help my collection

[Erik]

So I suppose you have been enjoying metal for your entire life then, without learning to appreciate it.

 

[Child of Time]

No, but there were no learning, there were discoveries. Or revelations.

 

[Erik]

There is no difference that has a significance to this discussion. The original poster is obviously also trying to "discover" new bands, although perhaps in a bit of an unorthodox fashion. I do believe that if he were to buy Sodom, Kreator and Destruction albums and (against all odds) find out he didn't like them, he wouldn't buy any more. I'm sure you have been recommended bands before that you tried to like but didn't.

That being said, I think "learning" to like things has a certain place. For example, a long time ago, I used to hear people all over praising Darkthrone. I downloaded a few tracks, listened to them, and thought something to the effect of "WHAT TEH FUCK IS THIS. OMG HE ONLY BEATS ON TEH INSTRUMENT AND SCREAMS!!!!1" Eventually, having listened to the music enough (because quality music keeps one coming back for more, regardless of whether or not you "like" it, fundamentally you know that it is quality music and so you are drawn to it) something clicked. This is not forcing oneself to like the music, this is gaining insight into a new band and understanding why they are held in such high esteem. If you're only going to "discover" bands that you immediately like, your taste in music will become severely limited and expanding only very slowly. A certain amount of "learning" is good to expand your tastes.

Erik (432 CD's/vinyls/tapes spanning Ildjarn to Esoteric to Dismember to Tenhi to Nothing to In Flames to Iron Maiden... and counting)

 

[Child of Time]

That being said, I think "learning" to like things has a certain place. For example, a long time ago, I used to hear people all over praising Darkthrone. I downloaded a few tracks, listened to them, and thought something to the effect of "WHAT TEH FUCK IS THIS. OMG HE ONLY BEATS ON TEH INSTRUMENT AND SCREAMS!!!!1" Eventually, having listened to the music enough (because quality music keeps one coming back for more, regardless of whether or not you "like" it, fundamentally you know that it is quality music and so you are drawn to it) something clicked. This is not forcing oneself to like the music, this is gaining insight into a new band and understanding why they are held in such high esteem. If you're only going to "discover" bands that you immediately like, your taste in music will become severely limited and expanding only very slowly. A certain amount of "learning" is good to expand your tastes.

I think I start with my definition of what learning to like something is. It is when you listen to an album very many times. So many times that it becomes almost a part of your home and therefore get some certain (sentimental?)feelings tied to it. I didn't mean that I only listen to music that I loved the first time I heard it. IMO, listening to a record say, five to ten times, isn't learning to like it. So I guess our whole little discussion became a question about semantics.

 

[Erik]

Yes, OK, well. I'd be surprised if a person who likes Testament, Slayer and Metallica doesn't like Kreator after 5 listens.

 

[hyena]

It's the old acquired taste vs spontaneous liking theory. As Erik says, the classics have to be quality music; otherwise they wouldn't have survived so long (as far as I know, nobody knows who Lynch Mob are now, and I'm extremely happy about that). I reckon that, say, some 80's metal is quality, although I get bored listening to it after a while. It's a question of what aspect you choose to underline: the recognition of talent or personal feelings towards the music.

 

[Erik]

The whole bit about "personal feelings towards the music" is interesting, because I, for example, began listening to metal in 1997, and so I can't have the same relationship to i.e. Slayer as those who were blown away by "Reign in Blood" in 1986, thinking it was the most extreme music they've ever heard. I never had that. I heard Darkthrone, Emperor, Deicide and Entombed before I, quite recently, got into old-school thrash metal. So since I have no nostalgic connections to the music it must be because of pure musical quality that I like it. Some people like to dismiss albums that have received "classic" status, saying that people only like them because of nostalgic attachments or influence on later, "greater" bands. I say that's complete bullshit. Some albums are so well-written and/or original that they become timeless. I do not choose to listen to classic albums simply because they have the classic status, but because I know that if an album from 1982 still is highly revered today it MUST be a good album.

 

[Northern Lights]

Just one thought; my belief is that the music that you learn to like is the music that you end up liking the most. When you think "oh this is great" the first time you hear a song, chances are you're going to be sick of it fairly quick; at least that's the case with me.

 

[Erik]

You're right. For example, I'm quite sick of At the Gates' "Slaughter of the Soul", which is a very immediate, straightforward album. "The Red in the Sky is Ours", on the other hand, I had to almost force myself to like over lots of listens, but I absolutely worship it now. In my top 5 of all time for certain.

 

[fireangel]

that is a tricky thing with "learning to like" music. It has several sides. For example it can happen someone tells me "this is great, try out" and even after several attempts I don´t get a connection to it.
Also there are records which I like immediatly and keep on liking all the time. And then there are such records, which I like a bit (or maybe I like the band before), but I feel that I will love it when I explore it step by step. Those records are which stay in my heart, but usually there is interest before, it doesn´t come out of no-where.
There were quite a pile of CD´s which I thought had only few highlights, and after some months I liked every song on them. They grow on you.

Additionally there is this sad truth that what I dig immediatly, sometimes doesn´t last long, because the records don´t have any depth.
Hard to say. All described variations are possible.


Still, I would not force myself to educate myself with music history. Music is the rare thing where I don´t go for what I should do, only act like I feel. Of course hints are welcome, and I discovered truckloads of bands because others told me about (and I could check with copied CDs before I bought them), but I have so much systematic in my life, don´t need to do it with records. I am always happy I have the money to buy the CDs I really want to have, so I would not spend it on "what I should". There is just no room for that left.

 

[EdgeCrusher77]

The subject is quite too large, but i suggest to have thoses cause for me they are major, but the choice is hard :
metallica - master of puppets
megadeth - rust in peace
slayer - seasons in the abyss
testament - low
death angel - the ultraviolence
morbid angel - blessed are the sicked
pestilence - testimony of the ancient
sepultura - chaos ad
judas priest - painkiller
entombed - wolverine blues
at the gates - slaugther of the souls

(i try to limit my list to thrash & death)

But there many others that are excellents...

 

[Child of Time]