Actually, to perpetuate this one, I think Z. and H. both have their points. Z. and I share a liking of the band The Chameleons UK. They happen to make some of the best music in the world IMO, but their recordings absolutely STINK.
As a result, I listen to them the most on cheaper systems: in my car, on MP3 players, and on a boombox at work (when I have a job!). I rarely listen to them on my main system at home, because it clearly shows what crap the recording is.
It IS indeed possible to be a music lover AND an audiophile. But it also does mean that sometimes we "compromise" our listening habits to best hear the sonics. We're lucky sometimes when something comes along that has both musicality and is a quality recording.
I happen to like some of H's artists, though perhaps my song selection may be slightly different. When I demo my system for someone, I try to find a nice combination of music and sound. But yeah, sometimes sound takes precedence :-)
My 2 cents. We CAN all get along.... and kudo's to both Z & H for handling this cool, rather than totally ranting. |
I'm glad you enjoy it - I never said it wasn't okay to. And I'm sure you wouldn't much enjoy one of my own comps, if that's of any consolation, but I'm not at all insistent that your (or anyone's) taste match mine. But I'll admit, I'm a music snob, 100% (and I hope not too much of an audio snob).
Two questions: Are these the artists you listened to before becoming an audiophile? And how much that you used to listen to don't you anymore now that you are one?
Like I said at the top, I'm not exactly proud of my discriminatory tone in this post, and I'm sorry to have de facto singled you out in order to discuss what I see as a larger phenomenon. It's a rather mean thing to have done, I know, but I believe the issue I write about is a real one in audio circles, and none to difficult to spot the victims of IMO (whether it's this stuff, or 1s shaded dogs).
That many of your friends like the comp does not surprise me. What would surprise me is if many of them were audiophiles: If they were, they would either have already bought this stuff, or already written it off. (I mean, how many non-audiophiles are rushing out to buy Jacintha albums?) And that's essentially the problem (aside from $30 disk prices) with 'audiophile' music - it doesn't always reflect personal taste, but prescribed group behavior.
Since I was enticed to click on this thread to begin with by expecting something interesting, in my disappointment I felt justified in spouting my opinion, but didn't have the intent of 'taking over' your thread, which of course I have done anyway. You've got every right to dislike me for it - your intentions were only good, mine only to make trouble. You've been commendably civil about it, so carry on, I'm out. |
ZAikesman, You nailed me. You are absolutely right. I know absolutely nothing about music, except what I ENJOY. I have given that compilation to about two dozen people and they all loved it. Guys like you who profess to be the end all about what type of music its O. K. to like and put down anyone whose taste does match yours are the exactly the type of individuals I believe a lot of people on this forum are sick of. |
Well, just to make myself clear, it's not that I 'hate' these performers per se. I do think there's a good bit of overrating that goes on with a lot of this music (I am of the opinion that there's definitely an aspect of 'great white hope' favoritism afoot, which oddly enough seems to attach itself mainly to females, at least where vocalists are concerned - hmm, what ever could be the reason why?), but that's not my main point.
What amuses me is the cliche-come-true of guys becoming audiophiles and then confining their listening to audiophile-approved 'nice'-sounding MOR-jazz-pop female vocals, either because such material doesn't do anything to 'offend', or some writer in a mag told them this is what's 'OK' for audiophiles who don't enjoy classical or real jazz, or maybe they simply can't get a date on the weekend (or want to get away from the wife for a while with another woman).
There's obviously nothing wrong with liking female vocals as a musical catagory, but you can tell apart the music-lovers from the audiophiles by the latter's choice of artists - you never hear about say, Cleo Laine or Tammy Grimes or Nina Simone or Anita O'Day or a ton of other historically significant singers from these guys, just the au courant audiophile-du-jour (yes I do not speak French ;^) hotties.
My suspicion about Husk01 is that the fact that he only finds himself liking one or two tracks off these singers' albums ought to be telling him something about where his audio hobby has led him music-wise: probably away to some degree from the music he loved before he got involved in the high end (if indeed he did love or know much about music before). I have zero symapthy for guys who blow a bunch of money on audio and wind up listening to *less*, not more, music than they did before becoming audiophiles, simply because of some propoganda about what's 'pristine' enough for their new ears to tolerate through those precious systems.
People get into high end for more reasons than just a pure love of music: status climbing, peer pressure, technological fetishism, home theater cross-over, reading audio mags. It's anyone's perogative to become an audiophile for any of those reasons, but unfortunately interesting tastes in music tend not to be bred by focusing on too exclusively on sound (and a flawed conception of what constitutes 'good sound', I might add, but that's another debate for another time...). Therefore, unlike with those of us who are long-time music-lovers and collectors (and I hasten to affirm that there are many among our ranks) and became audiophiles simply because we wanted to better hear the stuff we love, a compilation made by one 'under the influence' is likely to be as boring and unoriginal as the one listed above. In its own audiophilic, claustrophobic way, such a comp is just as trendy and limited as any that might be made by your average MTV-raised 13-year old (albeit with less genuine passion).
Husk, you out there man? Time to either 'fess up or shoot me down with some evidence to the contrary... |
Thank god I'm not the only one that hates Patricia Barber and Eva Cassidy. |
Oh, yeah ! Single Malt is a VERY apt description :-)
I did decide to choose a few favorites for my comp, though: Second Skin (yeah, I like it), Home Is Where The Heart Is, and the live (post-reunion) version of A Person isn't Safe. I have on my "mellow" compilation All Around and Miracle And Wonders.
Ciao,
T. |
Todd - That comp filled up two 110 minute cassettes (guess I didn't leave out all that much :-) and was made long before I could even conceive of a CD-burner's existence...As a 'sound' however, the Chams aren't too typical of my overall listening tastes, so I don't think they've ever landed on one of my 'mix' comps - they're single-malt all the way baby. |
Alex, you are so cynical :-)
My favorite compilation has 90+ songs on it ! I have an MP3-compatible player in my car, and I created 2 "volumes" of music: the mellower side, and the harder side.
Sonics bedamned, they are both SUPERB fun to listen to in the car !!
If anyone wants me to list the 90+ on one CD, and the 80+ on the other, let me know. I'll cheerfully avoid it due to typing cramps ;-P
Seriously, though, if you enjoy the music (and there ARE some musical choices in the CD above), why not ?!
Hey, Alex, BTW, what songs do you have for a Chameleons compilation CD ? |
Ah, the compilation of a thoroughly accredited modern audiophile...Lord spare me... :-(
[Note: This is without a doubt thee most despicable post I've ever written on Audiogon, but I'm sorry, when it comes to music, I just can't help myself. One might think these guys' heads would explode if they ever listened to anything besides audio-weenie-approved white chix. Wake up people...The love of our damn systems is not the raison d'etre for what we play through them - it's supposed to be the other way around! Then again, most HT-junkies get their surround systems precisely because they want to repeatedly expose themselves to the most commercial of contemporary Hollywood product, so maybe just the fact that someone can be driven on their quest for technology by a love of the 'art' is no guarantee of an interesting aesthetic outcome either...] |
Husk, Please email me , I would like to trade you one of mine for yours. |
