Rediscovery


Being a member of the “streaming  revolution” for some time now, I’ve barely listened to my large CD collection (I’ve listened to records because I acquired a new analog setup). Several thousand CDs have been lying fallow. This is partially due to mobility issues (although records are more demanding,) and the convenience and lure of listening to new music,  Now, I’m delving into my CDs and discovering treasures long forgotten. Although it’s a little more effort, I find it very much worth it. It’s like refinding old friends.  Very rewarding.

Any of you having this experience?

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I'm a CD guy, through and through. I use streaming to find "new" music (new to me, anyway), and if I like what I find, I usually buy the CD (or SACD).

My kids make fun of me, but it has been my experience that CDs usually have better sound quality than streaming. Not always, but most times. JM2CW.

@hickamore NAIM claim a 5-6 minute rip time… so the math is 350 hours or so… of rip time….DB Power amp is similar on my laptop. Project unfolded gradually over years after getting bulk of my collection ripped…. not something i want to repeat… and frankly as streaming improves the NAS rips are not always better sounding….

Best to you as i always enjoy your thoughtful contributions here

Whenever I feel nostalgic for listening to cassettes, I slightly enlarge the holes in my LP's. 

Didn't everyone make tapes for the car? Remember how excited you were when car cd-players came along, then made a sad face each time you drove over a manhole cover?

I have had thousands of cd's. If I didn't like one after a few plays, it was gone. I keep around 1,500. If I haven't listened to it in 2 years, bye. As one comes in, one's gotta go. I built the storage unit with that limit in mind. 

Re: rediscovery:

My plan has always been this: I want to play them, by artist, in release order, start to finish---all of them. If an artist's entire catalog is 6 titles or 30 titles, no matter; I've kept not one title that I just can't bring myself to play. I'm not a collector of catalogs, only the music.

I intended to start with "A," of course. Somehow, I ended up playing the first four Kinks albums (that takes barely 2 hours), so I continued w/the remaining 20. (I buy studio albums only, and always have. I think I own two/three live (concert) recordings.)

It is revelatory to hear an artist's entire output in order. Is it a commitment? Sure is! However, you will discover musical connections you had no idea existed, not only within that artist's oeuvre, but to other music that may have influenced that creator, or not. If it's a small catalog, it may be completed in a day. For some artists, it may be a few days. Also, I listen to no other artist's cd's until the current artist's catalog has been completed. I'll take breaks of indeterminate lengths in between artists. I just couldn't do all of Bowie, then immediately dive into the Byrds, then The Cars, etc. I'm not a flagellant, well not that kind. This is critical listening meets comparative listening---to the music; not a single gear-thought allowed.

I would really like to play them all in release-date order someday, jumping all over the place by artist. Afterall, that's how we all acquired and got to know each of our LP's, AND formed our opinions of them individually, as well as the entire "scene.". Just to prepare would take two weekends of Excel sheets and Wikipedia. Maybe I will, if I survive this first goal. 

Don't just play your music, play with your music!

@tomic601 Sounds daunting, and like you I’m wondering whether improvements in streaming might achieve the same end more easily. Appreciate the kind words, especially from one as knowledgeable as yourself, from whom I often learn.