After reading ElecWiz's thread...

[SoundMaster]

After reading some of the responses (including my own) in ElecWiz's "bands you don't get" thread, I've come to a conclusion:
I simply like too much music! And I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

In the thread, many people have voiced dislike for bands such as Opeth, Pain Of Salvation, post-Holy Diver era Dio, you names it. But I seem to like almost any strain of metal I come across!!!

Heck, after years of criticizing Dream Theater, I've recently begun to really dig their recent output. Has hell frozen over?
For most of my years, I ignored the genius of Rush due to my (mistaken) belief that Geddy's voice was rotten. This years, I've been completely overwhelmed by their greatness and now really like his voice!

I loved Queensryche in 1989 and I love Queensryche today.

I love the early stuff (Zep, Purple), the classics (Maiden, Priest), 90s grunge, death, black, some glam/80s, heavy melancholy (Anathema, Katatonia), etc. This year I've discovered prog-metal (Shadow Gallery, Threshold), Euro-metal (Sonata Arctica, Avantasia)...it all friggin rules. I even love the Beatles and the Stones! I even love select Barry Manilow and Carpenters songs!!

I had to replace my 15 gig Ipod in favor of the 60 gig Ipod....and I've already but over 6,000 songs on it! And it's not even half of my CD collection.

Music, but metal in particular, owns me.

Disclaimer: I do not, however, enjoy any post "Black Album" era Metallica. It's just never sunk in.

 

[ElectricWiz]

Yeah, music rules, period. (I can never decide if one should use a period after spelling it out.) Heh.

I actually think of music as my weakness, seriously. I don't mean that in a good way either. I know so many people (and have known) that are music lovers, but they are always asking me, "dude, how do you find this stuff...." since I'm the one whose always telling them about some new band.

Here's an interesting thing too: my love of music has educated me on a lot of things in the strangest way. For instance, I have worked for libraries now for a few years running. When first I started I worked at a small library in a small town (Champaign, IL). I worked at the reference desk a lot but didn't have any training in that. My manager once asked me why I was so good at finding information for people. That is, I knew about a lot of sources and generally knew how to track down really weird things that people asked about. I realized pretty quickly that it was because I'd trained myself how to find new bands by cross-referencing different sources and all that. I was the king of cross-referencing. I wasn't looking for info on music for people either. But that skill was easy to transfer is my point.

Now, that's not a brag (because it's more or less an useless skill - generally speaking), but my love for music has shaded my life like that in many ways. A great portion of what I do and how I do it is heavily influenced by the skills, habits, etc. I've picked up simply by being a music fiend. Just like a dope fiend would not a lot better how to find $20 in a pinch than the average guy. It extends waaaaay past info finding too. I mean, when you love (and listen to A LOT) of music.....I think you develop a natural sense of rhythm that extends out into every brain function you have. It's way too abstract to explain why I believe this (and this is already long enough), but in my personal experience I recognize this to be true.

In the classic Beatles-1967 sense, it's expanded my mind too, thoughts....consciousness, all that. Not to mention the obvious history lessons from folks like Maiden (ha).

Goddamn do I loves me some music. And yes, in particular it is metal for me as well.

 

[ElectricWiz]

And, please do forgive my usual long-windedness.....

 

[Greeno]

Music, but metal in particular, owns me.
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I think music owns all of us here.

Metal is of course the tie that binds us all but I think it's so cool that any one of us can start a thread about any band or genre of music and not get flamed (too hard ) about it, and in most cases find that some one else likes that band. Over the couple years I've been posting here I've seen threads about Johnny Cash, New Model Army, to Iggy Pop and every thing in between. That's what is so great about this board, people with musical open mind. We don't get bored talking about the same 10 "old school" bands and we don't jump on some one for liking something we don't. It truly is a wondrous place.

 

[wdiv]

Metal is of course the tie that binds us all but I think it's so cool that any one of us can start a thread about any band or genre of music and not get flamed (too hard ) about it

Well, if somebody starts a Mariah Carey thread, then maybe there'll be some flaming

 

[nyhc7163]

lol i agree.I think it's great that everyone here loves music as much as we do.i would say it's a good thing!

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Liking "too much music" is not something I have to worry about! I am VERY PICKY when it comes to music. But that's by choice as much as it is by my inner design. I can't afford to buy everything I want, even within my selective tastes. I can't imagine having to complete my collection in every damn genre that's out there these days! I am lucky that I get to completely skip over death/black metal, flower metal, anything 90s (grunge/numetal) or pop metal. By not getting into these genres I have more money and shelf space for the music I really do love...which is to say, old school metal, preferably with a progressive twist!

Really, I try not to be close-minded in most areas of my life. But I don't try very hard with music. But it's a self-preservation thing more than anything (time, money and shelf space all benefit). I am a music addict...I can't afford to like it all.