Approaching 25,000

6-3-10

Approaching 25,000

I see my music collection rapidly approaching 25,000 titles. In reality, I must have quite a bit more than that, as that figure does not include music DVD’s, cassettes, reel-to-reels, MD’s, videotape of any kind etc. The 25,000 is just CD’s (SACD’s too) and vinyl (7”, 12”, LP).

So, I go through my great big Excel spread sheet and see what’s happening – removing duplications (i.e. my “over-collecting” of variants), I can get the list down to about 15,000 fairly easily. I even made a list of titles I’d like to lay my hands on, in order to get ‘em out of my collection (mono copies of easy listening LP’s that I found stereo copies of etc., or CD’s I have obtained the re-mastered – clear tray and bonus tracks version etc.)

It is tempting to tell myself that I may not have more than 25,000 titles in my collection. It’s a lot of work to get rid of stuff – either by eBay or trading stuff into Amoeba Hollywood. I have to replace scratched up jewel boxes, clean old LP’s off (disc and cover) etc. Then either have packing materials necessary to sell the item on-line, and the patience to do an auction – or haul cartons into my trunk and remember to take them in to Amoeba.

I had to replace my Palm M125 recently, as the previous one ‘stuck’ on a page. Got a used $6 one off of eBay, and it works beautifully. But no way can I remember everything anymore! Particularly LP’s…it’s like my brain can hold what I have been working on recently, but…not everything stays in the buffer.

But, y’know…recorded music has been what I have done with this life. I feel like I understand recorded music of my lifetime pretty well – certainly the aspects of it that have appealed to me. I sometimes like to stay from my path (music videos, anyone?), but – as my detailing of 1970 releases proves to me – my contiguous interest in popular (and otherwise) music truly extends for the last 40+ years (of my 51 years). I’ve been paying attention for that long – quite an unbroken stretch!

Been blogging about music since July, 2002. “Music Life” is the 3^rd incarnation of my blog, and perhaps will be my last incarnation of music blog. I always want to try to write about something passionately, which isn’t always possible without a bit of repetition. Still, at least I try!

So, why do I think that other people will want to try and understand the world via popular recorded music? Is it because it’s something we can all discuss without the same prejudices that we would discuss religion or politics? Ah, who knows. I just write this stuff, and the sensitive few who read it sometimes chuckle, dome times comment etc.

I just hope this stuff (recorded popular music) doesn’t become extinct in my lifetime, like so many birds that I am fond of. “Hey, where’d my hobby go?” is something I used to joke about – but I could just as easily say, “Hey, where’d my life go?”.

p.s. I am amazed at the nearly 3 hours of video to be found in the Genesis box “1970 – 1975”!