Future Classic Albums

Linked back to a previous article (Disjointed Music) this week has been another strange week for me.  I’ve had so little time to focus on one album from start to finish that I decided to put my ipod on shuffle and take whatever it threw at me.

This started off well enough, but the problem of having such an eclectic taste in music is that I would get an emotional opera aria one moment, followed by some elemental Japanese taiko drumming, then some pumping thrash metal followed by some deep south blues, then some haunting relaxing acoustic guitar swiftly followed by rousing rock.  I liked it all, but lets just say if my mind was scattered before, it was completely blown apart after a few hours of this.

I changed tack and selected shuffle within a particular genre and that made things a bit better.  I got a selection of tracks that suited my mood and which didn’t clash with one another.  The good thing about shuffle is that you come across tracks you haven’t heard in years and I’ve heard some old favourites, as well as some long lost tracks this week.

This got me thinking about something I read in an article recently.  It mentioned how some albums get a sales boost after a certain period of time as they become deemed a classic album and certain music fans wish to include all of these types of albums in their collection to ensure it is as rounded out as possible.  I have to admit I can tend to fall into this category.

I will snub an album for ages even though I like certain tracks on it, but because I hear it blaring from every car stereo or on every TV music channel I balk at jumping on the bandwagon.  I like my music to be individual and a representation of who I am and if I am part of a larger crowd I lose some of that identity.  But when the album reaches classic status I know I need it in my collection and so I will happily go out and buy it.

Recent examples of this mentioned were Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’, Lady Gaga’s ‘The Fame’ and it said the Adele’s ‘21’ was rapidly heading the same way. 

I wouldn’t buy an album if I didn’t like at least some of the music on offer and if it’s at the right price I will buy it if it’s deemed required listening for any discerning musical collection.  And of course I find it is often deserving of the hype and praise or it wouldn’t have been so successful. 

I’m more than happy enough to buy certain albums this way and it was interesting to realise I fall into the group mentioned in the article.  I’m also more than happy to overlook certain albums that may be classed as essential if I don’t like what I hear.  The more obscure stuff I own keeps me individual enough and the big hit albums ensure I am listening to the music that will shape the music to come.  All in all it’s a win win situation.