This has been something going on in my head and have been wondering for quite some time.

Years ago, with the launch of the Walkman, man was given the opportunity to bring his music with him wherever he wanted to go and have it with him anytime it was acceptable to have a huge yellow box hanging from his belt.

Now, with items like iPods, mobile phones, MP3 systems in our cars, etc.. we have our music everywhere. Our entire collection is accessible, in any location we want. Airports, Driving, working, bicycling, It has actually become the backdrop to our daily lives.

Music is now easier to buy as well. No longer do you have to go out and check the local record store (or sometimes several to find the album you wanted), you just sit down at your computer and most likely, download it off of your favourite MP3 web store. People don't even buy full albums anymore. Now you have the ability to listen to just that one song you heard on the radio. Its is so much easier then buying the single on a CD or vinyl which cost way more then .99 $,£,€.

With all this accessibility, however, music has went from something that you sat down and listened to, but merely the background to your life. Walking, driving, washing your car, working, cleaning your house or cooking, we constantly have music going in the background, but do we really actually listen to music anymore?

By actually listening to music, I mean taking an hour from your day, putting that new album, (yes, the whole album, not just several tracks you purchased from several artists and made your own compilation), and just listen to it?

An music artist normally produces an album to convey several ideas they had, or feelings of emotion, something that happened in their life wether it be special or tragic. Take all these elements and carefully put together the album from track 1 to 12 in the hopes you will enjoy the same journey they had.

This is something I have always loved to do, and still try and do as often as I can. Wait for the house to be empty, put the animals in one of the rooms and close the door so they will not bother me, grab my newest album and pop it in the CD player (or play it through the computer if its a digital release), sit down in front of the speakers and just absorb the album from start to finish.

When I do this, I feel more passion for the artists work and sometimes will listening to it again as soon as it ends. Taking in each element of each track and imagining what is going on, or in my head, creating my own story to go with each track.

It really is the best way to enjoy the music we love. Sure its nice to have the music on while doing stuff, I do all the time, but to actually take some time and really listen to it, this is a whole other experience.

So, do you really listen to your music?

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It really is the best way to enjoy the music we love. Sure its nice to have the music on while doing stuff, I do all the time, but to actually take some time and really listen to it, this is a whole other experience.

Exactly! I try to take at least a day each week to get a cup of coffee, sit down, and listen to the new releases that came out for the week. I do that because I enjoy listening to new music, and maybe even discover a new artist that I never really listened to before.

With new albums, I can't NOT listen to an album from start to finish when it first comes out. haha! I make sure I have time to listen to it in it's entirety. I turn life off, and just absorb the music. It's fun (or not fun if the album is disappointing haha) and like you said, it's quite an experience and takes you on a journey!

Very good point, Tom and actually, I hardly do this anymore. Just sit down on my couch, listening to an entire album. I do get a lot of full albums nowadays, because of the competitions on TP, which I distribute after copying it (I see it as my reward for the promotion I did ), but I do fully listen to them in 1 time. Unfortunately I got so busy that I'm doing a lot of things on the PC in the meanwhile, so I can't fully enjoy it the way it is meant. I thought I did, but now you're saying it like this, I realize I don't.

I think the moments I enjoy music the fullest is in my car from home to work and from work to home. It is only 30-40 minutes so I can't listen to a full album at once, but it's the moment I put more attention to the music than to my driving. Of course not in the dangerous way, but the driving is more on the automatic pilot, cz it's the same route I take every day. Sometimes I don't even remember how I got home, simply cz I've been enjoying the music.

But thank you Tom for raising this point and it's really opening my eyes. I should take more time just doing nothing and only enjoy the music

I put on soundcloud among other sources on my phone and walk every where... I get to my destination, but get to listen to listen to music... it costs me 15-20 dollars a week 0_0

Sometimes listening to an album from start to finish isn't easy, you get distractions during the 75 minutes you were listening to it (or almost 2 hours on some digital released albums...) but before sleeping I sometimes listen to an album and end up not getting enough sleep because I end up wanting to listen to the whole album (I've probably listened to ISOS 1 10-15 times while lying in bed and just staying awake listening to the whole thing). Last night I listened to 'Vibrasphere - Exploring the Tributaries', didn't get enough sleep last night because of it but it was worth it.

Wow this was an excellent, thought provoking read.

The closest I get to deep music listening is DJing the sets I do at night or blasting Trance/Progressive while speeding down Interstate 95 (a motorway that runs across the east coast of the US).

Now that I have read this, I really need to do more to treat music as it's true purpose: A motion picture for the ears.

Originally posted by R33

This has been something going on in my head and have been wondering for quite some time.

Years ago, with the launch of the Walkman, man was given the opportunity to bring his music with him wherever he wanted to go and have it with him anytime it was acceptable to have a huge yellow box hanging from his belt.

Now, with items like iPods, mobile phones, MP3 systems in our cars, etc.. we have our music everywhere. Our entire collection is accessible, in any location we want. Airports, Driving, working, bicycling, It has actually become the backdrop to our daily lives.

And as someone born at the end of one decade (1989) and growing up in two others (1990s and 2000s), I have seen various formats come and go. From Vinyl to Cassettes to CDs and mp3s. I still remember when I was a teen putting mixes on cassette tapes!

I listened to A State Of Trance this past wendesday, then tuned out after i realized it was the first hour, then came back for the good part of the episode known as the second hour where i hear the music of the gods aka Uplifting trance.

good point though

Its cool to see everyones views and even cooler to see I have made some realize they stopped doing this.

I completely understand distractions, thats why I wait until the Wife is out at work and then put all the four legged distractions in a separate room for an hour or two while I relax and absorb the music.

Remco, I too spend most of my listening time in my car. However, as good as this is, I still have trouble really listening to an album and really hearing it. The distraction of driving in itself, road noise and mobile calls coming in over bluetooth and interrupting the play always mess up my time haha.

I remember when I got OceanLab - Sires Of The Sea and first listened to it. It was to and from work. I thought it was an okay album, but not until I listened to it on my Stereo, in the couch, eyes closed, could I hear what a brilliant disc it really was. The way they recorded Justine's voice. The filters used in certain instruments and the way the EQs were set to make everything have either a real warm "coming home" type of feeling to an more "flying through the clouds" ethereal touch.

After a good listening session, I always feel relaxed, more happy and feel like I actually made my brain work a bit as well. True listening to something as good as a fantastic Trance track, I feel almost as satisfied as listening to orchestral or symphony music. There can be so many wonderful elements to each track and it can be so rewarding to find and pick out each melody, harmony and instrument.

Randy, formats defiantly have come and gone and I have some interesting thoughts on those as well. But thats another post.

Originally posted by R33

Remco, I too spend most of my listening time in my car. However, as good as this is, I still have trouble really listening to an album and really hearing it. The distraction of driving in itself, road noise and mobile calls coming in over bluetooth and interrupting the play always mess up my time haha.

I remember when I got OceanLab - Sires Of The Sea and first listened to it. It was to and from work. I thought it was an okay album, but not until I listened to it on my Stereo, in the couch, eyes closed, could I hear what a brilliant disc it really was. The way they recorded Justine's voice. The filters used in certain instruments and the way the EQs were set to make everything have either a real warm "coming home" type of feeling to an more "flying through the clouds" ethereal touch.

'Luckily' I have a 9 year old phone without bluetooth and my iPod touch only works on free wifi

But I know what you mean and you're right it's not the perfect way to listen to a full album.

I actually listened to the original album of Sirens Of The Sea while being at the gym and I almost fell asleep. AT THE GYM! hahaha. Thought it was the most boring album I ever heard! I liked most tracks as remixed by A&B after, but not the originals. Maybe I should've done like you and give it a 2nd chance

Originally posted by Remco

I actually listened to the original album of Sirens Of The Sea while being at the gym and I almost fell asleep. AT THE GYM! hahaha. Thought it was the most boring album I ever heard! I liked most tracks as remixed by A&B after, but not the originals. Maybe I should've done like you and give it a 2nd chance

Definitely give it another chance. Do not look at it as an Trance album, but more of a ambient with trance elements piece of work. They really did a great job putting together that album and its really nice to just listen to.