<p>This occurred to me last night, which I know makes for suspect thinking.</p>
<p>When I was at U of M in the mid 70’s, we spent a lot of time in the evenings in groups listening to record albums, reviewing their liner notes and discussing and attempting to solve all the world’s problems.</p>
<p>Now, with all the Ipods and computer music, do students listen to music in groups? Do students even have “stereos” in the old-fashioned use of that term? I know that neither of mine do.</p>
<p>If not, what activity do they use as background for those all-important discussions? Coffee drinking? I haven’t gotten an answer from S#1 and D.</p>
<p>My hs senior D has a stereo, and even commandeered my turntable and albums. She listens to music without headphones more often than with. We have a central music file server with over 18K mp3s that she feeds to her stereo also.</p>
<p>Music is all stored digitally now, from what I can tell. Last summer and while home at Christmastime, older S “ripped” dozens of our CDs onto his harddrive to take back with him, and when he had a drive crash last fall he was dismayed to think it might have been his “music disk” (it wasn’t, or at least the crash wasn’t fatal). He has a fancy shmancy speaker system and runs all his music through his computer, either from his harddrive or from the CD player. On the other hand, he loves old '60s rock and experimental electronica from the '60s through '80s, much of which is only available on <em>LP</em>, so he bought himself a really nice turntable on eBay and uses it to play the LPs he buys… and “rip” them onto his harddrive, too.</p>
<p>There is <em>ALWAYS</em> music playing in his room and the lounge next door, and some of his first friends at college were chosen based on whether or not they could put up with/enjoy/talk about his preferred music. I think they just don’t review liner notes anymore: they attempt to create better CD case graphic designs. ;)</p>
<p>When the teenagers gather here (when S is home; he’s a college frosh now), the song list goes up (or maybe already was) on the computer, which is then cranked to its highest allowable (my test is: can I hear it from the next door neighbor’s yard) level and so yes, music is the background for teenaged gatherings…S also reports that kids gather to “watch” DVD movies (or movies downloaded onto the computer), or to play computer games…but since both the movies and the games are virtually always “reruns,” they don’t seem to interfere w/the “save the world” discussions –</p>
<p>I actually find it “comforting” to know that some things (few tho they may be) never change…and that one is that college students still revel in deep, intense, frequent and lengthy “save the world” conversations…</p>
<p>I collect rock LPs to add to my dad’s collection, so yes, I still like to listen to records the “old-fashioned” way. However, this is only at home, since my dad declared that there was no way I was taking the turntable and LPs with me to college…probably not a bad idea, though. Not only are they worth something, but with the size of dorm rooms today, there simply isn’t room.</p>
<p>I do have an iPod, but it’s used mainly for walking to/from class and exercising.</p>
<p>When I’m just around the dorm room, I usually play mp3s off my computer through iTunes. Unfortunately, with the way our room is set up and the way my roommate’s stuff takes up 3/4ths of the space, there was no room for my nice CD stereo. It’s sad, because music really doesn’t sound as good through computer speakers.</p>
<p>Hmmm. I need to figure out how to rip LPs onto my computer. I recently found a near-mint copy of the Woodstock album that I’d like to burn to CD so I can listen to it in the car.</p>
<p>Here’s a related question: does the ipod generation even listen to whole albums? My D seems to listen to random songs. There are certain albums that really take a listener on a musical journey; they are meant to be listened to as albums.</p>
<p>I think some ipod users listen to full albums… i personally think ipod’s are stupid and I love to argue with anyone who actually buys one of them over priced pieces of junk. </p>
<p>i think if you’re truely into music and enjoy listening to full albums you do just that… listen to albums. you buy the LP, you buy the CD… whatever is there to buy. </p>
<p>Maybe it’s just because i’m REALLY into music… but that’s just me. I will never pay to buy an mp3… or to download a song. I have to have that cd, i have to have that album… the cover art… the whole complete artistic piece of work. </p>
<p>I’m sure i’m one of the few 23 year olds around who has a record player in her room… and who doesn’t have any programs on her computer to download songs… i owns hundreds of cd’s/tapes/records. I’ve also been getting into the music dvd’s lately. i recently purchased music dvd’s by the white stripes and the dresden dolls (whom i highly suggest to music lovers).</p>
<p>For Christmas, my family gave me the recently released DVD of Jimi Hendrix’ complete Woodstock performance. It is really outstanding and includes the jazzy jam (Woodstock Improvisation/Villanova Junction) that fades out at the end of the movie. </p>
<p>On the subject of classic rock, the Cream Royal Albert Hall reunion concert from last year (available on both DVD and CD) is outstanding. Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton were never as good as this back in the day. Superb playing, superb sound, really fun. Put your copy of Wheels of Fire up in the attic and get this one.</p>
<p>concert for bangladesh was jsut rereleased I think</p>
<p>I listen to whole CDs in my car- & I have the controls on my steering column- its vaerry cool
that sounds very cool ID- I have some Hendrix on my ipod
And I see his bust everyday at Ds high school library-
Dan Savage played some Dresden dolls when he was on a local radio show and they were discussing what he had on his ipod-
very interesting kind of kurt weil</p>
This is why my 16 year old isn’t interested in an Ipod – in the last couple of years he’s developed a strong interest in groups like Yes, Led Zeppellin and Pink Floyd. He tells me that it’s important to listen to the CD in sequence, since the songs are placed in that order for a reason. The funny thing is, he’s just reliving DH’s musical past, and has even taken to pulling out LP’s and listening to them on our turntable. He’s going through a stage where anything Dad does is un-cool, yet they share this taste in music.</p>
<p>S1 got a new speaker set for his computer at school for Christmas. Apparently, they move the equipment to a lounge and listen to techno or dance music in a group. After 12+ years of classical piano, I can’t believe what he’s listening to!</p>
<p>well some lps are meant to be listened to that way I agree- Physical Graffiti for example but others the songs are just as strong taken indiviually and isn’t that why we have all this technology so the consumer can decide?
I like to listen to songs recorded at concerts especially when I was in attendance or wish I was- and I do often listen to the concert in order,
but just as often change it around- ;)</p>
<p>I listen to live concert recordings almost exclusively. I either listen to shows I’ve traded for on CD or I stream them from the archives. I almost always listen to entire shows from beginning to end. Since I only live 5 minutes or so from work alot of the time a show will last me all week. Especially a crisp GD, Phish, or moe. show.</p>
<p>i listen almost exclusively to full albums on my iPod for the reasons stated above.
but a little iPod takes up a whole lot less space than a shelf full of CDs, or even one CD player, for that matter. </p>
<p>It means I can listen to “Hey You” immediately after “Goodbye Cruel World” without changing disks halfway through, or lugging around the half I’m not listening to, or deciding in the morning that i want to listen to The Wall in the first place. </p>
<p>an iPod is like 3 cubic inches, and a CD player + a The Wall Jewelcase is maybe 16 (rough, conservative estimate.) Try fitting that in your pocket.</p>
<p>I listen to my ipod, but I am going to have to drag out my record player ( I don’t think our turntable plays 45s), ijust heard that the holiday 45 that the Tenclub sends out every year ( yes I know the holidays are over)is going to be a cover of an Elvis tune that Pearl Jam and Robert Plant recorded at the house of blues for a Katrina benefit- :)</p>
<p>One of the most interesting things I noticed, as we dropped off my freshman daughter (first to leave the nest) at college this fall was how anxious and focused each kid, including d, seemed on setting up their computer, ipod, facebook…how inward they were facing (literally!) while what I remember is how anxious I was to get my stereo system going so I could put on music and open the door and make my room an inviting place for others to congregate. The dorm was incredibly quiet, at least at move-in time.</p>
My S and his friends still collect albums, and I’m not sure what the appeal is, but I think it’s the same as it always was. A good turntable, decent speakers, a pot of French press coffee, and a stack of newly acquired albums still inspire 18 to 21-year-olds to get together and discuss, argue, and create music of their own. </p>
<p>On the kitchen table this morning…THE MASKED MARAUDERS (1969); Neil Young’s bootleg album, LIVE ON SUGAR MOUNTAIN (1971); Oingo Boingo, ONLY A LAD (1981); alternative band, BEE THOUSAND, THE DIRECTOR’S CUT, Guided By Voices (1993); the Bowie era, PLEASURE VICTIM, by Berlin (1982); and, REMAIN IN LIGHT, by the Talking Heads (1980).</p>
<p>Concept albums (like TOMMY, DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, SGT PEPPER’S) were meant to be listened to as a whole, and then, fought over later. To really participate in the discussion, you had to listen to the whole album, and most of them sounded pretty repetitive to me, so I was usually the one making trips to the fridge to get everybody another beer. </p>
<p>Other albums, like THE MASKED MARAUDERS, were wrapped in urban myth and legend. My BIL scorched the cover of his WHITE ALBUM with an iron when he tried to remove the outer layer in hopes of revealing a hidden picture of the Beatles naked, underneath. :)</p>
