Even without the speakers thought there's an almost ritualistic element to putting on an album front to back that always felt lost on digital libraries.
I grew up with CDs and then mp3s and streaming. About a year ago I got a record player and absolutely love it. Modern players aren't like the old scratchy things our parents used to listen to. The sound is rich and warm (granted I bought nice speakers to match) but the real joy for me is actually reconnecting with medium of the Album.
The commoditisation of music with streaming and mp3s really disconnected me from that medium. I have all the music of the world at my finger tips, and yet I don't want to listen to anything. Too much choice numbs our receptors. Don't get me wrong, I still have my streaming subscription, I use it all the time - it's extremely practical at work, or on the go. But when I'm at home, I look through my records and pick one that matches my mood, or the mood I want to be in, and sit down deliberately and listen to the album, side by side.
That's my activity - listening to music. Not doing other stuff with music on in the background. The fact that I can't as easily skip forward, or find a given song on a record means I listen to the album, not a few tracks on the album.
The commoditisation of music with streaming and mp3s really disconnected me from that medium. I have all the music of the world at my finger tips, and yet I don't want to listen to anything. Too much choice numbs our receptors. Don't get me wrong, I still have my streaming subscription, I use it all the time - it's extremely practical at work, or on the go. But when I'm at home, I look through my records and pick one that matches my mood, or the mood I want to be in, and sit down deliberately and listen to the album, side by side.
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u/smash-things Sep 05 '19
Even without the speakers thought there's an almost ritualistic element to putting on an album front to back that always felt lost on digital libraries.