How We Listen To Music

I think there is a widespread assumption, or used to be that the individual album is the basic unit of listening. Of course now the mp3 player makes it possible to devise one’s own play lists. Presumably this means that people mix up songs originating in various albums, plus individual downloads to form a musical program.

As well as albums I have 63 big band play lists of about 1 hour on my player, I also have three other play lists that contain between 150 and 330 tracks mostly of the same material. Sometimes I put the player on random function to play these lists, so I don’t know what is coming up next.

Using Rockbox it is very easy to make play lists, because you just create a new folder, at the point in your menu structure where you want it, then Select, Copy, and Paste songs into it. Not all firmware is as simple.

But all music is not the only format. I very much enjoy listening to radio shows like BBC Radio 2’s Malcolm Laycock show, in which there is some talk about the music to be played, the music is played, and then you are told what was played, (in case you missed it first time). I would not object to buying classic CDs in which a knowledgeable commentator introduced each track in a manner that would increase appreciation and understanding. It would be best if the CD offered two modes of playing, with and without commentary. Of course such CDs hardly exist. My Fred Astaire album has a bit of this and a Bob Marley album does, but these are rarities.

Click here for Best 40 CDs list.