Post subject: When and where and number of listens!
When I was younger I didn't really listen to a broad range of music - now that I'm older I'm trying to broaden my horizons. I've always enjoyed rock music but have had difficulty getting into certain highly acclaimed bands eg The Smiths. I suppose to get to the point - my question is how many listens do you think you should give an album before you admit that the style isn't to your taste? Also - 'how' do you approach listening to the album for the first time? I've started to take an hour or so a day to listen with headphones to new albums but find it eats into my day quite a lot! If I have it on as background I don't feel I'm getting a true sense of the album. Do you dedicate the full album length for listening to try and appreciate it in its entirety or do you 'stop and start'?
I know - it's pretty subjective - but I'm interested in more what people think - I hope this makes sense!!
As for your second question, yes, I do dedicate and set aside time for an entire album, as I feel I'm truly experiencing what the artist wanted me to that way. However, I don't see how stopping or starting could be a really bad thing, although it's really up to how you feel and what you think results in a better experience. Wish you luck with music, there's a long and fun road ahead of you.
I'm pretty compulsive about listening to a full album, to the point it gets frustrating. If I'm not listening through a portable device and need the toilet and the album doesn't have long left, I'll just wait it out and listen to the rest of the album because I don't want to pause it.
And yeah I set aside time to listen to new albums quite often. Sometimes it will be a background listen - depending on what it is - but rarely. _________________
Post subject: Re: When and where and number of listens!
Rockliveson1980 wrote:
how many listens do you think you should give an album before you admit that the style isn't to your taste?
In general, an album only gets once chance with me. I should hear something that interests me or I'm not going to return to it. That being said, for albums that are classics or that come highly recommended, I might give it a few chances. But not everything is for everyone, and that's fine. If you can listen to this song and not immediately want to listen to all of The Smiths, they're probably not for you:
'how' do you approach listening to the album for the first time?
I sit in front of a computer all day for work, which means I listen to eight hours of music through speakers. The vast majority of this is new music. When I find albums I like, I flag them for later listening, when I can give them more attention. Albums I really get into end up getting played frequently, in all locations (work, home, car).
if i love or dislike an album enough, it only takes one listen. Otherwise, i give an album 2-or-3 listens before making a decision on whether i like it or not.
If I'm not listening through a portable device and need the toilet and the album doesn't have long left, I'll just wait it out and listen to the rest of the album because I don't want to pause it.
Sometimes it takes years to revisit something with a fresh and intrigued mind. But I think there isn't really "an amount" - it really depends on your state of mind, how you view art, etc. like for me I think there is something I'm missing and I try to discover what exactly that is.
I'm all over the place on this. When I'm exploring for something new and not going off a personalized recommendation, I'll often only give an album a few tracks to grab me before moving on. On the other hand, I don't like to write about albums (even in forum posts) until they've had a few listens to sink in. Overall, I don't have any hard and fast rules, I mostly go with my gut.
I never completely give up on music, though. As Gowi said, sometimes you can dislike or be apathetic to something for years before falling in love with it.
Sometimes it takes years to revisit something with a fresh and intrigued mind. But I think there isn't really "an amount" - it really depends on your state of mind,.. like for me I think there is something I'm missing and I try to discover what exactly that is.
This sums me up too. I really couldn't say it better. If I don't get something I pretty much assume I'm the problem. LOL. This has really helped open up my horizons to music I would not have continued exploring otherwise. For instance, I used to think the new Romantic movement of the early 80s was the art rock equivalent of yacht rock, but now I'm fully in love love with artists like David Sylvian of Japan fame and The Blue Nile.
Personally, it all depends on the album. Usually, if I don't like it by the 3rd or 4th, I set it aside. I might come back to it in the future, I might not. Of course there are some albums which I know I won't like on the 2nd or 3rd.
For your second question, Swede spoke my soul For subsequent listens, I'm not as OCD _________________ I'm a noob
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For subsequent listens, I'm not as OCD
