Some Rules

Being ahead of schedule for maybe the first time in my life, I've decided that the success of this experiment will hinge on the transparency of its guidelines. This was crystallized for me when a discussion between two dudes on two floors came down to this:

Dude 1: "What are you (the author) doing? You don't have a car, you lost your cell phone, your speaker cabinet is here, but you amplifier's in the shop, oh...and you have no job." (Ed. note - Anyone in any way familiar with the assumed cast of characters here will find the irony to be delicious.)

Dude 2: Correct, but I cut my hair myself and I'm playing a lot of guitar and I've listened to 56 albums* since then.

Dude 1: OK. But so have I, and they pay me *@#$(% an hour to do so.

*No, I haven't listened to 56 albums since then. Not by the standards that I set forth and am about to clarify.

A whole lot more music has entered my earholes since this site began besides the 14 albums (17 counting this post) officially tallied. I'm listening for me; I'm writing it down for you. In order to count on the big board:

1) Albums must come through my Sennheiser HD515s (my unintentional parting gift from a former employer. Big companies take note: The longhairs in your company will a) alway get along and b) work in jobs where you're not sure exactly what it is that they do, you just know that you need them, and you're justified not to question those purchase orders, 'cause when a server crashes, it really f*cking crashes, don't it?)

When I cut my hair off with the dull blue-handles on Saturday, I listened to This Year's Model from the laptop perched on the toilet. I've got Harmon Kardon 1" speakers on the laptop. That's not really listening, is it? I may make an exception later for albums played through the stereo proper in my domicile, but I'm currently totally OK with a headphones-only policy.

2) Albums must be listened to start to finish within +5 minutes of their actual runtime.

I listen to a lot of music to cop the licks from it. That's cool, but it's studying, not appreciation. Also, something breaks my concentration and I need to have the headphones off for more than 5 min., I'm interrupting the flow of the record, and, as I'm only getting 1 listen per (many of my favorites have needed at least three spins before I take them in) I owe the creators my full attention to their vision. At least once.


That's it. Those two rules define the listening that I'm doing. If I get a job tomorrow, I can't count the albums that play while I work. Unless they let me wear headphones and leave me the f*ck alone. And I know it's $6.50/hour, guy, but it's not really listening to me.

Wincing The Night Away - The Shins
Talking Heads '77 - The Talking Heads
The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - Seu Jorge

83 albums / 94 days remaining