I find this discussion to be very interesting as it's something I think about occasionally myself. Personally, I have an 80/20 approach: 80% of the time I'm listening to whole albums, since I think that's how music should be enjoyed, in theory. But that's only the theory, and the remaining 20% goes for those songs that I enjoy just on their own. This is simply my opinion though, I think we already have more than enough gate-keeping the metal community, and I think everyone should listen to music in the way that they enjoy the most. That's the beauty of music, I don't have the right to take away anyone's fun.
While I used to skip to certain parts of the songs that I especially enjoyed (just like you), and replayed those parts again and again, I don't think I've done it in a long time. This approach is inherently very passionate and naive in its nature, as it comes out of pure love for the music itself. I think it needs to be appreciated, and your post reminds me that I should get back to doing is again!
Hi Keith, I’m a big fan of your writing and this piece really resonates with me. I listen to music in the same way, and sometimes I feel absurdly ‘guilty’ about it because to be ‘authentic’ listeners, particularly in metal, we are supposed to listen to whole albums. But it’s often one bit of one song that really gets me. I agree with you on those Carcass harmonies - they are irresistible. Now you’ve got me thinking about all my favourite musical moments... I’ll have to come back to you with examples!
Feb 9, 2023·edited Feb 9, 2023Liked by Keith Kahn-Harris
There are certainly moments in some pieces of music that stand out for me and that I almost look forward to. The Dies Irae which pops up a few times in Verdi's Requiem is one, and the Break that comes up at about 14:10 and its transition into the next phase of the piece on Focus' Eruption (from Moving Waves) is another. But I very rarely if ever, only play those moments. For me they have much more meaning in the context of the whole piece. I don't feel I'm colluding with the musician by listening in this way, but I do feel I'm respecting them by doing so. It's why I don't like alternative versions - early demos and rehearsal takes - when they are bolted on to re-issues. Apart from the crude commercial purpose of doing it, I find that those versions are not the final version for a reason - they're not as good and only a completist / archivist would find them worth listening to beyond once out of curiosity. But that's another topic. My point is I want to listen to music the way I believe it was intended to be listened to.
I find this discussion to be very interesting as it's something I think about occasionally myself. Personally, I have an 80/20 approach: 80% of the time I'm listening to whole albums, since I think that's how music should be enjoyed, in theory. But that's only the theory, and the remaining 20% goes for those songs that I enjoy just on their own. This is simply my opinion though, I think we already have more than enough gate-keeping the metal community, and I think everyone should listen to music in the way that they enjoy the most. That's the beauty of music, I don't have the right to take away anyone's fun.
While I used to skip to certain parts of the songs that I especially enjoyed (just like you), and replayed those parts again and again, I don't think I've done it in a long time. This approach is inherently very passionate and naive in its nature, as it comes out of pure love for the music itself. I think it needs to be appreciated, and your post reminds me that I should get back to doing is again!
Hi Keith, I’m a big fan of your writing and this piece really resonates with me. I listen to music in the same way, and sometimes I feel absurdly ‘guilty’ about it because to be ‘authentic’ listeners, particularly in metal, we are supposed to listen to whole albums. But it’s often one bit of one song that really gets me. I agree with you on those Carcass harmonies - they are irresistible. Now you’ve got me thinking about all my favourite musical moments... I’ll have to come back to you with examples!
There are certainly moments in some pieces of music that stand out for me and that I almost look forward to. The Dies Irae which pops up a few times in Verdi's Requiem is one, and the Break that comes up at about 14:10 and its transition into the next phase of the piece on Focus' Eruption (from Moving Waves) is another. But I very rarely if ever, only play those moments. For me they have much more meaning in the context of the whole piece. I don't feel I'm colluding with the musician by listening in this way, but I do feel I'm respecting them by doing so. It's why I don't like alternative versions - early demos and rehearsal takes - when they are bolted on to re-issues. Apart from the crude commercial purpose of doing it, I find that those versions are not the final version for a reason - they're not as good and only a completist / archivist would find them worth listening to beyond once out of curiosity. But that's another topic. My point is I want to listen to music the way I believe it was intended to be listened to.