Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
I visit my local HMV and a variety oof used record stores about 2 times per week. I never leave empty handed
Reader Patrick Tracy claims that he's addicted to buying music: "As in the studies of lab mice and cocaine, I will repeatedly choose music over most any other pursuit. Like a longtime drug addict, I now need larger and larger doses of new music to achieve the rush that a single recording might give a normal person."<P>How about you?
It's not so much "new" music that I can't stop buying, it's older jazz records that I don't have yet that cause me problems. So many records; so little time, money, or space. And yet, the thrill every time USPS shows up with another record drives all thoughts of restraint right out the window. Good thing my wife keeps me in line, or I would be "Out Of Control." Music has always come first and always will.
I have more CDs, LPs, and 78s than I have time to listen to them in, but I still keep buying more, although I have managed to slow down the pace. But not only "new" music---I keep buying alternative recordings of the same music. For example, I probably have 10 different recordings of each of the nine Bruckner symphonies, but I am still buying other ones for comparison. Sometimes I buy alternative pressings of the same recording for comparison. The worst example is R. Strauss's "Four Last Songs," with Schwarzkopf and Szell, of which I have three different CD versions and two LP (plus, I have gotten rid of two inferior LP pressings). Yes, this is definitely an addict, although I am starting to learn how to cope with it.
I've only a collection of about 300 CDs, and I started buying when I got my first CD player in 1983. My LP collection is smaller, and most were purchased prior to the introduction of CDs. So I'd say I have no problem with my spending on music.
Once upon a time I thought this might become a problem. Fortunately, I had a run of purchases that, even though they sounded good on the radio, either the sound quality or the actual music proved less than satisfying after repeated plays. This, coupled with the fact that I could start to see a bad trend in my checking balance, caused me to turn mainly to FM for my listening. It helps to have some quality stations in your area, and a decent tuner and antenna, for this to be a viable option. I have all three.
I sold my car because I was spending $400 a month on CDs. Now it's such a pain in the ass to get to the record store (nothing like a city bus to really make you want to stay home) that I buy CDs only when traveling on business. The weight and size of my briefcase keeps purchases in check.
In the last 15 years I have never ever bought less than 2 CD's over the span of a week. I have appr 750 vinyl also. Now I bought a new Arcam CD player with HDCD and now must buy only discs with HDCD What will happen to me if I go 24/96? I look at it this way: What else can you buy for under $25 that gives years of enjoyment?
I have no urge to buy new CDs because I already have a good 'core' collection. In addition, there are probably less than 10 CDs released each year worth buying; of course, we only find that out after buying far more than 10 CDs. Maybe the next poll should be: how many of your own CDs have you not listened to for over a year?
Although I have an extensive collection of LPs and CDs, I never spend over $100/month for music. I have belonged to music clubs over time, but not now (whatever happened to the Musical Heritage Society?), but even then, I often return the monthly card with a change of selection or no selection at all. My bigger problem is finding the time to really listen to music. It is on whenever I am home, but real listening is problematic.
NOW I BUY MORE CAREFULLY MY FAVORITE MUSIC(JAZZ,CLASICAL), I PREFER TO LISTEN MY FRIENDS CD'S, AND MAKE A COPY USING A THETA PEARL TRANSPORT, MERIDIAN 518 AS MASTERING PROCESOR, AND A TASCAN PROFESSIONAL CD RECORDER, THE COPIES ARE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL. JOSE V. GRAU
In the past year I've bought about 100 cds and 60 lps. Sometimes I barely have time to listen to them once, since there are always old favorites and recent purchases that I have to hear again. Loaning and borrowing cds with my friends helps sometimes, although usually that just helps refine my "list".
I do enjoy buying new music regularly. I actually have 150 sealed LPs and about 50 CDs that I have never opened. I made a promise to my wife to keep the music purchases to a minimum, at least until my backlog is used up. I used to have nearly 100 unopened CDs, but that has come down nicely. I need to get my phono stage back to start working on the LPs, although I might sell the sealed LPs if I can get a good price.