How I buy good music. (969 hits)
Category: Sound & MusicRating: -0.11 on 13 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Jungle_Jimanee (View user info) at 2005-01-13 12:55:44 EST
What follows is my guide for purchasing music, sorry that it's slightly too long, it is meant as an answer to all these various music posts on music quality and for my girlfriend as she has just bought some turntables and will be buying vinyl.
My music tastes have varied through my life, more importantly on several occasions I realised that I was going about this business the wrong way. What do I mean about wrong, especially in a situation that has no wrong or right?
I mean liking music for other reasons than quality i.e. because it is cool, intelligent, unknown or popular. Now, I like music because I like it, but I use/ play music according to the situation.
Let me explain where I am coming from:
Born in Holland I grew up listening to Abba, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Mozart and Barry Manilow.
Moved to Belgium listened to AHA, Duran Duran, the Cure and chart stuff.
Moved to England discovered Heavy Metal: Bon Jovi (well I considered them metal at the time), Europe (argh Know) and rock compilations.
Hit puberty and switched to Pixies, the Cure again, Velvet Underground, REM, Doors, a bit of Led Zeppelin. Basically anything that people told me was cool and what I thought would impress girls.
Then became a Bob Marilee freak for the next four years (and ever).
At University got into punk, experimental music (can, Faust, the fall, the residents...), anything really cool.
After Uni, took my first ecstacy tablet, promptly stopped wearing all black and developed an all abiding love for Jungle, Drum & Base and Old Skool Hardcore. Learn to mix (DJ).
Then took a trip to New York in about June 2000 and bought a Dancehall Ragga Mixed Compilation CD (one of the best CDs in existence).
Listened to Reggea Radio shows, I now buy my pre release reggae vinyl straight from Jamaica, through an agent and have a few gigs round town.
Now here is my point: I learned to DJ (or mix or whatever) and had to buy records to play to other people.
More importantly I had to buy expensive vinyl (£5.99 per record, usually only one side that's any good) that I never had heard before, making the decision after listen to 1/5th of the record. Tricky.
Here is a few things I have learnt:
1) Don't buy anything "experimental", they should experiment with making music better and then innovate and produce a brilliant record, not something different, weird, new but unlistenabel to.
2) Don't buy the same thing, style or genre over and over again, you will only play the best, the rest will take up space.
3) Only buy if you could not bear to leave it behind. Better yet if you don't jig like a loon screaming "this is the best shit eva", leave it behind.
4) Buy only for yourself, you won't play it otherwise.
5) Don't buy anything purely because you respect the artist. I find that after ten years I only listen to anyone's best work.
6) Look for progression in a track, I mean does it develop or is it just the same all the way through, would you be interested dancing for six minutes to this track.
7) Don't necessarily buy a track because the artist shows talent, there are hoards of talented people who don't ever record a classic track..
Don't forget that this is just to buy music to play to other people, because I will listen to almost anything once and I will enjoy as much of it as I can.
For instance I can like the beat on a commercial record, it doesn't matter to my enjoyment if it is an overused beat as long as it's good; I won't, however, bother listening to it twice.
This post was just an attempt to show growth in musical appreciation and to help people not to fall in my trap and have a load of records that I don't listen to or play.
How do you select the music you buy, what are your criteria?
User Reviews
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-06-26 01:35:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Jungle_Jimanee (user info) at 2005-01-14 05:36:41 (#)
Ranking: 0
Tell you what once I get everybodies comments in I will do a version II with added sex and violence.
*********************
No learning disabilities here.
It's not even steep enough to be called a 'curve'.
Submitted by funk_boy (user info) at 2005-05-20 05:47:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
meh. commercial pap.
"what is a dj if he cant scratch?"
Submitted by Jungle_Jimanee (user info) at 2005-02-02 08:57:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I wrote this mainly for my girlfriend and other budding DJs who will be buying vinyl.
It was also to show changing music tastes over time and the attitudes that govern a music purchasing decision.
Submitted by lokee (user info) at 2005-02-02 08:52:09 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Buying music?
I do not understand that concept.
Submitted by Jungle_Jimanee (user info) at 2005-02-02 08:48:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
MMmmmmmmmm I remember putting this in:
buy records to play to other people.
to buy expensive vinyl (£5.99 per record, usually only one side that's any good) that I never had heard before, making the decision after listen to 1/5th of the record. Tricky.
I download stuff too, it's free, but when you buy vinyl it is an alltogether different purchasing decision.
All in all I should have made it clearer so thank you for the -2.
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2005-02-02 08:36:03 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
How I buy good music:
I don't! All the music I need is on the internet.
Submitted by Jungle_Jimanee (user info) at 2005-01-14 05:36:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Chinaski (user info) at 2005-01-13 18:30:14 (#)
Ranking: -1
Jesus Christ, this is boring.
Yes it was rather, but it was something I had to get out and I would say that it is interesting to the vinyl junkies I wrote it for.
Tell you what once I get everybodies comments in I will do a version II with added sex and violence.
Submitted by Jungle_Jimanee (user info) at 2005-01-14 05:34:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Hi DJMattB241, you are right in what you said, it was a guide to buying vinyl. And I pretty much agree with everything else you said.
Funny enough when I buy CDs it I usually opt for something I haven't heard before and I always look into every artist that I like, on file sharing program, then if I come across the track on vinyl I can make an assured purchase.
Submitted by Chinaski (user info) at 2005-01-13 18:30:14 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Jesus Christ, this is boring.
Submitted by vettesrule88 (user info) at 2005-01-13 16:02:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by DJMattB241 (user info) at 2005-01-13 13:34:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
i dunno. i do a lot of this stuff that you said not to do.
i buy expiremental stuff all the time. I'll buy an album i've never heard anything from because i like the artwork. I'll buy some unknown cd from the $4.99 bargain bin. I've gotten some of my favorite groups from doing this.
I buy albums because i repsect the artist.. actually, its more that i trust the artist and their direction. I've never been disappointed. Sometimes it's taken me a little while to get used to where they took their music (nine inch nails, radiohead, etc), but in the end, i appreciated it because i like the artists vision and direction with music.
In other words, I'll buy every Prodigy CD that ever comes out, because I trust Liam Howlett and understand what he's trying to do. Same with a LOT of artists.
Now, i agree that what you said DOES apply to records, as in vinyl. At the cost of some of that shit, you should only buy what you absolutely require (I own a 2-track Mauro Picotto record that cost me $35), but for CDs or your own musical pleasure, buy early and buy often.
Just picked up my first Mr. Scruff CD... LOVE IT!!
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2005-01-13 13:03:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
AAAAAHAHAHAHAHA you said Belgium.
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2005-01-13 12:57:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
who's Bob Marilee?
that sounds like some ghey shit!