How many of you listen to recorded music as a primary activity?

**Cheebs** · 30 Sep 2009, 02:59 PM

I used to sit in front of my speakers in "the good spot", close my eyes, and listen to entire albums. I realized I don't do that anymore. Music is always on, but it's in the car, filling out the room while I bullshit on the internet, or behind whatever activity I'm in the middle of.

I still listen to my own recordings (with the intensity of a sonic ninja) when I'm in the middle of making them. I mean, I have to. But it has been cut out as a primary activity where other people's records are concerned. I need to fix that. I love music more than any other type of entertainment. It seriously bugs me that I am not listening beyond the superficial anymore.

Anyway, how do you all listen? And why?

**YellerDog** · 30 Sep 2009, 03:08 PM

The whole reason I have music on vinyl is that it forces me to pay enough attention to the music to know when to flip the records. I like this fact about it.

It forces you to pay attention to the music more than you would just listening passively. If you stop listening, the music literally stops.

**Mman** · 30 Sep 2009, 03:09 PM

Yeah, I've found recently that I really no longer do this like I used to. I think simply because I don't have the free time. But in college I could actually sit down with minimal distractions and listen through an entire album whole.

My girlfriend and I have been trying to make music our background noise more often though, instead of having the tv on. We found there was a lot of time where we would both being doing something like reading or me playing on my laptop when we just had something stupid tuned on the tv.

**Rumpy** · 30 Sep 2009, 03:11 PM

It's been awhile. I think I'm almost always doing something else while listening to music. If I'm in the car alone I tend to listen more closely, like a driving soundtrack I guess.

It always seems like music is just on whenever. If I'm waiting, music seems to be the most logic choice but I don't think I've really thought about "I should/feel like just listening to music."

**Josh** · 30 Sep 2009, 03:15 PM

I listen to records. Forced active listening for total victory.

I also listen to two or three full albums every day on my phone while I'm at/in transit to/from the gym.

**Doc Holliday** · 30 Sep 2009, 03:24 PM

Does discovering music count? If so, I do that weekly looking for the best unlicensed, non-RIAA music to use in a soundtrack. I do the same for RIAA bands with intent of some pipe dream project.

As far as old favorites, I listened to the entire Beastie Boys collection non-stop the other night doing nothing but drinking beer, and again, imagining scenes they could play behind.

So in a strict sense, no, I never do.

**Cheebs** · 30 Sep 2009, 03:39 PM

I'm starting to think more and more that it is time for me to set up a turn table.

Yet at the same time, I can pinpoint exactly when I stopped listening and it has nothing to do with my move to wav files on a hard disk. It was when I stopped living with other bachelor room mates and moved in with my fiance (now wife).

She never, ever tells me to turn anything down. Hell, I drum all the time in the house. But the good speakers are on the good TV, and either my wife or daughter are usually watching something.

Maybe the answer is to put the good speakers in another room instead of going the vinyl route. Or both. Won't know until I try.

Even still, my music studio is nowhere near the TV and the speakers there are nothing to sneeze at. Why the hell don't I listen there?