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griffo104
13-10-2008, 12:42
Ok it's Saturday morning. I'm back at my Mum's for the weekend where my main hifi is. Later I'm off to do the shopping for her and then mow the lawns for her and take the dog for a good walk. But I have all weekend on my own, except for my Mum. the other half has stayed in Southend this weekend due to work.

When I get home very late Friday there's a package from the US waiting for me. Inside are two albums - 45rpm Blue Notes from Music Matters, Freddie Hubbard and Johnny Coles. Pigs in shit can't be as happy as I am.

Saturday morning the postie knokcs the door and there wrapped within an elastic band are two records from HMV. New records from Mogwai and Travis and also the latest edition of Hifi+.

SO once I've done all the errands for my Mum I've got a pretty sweet afternoon planned, not only that but England are on the box as well.

So 10 mins before the England game starts I slap the Freddie Hubbard record on the deck, set it to 45rpm and drop the needle in the groove.

I've no ide what happened in the first half of the england game. Listening to these records just mean I to have sit, close my eyes and listen. they just sound so sublime, you really feel how special it must have been to be recording a record in those days, the music just flows so beautifully. The rhythms are amazing, every stroke from the drummer, every beat from bass is relayed to my ears, the brash brass from the trumpet relayed just pefectly, you can almost picture the guys playing the music.

I mention this to someone at work.

their response: what you actually sit there and listen to music ? You don't do ANYTHING else ?

I tried to explain that you CAN'T do anything else, I'm made to sit still and imagine it's the early 60's and I'm sat in a dingy jazz club - I can almost smell the smoke coming from the cigarette lodged in the bassist's mouth as he closes his eyes and lets the music flood over him.

The response - 'you really are a geek'.

Why is is it that music can move so much of us in some ways and not others ?

I find it quite ironinc that at work I don't lsiten to music and yet my colleague has his ipod and headphones on all the time.

Has he lost the ability to enjoy the musical message and moment from permanately having music compressed through his ears ?

Is it just me ? Would you do another thing while watching a film or reading a book ?

why do so many people think music should be a background task and not a rewarding part of your leisure time?

I thank the guys from Music Matters for letting me have this experience.

Peter Stockwell
13-10-2008, 13:11
I used to develop software, I found I could develop and test very well with music coming in. I couldn't read or write specifications, tho! (Some would say I never could read or write specifications ...)

When it's great that's how hifi reproduction grabs you, you can't do anything else!

griffo104
13-10-2008, 13:15
Peter, I am an analyst/developer.

I seem to work better without music popping into my ears as I tend to listen and concentrate on that instead of working :lolsign:

Of course being a techie I tend to ignore the spec and code it properly :eyebrows:

Neil McCauley
13-10-2008, 13:20
Is it just me ? Would you do another thing while watching a film or reading a book ?


No, it isn't just you - or me either for that matter either. But it is what it is. I view it as harmless ignorance and nothing more.

Meanwhile as I work on my next software project this afternoon (Stereonow is just one part of my life) I'm listening to a 1975 live recording of Richard Thompson giving his all by performing 'Night Comes In'. Does it for me.


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griffo104
13-10-2008, 13:27
No, it isn't just you - or me either for that matter either. But it is what it is. I view it as harmless ignorance and nothing more.

Meanwhile as I work on my next software project this afternoon (Stereonow is just one part of my life) I'm listening to a 1975 live recording of Richard Thompson giving his all by performing 'Night Comes In'. Does it for me.


---//---

Howard,
While working to this do just get your head down and work or do you have to stop every now and again and enjoy certain moments from the music ?

I find it very hard to concentrate when a piece of music I enjoy comes on.

Peter Stockwell
13-10-2008, 13:56
Of course being a techie I tend to ignore the spec and code it properly :eyebrows:

:doh::lol:

Exactly how I used to go about things, but in all seriousness to do that you have to have a good grasp on the functional side of the thing, too. I'm too expensive these days for dev, so I'm in deployment. I don't actually have to know or understand anything :lolsign:

It also means I can't listen to music whilst working either!

cheers

Neil McCauley
13-10-2008, 14:11
Interesting question. In the mornings, from 7 until noon, I can only listen to music, rather than my preferred diversion Radio 4. In the afternoons, for reasons I cannot explain, I can alternate between Radio 4 and music without distraction.

During my occasional 10.00 pm to 3.00 am stint (if I'm a bit behind on development) I listen to music via my £25.00 STAX headphone OR the BBC World service via my office system. Curiously, during that 5 hour period, the radio via the STAX is too distracting. I've been puzzled by all of this for some months now, What I describe is fairly consistent and totally inexplicable.

And yes, I do sit down in my demo room and when time allows, listen to music hour after hour without distraction or interruption.

Not all of my systems encourage me to do this for hours on end. A recent discovery last Saturday though, in terms of a hitherto unheard of combination here was as follows:


Manley 300B neo-classic valve pre amp
LFD 2 x PA3 mono amps
Meridian 508.20 CD player
LFD speaker interconnects.
Cheap Atacama stands
Harbeth HL P3ES-2 speakers (LS3/5a size)


Accidental magic, with a ludicrous component ratio as follows:


Source = £550
Pre and power amps £7500
Speakers £2000
Stands £50
Interconnects, £200 max


Daft, but it works. Well, works for me at least. Meanwhile, up yours Ivor!

Heartbreakingly compelling and engaging I’d say.

If I had this combo rigged up permanently my guess is I’d rarely get any work done


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John
13-10-2008, 15:14
I am happy being that strange geek who likes to really listen to music

Mike
13-10-2008, 17:40
what you actually sit there and listen to music ? You don't do ANYTHING else ?

The response - 'you really are a geek'.

Why is is it that music can move so much of us in some ways and not others ?



Don't worry about it... my work colleagues think I'm completely insane.

I had some valves with me once (I'd just collected a parcel from the PO) and no-one even knew what they were. I explained. Blank looks.

:scratch:

muffinman
13-10-2008, 17:52
Don't worry about it... my work colleagues think I'm completely insane.


in that case, you may want to reconsider the 'you don't have to be mad to work here...' poster next to your desk.
And the Gonk

Primalsea
13-10-2008, 19:17
It says a lot about us in general really. What would you consider to be an art form and what would you consider drivel to vegitate to. The options are:

Music
Soap Operas

So you will no doubt have come to the realisation that people who think that sitting down listening to music is oddball are the ones who will watch utter crap on TV for hours on end.