Compulsive Music Purchases and its Origin

Stop the insanity! Or more to the point, stop my insanity. According to the record industry, someone who buys 12 records in a YEAR is considered a heavy record buyer. Geez, 12 records often is two weeks worth for me. Of course, I love music (duh!), but my ability to continue purchasing it, when I still have records that I haven't even listened to sitting on my shelves only confirms that I'm an albumaholic.

There was a time in my mid-20's (I'm 35 now) when I wondered when I would slow down with this music stuff. Now I wonder if I ever will. And I've identified three distinct causes for my compulsive purchasing:

1. There is definitely a basic comfort aspect. Feeling down? Buy a record, it will make you feel better. Feeling great? Time to celebrate - go down to the local used shop and go on a spree. Hey, I don't drink, don't smoke, what do I do - I blow my disposable income on music.

2. The explorer aspect of listening to music, which may just be a variation on the grass is greener or something. This probably related to my days in high school and college radio, particularly the latter. During my college heyday, I'd get 8 to 10 new releases to review for the playlist. Sure, there was plenty of crap. But the number of totally unknown releases that floored me more than made up for it. This is why I'm not a big frequenter of listening stations at record stores, even though I think they are a fantastic, pro-consumer tool. A substantial percentage of the music I buy without having heard a note. I don't think I get the same rush a gambler does when he beats the house, but there is a built-in excitement putting on a disc, wondering if this will make it into my personal Hall-Of-Fame.

3. The backlog of great music that I still need to get to. In the week prior to writing this column, I've snagged an import reissue of The Dickies' second album, a compilation of tracks from The Electric Banana (a side project of the Pretty Things), an Easybeats Anthology, the new Doves album, 1999's debut from Britpoppers Ooberman and the Rhino Records Have A Nice Decade 70's box set, because it was used and at such a good price. OK, that's a pretty heavy week, even for me, but there's not one of those that I regret buying. And there are still untapped reservoirs of 60's soul, garage, pop and so on and so forth. It really never ends, does it?

If there is any regret, it's that I will never be able to devote the time to these releases that I'd like to. When I got albums as a kid, every favorite became an integral part of my musical experience. Now my love for music is also a love of consumption - is the trade off of a high quantity of good music for a high degree of familiarity with a handful of good things worth it?

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