Musical musings

When it comes to what types of music I enjoy listening to, I've always been a bit eclectic. And being eclectic is a good thing since to truly appreciate music in general, one has to have open ears, an open mind & most of all an open heart to match.


Ever since I was a youngster, that's been the case & always will be for the most part...lol. But seriously, I've been listening to practically anything I can get my hands on & loving almost every minute of time spent in rapture with headphones on or having my ears propped up against the speakers to capture every nuance, every little splash of sound that I couldn't get on the first listen (or second or third).

Whether it's reggae, post-rock, R & B, IDM (for those who don't know, short for Intelligent Dance Music), or jazz, I've always felt, as it were, rootless, always checking new genres out as I go along. To be a really genuine music lover, one has to be not only unbiased but also adventurous as well, even if you have a favorite style of music which you wouldn't pass up for anything else, a favorite genre which you basically grew up on. And that's how I came to be such a music fiend from the get-go: that sense of adventure, risk-taking, really wrenching myself free of every biased outlook which might come my way or far worse, into my own mindset.

Today, one is fortunate if they can rake out dough for a CD with who knows how many songs on it & end up enjoying their latest buy in its entirety. Ever since the good ol' days of vinyl, I've come to believe that an album with a pretty simplified amount of songs (8-12) really says a lot more than say, a release with 4 or 5 good tunes & the rest are all oh so much crap. And I'm an adamant believer that an album with coherent, connected songs really works wonders & is music I can return to time & time again without having to find myself bypassing certain tracks. (Classic examples of dudes who knew/know how to make albums which are not only coherent & connected but also are chock full of outstanding songcraft/musicianship/group interaction are Steely Dan, The Sea and Cake, The Band (their 1st 3 efforts are the best of the best here), & I know I'm gonna hear from a lot of folks about this...lol...Led Zeppelin.)

Well, that's all for my musings about music. Hopefully, I'll pick up where I left off next time with a passion that can't be rivaled elsewhere. Until next time, hang loose & throw some music on!!