Parting with CDs

I prefer monotyping personally.

 

That’s all the CDs he owns in the picture?!? Okay, now I’m laughing really hard!!!

 

Best post of the day!

 

There's a mighty long way between massive collections and minimalism. I identify with the idea of having more than I can listen to, and do believe that a tidier less cluttered space would benefit me, mentally and spiritually.

I do toy with idea that my esoteric and diverse taste might make some of my cd library of some interest to institutions.

But failing that, I hope this messed up world will find some productive way of recycling the plastic and metal that is incorporated in the collection.

 

It all comes down to clutter that some people can’t deal with...whether it be cds, lps, 78rpm discs, photos etc...the easy way out is to dispose of it...in many cases eventually comes regret. At garage sales i have benefited from the compulsion to get rid of the clutter...cds, dvds at a buck a pop..bring it on!

 

My balance was to burn all my CD's and keep my favorites out for play. So around 500 are easily accessible with about 2000 in storage, works for me!

 

As physical objects, they are utterly unlike their vinyl predecessors in that they inspire little or no loyalty or sentimentality. They don’t age in interesting, organic ways.

I'll never understand the vinyl fetish. I have a milk crate of vinyl from my childhood days (Chicago, Styx, Phil Collins, etc.) in back of one of the closets downstairs that I'm too lazy to take to a used store. Maybe there's a bit of sentimentality when I run across the crate every few years, but I have yet to see the LPs "age in interesting, organic ways." Whatever THAT would entail...

Seeing a CD from the 1990s still bearing its original non-discount price tag is like stumbling across an artifact from a lost civilization. How could we have tolerated this? U2’s unfinished, misbegotten Pop for $18.99

What were we SUPPOSED to do, storm the record companies with torches and pitchforks? And even in the height of the CD era, you were an idiot if you paid $18.99 for a CD. You could always wait for a sale, and new releases were always priced lower for awhile. At least this guy didn't trot out the tired line of paying $18.99 for one good song. Every time I see that, I think anyone who pays $18.99 and only likes one song on a CD has lousy taste in bands/musicians.

All that said, I'm trying to slim down some. I've sold doubles (and triples--yikes!) of jazz stuff that I accumulated in various editions (SACD, DCC, MFSL, XRCD, etc.) and pop/rock stuff that I'm pretty sure I'll never miss. But most of the collection is still around.

 

I don’t know where to begin.

“I can’t even contemplate not having my (almost) complete collection of Mojo magazines close at hand.”

Such an albatross—I’m sorry, “collection”—is far less valuable than all of the used Dido CDs on Earth. Why so selective? You either declutter or you don’t. (Third option: you sorta half-ass declutter and then have the wisdom to refrain from writing a pointless essay about it).

“There was a time when [GnR] felt important — one of those bands that explained and even embodied an aspect of the zeitgeist. But that was more than 30 years ago, and was probably an illusion even then. I certainly don’t see myself, in my golden years, listening a lot to songs sung by someone who thought it was a good idea to record a song written by Charles Manson. Ciao, Axl.”

The mind boggles. So we’re keeping Vauxhall and I partially “as a chastening, worst-case reminder of how hero worship can go seriously off the rails,” but we’re ditching Guns ‘n’ Roses and all the REM albums after Automatic. Got it.

“But the Beatles, as in so many cases, are an exception here. I mean, just listen to Ringo’s drumming on Take 44 of George’s Long, Long, Long. This was a very good band.”

Wow, hot take.

This isn’t even an article about downsizing; it’s about a man whittling down his collection—something all of us have done—and hanging on to the stuff he wants you to know he knows is cool. He’s also keeping Mojo back issues, Beatles box sets, and Morrissey CDs.

I guess I don’t really understand the point of this piece beyond the author’s narcissistic desire to publicize what he feels is his good taste.

 

Had to laugh at this one:

"Heave-ho: The Beatles, full U.K. albums catalogue, 1987-88 CD reissues

The unbelievably shoddy first-generation digital reboots of arguably the most significant set of musical recordings in history constituted the first clear indication that the music industry was intent on fleecing us to the full extent of the law. I’m more inclined to melt these things down than to let them out into the ecosystem, so awful is the thought that they might be anyone’s introduction to these albums."

Yeah, me thinks not. I'm gonna be holding on to my copies for the foreseeable future.

 

Don't mind the clutter I keep the cds, box sets and vinyl in a neat collection.
Bob Dylan, The Beatles & Frank Zappa, Stones, Floyd have to be on cds and vinyl. Just my two cents.

 

ditto

 

Here in the eastern mountains it's Christians and hunters. Funny, you don't sound blue.

 

A little voice inside of me, when I see these sort of articles, or any of the vinyl fetishising that goes on in the media, just wants to scream "let us keep and play our f**king CDs, will you, and bloody p** off".

But yeah, I have too many CDs. Some have got to go. The ones which I have less of an emotional connection to.

All this rubbish about CDs not looking good or inspiring any sense of beauty, well I'll take those 80s Warners, Polygram and CBS/Epic CDs over anything else in the history of physical media. But then I think the jewelcase CD format is a work of art (when done right!).

EG.

 

Well it’s kinda sad......seems soulless to me. I have large collection of CDs and Vinyl. Digital files never appealed to me. I consider my music as artifacts of my life experiences. Never considered CDs , vinyl or even cassettes as objects , well they are simply music. I have started pairing down my collection to eliminate duplicates , those artist or recordings that don’t have appeal for me anymore and boxsets that are duplicates of single recordings. Reduction for space reasons or reality that things change and sometimes you need different path. I definitely think the later as I grow older.

 

I agree with you on all levels. Taking a CD out of the shelf, opening the jewel case, looking at the disc face has the same cathartic effect on me as doing just that with records. I love to look at my music collection and spending far too much time deciding which album to play next. Even if no one - safe for two friends and my close family - understands my notion of collecting physical media. I just love to have music at home. And I couldn't imagine giving up on my physical collection for good, especially since I'm actively using ALL media I currently own - CDs, Vinyl, tapes, Laserdiscs. They all find space within my life.

 

There has never been a better time to be alive in my view but....
CD's are composites so very hard to recycle. They are best looked after and enjoyed!

 

This. Whilst I don’t have anywhere near enough time to play all the music I want to, I’ve bought my CDs and fully intend to enjoy my purchases until the day I die. Totally agree about the therapeutic / cathartic nature of perusing your collection and finding a CD to play. Even the sound of a jewel case opening and clicking shut is satisfying to me, along with taking the CD from its tray and replacing it. I haven’t spent around 30 years collecting this stuff just to throw it all out and have nothing in its place. I haven’t read the article and I’m not sure I want to. My CD collection makes ME happy and that’s all that matters.

 

I understand this sentiment... I have every record, every CD I have ever bought. Both formats are revered in my house. I played three records this afternoon and part of the fun is pulling them out, looking at them, mulling it over... I have this personal theory, which I'm sure can be shot down easily, but I ascribe to it. Somewhere in the late 60's, maybe later, our society reached this thing that I call Analog Perfection. All these beautifully manufactured analog machines were in the world, and a good example of what I'm talking about would be riding in a 1969 Mercedes Benz W114 Estate Wagon with the windows down, the comfort of the leather seats surrounding you, all analog dials and gauges working to perfection, all those details... I remember all the washers, dryers, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators that just never failed that we gave away so my mom could get a new one. And even though I care greatly about my CD's, I keep a pure analog system to play records. I can fix it myself if I have to. I love watching it all work. Don't get me wrong, I work in the IT sector, I can code, but there is a beauty to a well oiled machine.

 

As long as you got a lot of enjoyment out of them through the years I would never put it in terms of worthless. I don't feel bad about that because I played them a lot for hours on end.

I do go through and thin the herd a little here and there, but nothing too drastic. I have sold a CD and then bought it back the next month, but that has not happened too many times..

I did go back and find original versions that I used to have after buying the latest and greatest remaster of some titles.

 

Agree with the highlighted part. Once you feel like there are no more vistas to be discovered, be it music or books or whatever, then you're already dead. I'm perfectly happy for my kids to pick apart my collection when I shuffle off this mortal coil.

 

We can argue whether the discs in question are the "best versions" or not, but I think those of us that were around can remember what an event it was to FINALLY get the Beatles on CD. And at the time, these reissues were brilliant. Made m rediscover a lot of records I'd got tired of. Happy to have lived to see improvements (again, we can argue that word) to these original CDs.

 

That reminds me, it's about time to replace the needle on my CD player....

 

First comes "Liberation" then ultimately Regret. Like any relationship. Same old boring story one can only learn the hard way. But only if music is one of your life's true Passions, that is.

 

As a lover of all things "England" and especially the south, I want to thank you for reminding me of some wonderful moments I spent there. I know what you're talking about
(Sorry for being out of topic )

 

I haven’t gotten rid of anything but jewel cases. I ditched those and put all discs and artwork in sleeves inside two big plastic bins. They now fit easily in a closet, though they’re pretty near capacity.

That said, I could see myself selectively pruning certain albums from my collection. I still have everything ripped to iTunes and backed up on a rugged drive, but I’m not sure I really ever need to see or listen to, say, Kerosene Hat again.