Do We Still Listen?

[dcl1964]

This just accured to me reading the thread about our "Least Listened To FM Album." Do we still listen to our favorites as much as we used to? I LOVE McCartney, Beatles (and solo), FM (and solo), Partridge Family/Cassidy, Clapton, and Costello but I don't seem to be listening as much as I used to. Granted I'm listening to other bands and artists but these are the ones that got me into music in the first place. My older brother LOVES Hendrix but he doesn't seem to play him that much either. Is it just me or do you notice yourselves listening less and less to your favorites?

[michelej1]

I listen to music a lot less in general. I play more podcasts during my drive than I do music. But when I listen, I listen more to old stuff (my favorites) than new. I'm totally unaware of about 90% of the new artists out there.

Michele

[macpai]

I seem to go through phases quicker than I used to. I was in a Clapton phase for a few months, then an SRV phase, a BB/Buddy Guy phase ... and I've been in the Mac phase for a few weeks -- which I'm sure will last through my LB show next month, which will add another month on to that at least.

[chriskisn]

Three things have meant I listen to my favourites less. My wife hates pretty much all of my music (FM and Bob Dylan in particular) so I can only listen when she isn't around or in the car. I used to listen heaps in the car when I had to drive an hour each way to work, but now I only drive 3 minutes each way, it can take a while to get through a CD. Thirdly I discovered Russian download sites on the net, so added about 200 albums to my collection within a few weeks. Now I have to listen to all the new stuff...

[macmar71]

No, I don't really listen to Fleetwood Mac or alot of my other favorites as much as I used to. If something new comes out then I tend to pull out the older stuff to revisit. I listen to the radio at work and have been on a country music kick. I also like some stuff that is out now like Coldplay, Alicia Keys, One Republic, Gavin DeGraw, etc. so I give lots of other artists a chance.

[SteveMacD]

I'm always listening to music, just not what I used to listen to all that much. Since I've gotten to know Bob Pollard, who releases several full-lenght albums a year, I've been busy just keeping up with him. Bands like Fleetwood Mac were losing their appeal for me long before I got into the whole Robert Pollard/Guided By Voices thing, but Bob was exactly the type of thing I was looking for. It's artsy, smart, and a big party all at once, and I don't have to wait five years between projects or listen to a bunch of psychobabble. I've also gotten heavily into power pop (i.e. Big Star and Material Issue) and old school punk (Clash, Ramones, and Sex Pistols).

I mean, this has been Pollard's 2008 so far, as he has another full-lenght and another EP before year's end (newest first):

FULL LENGTH ALBUMS


EPs


MAGAZINE OF STORIES


BOOK OF COLLAGES

[chiliD]

Lik chriskisn, I rarely listen to music at home at all since I got married (9 years ago today), since my wife & I don't have a wide crossover in musical tastes. (read: my tastes crossover into music SHE likes, but very little of "my" music crosses over for her) Hence, 98% of my music listening is in my car, when I'm alone...and THAT only when I'm not listening to sports talk radio, which I somehow have gotten addicted to. Plus, my commute logistics have changed as well. Formerly, I used to drive my own car to work the hour each way, giving me plenty of listening time...but, then a couple of years ago I joined a vanpool and that cut my listening time down to the 7 minutes each way from home to the vanpool stop. And, the most music that BOTH my wife & I listen to together is also "in the car" on the weekends while running our weekly errands; which is mainly in 5-15 minute bursts.

AND...I've noticed that since I've dropped most of my "attitude adjusting" vices, I listen to a smaller range of music than I used to. (and also, I notice that I've been watching about 300% more TV in the past decade than I have at anytime since I've been an adult.)

ALSO, with the rise of rap/hip-hop and the bland pop on the radio in the past 20 years, my enjoyment of NEW music has waned immensely. I used to always be on the lookout for new artists that would reach me, but there have been painfully few who have in that two decade timeframe, and my desire to seek new music has almost all but disappeared. The 80's was mainly where the decrease started. Never bought into glam/metal of the 80's, all those "hair metal" bands just all sounded the same to me...likewise with the grunge/alternative genre of the 90's. I never could tell the difference between Soundgarden/Pearl Jam/Stone Temple Pilots, etc. Nirvana kind of stood out, but even still it just never really reached me to an extent of seeking it out to listen to. So, I resorted into listening to the NEW music of my old faves...like FMac, Clapton, ex-Beatles, Stones, Allman Bros, Little Feat, ZZ Top, etc; or just going back to my blues-purist phase...or immersing myself into reggae for stretches of time. Even old bands that I didn't really care for when they were around then became music I would listen to and like...such as, The Grateful Dead, the Doors, etc. And, in the mid 90's, probably due to joining a country cover band, started delving into the "new" country genre (which basically all sounded like a spiffed up versions of "Southern Rock" of the 70's, or the SoCal country sound of Eagles, Poco, etc).

Taking this close look at my music listening for this thread, I never EVER thought I'd be so closed off musically as I've become.

[estranged4life]

The only way I wont be listening to music will be whenever I die. I am surrounded by music, and have been all my life - my taste is broad, from the 50's "do-wop" to modern day metal - from late 60's rock to 80's AOR rock.

I've lived through all different 'genres' of music; AM, disco, new wave, heavy metal, hair metal, grunge, alternative, etc. and I picked out the good and bad from each and stored those in my mind.

Just whatever mood I am in dictates what my current listening mood shall be. Also, the older I get the less and less I care to watch TV (Unless baseball is on I don't really care to watch the boob tube) and I bury myself in my music collection (Like now - Burning my cassettes to CDR because the lack of entertaining television).

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by chiliD

Taking this close look at my music listening for this thread, I never EVER thought I'd be so closed off musically as I've become.

I think that happens to everyone as they get older. Unless you still work in a record store.

[michelej1]

Sadly, a great deal of my musical experimentation stopped in college. The main exception to that would be country. I have come to embrace Tim McGraw, Gary Allan, Brooks & Dunn, and some other country artists for the first time in the last decade.

As for pop, rock and soul, it's pretty much only the artists that I liked 20 years ago that I still follow today.

Michele

[louielouie2000]

I don't listen to the band like I used to because there just isn't any new material for me to digest. I've heard each album I'm sure thousands of times. There aren't any nuances I haven't noticed, lyrics I haven't pondered; there's nothing new to discover. Tusk was part of my daily ritual for years. I'm listening the hell out of Gift Of Screws right now, but I'm sure that too will fade in time. Like everyone else, I'm doing a lot of musical exploration right now. It's fascinating to hear how the Mac and their solo members have influenced today's artists. That's my new musical passion. My favorite of all those is Joseph Arthur. He undeniably took a great deal of his style and musical sensability from the Mac, and from Lindsey's solo career. Major difference is, he has the talent of ever member of the Rumours crew wrapped up into one, and he also paints, sculpts, etc. When new Mac music comes around though, I will most certainly digest it, and no doubt go back and listen to the old standards too.

[dcl1964]

Thanks to everyone who responded. I listen to alot of music almost every day. When I'm on my computer, I have my RealPlayer on (unless my Orioles are on TV). I'm in the process of loading all my live CDs into it but since I have over 2500 CDs (not all live) it takes time. I go thru listening fads like everyone. If this had been 10 years ago and Lindsey had put a new CD out I would have listened to all his previous solo CDs to whet my appetite. Now it seems like I'm in no rush to listen to it when it comes out. I find I'm buying less CDs every year because I'm not into alot of the new music out today. I normally will buy the latest release from my favorite artists and maybe something I read a good review on in "Q" or "MOJO." I don't download alot from the internet (I think I've DL about 15 songs) with my dial-up connection. It just seems that I've grown bored with the music I loved all my life. Maybe it's true that familiarity breeds contempt. Like ChilliD, I've noticed I'm watching more TV (actually DVDs) than when I was younger (I'm 44 now). Like LouieLouie2000 could it be that I just know the music so well that there's nothing new to discover as I listen to "Rumours" or "Tug Of War" for the 500th time.

[bucklind17]

I tend to go back and forth. All of my favorite bands from 10 years ago are still my favorite bands today, just in different levels of intensity (and one that I was a casual fan of 10 years ago that I follow much more closely now).

The age of the iPod has definitely changed how we listen to music. Back when it actually came to choosing an album to listen to, and having to stick with that album for awhile, it was easier to either stay into a band or let the interest in that band fall away a little, I feel like. Now that you can have all of your music in one places, it's a lot easier to keep up with old favorites. I have a huge Fleetwood Mac playlist on my iPod that I can put on if I want to just listen to FM, but if I get a little bored with it, I just shuffle all the songs on my iPod and usually still end up listening to a few FM songs as they come through. The impatient listener that I am, I actually came to love one of my now favorite bands even more when I had the option of skipping songs I didn't want to listen to and then accidentally finding that I liked them when I forgot that I didn't want to listen to it. It's another thing that caters to the lazy man, but at least it has some advantages!

[wolfontherun]

This is a good topic.

I find that I will dig through my collection only to look for very specific songs VS listening to an entire CD. I go for the greatest hits stuff and the 25 chain box set way more than any other CDs. I can't remember the last time I listened to Rumours or the white album.

I do still listen to Tusk all the way through. I go to Mirage second most often because of Straight Back.

FM is still my fav band but I think becuase they rarely make CDs as the rumours lineup I have had to pursue other bands to compensate.

I am really liking Natalie Merchant lately and find that she will experiment with different styles of music which also keeps me interested. Some of her stuff def sounds like Stevie's more daring songs like GDW.

[sarahw]

I listen to music all the time, but since I got my Ipod I haven't listened to full albums too much. At work I have a radio on that is tuned to the local classic rock station, and while they play the same music all the time it is refreshing to hear Gypsy, Sara, GYOW on a daily basis. In my CD player in my bedroom I have TISL, which for some reason I listen to every day while getting ready for work. I also have Petty and ELO in there for the weekend ritual of getting ready and putting laundry away. Odd that I can't seem to mix those up. I have no interest in today's music, and find myself more interested in my favorite artists' earlier work. Like Clapton, The Who, Petty, Springsteen....etc. These artists have such a huge amount of work I would rather discover "new" music in this way. I wish radio stations would play different songs...not just the same stuff over and over. I can just about time when "American Pie" will come on every day. As for FM, I haven't listened to the white album or Rumors in forever. Kind of sick of them actually.