- Posts tagged travel
- Explore travel on posterous
The CD Conundrum: Coasters or Collectors Items (What the hell should I do with my 1,000+ CDs?!?)
Images of me unpacking and resorting my CD collection in my new London flat.
For those of you who do not know, I have been on my own World Tour of sorts as of late. In 1996 I lived in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1998 I moved up to Boston, where I met my wife (at a Tom Petty concert: find out how here). In 2002 we moved from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. In 2005, we made the big move around the globe to Sydney, Australia. This past September we relocated to London; ironically we now live on Sydney Street.
There are two things I have always traveled with no matter where I have rambled: my wife and my music collection. Arguably these are the two most important things in my life; I couldn't do without either. Funny though, I have had a longer relationship with my music collection than my wife (she and I have been together over 10 years). My wife is not the jealous type, nor should ever have reason to be: I am an extremely loyal and dedicated man. Which is why she shouldn't be surprised at my resistance to want to shed my vast collection of CDs.
My collection is 1,419 albums and box sets strong, consisting of both CDs and downloads. Recently I have converted back to vinyl (75 albums and growing) after decades of turning a deaf ear on their sonic brilliance. You can read through it all here in a live-list I created in a Google Doc: Judd's Juke Joint. I update this whenever I add to it. There is also a tab for my music related DVD material as well.
Before I go any further, let me say this: as far as I am concerned my collection is 99% fat free. While I do think that size matters, quality is of most importance.
As you can see in the spreadsheet I am in the process of highlighting which albums are physical CDs and which are downloaded bits and bytes. In my rough estimate, just under 1,110 of my collection is in CD format (including box sets). That is a quite a load to haul around the world with me. I am thinking of making a move that scares the shit out of me: junking all of my physical CDs.
I am entertaining this thought for a few reasons:
- The sheer volume of CDs is cumbersome to move (around the world or otherwise)
- The majority of the CDs are on my two Macbooks. One of which is dedicated to just play music wirelessly around my flat.
- Because of #2, I hardly ever go to pull a CD off the racks to play it...I do only if I haven't already ripped it to my laptop
- My taste for vinyl.
Why am I keeping all of these CDs? I don't know, really. Part of it is that it is tangible. I love seeing this tower of CDs everyday. A lot of work and play (and $$$) went into amassing this collection. Yes, I am emotionally attached to all of that polycarbonate plastic.
Conversely, I LOVE sifting through my vinyl collection and physically playing and flipping records...which is not easier nor is it more convenient. This of course, is because the sound and the experience from vinyl is worth the effort. The CD experience in comparison is shit. Having to get up and move across the floor to flip the record is exciting...I am actively participating in the music. Yes, I am now emotionally attached to all of that beautiful black lacquer.
So, what is poor music fan to do, 'cept to play some ol' rock and roll bands...899.html">heh heh.
Here is what I am thinking about doing if I decide to do anything at all:
- Rip my entire physical CD collection to hard drives. I would put as much on my Macbooks as I can and the rest, in its combined CD and download glory, would be stored on external drives. I would back it up to as many as necessary until I feel secure. I could keep two on hand, get a safe deposit book for one and send one to my parents in New Hampshire for extra safe keeping. And If all fails, I can bury one under a rock in Buxton, Maine for Red to dig up when he gets out of prison.
- I would then take all of the CD inserts/liner notes from each case and store them in a photo-album or something similar. This way I can have the info if I ever need it (this sounds like madness, doesn't it...).
- I could hook up my external drive to the computer and play everything and anything through my wireless network set up throughout my flat. This is also very convenient for mobile-music
- I would find some young, deserving music fans and donate my CD collection to them. I would divvy it up into assorted chunks so that the recipients would get a good mix of blues, soul, country, etc. If I do this, I might have to forgo keeping the CD inserts.
This would leave me with all digital files, vinyl and box sets (I would keep those in physical form). I think...think...I could live with that. But how would I buy music?
Let's use the last Bob Dylan album, "Together Through Life", as a test case. I bought that on vinyl and it came with a CD of the tunes sans CD packaging fanfare. This is best of both worlds: my preferred vinyl in 180 gram goodness and a CD to rip to my digital collection...and I get to give the CD to a deserving music fan/friend. If the album had come with a code for download that would have been just as good.
Anyhow, this is where I am at with my collection. I am not in a hurry to decide. All I know is that my collection will only grow. While I LOVE the thought that it will get out of hand, it could get physically unmanageable as I move from place to place.
Are any of you in the same situation? What are your thoughts? How have you/would you act on this...if at all? How do you buy your music? What are the holes in my potential plan?
Tune Tags
I chose "Sparks" by The Who as the tune tag for this post. This was the song playing in the movie Almost Famous when a young William Miller was flipping through the vinyl collection left to him (...to liberate him!) by his sister.
- Posted from Kensington, United Kingdom
"Just ask the Axis. He knows everything": My iPhone is The Axis
"Bold as Love" is one of my fave Jimi Hendrix songs. That is where the lyric quote in this post's title comes from. Every time I pick up my iPhone I think of that lyric. If the Axis actually does know everything, then i am officially naming me my iPhone, The Axis.
The Axis, has been glued to my right hand since I moved to London. The apps on it have become invaluable to my getting around, knowing what is what and keeping in touch with my people around the globe. Yes, It does know everything...well, at least everything I need it to know.
One thing I want to always know is, who is playing gigs where I am. I have two great music / concert apps that help me keep in the know on local live sounds: iConcertCal & iLike's "Concerts".
Both work in sync with your iTunes library. There are plug-in for iTunes that use your artists to help customize alerts for concerts in your area for your "favorite" (meaning artist in your iTunes library) bands.
iConcertCal:
This plug-in monitors your iTunes music collection and spits out a customised concert listing in your area. In the "view" menu for iTunes you can set the visualizer for "iConcertCal" and a personalised calendar of concerts will come up.
The sister iPhone app works just like the iTunes plug-in, but with a few Phone-y features:
- Buy tickets and get directions to the show
- You can sort by venue, artist or by date
- Email option to send reminders to yourself of friend
- A sample button to hear what the band sounds like (but, hey, they are a "favourite" band so you should know that already...)
iLike's Concerts:
iLike's is similar in the way it crawls you iTunes library to find out your "favourite" artists. Here is what this one can do:
- Browse local concerts personalized to your iTunes library
- Get notified when your artists announce local shows (via "push")
- Search by artists or venue and mark your favorites
- Buy tickets and get directions to the show
Similar alerts in iConcertCal & iLike's "Concerts"
- Jeff Beck
- Mark Knopfler
- Elton John
- Joan Baez
- The Dead Weather
- ZZ Top
- Fleetwood Mac
- Steve Earle
- Andrew Bird
- Wilco
Different alerts for each:
- iConcert Cal: David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Deer Tick, Sea Sick Steve
- "Concerts": James Taylor
A mixed bag of results with similar and different artists for each app. Good thing I check them both or otherwise I would be pissed off at my iLike app for not telling me about David "Honeyboy" Edwards. Likewise, my wife would like to see James Taylor, but iConcertCal is trying to put me in the doghouse by not informing of his gig.
Side note: James Taylor is touring Europe in November & December. I am willing to bet he planned that tour after the World Series just in case his (our) beloved Red Sox make the series.
So, for the time being I will use both apps to keep my ears posted as to who is gigging in my neighbourhood. They each get high marks for letting be know about Ray Lamontagne at the Royal Albert Hall last Thursday. Glad I went to that one.
There is one other music app I am using on a regular basis: Wolfgang's Vault "Concert Vault" app. I love this one for streaming shows straight from the deep, deep trove of live treasures that is Wolfgang's Vault. If you have a Valut account (free), you can sync up your web app playlists to the iPhone app. This is my go-to app when I am in need of a live fix.
_____
I'm using lots of other apps to keep me going in London. Attached are screen shots of my first three screens. I have used these most often since I moved here.
My home screen has the essentials:
- All my gmail, calendar and contact apps
- Google Maps & Around Me. When using these two in tandem I have been able to find everything I need to. I look like a freak staring at the phone in my hand while the little blue ball leads me on the path to my destination...but I get there.
- My social media apps: Twitterific, Facebook & Brightkite. I need to finally admit that I am not just a geek-in-training, but an actual flown blown social media freak. using twitter a few other services I can find out and keep up on all kinds of things that interest me, specifically music related stuff.
- I have my trusty productivity apps on hand too: MindMeister (mindmapping), ReQall (note taking / reminders and Remember the Milk (todo lists). Evernote is a powerful web-clipping software that allows you to take audio and picture notes as well.
- I am also using Instapaper. This is a great app for reading things on the go. There are a lot of articles and blog posts that I like to read but don't want to be stuck at my computer reading all of the time. This app allows you to access all of the articles (text only for easier downloading) that you choose to read later through their web app. This one is great for reading stuff while on The Tube.
My second screen is all about me getting around in London:
- My clock for showing me timezones for the US and Australia
- The London guides from Lonely Planet & Frommers
- The oh-so-handy London Tube and AtoZ apps
- XE currency exchange until I master the conversion rates
- Tripit is a great way for me to put all of my Euro jaunt itineraries in one place (off to Ibiza Spain in October!)
My third screen is all about staying in the know:
- The afore mentioned music apps are here
- The local London review and awareness apps: Qype, Yelp (very helpful so far) and What's On
- Food and drink apps Zagat and Drink are very helpful for finding hot spots and staying away from dead spots
There are a slew of other apps (a page of sports apps) that I use, but the ones above I use most often.
Anyone have any others I should have handy...?
Feel Like Goin' Home: a playlist for homesick ramblers...
You can always go home again...at least that's what they tell me. Almost five years ago my wife and I moved to Sydney Australia. Since then I have not yet once planted a foot on American soil. I had always intended to go back for a visit, but I never prioritised it. Actually, sometimes I was an actual victim of circumstance and other times I chose to travel other places.
When I got to Sydney I had six weeks to explore the city and then I started a full time MBA program. This full time MBA program (Macquarie Graduate School of Management) was an intense 12 month program. "Intense" is a good word for it. I had one five hour class Monday through Thursday and then the rest of my waking hours were spent on individual and group projects. Fortunately I could afford to turn it into a 15 month program to lighten some of the load.
Once I graduated, I started the job search straight away. In hindsight I should have gone back to visit my family after I graduated. I didn't because I had a contracting gig in the fire and wanted to strike while it was hot. Between the day I started the contract job and found full-time employment, seven months had passed.
There were roughly 12 days off in between each term in the MBA. My wife and I jumped on a few planes and did as many quick trips as we could in that time. We went to the Red Centre in Australia and visited Uluru, Hong Kong, The Great Ocean Road, The Great Barrier Reef (at a cool resort called Heron Island) and a few other shorter Aussie trips.
After the MBA we did more extensive traveling. We did a three week holiday in India. We went North to the Jaipur and Agra (sat at the Taj Mahal at sundown on xmas eve...cool), onto Mumbai to attend a friend's wedding and then down south to Hampi and Kerola for some R&R.
We also did a three week cruise throughout the Mediterranean, making stops in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Croatia and then back for a stay in Rome for a few nights (Rome was my hands-down fave spot).
Travel Pics:
When we got here to Sydney we thought we may be here three years max. That being said, we wanted to make sure we did as much travel "over here" as possible. Arguably we didn't even do that. I kept thinking that a trip home would be a missed opportunity for a trip to someplace I hadn't been.
Sadly, I have not seen my family that much due to this. They did come to Australia for a few weeks over xmas & new years in 2007. All up, I have seen them about 24 days since I left in 2005! Wow. Not good.
This year I committed myself to going home. I bought tickets to go back in August and September. In fact...I am supposed to be there right now...literally. I even bought tickets to go see the Allman Brothers (which I told you about here) and to the Red Sox. My family was excited as was I. Finally I was going home. Goin' home...
Not so fast. In between booking flights and making plans to go home, we ended up deciding to move to London. Long story short, we leave Sydney on the 5th September after nearly five years and move on to London to have a go of it there. Due to this I had to cancel my trip home. I am very close to being disowned.
So now I will have left home and moved to Australia and London without making it back to the States. That feels wrong. The good thing is that I will be much closer to home once in London. I plan on making a few "long weekend" trips back home as soon as possible to see the Fam and to wave the flag a bit.
_____
While I was prepping for my return trip to the States, I made a "Going Home" playlist. My intention was to burn it to CDs and distribute to my family and closest friends. That ain't gonna happen. Just the same, it is a good collection of tunes that need to be shared. I have attached the playlist for your listening pleasure.
I started out making it by creating a smart playlist in itunes to grab all songs with "home" in the title. Then I sifted through and found ones that hit the note for me. I also threw in three other non-"home" titles.
There were two songs that Grooveshark did not have in it's trove of tunes. I have included them here because the are important to this project.
- Charlie Rich - "Feel Like Goin' Home (Demo)": I started exploring Charlie Rich after I read about him in Peter Guralnick's excellent book, "Lost Highway". I went out and bought Charlie's "Essential" and gave it a whirl. When this song came on it stopped me cold. This was RAW and powerful. It fell un-produced and real and it made me want to create this playlist. I think I listened to it a dozen times in a row. There is a studio version on the album that is more lush. I like this one because it is a naked as the day it was written.
- Junior Walker - "Way Back Home": A bit of an obscure one; that is what makes it cool. It had such a different feel than the Charlie tune. This one is a celebration with a party going on in the background. Junior always gets me out of my chair and has me doing the chicken wing.
Here are some highlights of the set:
- "Goin' Home" - The Derek Trucks Band version and the Charley Patton original: Listen to the DTB first. This is off their phenom 2009 album, "Already Free". It is fresh and vibrant, but old timey just the same. Now go listen to Patton's version. It is gruff and raw, but has an optimistic feel to it. DBT captured that and brought it into 2009. I love 'em both...
- Chuck Berry - "Back int he U.S.A": when you think "U.S.A" music...Chuck Berry is near the top of a defining sound. This one made me feel like being picked up in a red Caddy at the airport and driving faaast back to New Hampshire.
- Gram Parsons - "Hickory Wind" (Byrds version): If I ever feel homesick I put this song on. I replace some locations (N.H. for S. Carolina) and tree types (elms for pines...Keene N.H. is the "Elm City") and sing myself back home.
- Bob Dylan - "I Was Young When I Left Home": It is a song/story about a young man who rambled far from home and didn't write, even though he knew he should. His homecoming was not fun one. It is a good reminded to get home and see my family.
Grab a cold one and a picture of some loved ones and kick back with the rest...
The Blues Highway and the Lure of Going Around
I have been seduced by the Lure...The Lure of Going Around. I first hear/read this phrase in a book by a fave author, Peter Guralnick. I have read most all of Peter's books. I love reading his books for a few reasons: he writes with a powerful empathy, he knew a lot of his subjects first hand and he is a fan...a true fan of the music, people and culture he writes about. Plus he is from New England, like me.
He writes with a personal pen and his stories swoop you up and take you places found in the pages of his books. Click here for some notes I took while reading his excellent book, "Lost Highway". My notes talk about Peter's discussion on The Lure of Going Around.
This post is not about Peter Guralnick, but it is about The Lure of Going Around. It wasn't until I was half way through my Aussie experience until I realised I was knee deep in my own Lure. Like the old bluesman and folk singers, I was going around and creating and telling my own stories. Click this link for my previous post on my own lure.
And now, "here comes that old travelin' jones once again". We are off to London in just under ten days. As excited as I am about moving there, I am really jonesing to take a special trip back in The States. I want to travel the old roads from New Orleans right up to Chicago...The Blues Highway.
A few years ago I bought a book by Richard Knight called, "The Blues Highway" (links: Amazon & Google Books). It is a travel guide for taking that old road that so many old musicians traveled years ago. It does a great job detailing the true travel aspects of the trip: restaurants, radio stations, juke joints, music halls...you name it, they have it for each town you will want to drive through. He also does a great job with bios and regional backgrounds and stories. have a look at the links for more detail on the book.
I used Knight's book to create a map with all of the stops along the way highlighted. There is much more work to do on it, but this is a good start. Read the notes on Lost Highway and then follow the map. It may make a bit more sense once you do.
