32 replies to this topic

[blacklikesunday]

this is to do with audio, just not audio systems.
i've sort of neglected listening to music for a while now. i used to listen to cds every single day without fail, but lately its hardly ever happened.
one reason for that is i just don't buy any 'new' music anymore. i just listen to all the old stuff i have with is mainly classic hard rock. every so often i'll try and listen to new stuff but to be honest i've heard it all before.[i'm 53.] i really wish i could get excited about a new band. the last one that did excite me were the 'fleet foxes.'
to be honest. i've heard every note of every queen, aerosmith, motorhead, and the beatles albums that i have, hundreds of times, and i'm afraid to say i've grown a little tired of it all. well, unless i'm in a particular mood for a specific band.
never thought this would happen, music was everything to me.
but now i'm gonna try to get back into it again.

anyone else like this or are you as mad for music as ever?

[:)]

sounds like need a bit of change...exposure to some new stuff ? can understand if been listening to same stuff for a while

grab yourself a digital radio, flit around the multitude of new digital channels. the beaut thing wiht them is they continuously have streaming music and with song title and artist displayed. what I do have going all weekend quite often in the background and then have a quick peak at the display if hear something I like. there is stations of all sort of genre so no doubt find something you like

[Quark]

Al's advice is sound - try some new stuff - plenty of options out there.  Or try some of the older material that you may not have given much attention to - you can stream full albums of older pop/rock material here.

As a classic rock enthusiast, I've found new material (e.g. some Muse and Massive Attack albums) but have also been surprised how much of the 60s, 70s and 80s I didn't favour then, but do now.

As per my comments in another thread, the quality of mastering can also be an issue - the current fashion of dynamic range compression and massive treble boost can make listening very fatiguing with CDs and even more so with mp3s, which tend to be compressed more.  Try to find one of your favourite albums that been issued by Audio Fidelity, Mobile Fidelity or Analogue Productions and see whether it's decent mastering you're missing.  Or if you're really keen, try some LPs of your favourite music - the mastering tends to be much warmer, with great mids/bass and the treble way below ear bleeding levels.

For me, getting well mastered CDs has been a revelation - this includes many original issue CDs, before the mid 90s onwards trend towards compression and excessive treble boost.

[alanh]

Quark,
Your comments about treble boost and compression can be symptoms of hearing loss. Recruitment is defined as "a malfunction of hearing in which sounds develop abnormal loudness, often associated with a reduction in the dynamic range of sounds perceived and an intolerance to loud sounds." The frequencies between 3 - 5 kHz is the frequency range most affected.

I suggest you get your doctor to refer you to an audilogist and evaluation by hearing specialist.

AlanH

[blairy]

Al is right although as well as DAB+ you can do this with FM using RDS and also with internet radio.  If using internet radio pick a specific genre you don't normally listen to.  Try blues, you'll love it.

Quark is right to.  As well as well mastered versions of your favourite albums try SACD, DVD-A or even HDCD.  There's plenty out there to rekindle your interest and open your ears.

I've been getting into music on bluray lately.  Mostly live but some album stuff....tom petty and neil young come to mind.  One in particular is Peter Gabriel's New Blood (live).

You can also have a look at CD Universe website.  Search for an artist and it also details people they've worked with and been influenced by.  Might broaden your horizons...or at least have you ready for that next trivia night.  

Earlier this month, for my 50th, scored the CD, concert ticket and tshirt for Cold Chisel's (new album) No Plans...bloody great; loving it.

Of course the most important part is making the time to listen to music; easier said than done.  My kids reckon I'm the only person on the planet who sits in a room with big speakers and just listens to music ...I hope that's not true.  To do this you need to set aside time each day/week/month.  Of course it's more fun if you rope some mates in every now and again too.

blairy

[mello yello]

alanh

Im a doctor, a proctoligist , if you will, if your obvious discomfort persists I suggest you visit my rooms and I can hopefully extract whatever it is that is bothering you so

I dont bulk bill btw, and your treatment will kept in the highest confidentiality

wtf ? hearing loss ?







Brent,

Ive heard similar stories to yours regarding (a temporary) loss of interest in music, its not you mate, its them...I mean what hope do old rockers have when we are flooded by an even more talentless wave of pre-manufactured shlop pop muzak than even Stock Aitken Waterman could ever produce ? ..."Lady" Gaga, Justin Beiber, aww come on at least the 90s had a little bit of talent going for it

looking at your discology of aerosmith, beatles,etc may I prescribe you some "modern" blues to help cure the blues ?

Black Keys...




and/or





_{do yourself a favour LoL}

[mello yello]

...take two albums a day and call me in the morning

[Quark]

alanh, on 26 April 2012 - 07:25 PM, said:

Quark,
Your comments about treble boost and compression can be symptoms of hearing loss. Recruitment is defined as "a malfunction of hearing in which sounds develop abnormal loudness, often associated with a reduction in the dynamic range of sounds perceived and an intolerance to loud sounds." The frequencies between 3 - 5 kHz is the frequency range most affected.

I suggest you get your doctor to refer you to an audilogist and evaluation by hearing specialist.

AlanH

Thanks Alan, I've had my hearing assessed and it's not too bad for a 53yo who listened to too much loud music in his youth - as expected, not much above 12KHz, but realistically, there's not much music with a whole lot of content >12KHz.

I don't know what you're listening to, but for example some recent pop/rock remasters have 12+dB boost in the treble ranges.  Add this to dynamic range being reduced from a DR of ~14 to a DR of <8 original vs typical remaster and you've got an ear bleeding monstrosity.  I've got no problem listening to the original LPs and decently mastered CDs at very high volumes.

Edited by Quark, 26 April 2012 - 08:26 PM.

[Baboy]

Im 59 this year and have listened to music since I was 10

I still fall back on some loud heavy rock when I can but I think its more music for the mood when youre older.

I got into world music by doing similar to the above.....internet radio in the background while computing

When a song appealed to me I noted the title and artist and followed up the album or artist ....it opened the door to alot of very pleasing new listening material.

[blacklikesunday]

i like to listen to music loud if i can get away with it, i suppose thats one reason i really like the mp3 player. actually i have to have the volume set to maximum these days, so i bought a cheap headphone amp, one of the Fii0 ones.

the last year or so i've noticed a hell of a lot of sibilance in a lot of the music i listen to on my mp3 player. the doctor said it may have something to do with my age.
i've tried a few various earphone to see if there was any difference, can't say i notice any change from one to another. i'm sure it wasn't there years ago. freddie mercury is really bad when it come to sibilance.

actually i have tried to listen to some newer bands, but like i said, apart from fleet foxes a few years back, nothing has stood out.  
i'll check out some SACD and DVD-A titles, thanks for that. so are these noticably better than the ordinary cds, or am i opening a can of worms?!
i've always had the impression that there are limited titles on these formats, and mainly classical too?
what are some of the places in australia to buy these from?

Edited by black~the~sky, 26 April 2012 - 09:45 PM.

[Quark]

Not all SACDs are well mastered - quality varies. The recent Queen SHM SACDs are all compressed, treble boosted, no bass - no surprise the engineer involved apparently wears a hearing aid.  Have a look at the reviews here to get some feedback - while some of the reviewers appear to be trolling, the majority of feedback on a title is reliable.

DVD-A titles are also mixed, but I haven't heard any real sonic disasters.

I've found it's not the format that matters, it's the mastering - the labels mentioned in my earlier post are quite reliable.

Edited by Quark, 27 April 2012 - 06:26 AM.

[ols]

I think a big part of the problem is that there is so much trash to get through to find the treasure in modern music.
That's not to say it's not worth the effort because it is.

Let's face it.
There's been little progression in music in over 30 years.
Electronica and other dance genres,rap and death metal are the only types of music that have emerged and progressed,
Everything else is pretty much variation on what has come before.

For us old rockers it has been handy that we can still be relevant to our kids when for our parents generation to ours the difference was staggering.
I feel gratification in the fact that my kids still will freely discuss music with me and my opinion is respected and sometimes sough out!

Enjoy the music you have and from years gone by.
You know what.
Its f...ing awesome.
Even your kids will tell you.

But don't stop looking for something from now that you may enjoy.
Music is a journey and the soundtrack to our lives.
It needs to evolve.
As do we.

[mello yello]

ols, on 26 April 2012 - 10:36 PM, said:

Music is a journey and the soundtrack to our lives.

It needs to evolve.

As do we.

...and if you listen very hard

the tune will come to you at last

when all are one and one is all

to be a Rock and not to Roll.






_pirates

[mello yello]

<reprise>








_{how could anyone ever lose  music} ?

[ols]

The head cheerleader off the the coast of Mandurah
With a Led Zep sountrack

Priceless

[mello yello]

m'Lord

[Ian13]

black~the~sky, on 26 April 2012 - 05:14 PM, said:

this is to do with audio, just not audio systems.
i've sort of neglected listening to music for a while now. i used to listen to cds every single day without fail, but lately its hardly ever happened.
one reason for that is i just don't buy any 'new' music anymore. i just listen to all the old stuff i have with is mainly classic hard rock. every so often i'll try and listen to new stuff but to be honest i've heard it all before.[i'm 53.] i really wish i could get excited about a new band. the last one that did excite me were the 'fleet foxes.'
to be honest. i've heard every note of every queen, aerosmith, motorhead, and the beatles albums that i have, hundreds of times, and i'm afraid to say i've grown a little tired of it all. well, unless i'm in a particular mood for a specific band.
never thought this would happen, music was everything to me.
but now i'm gonna try to get back into it again.

anyone else like this or are you as mad for music as ever?

Can relate to the above 100%

I'm 45 and was into bands like Judas Priest, Nazareth, Wendy O Williams, Kiss, UFO, Dio, Magnum, Billy Squier, Wasp, Queen, Zodiac Mindwarp etc etc and i too look at those cd's now and think do i really want to listen to that? I have heard them 100's of times. I used to play these bands and air guitar and headbang till my neck nearly broke.
Thought even after replacing my entire collection with remastered, good quality recordings and upgrading to a whole new 2 channel system that the passion would come back, but alas it seems to have wained to a point of no return.

To me the new music of today is utter manafactured, unoriginal, doof doof crap that actually pisses me off when i hear it. Where have the 70's and 80's gone. I suppose that's it - THERE GONE.

Lately though i have found myself getting interested in some of the wife's stuff that years ago would not have been allowd to even enter the drawer of the cd player. Artists like Seal, Adam Ant, Michael Buble, Tears for Fears, Spandau Ballet. Um i think i better stop there before i admit too much, arrhhh too late i'm being sucked into the black hole of soft girly pop. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME.

Edited by Ian13, 27 April 2012 - 08:09 AM.

[Digital Penetration]

Try some completely different genres: Medieval, Baroque, Be Bop, Arabic... There are some very good "fusion" bands out there playing old (ancient) instruments in modern styles.

[blybo]

Indie and blues bands are where to look for modern music with soul.


Jordie Lane, good local talent

[blacklikesunday]

ian13 have you listened to king's x at all? i'm always recommending this band to everyone i meet coz they're/were so good. i say were because every group have their peak period and kx have had theirs.[but it lasted a long time!]

their early producer described them as a mix of sabbath/the beatles/hendrix, and with a dash of james brown!!!
a lot of their stuff was in dropped D tuning which made their sound quite different at the time. on some songs you think you know where its heading, but all of a sudden it goes somewhere unexpected.
they have a nice bass sound too. the bassist/main singer often plays a 12-string bass, which sounds great. actually many years ago he was invited to be the singer in deep purple!
they can produce beatle-ish harmonies, but with the big power chords of sabbath. they're a trio by the way. they are a very melodic band as well.

albums i'd say listen to are:
'dogman', which is their heaviest and bassiest.
'faith hope love', which in its day was quite different than what was about.
'ear candy', which perhaps has the catchiest songs on it.
'please come home.................mr bulbous', another very bassy album.

everyone around at the time were sure this band were going to be huge, but it never happened. they have many well known fans who are in famous bands themselves, and these guys have often said that they don't understand the lack of success for kx.
however i'm sure that i know why!

right from their first album the press identified them as a christian-rock band[which they ain't], and this was a nail in the coffin as far as i'm concerned.
there is a reason for this, but its a long story and i can't be bothered typing it out at the moment.
personally i am an atheist, and i'm very anti-religion of any kind. so much so that i simply wouldn't buy christian-rock music. maybe narrow-minded? but thats the way i am.
the band summed it up best in the early days. "we are a rock band that have a couple of christians in it, but we're not a christian-rock band."
i personally believe this label has permanently stuck with them for their whole career, and has put so many potential fans off. it made it very difficult for them to get much radio airplay in the states apparently.
i'm telling you all this because if you're like me, when someone says 'check out this band,' i usually read about them first on wikipedia, and of course the whole christian thing is mentioned in there.

anyway here is some of their music.


i forgot to post any of their music.
my favourite king's x song.

Edited by black~the~sky, 27 April 2012 - 08:23 PM.

[Dork(original)]

Every friday i sit out the back in the wetlands with the boom box and listen to 3RRR the skull cave.
Four  till seven.102.7 on your dial in Melb or http://www.rrr.org.au/
on the web.
The ghost plays anything and everything and will open your ears in a good way.
I have found some amazing music from his show.
Paul.

[Dork(original)]

The Black keys and a special guest



Paul.

[blacklikesunday]

from their first lp which kerrang! named as their record of the year.

this one has the best ending to a song i've ever heard. it also shows how tight the band is.

[Dork(original)]

Taken from one of the greatest live music dvd's ever.
Roger Waters In the flesh.


Till Roger Waters "the wall" is released
on Blu-Ray that is.


Paul.

Edited by Mr craptastic, 27 April 2012 - 08:38 PM.

[blacklikesunday]

this is when they were in the 'heavy' period.[my favourite period.]

at last, an actual moving video!