Last night, I was finally able to listen to something I'd been searching for for a long time. Someone was kind enough to post all 7 discs of The Complete Fun House Sessions online. I had the day off from work, and spent most of it on the computer, downloading this. It took me back to when I first discovered free music via FTP, back when the username and password combination "leech/leech" was all you needed (well, that and good virus detection software, of course)...
Eventually I'll make my own "best of" compilation from these tracks, once I've spent more time listening to them all. That'll be in a later post.
As I type this, someone is selling the set for $150 on Ebay. I have no doubt that within a week or so, the bids will pass the $200 mark, like what happened when my girlfriend tried to get me this for my birthday. $200 was the most she was willing to spend - and she never admitted to me that she went that high on it until I told her how I spent my day off (waiting for the downloads).
Here's where I throw a wrench into the RIAA's arguments.
See, even though I basically got this great music for free, minus the cost of Internet and blank discs and a CD burner, I wish I had been able to buy this for $119.98 back in 1999, to get all the artwork and linernotes and stuff... I don't want to pay $250 or more on Ebay for it, numbered limited edition or not. I still plan to buy it eventually, but it's gonna be a while before I do. It'll be my reward to myself for getting rid of all the books, albums and junk I have now that I don't use all the time. Yep, even though I already have the music, I'm still willing to pay money for the rest of it. If this makes sense to you, you've got the same disease as me.
(update: that set on Ebay sold for $358.87. Looks like I'll be waiting longer for this than I first thought.)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Process of weeding out, part 1.5
Apocalyptica/Plays Metallica by Four Cellos
I don't know when I got this, but it must've been pre-1999, since that was when Metallica's "S&M" CD came out, and I remember thinking "That's been done" since I already had this. It's a cool idea and all, but after listening to it a few times, I left it alone. The artwork is unintentionally amusing, especially the booklet picture of four arms holding four cello bows through four square holes in a wall. I also like the Reservoir Dogs -esque shot of the musicians walking four abreast, each carrying a cello case, wearing sunglasses and all black. Serious musicians. I'd do the same damned thing if I could play an(y) instrument.
I don't know when I got this, but it must've been pre-1999, since that was when Metallica's "S&M" CD came out, and I remember thinking "That's been done" since I already had this. It's a cool idea and all, but after listening to it a few times, I left it alone. The artwork is unintentionally amusing, especially the booklet picture of four arms holding four cello bows through four square holes in a wall. I also like the Reservoir Dogs -esque shot of the musicians walking four abreast, each carrying a cello case, wearing sunglasses and all black. Serious musicians. I'd do the same damned thing if I could play an(y) instrument.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Process of weeding out, part 1
Most people bitch about Mondays, what with having to go back to work after the weekend. I've always hated Sundays more... mainly because most things are closed, or have shorter hours.
Alice in Chains/Sap EP, Facelift
Kept both of these since I was in high school. Haven't listened to either in years, mainly because the local radio stations keep AIC on heavy rotation. How many times can you hear "Man in the Box," "Bleed the Freak," or "Got Me Wrong" and not get tired of them? After dusting off both discs and playing them all the way through... I still like them, but not to the point that I'll miss them if I trade them in. I'll still keep their self-titled one, though.
Aphex Twin/Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2
Something else from the same period. I forgot I even had this... at some point I actually took the time to write out a tracklisting for both discs (probably from the Warp Records website) since nothing was named in the packaging other than "Blue Calx." There were a handful of tracks I liked the sound of, but most of this just sounds like generic background music to me now. Into the trade pile you go.
Alice in Chains/Sap EP, Facelift
Kept both of these since I was in high school. Haven't listened to either in years, mainly because the local radio stations keep AIC on heavy rotation. How many times can you hear "Man in the Box," "Bleed the Freak," or "Got Me Wrong" and not get tired of them? After dusting off both discs and playing them all the way through... I still like them, but not to the point that I'll miss them if I trade them in. I'll still keep their self-titled one, though.
Aphex Twin/Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2
Something else from the same period. I forgot I even had this... at some point I actually took the time to write out a tracklisting for both discs (probably from the Warp Records website) since nothing was named in the packaging other than "Blue Calx." There were a handful of tracks I liked the sound of, but most of this just sounds like generic background music to me now. Into the trade pile you go.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Laundry day is a very dangerous day.
I look around my room and all I can see is "stuff"... books and records and lots of random junk. I know I probably won't use up seven mugs worth of pens, for instance... well, maybe I will, in my lifetime, but not all of these pens that I have right now. I've already thrown out a few that've gone dry, earlier this year. Is it ironic that I'm typing about this on a computer keyboard instead of writing in a notebook with one of those pens?
Then again, I wouldn't 've gotten this far on paper, since admitting I have more pens than I can use would make me want to test them all out and toss the dead ones. The rest of the page would be covered in those spirally marks that tear through onto the next sheet if the pen doesn't write...
Nevermind the damned pens, I need to do something about all these books. I'm keeping the Mickey Spillanes and the John D. Macdonalds, but I could do without some of these others. I could say the same thing about a great deal of my music collection. I guess I have a hard time letting go of things. I think I'll start listening to more of it, write something here about it and whether I'll hang on to it or not...
Then again, I wouldn't 've gotten this far on paper, since admitting I have more pens than I can use would make me want to test them all out and toss the dead ones. The rest of the page would be covered in those spirally marks that tear through onto the next sheet if the pen doesn't write...
Nevermind the damned pens, I need to do something about all these books. I'm keeping the Mickey Spillanes and the John D. Macdonalds, but I could do without some of these others. I could say the same thing about a great deal of my music collection. I guess I have a hard time letting go of things. I think I'll start listening to more of it, write something here about it and whether I'll hang on to it or not...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
More content to follow, hopefully.
I'm gonna try to use this to do something constructive with my free time, and actually post meaningful stuff. I've spent hours looking at other blogs about music-related stuff, so maybe I can try to give something back (hokey as it sounds) with one of my own.
In the meantime, here are some links until I can put together something.
WFMU's Beware of the Blog
HG's Blog
The Evolution Control Committee
In the meantime, here are some links until I can put together something.
WFMU's Beware of the Blog
HG's Blog
The Evolution Control Committee
Monday, February 9, 2009
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