Drowning in CDs
February 28, 2006
I probably have over 1500 CDs in my personal collection—not to mention overflowing bootlegs that still need artwork—thank you dimeadozen.org. (Shhh…it’s our little secret.)
Is this a hobby or an addiction? I used to be much worse. In the teenage years when money wasn’t much of an issue, I would buy an album if the cover looked cool. After getting dissed many times by awful records, I no longer do that. But there is still this desire to continue the collection no matter how big it might get.
When looking for music for a car ride, I sometimes stand in front of my CDs for what seems like forever trying to pick something to listen to. There are 1500 CDs, Chris—just pick one!!! I swear, I drive myself crazy sometimes. It’s like cable TV, there’s almost too much to choose from so it seems like nothing is on when in reality, there’s plenty on.
I recently decided to go through the collection to begin selling some of it. I was able to get rid of maybe 10 CDs. Every album I passed, I found a reason to keep. Sick I tell you—sick. So why the collection? Why drive myself crazy making sure all the CDs are in alphabetical order by artist and then chronological by year of release if I have more than one from the same source? Why drive myself crazy determining where to put non-official releases, singles and bootlegs? Do they go before or after the studio albums and then do singles go before non-official releases and where do I put the bootlegs? Just thinking about it makes me tired. Moving is no fun I tell you.
But now I know why I have so many CDs and why I can’t get rid of them. It’s all because of Roy Harper.
Sometimes you might listen to an album for the first time and not like it—so it goes directly into the CD shelve (in proper placement), never to be listened to again. I get upset at myself for this. It seems like with so many CDs, I keep picking the same bands. Choose something else, Chris! Skip over Genesis!!! (Yes, I talk to myself often. No you don’t. Yes, you do.) But every now and again, something truly awesome happens. I’ll listen to a CD I either hated or dismissed years ago, only to discover a true gem. Here it was, in my collection for years, and I just discovered it now! What an awesome feeling. Has this ever happened to you?
Years ago I picked up a great 3 CD collection from Rhino called “Troubadours of British Folk.” At that time, I was only interested in the traditional material, so I completely skipped over this guy named Roy Harper and his song “Tom Tiddler’s Ground.” Luckily, years later I went back to the compilation and found this song I dismissed years ago. Now Roy Harper is one of my absolute favorites; I have to have his entire collection of records—it must be done.
To make a long story short (too late): Don’t get rid of your CDs!!
Posted by Chris Boros at February 28, 2006 5:32 PM
