“I’m now going to play some songs from my new album.”
It’s the expression that strikes fear into every concert-goer. We want the hits, the songs we know. Why do they do it? Why do we go?
Why do people go to gigs and then spend half the time talking or at the bar?
Why do musicians spend months recording, using the best facilities, mixing on giant studio speakers, only for people to listen on a squawking Alexa speaker or on ear buds as background noise to the sound of a train?
These and other issues will be my blog for the days leading up to publication of my novel, Homeward Bound, about two people divided by time and music.
Richard's Blog 
As a young Art School student I enjoyed attending concerts by such great bands as Pink Floyd,The Who,Canned Heat, Yes, Jethro Tull and The Rolling Stones (Hyde Park 69) etc etc…
We would most often sit cross legged on the floor in our”great coats”whilst intently listening to the sounds from the stage. In those days we were there simply there for the music, no alcohol was consumed, although we may have smoked a little?
Nowadays concert tours are very important for artists as a source of revenue because the sale physical vinyl albums and CD’s have been replaced by streaming services like Spotify. Don’t get me wrong, I love researching and discovering new artists which is where Spotify is great but I like nothing more than holding the music of choice in my own hands. This brings me on to how to listen to this great music?
In the car is fine for long journeys and getting familiar with a new album but you cannot beat the sound of a well set up audiophile Hi-Fi . I love to sit in front of my own system and feel the soundstage before me. Just think of all that money you have spent over the years on your vinyl albums and CD’s. They deserve to be heard in the best possible way and that is on the best audio system you can afford.
Regarding artists touring to promote new albums I have no problem with them performing the majority of music from new albums as I always make an effort to become familiar with the music before hand.
When yet another CD for me from Amazon drops through our letterbox… Colleen shakes her head and my son Adam comments…”how quaint!”
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My feelings entirely. In fact, you inspired me to make a short video (‘Lawdy – what’s the best way to listen?’ which I’ve just posted. Hope I don’t fall foul of copyright! I should add I did a sequence with the same song on my jukebox which probably outstrips them all – or at least gives a quite different listening pleasure. Maybe I should post that up too!
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Further to my earlier reply I have been listening to the new “Who”album in my car on long journeys and have grown to love it. Took several listens to gain familiarity but that’s the point…. it’s now one of my favourite Who albums along with the lesser known “Who by Numbers”
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I need to unwrap my copy and give it a spin! I still don’t think ‘Who’s next’ will be bettered!
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