One of the first things I did with the money I made from my part-time job as a teenager was to buy the next album on my wish list of new music. All my friends did the same, knowing that our growing collection was as much about who we were and what we wanted to be as it was about the music.
Most of us don't collect music anymore. The ease of digital access gives us what we want, when we want it. Yet, the sheer abundance ensures we can never hear, let alone appreciate, all that's available today - especially if we let online streaming services dictate our choices. The irony of infinite choice are the limits that prevent us from hearing most of what's available. Overwhelmed by our bounty, we may resort to familiar artists and genres that further limit our listening.
Today, NYT music critic Ben Ratliff says to forget genre in favor of sounds like those blue notes that make us feel sad without caring why. They just make us feel.
GUESTS:
- Ben Ratliff - Jazz and pop critic for the New York Timesand author of several books, most recently, Every Song Ever: Twenty Ways To Listen In An Age of Musical Plenty
