Too many DJs? Too many poorly filed CDs.
As I’m increasingly using this site to out myself (or rather purge) on various issues, I am really going to come clean now and publicly admit something I’ve never owned up to before.
My record/CD filing system doesn’t work anymore.
For years I have endured smirks from other, more tidy and alphabetical music fans when I try to explain the rationale behind the system. It’s simple and theoretically makes perfect sense, being loosely based on genre, release date and er… ‘vibe’ and ‘personal relationship to my life’. For example, you can find all of my Go-Betweens records arranged in order of release in the 80s/90s part of an indie-pop section, nestled closely near the likes of The Church and The Triffids and also in the vicinity of a stack of stuff like The Blue Aeroplanes and um… Neds Atomic Dustbin because I bought them around the same time. Because this is logical isn’t it?
But my collection has increased exponentially (and my memory has grown more addled) since this fine system was first put into place at the tender age of 10, and things have been starting to go wrong at the most basic level.
Things hit a new low recently when I was looking for the Incredible String Band, went absent-mindedly to the folk section and couldn’t find it. Of course its not there - I had at some point sensibly decided to file them with Pentangle in the ‘late 60s’ section. Near the Beatles because Paul McCartney once said that The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter was his favourite LP of 1968. Similarily, I was having problems instantly locating Pink Martini. I thought I’d put it under ‘jazz/lounge’ but actually found it under ‘world’ near Mariza, the Portugese fado singer, because they both played the La Linea Latin Music Festival in London and they kind of have a Latin vibe. Sometimes.
So you’re beginning to see the problem here.
But what is the solution? I can’t go alphabetical, it’s too clinical. And I like genre - it just doesn’t work all the time. I’m sure I read somewhere that John Peel used to file his records in the order he got them. Maybe that’s the answer? Any better ideas?
Tags: music = opinions, music crisis
April 24th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Dewey Decimal!!
I never used to have any order to my record or CD collections. It really was just a case of ‘have a look and pull something out’. I’ve gone alphabetical now, but that’s falling apart as I’m transferring stuff off cd’s onto my lovely new 1GB Creative Zen mp3. As a result, my living room floor is strewn with CD’s awaiting ‘the rip’.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I really can’t see what the problem with alphabetical is all these other systems seem to break down but surely in any sane world the Beatles follow the beachboys, you could try colour, I do have an over size shelf and one for free magazine cd’s although at the weekend I went through them and ripped all the best songs off them and slung the originals and no i didn’t take them to the charity shop because I never buy old q frebbies so no else will and it makes more work when I’m grate diving in the age concern. and for fear of being shot down this may be to do with your chromosomes!
http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2258116,00.html
April 24th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I just go on an intuitive system of faves and related pecking orders (but does tend to shape up around genre)
The worst thing for me is self compiled CDs there’s just so many of them scattered around scruffing up the place
April 24th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Well thank you for your thoughts, which open up more questions than answers…
Interesting thought about chromosomes there BLTP. There may be some truth in this, but I’d like to think that music speaks ‘emotionally’ to everyone and although completism does seem to be more of a male trait I’m not sure that this applies to everyone - clearly not to Planet Mondo who has shocked me with this music filing revelation!
PM, How the heck does someone with clearly as many records as you have cope with an ‘intuitive’ system?! This sounds like a nightmare for finding anything!
And Ill Man, I hope your new MP3 player doesn’t mean that you’ve foresaken the delights of the mix tape! But the big question is - when you’ve finished ripping will you be returning things to A-Z order?
BLTP, Free music CDs drive me crazy. I have piles of them and I already have slung loads in the bin (I agree with you about charity shops). When will magazines start providing a free download service? I wish Word certainly would.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I couldn’t do alphabetical - I just wouldn’t sit comfortably with me. But it breaks down like this….
Most played go in the kitchen next to the stereo or in the cupboard which runs left to right Reggae, Motown, Sixties/Soul, through Northern Soul, Funky Covers comps, Psyche rock (Vertigo type comps).
Front room shelves (hidden behind the door) is old faves Elvis/Beatles/Small Face/ Stones / Bowie/ Roxy/Punky Bits/ New Wave
Any other bits for occasional DJing are stored in shoe boxes under the stairs
Anything else gets lofted (or ripped to PC)…
See it sort of makes sense doesn’t it?
April 24th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Interesting PM - I can now visualise your kitchen full of cds and vinyl. But where do you file things like Silvery?!
April 24th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Aaah that’s new releases, so goes next to the stereo - you won’t see tons of CDs laying around - I’m quite stealthy with tucking things away - I’ve got about 15 guitars and a stack load of synths at home but you’d never know it.
Then of course there’s books, comics and clothes