Overwhelmed by the amount of music that exists?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by statcat, May 14, 2018.

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  1. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    The old story...so much music, so little time...

    Even worse if make yer own music in addition to listening to everybody else's.
     
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  2. Sanguinus

    Sanguinus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glendale
    I actually kind of like it. During my commutes, I put on many albums from wildly differing genres and it's enjoyable using that time to enjoy a large variety of things.
     
  3. mr.datsun

    mr.datsun Incompletist

    Location:
    London
    Not clear whether you feel overwhelmed by all the music that exists in general, or just the music in your collection.

    I do have a number of albums I bought, listened to once or twice. and that make their way to the out-tray as soon as possible. I just avoid those kind of rushed buying decisions as much as I can these days. I like to completely satisfy my curiosity online before reaching for my wallet.

    My main collection remains tight and purposeful. I never collect anything/everything by a band unless it is worth listening to and owning.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2018
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  4. bherbert

    bherbert Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Africa
    Yes. I have too much music. I’ve started getting rid of the music I don’t listen to and am only keeping the music I will always listen to.
     
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  5. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    I definitely do not accumulate more music than I listen to. I have 3K or 4K LPs and a similar number of CDs accumulated over 45 years, so I have lots an lots of recorded music, and there are definitely records I don't listen to for years and years....and I've reached an age where it's time for me to start disencumbering myself of stuff. But I'm always still looking to hear new music -- new to me, and newly made

    I don't understand the urge to possess a copy of recorded music that I don't intend to listen to. I'm the opposite -- I buy less music than ever, but I stream more and more so I still hear lots of new music. I hear much more music than I accumulate. As I get old, I don't need more physical objects in my life, but I still have the same curiosity about and interest in new music.

    I say, take small bites and chew thoroughly before swallowing. Enjoy the meal before ordering the next one.
     
  6. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    I have an insatiable appetite for new things - but I only buy something if it's to listen to. I wouldn't buy something simply to own it. Vinyl, CD, Blu-Ray - they're just transports. As objects, they're rather boring.
     
  7. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Not overwhelmed... delighted.
     
  8. Be Bop Deluxe

    Be Bop Deluxe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    Sounds to me as if you're an ideal candidate to join us on the "Classical "Mega" CD Box Set" thread found here -

    Classical "Mega" CD Box Sets

    It's 198 pages (and counting) in which we painstakingly list the literally thousands of cd's that we have, don't have, want, don't want, intend to get, intend to never get, are sorry we bought, are sorry we didn't buy, really should buy now before it goes out of print, really should buy later even at the risk of it going out of print, as we dream of everything and anything that could possibly be released in a box... any box...we don't care as long as it's in a "box"... including 350 disc collections of the Complete Deutsche Grammophon Decca Warners Sony "Empty Grooves Between the Tunes and Movements" Collections...

    At some point it's going to occur to Deutsche Grammophon and Decca and Warners and Sony that they can save themselves a hell of a lot of trouble by just selling us empty boxes and forgetting about the contents entirely... Because even when they do release something all we do is complain about what's missing and I'm the thread's "foremost complainer of what's missing and issuer of bitter complaints about anything and everything"...

    My latest rant concerns the release of "La Nilsson - The Complete Decca, Philips, and DG recordings" which is a 79 CD plus 2 DVD lavish box set described thus "Handsome packaging includes CDs presented in wallets with a spine and with original sleeve art encased in an anti-scratch rigid box with magnetic-hinged lid."... All if did was bitterly rant about the lack of libretti to the 27 operas and question the wisdom of leaving them out and instead concentrating on the development of an "anti-scratch rigid box with magnetic-hinged lid"... Good luck trying to navigate your way through each of the two complete Wagner Ring Cycles (each with differing cuts) without a libretto... but I reckon that perhaps the magnetic-hinged lid is supposed to act as some sort of "compass" that will allow you to find your way home as you wander through Valhalla hopelessly lost...

    Put in in a box - any box - doesn't matter as long as it's in a "box" (I would personally purchase "Jascha Heifetz - The Complete Mono Recordings" even if they released it in a cat's "needed to be scooped out" litter box because hey, a box is a box, right?)... Put the words "Remastered" somewhere... anywhere... doesn't matter... you don't even have to actually re-master it because we'll never actually get around to listening to it because as soon as we start one box another box is released and we put the first aside and move on to the second which we then put aside as the third new box is released (repeat ad infinitum) and so much for that... Add the words "Complete" (even in the context of "Complete Waste Of Time And Money"... and best of all claim that it's a "Limited Edition" - that more than anything else is the killer phrase that gets us every time... I have "Limited Editions" that I purchased five years ago which are still available and being sold for less money than I paid for them...

    But despite that you really should join us at the "Classical "Mega" CD Box Set" thread because everybody there is friendly and knowledgeable and willing to share their enthusiasm with you and best of all they have the greatest collective senses of humor on the entire forum - you never have to explain the gag to them - they get it - and they laugh and you don't have to write tedious explanations about the use of irony and satire like you do everywhere else... They are amiable and affable and don't mind lowering their standards to such an extent that even someone like me is welcome there... If they'll take me, they'll take you... I promise...

    And if you do decide to show up... take pictures of your shelves groaning under the collective weight of your box sets - we love those!
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2018
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  9. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    I don't have this problem. I tend to binge listen to Artists. So I will listen to a record that I haven't heard in a while eventually. It's a matter of time. I don't listen consecutively to every album, more like over a week I get around to them all.
     
  10. rancher

    rancher Unmade Bed

    Location:
    Ohio
    I do find it hard to find time to go back and listen to older artists and material that I have heard so many times in my lifetime, but when I do it is usually rewarding ... so, yeh, I'd say a little overwhelmed
     
  11. Bytor Snowdog

    Bytor Snowdog Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas
    No, I am not overwhelmed. More frustrated that there is surely music I would like if exposed to it, but the magnitude of music out there makes finding it almost impossible.

    Personally, I grow tired of reviewing 100 tracks of previously unheard material and coming away empty. One would think that those sites that let you listen by genre or "If you like this, you will like that" types of sites would narrow the field enough for significant finds. In my experience, not by much if at all.
     
  12. bosskeenneat

    bosskeenneat Forum Resident

    One word; Technology. I screamed to the heavens in '88-'89 when the recording industry gave up on vinyl & pretty much had music buyers march to the beat of the compact disc. All they had to do at the time was tell me that they were finally going to throw open the darkened vaults that the "one 12 song Greatest Hits" decade of the '70's denied us. I unquestionably recall the days when things like "The Bobby Darin Story" & "Best of the Beach Boys" were among the only offerings in the oldies section. Now we have discographies that are damn near complete. So I was won over to that small silver circle. The box sets & anthologies across the entire spectrum have been mind-blowing to say the least. But the internet? Well, if you've seen footage of Japan's 2011 Tsunami, that's what we have now in music. Granted the record companies, or conglomerates now I should say, can still bring on frustration without even trying. But at least some generous collectors are filling in holes I never thought I'd ever hear needle meet vinyl to. For sure we have vast mountains and valleys of singing & playing all over this box called a computer. But if we really have to have a "problem", wouldn't we all choose something along these lines? We won't "hear it all". But we sure have no excuse of being "musically bored".
     
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  13. Rhinojack

    Rhinojack Forum Resident

    Location:
    Harlingen, Texas
    Me, I tend to buy re-releases of stuff I already own as well. In the back of my mind I feel like I'm wasting money simply because I never play the original again, and because it is usually older music, even the newer version doesn't get played after a couple of spins. Example JT- "Aqualung", then I bought the Steven Wilson remix LP, then I bought the 40th anniversary CD booklet with Blu-ray surround. Will I ever play the original again? No. Should I get rid of it to make room for others? I can't.
     
  14. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I'm not bothered. I listen to what I want to, and not bothered by what I'm missing. I'm not expecting to hear and be familiar with everything, it's just not possible.

    I certainly don't buy more than I can listen to, I consider that foolish.
     
  15. scompton

    scompton Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arlington, VA
    I both stream more and buy more. Part of why I buy is I want to support new music as much as I can and since I can afford it, it means making purchases of albums I’m going to listen to more than a few times. I have run out of room to store physical media so most of my purchases are downloads. I’ll typically buy an album after the second stream. I’m very reluctant to buy anything I can’t stream first. I do end up buying some albums I end up only listening to once, but it’s getting rarer and rarer.
     
  16. If I Can Dream_23

    If I Can Dream_23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    As I often say, there's nothing more euphoric than being overwhelmed by music! Embrace it. It is why music is here. :)
     
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  17. SurrealCereal

    SurrealCereal Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    For the most part, no, but in specific circumstances, sometimes yes. I never get overwhelmed by what's in my own collection, but when I'm trying to discover new music I sometimes do. If it's an artist I'm mostly unfamiliar with, I'll want to hear all of their music, but if they have a lot, then it can be overwhelming. I've been trying to get into jazz for a while now, but I always get overwhelmed by the huge number of essential artists and how many essential albums each of them has released.
     
  18. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    I'm in a similar boat. Not that I buy more. I buy far less. But I will buy stuff I know I'll be listening to more frequently and/or less casually, and especially if that's the work of artists who really need the support, like much of what I wind up buying is contemporary jazz on artist-owned or very small labels. What I don't do is buy downloads. But I'm also very reluctant to buy anything I can't stream first.
     
  19. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Not anymore.

    Once I learned to filter out listening to things I'm vaguely interested in, making purchases just because something was cheap, and listening to albums that I like and not LOVE.

    I've been culling and my collection is now a sturdy, all killer and no filler 700 (approx.) albums, down from a few thousand.

    Less is more and I'm enjoying my collection more.
     
  20. gillcup

    gillcup Senior Member

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC, USA
    I feel overwhelmed when I see all the artists/groups people say they are listening to and recommend as good. I buy a lot of music, too much really. But I'm only scratching the surface compared to some of the members here. I wonder how much great music I'm missing. But there is no way I'm going to buy everything. I have too much stuff as it is.
     
  21. George Blair

    George Blair Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Does a Library have too many books? And so should a record collection have too many records. How else are you supposed to find what you're looking for?
     
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  22. Siegmund

    Siegmund Vinyl Sceptic

    Location:
    Britain, Europe
    It's impossible not to be overwhelmed. There is so much good stuff in so many different genres and I'm discovering (and re-discovering) it all the time. It breaks my heart that one lifetime is inadequate to pick up on everything I'd benefit from picking up on. The same applies to books.
     
  23. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    Indeed. I always say, for all the fun I had dabbling in illegal substances back in my younger days, nothing gets me off like a good tune:righton: Music is my drug of choice, always was, always will be.
     
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  24. Spinmeout

    Spinmeout Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    I'm not complaining but there is sooooo much music and it doesn't help that I like so many genres.
    Between discovering old forgotten gems and just trying to grab all the classics you never got around to picking up and the trying to explore new stuff it's virtually impossible and might I add bloody expensive.

    I've put myself on hiatus, I've still got my ear to the ground but I'm not buying anything old or new, I'm listening to what I've got.

    It's easy to get caught up in the hunt and never enjoy the kill.
     
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  25. Joy-of-radio

    Joy-of-radio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Central ME
    I'm delighted to be overwhelmed with the wealth of music being made available! While I find much of what's out there to be dross, there's gold in them there hills and I love the hunt! The internet has helped immeasurably in that persuit. Sunshine pop, harmony pop, and bubblegum pop from the 60s and 70s is what turns me on and brings a smile to my face, and I'm still discovering treasures. I'm not a completist or hoarder. Money, space, and most importantly time are at a premium!
     
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