Let's Talk About Music

"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music, and cats." 
~ Albert Schweitzer

I am a passionate music lover. In fact, you might say I'm obsessed. I listen to music, all the time. I BUY music, all the time. I find new (and old) music on Twitter, and on Instagram, and on Facebook. I leave the sound on when I'm scrolling online. You might be surprised what all I've come across, and discovered that I enjoy. 

When I am listening to the radio, if I hear a great song, I check my collection to make sure I own it. You might be surprised how often I say to myself, "But you mean I don't already OWN this?" And then I buy it! When we watch TV, I find new songs. Two sources of great musical inspiration used to be The Blacklist and Criminal Minds; whoever selects the tunes for those shows is EXCELLENT.

Oh, and every day of every month of every year, I am posting pictures and stories to Blipfoto. And every story gets a soundtrack song. I spend a lot of happy time on YouTube, just looking around, finding cool stuff, and often, sharing it. I can't seem to help myself. I take great joy in music and I want to share it. So you have been there when I have discovered some of these little gems!

I thought, just for fun, that I'd tell you about the new music I have bought so far this year. Here is a photo of the physical CDs I've bought since January 1. Some of these, like Enchanted (which is gorgeous in every single way), are ones I've wanted for a while and finally splurged on. 

A few are no longer available from their publishers and I had to buy used. I was very lucky, as all copies I bought were in excellent condition. Except for the CD case of The Secret Policeman's Third Ball, which was cracked. I only was able to purchase this rarity on my second attempt; the first copy I ordered never arrived, and I got my money back.

I've bought a whole lot more, digitally, on Amazon. One of my credit cards had a special for the second quarter of the year where I got 5% more off Amazon, so a bunch of my purchases happened during that time. Let me share a list of what you're looking at, and then I'll add a list of the digital ones below. This does not include all of the individual SONGS I have bought on Amazon, of which there were also lots, as you might imagine!!!

physical albums:
Various Artists, The Concert for New York City, 2 CDs
Chris Rea, Still So Far To Go . . . The Best of Chris Rea, 2 CDs
Ricky Nelson, Best of Ricky Nelson
Various Artists, The Secret Policeman's Third Ball
Stevie Nicks, Enchanted, 3 CDs
Stevie Nicks, Crystal Visions, includes a CD and a DVD; the DVD includes all of her music videos
John Fogerty, Wrote a Song for Everyone
Paul Simon, Paul Simon
Dixie Chicks (now known as just The Chicks), Wide Open Spaces
Paul Simon, Over the Bridge of Time
Various, Live on Letterman

digital albums:
Kate Bush, Sensual World, 2018 remaster
Joanna Barbera, Imago
Lily Kershaw, Work Tapes
Annie Lennox, A Christmas Cornucopia, 10th anniv. edition
Lily Kershaw, Arcadia
Various, The Best of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum
Sabrina Jordan, Hazel Eyes
Lily Kershaw, Midnight in the Garden
Life in 3D, The First of Life in 3D
Various, Revamp: The Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac, Tusk, 2015 remaster
Fleetwood Mac, Tango in the Night, 2017 remaster
Kristal Gandhi, Remixed V.1
Stevie Nicks, Bella Donna, deluxe edition, 3 CDs
Stevie Nicks, The Wild Heart, deluxe edition, 2 CDs
Various, Batman Forever Soundtrack
Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Rust Never Sleeps, 2016 remaster
Madonna, Deadpool & Wolverine: Madonna's Like a Prayer EP
Celtic Thunder, Mythology
Pat Benatar, Synchronistic Wanderings, 3 CDs
Dido, Life for Rent
Dido, Still on My Mind, deluxe edition
Various, VH1 Storytellers
Various, Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, deluxe, remastered
Sinéad O'Connor, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, 2 CDs, deluxe edition
Fleetwood Mac, Live! 2 CDs
Paul Simon, Hearts and Bones
Paul Simon, The Essential Paul Simon, 2 CDs

My musical taste typically runs heavily toward the 1980s. This year's collection has lots of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac (I've been reading their biographies), and Paul Simon. I've been spoiling myself, allowing myself to buy the deluxe editions of things I already own (hello, deluxe versions of Bella Donna and The Wild Heart). I've leapt, whole-heartedly, into new musicians I have only just heard for the first time (like Dido), hoping there will be many more I fall in love with.

The most expensive item I bought this year was the Benatar 3-CD set, Synchronistic Wanderings; I paid $28.08 for that. But I am a diehard Benatar fan; I own most, but not quite all of her original releases. Her music makes me feel powerful and strong, like I can kick the whole world's a**! It includes live versions and session outtakes, and it's all remastered, of course. 

For the record, the most expensive ONE piece of music I've ever bought was a Johnny Cash 5-CD set, Unearthed, for which I paid $35.50 last year. I recommend it only for the diehard fans of the Man in Black. It has some great stuff and some sort of odd stuff you'll never hear anywhere else. 

The most expensive SONG I have ever bought was Jakob Dylan and the Wallflowers' cover of Bowie's Heroes for the soundtrack of Godzilla. I had to purchase the CD ($12.70) to get the song; I hated pretty much every other song on it but that one, but hey, it was fully worth the money. It's still the best cover I know of of Bowie's gorgeous tune.

I listen to music on my tunes box every day, when I exercise. I listen to music on my computer when I feel like it. I let the algorithm guide me. I find something I like on YouTube, and then I jump right down that rabbit hole! I'm retired! Why not!? I have the time! YouTube is a treasure trove of music and cultural artifacts. There is no greater pleasure than to be able to watch and hear music online, to actually SEE the artists' faces as they sing.

I could wax on and on forever about music, but my only advice to you is to find music you like online, and watch it and listen to it. As you are able, support the entertainers that you enjoy by buying their stuff. Don't rip them off. Artists deserve to be reasonably compensated for their work. Oh, and when you find good stuff, for goodness' sake, SHARE IT HERE!!!!

I always provide a soundtrack song, and this time I'm going to blow your minds. I'm going to give you at least one song from each of the albums pictured here. Yes, I know, how wonderful! So here they are:

Various Artists, Concert for New York City
David Bowie, America
Paul McCartney and friends, Freedom

Chris Rea, Still So Far To Go . . . The Best of Chris Rea
The Road to Hell, Part 2

Ricky Nelson, Best of Ricky Nelson
Poor Little Fool

Various Artists, The Secret Policeman's Third Ball
Duran Duran, Save a Prayer

Stevie Nicks, Enchanted
It's Late

Stevie Nicks, Crystal Visions
Rhiannon, live 2005 (BTW, this is the DEFINITIVE version of this song for me now, forever and always)

John Fogerty, Wrote a Song for Everyone
Bob Seger and John Fogerty, Who'll Stop the Rain

Paul Simon, Paul Simon
Peace Like a River

Dixie Chicks (now known as just The Chicks), Wide Open Spaces
Loving Arms

Paul Simon, Over the Bridge of Time
Hearts and Bones

Various, Live on Letterman
Sinéad O'Connor, Van Morrison, and the Chieftains, Have I Told You Lately?

Rock on, my friends! And be excellent to each other!