The “familiarization” process

[LunaTEKKE]

Like others on the board, I’ve been reading the CD recommendations and shoring up my music collection to try and get more familiar with all the bands on the PPVIII roster.

Last year, I tried to “cram” – and found that didn’t work too well. This year, with nine months to go (and loads of good intentions), I now have my first pile of “catch up” CDs sitting on my dining room table.

I’m curious as to whether folks have specific listening strategies that they use during the “familiarization” process – especially if the CD is a genre/style that you haven’t particularly enjoyed in the past.

For example, do you wait until you can give the CD your full attention – or have it playing in the background while working on something else? Do you give the CD several consecutive listens? Or give it a “breather” for a while in between listens?

And finally, how many chances do you give the CD before deciding that the music just *really* isn’t your cup of tea?

 

[Exploding Ned]

Personally I try to not listen to more than say 3 new ones a day, and also try to not be too distracted with other things while I'm listening. As an example, I may be on the computer looking over this board, but wouldn't be reading a book at the same time. Usually I decide right away if I like the disc, but I will give it a second try if not. Generally by then if I don't like it, it's outta heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Like others on the board, I’ve been reading the CD recommendations and shoring up my music collection to try and get more familiar with all the bands on the PPVIII roster.

Last year, I tried to “cram” – and found that didn’t work too well. This year, with nine months to go (and loads of good intentions), I now have my first pile of “catch up” CDs sitting on my dining room table.

I’m curious as to whether folks have specific listening strategies that they use during the “familiarization” process – especially if the CD is a genre/style that you haven’t particularly enjoyed in the past.

For example, do you wait until you can give the CD your full attention – or have it playing in the background while working on something else? Do you give the CD several consecutive listens? Or give it a “breather” for a while in between listens?

And finally, how many chances do you give the CD before deciding that the music just *really* isn’t your cup of tea?

 

[RiffDaemon]

If the CD doesn't catch on to me right away on the first go-around, I usually wait until the next day to give it a second shot. By that time, I will have known what to expect and be ready for it. If the second time doesn't do it for me, I'll download the lyrics and read along on the third time. I'm not a lyrics person - I mean, I've listened to the same Blind Guardian CDs every day, but I can only sing you maybe a few songs that I've committed to memory - so when I actually pay attention to the lyrics, the music will hopefully stand out a bit more. If that still doesn't work, I usually just let it keep playing throughout the week. After a week, it's probably time to use the disc as a clay pigeon

 

[Bodhi]

It depends on the kind of music they play, you can't actually ask yourself to understand a concept album in a "background listening" and without understanding the lyrics and the concept underneath it. If instead you listen to let's say Sonata Arctica you can even let yourself be led by the music and immediate power it spreads.

Anyway my listening policy is:

Booklet in my hands (sometimes it suggests the good mood to your ears), good quality headphones (with bass as well as trebles) and my attention fully focused on the "atmospheres" the music suggest.

The best way to understand great music.

 

[PriestMetalGods]

Great thread. I had no idea that other people have certain ways of listening to music and truly treat it as an art like its supposed to be. I'm a binge buyer at heart. I really don't need to be one considering I live in Jersey and I have Vintage Vinyl within minutes from me. I pretty much have big binges only twice a year, and I try to just pick up a few CD's a month.

The familarization process I use is pretty weird actually to a lot of people..LOL. If I have a binge of say 5-6 albums(yea we'll go with that..hehe) I like to listen to something older from my CD collection first, kind of as a warm up to my ears. Then i'll play an album out of the binge with my headphones in my walkman while i'm on the computer. I don't like using a computer as a source of music, I really only use it for MP3s and samples to see if I would like an artist. I don't like listening to music in a car much unless i'm with someone who likes the genre or i'm alone. I would also never listen to a new CD on a car ride home from the store. I just feel that music should be more of a solitude gateway for myself, which is why at home by the computer while doing some light surfing is my preference. I really never like to ever have music as background, I like everything else to center around it. I usually spend my few hours before sleep listening to a few albums each night, so my familarization process might be different.

When I first listen to an album I like to listen to it one time without any lyrics, just so I can get used to different melodies and tempos(with the exception of extreme metal bands of course..I still need lyrics the first time around). As a rule, even if the CD floored me and left my jaw hanging out of my mouth, I won't listen to it again until the next night. If the first listen of the album was total negativity, I will put it away for about 2 days and then come back to it. I think its also important that if you don't feel well or tired to not even bother to listen to a new album. I don't think you ever get anything out of it. Especially if you have a headache.

It also depends on the genre for me too. Progressive metal usually hits me quicker these days for some reason. Power metal now takes me a few times depending on the artist. Death and black metal takes me the most amount of time usually. Its a very new sub-genre to me that i've opened myself up to, and, I feel it takes the most amount of time to truly enjoy it. Most times if I find a traditional metal band I haven't heard of, especially an older NWOBHM band, I catch on to it rather quickly.

Its really tough to tell whats not my cup of tea and is a throwaway album. I've had some albums that took me a year to get into(mainly because I also didn't give it the attention it deserved from the start..this album was Awake from Dream Theater..who is now one of my favorite bands) and suddenly I put it on and it floors me. Generally though, these days if it doesn't hit me by at least 8-9 spins, I either put it away or sell it back.

 

[Jibrille]

I have a habit of being consumed by an album. I've barely stopped listening to the new Therion CD so it's hard for other albums to get played. Prior to that I was on a huge Ensiferum kick and was listening to a lot of folk metal in general. An album has to catch my ear the first or second listen for me to get regularly on my playlist. The PP bands haven't gotten much playing time but I have given a bunch of them enough to know what I like thus far and what I need to give some time. I enjoy Raintime's first CD and give it a listen to every now and then when I want to hear some screams, liked Vanden Plas' Beyond Daylight and what I heard of Christ.0, and really enjoy a few Redemption songs. Communic & Firewind also sound pretty good from the little I've heard. I'm really not feeling Virgin Steele right now. I haven't been able to get into any of Freak Kitchen's music yet either despite the two years I've had to do it (which seemed to be the case for a lot of people before seeing them live last fest so I'm not too worried). Still need to give Primal Fear, Threshold, and Pagan's Mind more of a listen to get any opinion on them. No matter what happens in my listening, I'll always stay for at least a few songs before deciding if it's for me or not.
The last time (PPVI) I really only got into 3 of the bands that played PP that I didn't already know and went home a fan of more. Sometimes I just like having a familiarity with the music and let the bands convince me live.
Oddly enough, this year I know and love the headliners more than the midcards. It's been the opposite the last two years. That's not really a big deal to me either way but it is pretty nice having two of your favourite bands close out both nights.

 

[DAVETHEMETALGUY]

being the Metal Director for a college radio station is good for a few things. 20 or 30 cd's a week. half of them suck. some are ok to listen to twice. some are cookie cutter bands- i have stacks of those 'in cue' to preview. many do get listened to, many dont, some stay shrinkwrapped till someone mentions them.
lots of promo cd's now days come without liner notes, lyrics photos etc. so all you got is the music to go on. 9 outta 10 times the music doesnt warrant picking up the album for the artwork or lyrics.

 

[edgeofthorns]

It seems that I do my best listening while working out or running believe it or not. I rarely listen to anything after I get home in the evenings. Other than that, I have my cd player in truck cued up 99.9% of the time with something new or new to me.

I find that I like most bands after listening to them a few times, giving them a rest, and then going back to it after a few weeks.

 

[KingsGene]

I usually start with the latest album of each band, since that's probably what you're going to hear the most of. If it's a completely new band to me, then I usually see if there's a live album available...that will at least give me a sampling of the most popular(?) tunes that they might play. As for listening, it's mostly in my car or at the computer. If it's got a lot of growls, it almost definitely gets ejected unless the music is top notch....not much patience for that.

 

[LunaTEKKE]

I'm a binge buyer at heart.

"Binge" is such an ugly word...I prefer "Extreme Music Therapy".

Thanks to all for the responses. I think my issue is that I've gotten into "instant gratification" mode...throwing in a CD (usually while working on something else) and then waiting to see if the music kicks my butt on the first listen.

Sometimes it works...but I probably need to put forth a little more effort to listen to the stuff that doesn't grab me the first time around.

 

[MrBuzzcut]

Because this type of music is often very complex, it often takes up to ten spins for me to really "get" a CD.

Doesn't always happen for me but I can think of at least ten faves that I initially hated.

 

[PriestMetalGods]

"Binge" is such an ugly word...I prefer "Extreme Music Therapy".

Yea i've needed a new adjective for that word for a while..i've used it in the metal chat i've run on AOL/AIM but still everytime I say it I feel like a glutten..LOL. Extreme Music Therapy, nice ring to it..hehe.

 

[Jurakan]

My drive to work is at least one hour each way, so that's where I listen to most of my music.

I try to "digest" a cd rather than just get into it. This makes familiarization a rather lengthy process, especially if you buy in bulk (as I do) rather than buying two or three per month. I will, on average, spin a new cd for about a week (roughly ten spins), almost 100% of the time in my car. At the very least, I try to learn all the song titles and be able to recognize the songs. I still have a queue of +15 cds from PP VII and around 10 more I got afterwards. I will every now and then come across a new cd that hits me so good that I can't put down (currently Masterplan, Aeronautics).

Like some of you, I try to avoid having a new cd on the background, as I will not pay it the attention it deserves. I do have "digested" cds in the background at work and home. I have had to put off getting new cds until after I clear the queue. That means I still haven't got I few albums I've been really looking forward too, like the latest Rhapsody and Angra, for example.

So many cds, so little time...

 

[MetalRose]

Personally, I don't "cram". I'd rather listen to a song or two, or an album or two then see the live set.

If the band doesn't catch on live, then I don't feel like a heel for trying to cram my brain with songs to be disappointed by live performance.

The bands I know and love, I know the songs and sing along to those live

Holy Hell MetalRose totally out Savataged me!

Hahahaha.

I usually listen to the songs that are posted on the audio section. If I like what I hear, I find out more. If I don't like the band, I generally go in with an open mind and check out a song or two. If the band blows me over, I purchase there at ProgPower. I usually do that for a couple of reasons. Mostly so the band can check with the sales clerks directly and see how many albums they've sold. Sure it's not offical, but I bet it makes those bands feel great.

So, yeah I don't know if that helped at all.

-Metal

 

[LunaTEKKE]

I have had to put off getting new cds until after I clear the queue. That means I still haven't got I few albums I've been really looking forward too, like the latest Rhapsody and Angra, for example.

So many cds, so little time...

One of my New Year's Resolutions was actually to not buy ANY new books or CDs until I've listened to / read all the ones that I already have. But then I realized on the CD front that I would have to make exceptions for the new Circus Maximus, Symphony X, and Dream Theater…plus another 10 exceptions buying at least one CD from all the artists on the PPVIII roster…and yet another 4 for the showcase.

Oh well...let's just hope my other resolution to “get organized” is a little more successful…

 

[ratanda]

I do this by playing it in the car while driving.

 

[Bodhi]

Because this type of music is often very complex, it often takes up to ten spins for me to really "get" a CD.

Doesn't always happen for me but I can think of at least ten faves that I initially hated.

I agree with you at this point. but if you try to get the "atmosphere" and feeling at the first time, i mean i take the booklet and try to go into the concept beyond the lyrics, if the band is able to match words, concept and "musical suggestions" i believe even at the first play you can judge it right, some other times maybe you were not really paying attention to it, not the first,the second... to the tenth.

Don't know if i was clear here, i mean maybe when you need ten times you were not perfectly dedicated to listening to it in the previous nine, other times instead the music permeates you lately, it is another option for that

 

[Jurakan]

One of my New Year's Resolutions was actually to not buy ANY new books or CDs until I've listened to / read all the ones that I already have. But then I realized on the CD front that I would have to make exceptions for the new Circus Maximus, Symphony X, and Dream Theater…plus another 10 exceptions buying at least one CD from all the artists on the PPVIII roster…and yet another 4 for the showcase.

If I allowed exceptions I'd be looking at a 30 to 40 cd queue .

Must.... resist..... new........ cds!!!!!!!!