When I was a child, I spent my dollar allowance at Woolworth. My favorite thing to buy was a stack of ten 45 records in a package. They had a hit single on top and the rest were unknown bands and songs. I loved going home and listening to all of them and marveling at the new sounds I found. Some people collected shells from the beach, I collected sounds. It would be many more years I would become a musician and a radio DJ and share my sounds with others.
Listening to records was a big thing for me. When I was old enough to buy albums, I would buy about 5 at a time. At one point, I had a collection of nearly 1,000 albums of all genres spanning from folk, reggae, classical, Indian, classical guitar, movie soundtracks, progressive rock, hard rock, traditional Irish, cajun, etc. Sometimes when friends came over, they would choose an album I didn't even remember having!
Something about the album made it so that it was more conducive to listening to the whole thing at one time. The songs were like different stories with different colors and characters in a play. I loved the varying dynamics from tender softness to outright loud and expressive.
Who remembers sitting with friends and listening to records? I had a friend who would call me and say, "I just got the newest Pink Floyd album" and I'd say, "I'll be right over." And we would listen to it over and over again.
I miss those days when listening to music was such an immersive experience. I have to admit that listening to digital streamed music has not been the same for me. Although I do like things like Spotify and Pandora that will chose music for you that is matched with other artists and genres you like, But I find I don't listen to music nearly as much as I used to. But I play music a lot! So, that makes up for it.
This memory came up because I recently bought a bundle of 35 songs for solo guitar of pop arrangements by Lex Von Sumayo . I knew many of the songs but some of them were songs I would likely not have chosen to learn. But I likened it to the days of getting that stack of unknown 45s and listening. It's fun to explore music and see where it takes you.
who remembers 45s? Do you miss albums? I miss the big album cover art and the physical feeling of holding it in my hand and reading the lyrics along while listening. Those where the days, my friends! :)
