Don't think other people like your music, they don't.
 

I was reading an Amazon review yesterday and the reviewer posted that they loved the recording so much that they were buying it as Christmas gifts for all their friends and family. Oh boy!

What a narcissitic person. When you buy gifts, if you're considerate and thoughtful, you buy them what they like, not what you like. Just because you love a recording doesn't mean your friends and family will. THat's almost never the case. Music taste is extremely personal. But people think if they are moved by a recording they just must share it with the world. The tragedy is that those CDs will never even be listened to once in most cases. Most people are not music fanatics and the ones that are all have wildly different taste.

Blast away...

I wish I was organized enough to do my Christmas shopping so early!

Think you're overreacting here.

It'd be narcissistic if this person said 'Wow, this is the best album ever. I need to buy it for everybody I know in order to educate them, because they are clearly my inferiors for having not heard this utter MASTERPIECE.'

Sounds like a guy just really loved something and wanted to try to spread his love of it to people that he cares about. Isn't that natural? When I hear a great song, I try to tell my friends about it. It's not self-absorbed. In fact, if anything, it's very interpersonal. It involves you trying to spread the love rather than hoard it all onto yourself like a narcissist would.

Besides, a good gift is also somewhat indicative of a person trying to put a little bit of themselves into it. I can't really think of a better way of transposing your own thoughts into a gift than giving somebody an album you really like (all within reason, of course - I'm not going to send a free jazz album to somebody who's barely into music at all, but I might make them a mixtape or something, because it comes from the heart, I put effort into it, and it says something about me for that person to care about). If a person gets a gift and isn't grateful that it's not a cell phone or a gadget, that's their loss. Frankly, I think sharing art you love with others that you care about is a great thing. Doing it as a gift just proves you obviously care a lot about it.

I agree with you that it would be horrible christmas gift but I wouldn't go so far as to call the person narcissistic

If it was the album THEY recorded, that would be narcissistic.

I do buy music I like for others now and then, but only when I know they will like it.
I bought both DeWolff's and Soundcarriers' latest album for my ex-girlfriend who's birthday is next friday. I know she will love it, altough she never heard either of them.

But I see what you mean. And no, people shouldn't force their taste upon others.

Someone bought me an Avenged Sevenfold album for Christmas once. :(

At least you got a beer mat and a frisbee then :)

I agree with clutnuckle, it's not narcissistic in the least. I always try to show music that I think my firends will like to them. If they don't, no big deal. But if they do they might love it, and helping someone find something they love(especially music) is an amazing feeling.

I would've loved that person too bad you didn't like it