discovering music by chance rather than choice...

[bpdp3]

Lately I've just felt over-whelmed by the sheer volume of bands/songs I've acquired in my quest to always stay familiar with music both new and old.

And now that I'm old and wise, I've come to the conclusion that I've ultimately gotten much more pleasure from those songs that I discovered by chance rather than those I've pursued.

It's those songs you discovered by chance - - in a passing car radio, in a movie soundtrack, at a party, over a mall loudspeaker - - and for whatever reason they connect with you. They sound perfect at that moment. Except for me, it goes past that moment - - I've found that they MAINTAIN THEIR APPEAL.

If I go out of my way to hear the new song by (insert hip new band's name here), or even the newly-discovered b-sides by (insert interesting post-punk band's name) it may be satisfying or fun to have aquired that 'audio information' - - but it NEVER has that same LASTING IMPACT. Doesn't stay with me.

And since I realize I have no control of when I'm going to have those experiences, or hear those songs I'll grow to love, I'm almost ready to stop all this "hearing for the sake of hearing it" that I spend most of my time doing. I mean, I've been doing it since the 80's and it's just getting OLD.

(By the way, I do admit this post was prompted by my going through all my 90's CD collection and saying to myself "was I really THAT interested in Jellyfish, or Bettie Sevreet, or all these other damn CD's that seem to be everywhere in my house??")

Sorry I couldn't word this more succinctly, but have you ever come to this realization?

[Stuck In The Eighties]

Jellyfish- Spilt Milk is one of my favorite cds.

But, yes. I agree with you. Sometimes I look through my cd collection and roll my eyes. RTZ, Ralph Tresvant, Tony Toni Tone', Asia (the crappy Asia without John Wetton), Judson Spence, the list goes on and on.

________________________
“Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list.”

[phillyidol]

Oh yeah? I have Michael Jackson's cds. I want to shoot myself! I also have far far worse 45's. Try Lionel Richy-penny lover! I'll go through it soon and post some for a laugh.

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[Frau_Blucher]

Yeah but what radio station did you choose to listen to? What movie did you choose to go see? What sort of friends do you choose to have? Wat sort of places do you hang out at? Sure, a lot of it's just chance, but I think your choices also created some of the chances.

I think there's tons of stuff that have stayed with me that I've heard by semi-chance, like getting a pile of recent releases from a blog or torrent stream. Much of it's crap, and if I try to find gems in there on purpose, I just can't find a single good track. But later on, it seems if I just let something play and hear it casually, something springs up that totally blows me away.

I know I found British Sea Power that way a few years ago. I know that's how I found the Mary Onettes - it was like "What the...how have I not heard this???"...even though I probably had. I wonder if the brain processes thing very differently when we're sitting in front of a computer or cd player and intently listening to something versus when we just happen to hear it without quite so much focus? I bet the latter has something to do with at least some of what you're saying.

[eight6]

[quote][i]Originally posted by phillyidol[/i]
<br>Oh yeah? I have Michael Jackson's cds. I want to shoot myself! I also have far far worse 45's. Try Lionel Richy-penny lover! I'll go through it soon and post some for a laugh.

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LOL!!! Lionel Ritchie! I don't feel so bad owning my Smokey Robinson and the Miracles vinyl now. I'm sure we all own some stuff that we'd rather not own.






[b]Rest in peace, Living In Shadow. Wherever I went, you were there...you completed me.[/b]

[sunzgem]

So there's a chance I'll hear something I like on the mall loudspeaker?[:0][:0][:0]

"So Lonestar, now you see that evil will always triumph...because good is dumb."

[WolverineSyr]

I fall irrationally in love with songs that I hear 30 second snips of in commercials. I never would have heard the Caesers Jerk it Out if it wasn't for ipod. Right now I'm pretty into Fiest's 1-2-3-4 from the latest ipod commercial.

[scramjet]

I agree with Blir that you can skew the odds by choosing where to be and what to listen to. Sometimes it's pure luck. The gym I used to work out at sometimes played this great alt satelite station. Heard some great stuff for the first time there that I've never heard in any other public place. I still think you're most likely to find those gems you missed by listening to albums of bands where you only know and like a few songs and recommendations of people who have similar taste.

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[Parrothead]

Years ago, I was flicking through tv channels, came across a repeat of a tv talk show. What made me stop was a mix of metal and Christmas music. Though I had probably heard TSO's "Christmas Eve Sarajevo" before, this time I really stopped and listened. I picked up their 2 Christmas and one non-Christmas CD's, a short time later that day. Have been to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (East) concert every year since 2003. They put on one heck of a live show with kickass laser lights and pyros. I even ventured into the prog-metal back catalogue of Savatage, from this.

Edit: First time I heard a snippet of "Time Bomb" by Rancid on the radio, I thought The Specials had gotten back together.