Well, it's done. My cd inventory is pretty much complete. Take a look...
It's not perfect, though. I've already spotted two things that I've picked up in the last week that need to be added. In addition, there are about two hundred things that aren't on there. At first I was being extremely anal with the whole process. If a disc wasn't in CDDB I would add it by hand to my inventory. That's a real tedious process and I grew tired of it pretty quickly. As a result, there are probably a couple hundred classical discs, bootlegs and CD-Rs that aren't in the inventory. I'll slowly add them to the list.
The numbers are still fairly absurd. The inventory contains 1287 cds containing 1427 individual discs. That equals 19530 tracks that would run 1127 hours (47 days) if played consecutively. I've inventoried 1429 Elvis Costello songs and in order to crack the top ten you have to have 160 songs in the collection (Nick Lowe). Bear in mind that this is only my CDs. I really do intend to use this program to inventory my cassettes and vinyl, too. That will be a Herculean task but, I think, worth it.
So let's have a little fun with the collection, shall we? Take a good look at it. No, longer than that. Okay? Good. I'm going to buy two new CDs and destroy one CD based upon my readers' whims.
First, recommend a CD that you think I would really like based upon the collection. Let's use Journey (a band that I liked way too much when I was 15 and will have an embarassing vinyl collection as a result) as an example. You might say "Mike, you clearly like Journey. Why not buy the self-titled album from Bad English? I think you'd like it!" Trust me when I say I would never come near that recording, but you get the idea.
Second, recommend a CD from an artist that I already own. For instance, "Mike, you own a lot of Journey albums. Why not get "Raised on Radio?" You know Randy Jackson from American Idol plays on it!"
Finally, recommend a CD that must be destroyed for the good of mankind. "Mike, that first Journey album is excruciatingly bad. You must destroy it."
I'll take your nominations for a couple of weeks and then we'll have a real poll. Sounds like goofy fun, right?
Posted by mikewolf at December 21, 2003 05:25 PMSince you like those sensitive singer songwriter types, you should be listening to two of the best:
* Cat Power - You Are Free
* Red House Painters - Ocean Beach
or Mark Kozelek's brand new one - Sun Kil Moon
In the destroy pile: Anne Sofie von Otter.
That is the album where, in hindsight, Elvis Costello officially sucked up into his mind and became a waste of precious CD shelf space.
Where's Gomez and Boz Scaggs? Are you so ashamed to have them, you don't even include them on your list? Poor boy, you shouldn't ever listen to me...#~>
Posted by: deano on December 21, 2003 08:55 PMHmm... Neither Scaggs nor the first Gomez are on there! I knew there were some that I somehow missed but the fact that you were able to pick out two immediately that we've talked about is kinda disturbing. I just went to the shelf. They're both there. Damn.
I have that Cat Power album and the covers album in MP3 format. I do likes it.
Posted by: mrw on December 21, 2003 09:59 PMI hate to state the obvious, but you've gotta get the Sun Sessions, if only in honor of Sam Phillips's passing. Give the women equal time and get the Female Elvis, Janis Martin's Complete Recordings 1958-60. No One Cares is notable for its absence from your Sinatra collection. Your Kinks need beefing up -- Schoolboys in Disgrace, Muswell Hillbillies, etc. Interesting that you have lots of arteests influenced by the Band, but none of their disks. Get the eponymous one and Big Pink. Last Waltz makes more sense on DVD.
Posted by: Vernam on December 23, 2003 03:08 PMAlong with the Band, I'd get a few Byrds: Mr. Tambourine Man, Turn Turn Turn, Fifth Dimension, Younger Than Yesterday, Notorious Byrd Brothers, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. And you like the rock AND roll, so I'd add some Creedence to your list: Bayou Country, Green River, Willy And The Poor Boys.
And just because, every music collection needs Spike Jones and Louis Prima.
My favorite Kinks falls between 66 and 72, which is only lightly covered on the Ultimate Collection. During that time, I'd say they were better than even the almighty Stones, and maybe only a notch below the Beatles.
Could you use some more Neil Young? The best CD released this year was easily his 1974 album On The Beach.
After Van's Astral Weeks and Moondance, the next logical steps would be His Band And The Street Choir and Tupelo Honey. Then try the wonderful live set It's Tool Late To Stop Now.
Posted by: Mike on December 24, 2003 12:12 PMYou have some David Byrne but not Uh-Oh or David Byrne - do you not like them?
In case you didn't catch Morning Edition today, they did a story about a band from east Texas called Los Lonely Boys. Definitely Latino-based, but with some rock and country and other stuff thrown in. They just recorded their first album, and Willie Nelson plays on one of the tracks.
Posted by: Tiffany on December 26, 2003 02:47 PMHave to add an editorial note - you have Van Morrison listed under both V and M.
No Paul Simon?
Posted by: Tiffany on December 26, 2003 03:01 PM