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Do people still listen?

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 1:40 am
by jeremykeys
I was talking the other day with a friend of mine and we both got to wondering if people still listen to music the way we both used to when we were younger. Now, yes, I do realize this was way before electricity was invented but.

Back in the 70s, before cd's, we used to hang out at one of our friends' places, usually in their basement, and listen to records. I mean really listen. On as good a stereo as we could possibly afford. Not a lot of talking, just listening to the music. Yeah we were all probably a bit high too but that's not the point here.
WE'd put on a record and listen. Then we'd play the other side. We'd usually go through 5 or five records at least. Not talking except between flipping the record over or changing to another.
Now of course most people don't play records but my question still stands.
Do people ever get together just to listen to music for a night?

Jeremykeys the ever Curious!

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 5:09 am
by Giner
I'm not sure that people do that now. Music is bombarded at you from every conceivable angle now and, to some extent, has become a throwaway commodity. That's not a very encouraging view and I suppose it's down to each individual to make their own music 'stand out', whatever that means. Rock on.

Re: Do people still listen?

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 11:23 am
by Bald Eagle
jeremykeys wrote:Do people ever get together just to listen to music for a night
It's called a concert :wink:

But more to your point, there is no longer a need for a small group of people to get together just to listen to music. Today's technology allows you do listen whenever and wherever you want. Basement record night faded away with drive-in theaters.

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 5:20 pm
by LordVampyre
humm I do miss those days long long ago..
listening to music in the half finished basement... sitting on couches, bean bags, the psychadelic lighting going and of course getting wasted and making out with the girl of the moment.

ahhh those were the days...

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 11:26 pm
by jeremykeys
I miss those days too. Unfortunately, as age increases, personal time decreases. Maybe there's some kind of inverse law at work here! :wink:
My wife and I do sometimes, albeit rarely sit down and just listen to a few albums or cd's on a sunday afternoon. It's nice. WE'll put on some old Genesis, some Who, maybe some Supertramp. And we'll just listen and enjoy the music. No need for talking.

I think it's kind of sad that for most people, those days never even existed. Those were some of the most serene times of my life, way back when. Time seemed to stand still and the music took you away to wherever you wanted to go!
Maybe to the hot girl on the sofa beside you!

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 2:58 pm
by LordVampyre
I grew up in a tiny town in central missouri, Rolla.. shoot listening to music was the only thing we had.. this is back mid/late 60's..

I had to get rid of most of my cd's and records cause I ran out of room and had to go from a house to an apartment.. but I now have a nice collection of what means the most to me.

and boy do I get some strange looks.. love it

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:45 pm
by mocando
I keep doing that with my friends, and with my kids as well, as much as we can spare time to it. But is not specific for music listening, but whenever we are together, music is part of the whole environment, but good music, not simply fill up trash music.
We used to perform for our friends, just a few years ago, and in between songs, there was always music playing.

Back in the 70s, we gathered around a record player for hours. Today, we do the same, but is now an iPod.

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 4:06 pm
by Derek Cook
I used to, but rarely have the time these days. If I'm away on business, then that is my best option whilst waiting for sleep(!) to just listen. That's the great thing about a 128GB iPhone - I can pick music I haven't listened to for years and put it on.

My listening habbits and type of music I listen to varies throughout the day. Very familiar and rocky music whilst working (I am still blessed with an office to myself!), but when cooking, I like something mellower - I am a big fan of Renaiisance and Capercaille (Hebridean Caillie music with a modern slant) as my music to cook to and start winding down. Then late at night it will be quite mellow, like Clannad or Steve Hackett's "nylon" output.

And I find my music listening is seasonal. There are certain albums I could never play in summer, as I associate them with winter and vice versa. E.g. Supertramp/Fleetwood mac is summer cruising music, but Genesis "Selling England by The Pound" and Justin Hayward and Jonathan Lodge's "Blue Jays" is winter music as that is the time I first heard them and associate the mood of the music with the seasons. Strange, but true! :)

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:16 pm
by jeremykeys
Now that's funny! Cool as well though. My listening habits don't appear to be seasonal as far as I've ever noticed. Not that I paid attention though. I do find that I go through phases. I'll go through a prog phase for a long while, then I might shift over to more of a Tom Petty type thing, then I'll switch it up and get into metal for a while. Sometimes I'll also listen to a lot of my own music.
Most of my listening is done in the cat o and from work these days. I am hoping to get a music day this Sunday with my wife. Mind you, I say this all the time and it rarely happens.
Oh well. We keep trying! 8)

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:04 am
by Derek Cook
It is strange but true that I do find at least some music seasonal. Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds is something for a rainy winter afternoon - listened to about once per year on average!

And taking Tears for Fears as an example, "Songs From the Big Chair" is another car album for the summer, but "The Seeds of Love" is a winter album. All to do with when I first heard them......

I also listen to my own Carreg Ddu music a lot when on a long flight. I am very familiar with it, so brilliant background snoozing music!

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 4:39 pm
by nitecrawler
No. Not like how music was listened to back in the sixties. We were serious listeners back then. Time has become constricted more and more now. People do more multitasking and little one on one with their preferred music. Not enough time these days, got to go. :roll:

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 5:23 pm
by LordVampyre
makes me so glad Im retired with nothing but time...

just makes me feel bad for my neighbors sometimes .. sort of.

Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2015 11:29 pm
by Bald Eagle
Is Last Days of May by Blue Oyster Cult better in late Spring or early Summer?

Some of us still do , listen that is...

Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2015 1:52 am
by Fox_Mulder
When the boxed edition of Pink Floyd's DSOTM was released my best friend came over and I told my daughter's to be quiet and not bother us for till the Album had concluded and then put the disk on and we did just sit there listening .... not as often as I did but yeah I do still listen ...

Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 8:56 pm
by DaniH
I believe people listened to music like they back in the day was because it was a thing to do. Much like people on their computers and such are now. Back in the day you didn't have nearly as much technology that is around to kill time and whatever.