I have been inspired by Craige to listen to all of my music in alphabetical order.
My work library, that is.
All 15.2 days of it.
Just recently I've started listening to my library with shuffle turned off, to get the feeling and impact of albums as the tracks were meant to be ordered, rather than hopping around schizophrenically. The main reason for this has been the new Nada Surf album, 'Lucky', which functions beautifully as a whole album; plus there's a song that mentions Sopwith Camels.
I'm usually happy to let the shuffle drive my listening...I would say 95% of the time. Krissa picks up her iPod and knows just what she wants to listen to, but I can't think ahead in that way. I put each and every song on that iPod, and I either like the song, want to check it out or want to keep it around for inexplicable sentimental reasons (hello Daphne and Celeste)...so why wouldn't I want to listen to them all?
I remember listening to albums on CD and tape on shuffle-less loop, spotting and slowly understanding themes and transitions, contrasting styles and emotional progression, and I miss it. I miss getting to know an album, knowing it so well that I could put it on and know each break and breath, miss reaching the point where I'm so into an album that the next tune automatically suggests itself when a pause, particularly flavoured by the preceding song, attracts my attention.
Another reason I want to do it is because albums make better memory banks than individual songs. You might remember a certain time - a night out or a day with friends - when one particular song was playing, but some albums I love can unearth and bear aloft the memories and feelings of entire seasons, even years.
So all due credit to the music makers. You arranged your work the way you wanted, and so I'll embark on 15.2 days' worth of listening to it as you intended.
I'm skipping the gaps between hidden tracks though.
I hope that's all right, music makers.
So here's the top of the pack (single tracks and incomplete albums omitted):
...and then we're into the Bs.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this feels and how it affects my working day, and also worried about albums of which I am already less than fond (Hi, Amnesiac and Anniemal).
My work library, that is.
All 15.2 days of it.
Just recently I've started listening to my library with shuffle turned off, to get the feeling and impact of albums as the tracks were meant to be ordered, rather than hopping around schizophrenically. The main reason for this has been the new Nada Surf album, 'Lucky', which functions beautifully as a whole album; plus there's a song that mentions Sopwith Camels.
I'm usually happy to let the shuffle drive my listening...I would say 95% of the time. Krissa picks up her iPod and knows just what she wants to listen to, but I can't think ahead in that way. I put each and every song on that iPod, and I either like the song, want to check it out or want to keep it around for inexplicable sentimental reasons (hello Daphne and Celeste)...so why wouldn't I want to listen to them all?
I remember listening to albums on CD and tape on shuffle-less loop, spotting and slowly understanding themes and transitions, contrasting styles and emotional progression, and I miss it. I miss getting to know an album, knowing it so well that I could put it on and know each break and breath, miss reaching the point where I'm so into an album that the next tune automatically suggests itself when a pause, particularly flavoured by the preceding song, attracts my attention.
Another reason I want to do it is because albums make better memory banks than individual songs. You might remember a certain time - a night out or a day with friends - when one particular song was playing, but some albums I love can unearth and bear aloft the memories and feelings of entire seasons, even years.
So all due credit to the music makers. You arranged your work the way you wanted, and so I'll embark on 15.2 days' worth of listening to it as you intended.
I'm skipping the gaps between hidden tracks though.
I hope that's all right, music makers.
So here's the top of the pack (single tracks and incomplete albums omitted):
Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline: Gomez
Across A Wire: Live In New York City: Counting Crows
Adventures In Foam: Cujo (Amon Tobin)
All Change: Cast
Atlantic Soul: Various Artists (Soul Compilation)
American Idiot: Green Day
Amnesiac: Radiohead (I've never listened to more than 1 track at a time)
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out: Yo La Tengo
Anniemal: Annie (erm...how'd that get in there?)
Arular: M.I.A
August & Everything After: Counting Crows
Automatic: The Jesus and Mary Chain
...and then we're into the Bs.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this feels and how it affects my working day, and also worried about albums of which I am already less than fond (Hi, Amnesiac and Anniemal).
Hmmm interesting idea...
And we have the same first "A" album.
Now this is full albums only, yes? I have a lot of tracks interspersed you see... and can we skip compilations?
Sorry for all the questions but when you've got.. ahem.. 60.5 days worth of music available then you need to start properly.
I have to say, I also do the shuffle a lot. That way, loads of stuff I forgot I even had on my iPod pops up and surprises me.
That said, I also listen to whole albums a lot. And I hate (not dislike, but HATE) when people constantly flick through their iPod, not listening to whole songs, never mind whole albums.
There's two ways of listening to music. The way you want to, and the way the artist intended. Neither is correct, or better, but both are great, assuming the music is as well.
Gordon: SIXTY DAYS?
Sixty days of music and we have the same first 'A' album?
I was going to skip anything that wasn't a whole album, but leave compilations in there.
Matt: Totally.