Kid" has become something of a mantra in our household recently. "Why do I have to go to bed, now??" "Everybody has to do something they don't want to do!"

[Vacant Horizon]

thanks so much for the replies everyone. i go back and forth with wilco, but i stick with this board b/c there are real music lovers here. i knew some of y'all would be able to relate to my original post.

 

the other issue for me is thinking i have to be a completist. that is a dangerous road, especially when we're talking prolific artists like zappa or dylan. emusic has been deadly. i've spent so much money there trying to get into other genres etc. only to just delete everything, then go back and re-download. my wife is always asking me what genre i'm into this week. it's like music has become this thing i hope will fill up the holes in my soul, but the reality is that it's as fleeting as anything else. right now, i don't know what i like at all! i've tried with DBT, Dylan, Waits, different jazz, etc. some of it's listenable and most is meh. damn, i wish i could here stairway again for the first time. at the same time, i think i need to give up this search for something that's gonna blow my mind and listen to what i have. also, i need to take a break from buying and downloading music. it's gotta be something i really really want, like neil young archives II.

 

thanks again for your thoughts. look forward to more.

[junkiesmile]

Don't worry about it. If you've been a music fiend since your youth, it won't go away. I'm pushing 50 and it hasn't gone away...well, as I said above, it has, temporarily, but it always, always comes back. I'm not worried.

I have a love/hate relationship with music. I can't get enough of it but most of the time I feel I've wasted my life on it. I've played in bands when I should have been studying. I surf the net and read about bands when I could be learning something that betters my life. I'm 38 years old and I feel like I've never really grown up. My friends and relatives talk about grown up stuff and I'm still obsessed with music. I work for a guitar builder for god's sake. It's been like this my whole life. I have a wife and kids but I still spend more money on cds than on my tool box collection in the garage. Sometimes I try to be over music. I've actually been listening to a lot of talk radio lately, but I'm itching for that new Beatles box set that's coming out. Bottom line is, I don't think it will ever let me go.

[uncool2pillow]

One more (biblical) thought I have on this topic comes from the Apostle Paul. I don't think you have to be a Christian or a believer to agree with the sentiment in this verse:

 

1 Corinthians 13:11

 

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

[LouieB]

I miss the good old days when you could turn on the radio and hear new music, not that you can't do that now I suppose, but so much of of what gets played on the radio sucks. I guess it sucks getting old, I dunno. I continue to buy lots of recorded music (never download) and don't listen to it as fast as I buy it.

 

I mean I bought a copy of St. Vincent at Pitchfork and have listened to it a couple times and keep thinking....Is this good or is it just mediocre and is this the best there is or what??

 

Tbere was an excellent article in the New Yorker last week about the the music biz and tickets and stuff and the point was made that artists now have to make money touring, not like in the old days when they made money on records. Really sad. The minute Wilco stops touring people are gonna forget about them entirely. I guess that is why they have to tour so relentlessly.

 

LouieB

[brownie]

I surf the net and read about bands when I could be learning something that betters my life. I'm 38 years old and I feel like I've never really grown up. My friends and relatives talk about grown up stuff and I'm still obsessed with music.

 

I surf the net and read about bands and I feel this does better my life.

 

I'm 48 years old and I feel like I've grown up (i.e. am responsible and self-sufficient), but not old because of my passion for music.

 

My friends and relatives talk about "grown up stuff" and it bores me to tears. I'm still obsessed with music, and it is the one great passion of my life. The thing I can always to turn to. It's never been my job, but it has always been my passion.

 

It makes me sad to read that you actively want to give a passion like that up.

[uncool2pillow]

Passion does not equal obsession. I think I can still be very passionate about music. It's also a quantity/quality thing. If I devote the time to music that I used to, that means less quality time w/ my kids. At least until they're old enough to appreciate it on a different level. I used to decide to drive 3 hours to see a band at the drop of a hat. Can't really do that anymore.

 

Sorry that makes you sad.

[Beltmann]

One more (biblical) thought I have on this topic comes from the Apostle Paul. I don't think you have to be a Christian or a believer to agree with the sentiment in this verse:

 

1 Corinthians 13:11

I agree with the sentiment, but I don't think our relationship with the arts is a childish thing. In fact, I think a sophisticated and passionate relationship with art is one of the hallmarks of maturity.

[junkiesmile]

I surf the net and read about bands and I feel this does better my life.

 

I'm 48 years old and I feel like I've grown up (i.e. am responsible and self-sufficient), but not old because of my passion for music.

 

My friends and relatives talk about "grown up stuff" and it bores me to tears. I'm still obsessed with music, and it is the one great passion of my life. The thing I can always to turn to. It's never been my job, but it has always been my passion.

 

It makes me sad to read that you actively want to give a passion like that up.

I never said I would give it up. I just sometimes wish I could be as passionate about something more constructive, like feeding the world or tending the sick or putting a man on Mars or reforming health care or fixing my car or teaching my kids how to fish.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Oh, God

[junkiesmile]

thanks so much for the replies everyone. i go back and forth with wilco, but i stick with this board b/c there are real music lovers here. i knew some of y'all would be able to relate to my original post.

 

the other issue for me is thinking i have to be a completist. that is a dangerous road, especially when we're talking prolific artists like zappa or dylan. emusic has been deadly. i've spent so much money there trying to get into other genres etc. only to just delete everything, then go back and re-download. my wife is always asking me what genre i'm into this week. it's like music has become this thing i hope will fill up the holes in my soul, but the reality is that it's as fleeting as anything else. right now, i don't know what i like at all! i've tried with DBT, Dylan, Waits, different jazz, etc. some of it's listenable and most is meh. damn, i wish i could here stairway again for the first time. at the same time, i think i need to give up this search for something that's gonna blow my mind and listen to what i have. also, i need to take a break from buying and downloading music. it's gotta be something i really really want, like neil young archives II.

 

thanks again for your thoughts. look forward to more.

I feel what you're saying. I have many holes in my soul and music is a local anesthetic. I would think that your avatar would have some answers. Music has been the only thing so far that has made it all worthwhile for me, but I have my doubts. There are people who live beautiful lives without ever being music snobs.

[Vacant Horizon]

I miss the good old days when you could turn on the radio and hear new music, not that you can't do that now I suppose, but so much of of what gets played on the radio sucks. I guess it sucks getting old, I dunno. I continue to buy lots of recorded music (never download) and don't listen to it as fast as I buy it.

 

I mean I bought a copy of St. Vincent at Pitchfork and have listened to it a couple times and keep thinking....Is this good or is it just mediocre and is this the best there is or what??

 

Tbere was an excellent article in the New Yorker last week about the the music biz and tickets and stuff and the point was made that artists now have to make money touring, not like in the old days when they made money on records. Really sad. The minute Wilco stops touring people are gonna forget about them entirely. I guess that is why they have to tour so relentlessly.

 

LouieB

 

 

is this good, or just the best there is? my sentiments exactly.