I listen to familiar Jazz music, streaming or CD, while reading stereo magazines, nothing that I have to concentrate on. If a particular song is highly enjoyed, I stop to appreciate one of life’s finer moments. If it is a new Jazz album suggested by the above magazines, I will critically listen, eyes closed, to review properly.
I listen to streaming music on Spotify. One of the reasons is that I can see the lyrics for most of the vocal albums. I listen to Rock and Roll, Blues, and Pop looking at the lyrics on my TV screen. Ever since I was a kid and started listening to music, I never could fully understand the words of the R and R songs I heard. It frustrated me.
( I did find out in college that during certain weed-induced listening sessions I could understand every word spoken. Ah, the good old days.)
This Spotify-enabled ability has greatly increased my enjoyment of all of my music.
ADD or Audiophile?
I’ve loved listening to music since a very young age, starting with my parents Grundig console tube stereo which they brought to the states when the army transferred my dad back to the US. I bought my first stereo components as a young teen and would sit in my dark basement bedroom listening to Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan…..In college, I’d sit and listen to music for hours. Fast forward 40+ years…I now have a nice system. I look forward to weekends when i can listen to music in peace and quiet. What I’ve noticed is i can no longer just sit and enjoy music. I usually read (a lot of times Audiogon Discussion Forum) while listening. When a particular song comes on or a beautiful passage comes up, I focus on the beauty of the music and artistry of the musicians creating it, then its back to mental muli-tasking again.
I suspect its some form of ADD, but I’d like to think that doesn’t disqualify me as an Audiophile.
Anyone else share this “affliction?”