Download V.S. Buying CD's

[Vegetaman]

This is actually really admirable.

In recent years, I've tried to think of music in terms of "essential" albums. Since the number of albums available so completely dwarfs the ability of someone to listen to even a small percentage of them in their lifetime, I don't want to waste any time listening to stuff that I can hear on another album done just as well, if not better.

And since most bands don't change a very much throughout their careers (relative to the entire range of musical styles available), that generally means that one album per band is enough to fill that particular style/mood. Does anybody really need a new Arch Enemy record at this point in time? Certainly there are those bands who release multiple albums that are excellent AND unique, but those are really pretty rare.

Of course, the whole problem is that, if I'm only going to own one album from a band that has 5 similar albums, I want to make sure that it's the BEST of the 5. And the only way to know that is to become intimately familiar with all 5 by listening to them a lot, and that makes the whole "essential" concept completely collapse. Argh.

Neil

Well, like Testament. I own Signs of Chaos (a very good best of) and The Gathering. I have gone back and filled in some stuff here and there (Live in London on DVD, First Strike Still Deadly, The Legacy), but those two albums got me by with them for many years. But yes, I agree completely. Long gone are the days I have to own every album by every band.

 

[Diabolik]

I always like to have a bands full discography if possible.

 

[Vegetaman]

I would like to, but it's not feasible. I have enough CDs now that I don't listen to often enough. Like Blind Guardian... Just having Nightfall in Middle Earth and Live would've been enough for me.

 

[KaptainKrude]

I am very much past the point of having to track down a band's entire discography just for the sake of having it in my collection. Like Veggie said, there's plenty that I don't listen to often enough as is. Furthermore, there is way more music available than there is time, and my interests extend beyond metal, so I see no value in having every single Annihilator or Overkill album (just picking two bands that have a large studio output) so I can say I have a chronological account of their history.

In the end, we all know the matter is purely subjective; I'm just more interested in hearing what else is out there without handcuffing myself to a band's past and future output just because I bought and enjoyed a few of their albums. 'Cause really, Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane ∞> Elvenking could ever aspire to be. Why on earth would I want to miss out on that?

 

[Jasonic]

I always like to have a bands full discography if possible.

Absolutely!! As long as we are talking about long running bands which seem to have a consistent track record...

(IE - As much as I like them, I don't plan on completing my Manilla Road discography)

 

[Jasonic]

Well, I think people who buy CDs VS Download think differently...

Those of us who buy, part of getting a CD is the "hunt" Therefore, when I go to a store and find a hard to get CD, I absolutely have to buy it.