The First Listen

[Isbjørn]

I did a search, but didn't find any obvious results. So..!

What do you do when you first listen to an album? A lot of you guys on here (looking at you, Trollheart) listen to lots of albums every week and write about them regularly. But just how much effort do you put into the listening part? Do you sit concentrated, taking note of every single tone while reading the lyrics? Or do you just listen casually while doing other things, maybe without paying much attention to the lyrics?

Discuss!

[Trollheart]

If I'm listening (as I often am) for review purposes I devote my entire energy and concentration to the album; nothing else can get in the way. TV is off, don't do anything else on the PC (unless it gets boring and I lose interest which will result in a poor review) and hold all my calls. To write a proper review (Breaking news! Trollheart reveals his reviewing secrets and tips!) I first find out about the band, then the album, write a little intro and then do the album track by track, usually. If it's the first time I've heard the album I may run a track back to confirm or clarify something (lyric, instrument used, times etc) but if I've heard it before I'll have an idea what I want to write.

To be honest, each time I listen to an album I'm thinking "will I review this?" and if I decide I will, whenever, I'm already composing the review in my head. It may not be exactly the same once I get it down on paper as it were, but I will have a basic idea of where I want to go. People say, probably rightly, that I go into too much detail and my reviews can be longwinded and boring, but I like to give the best impression of the album I can, so I tend to note where there are instrumental passages, good guitar solos, interesting vocal arrangements and of course good lyrics.

I think after doing this for nearly four years now I'm almost unable to listen to an album without mentally composing notes in my head which may or may not end up in a review or article at some point.

But that's just me: I'm a prick as you know. Others no doubt think and operate differently.

[Neapolitan]

When I hear a familiar album in the right mood and enough time to listen to it without being distracted is sometimes better than the first-listen. Sometimes it takes a while to grow on you to become a favorite. I have read some review where a writer said he wish he could go back and here an album for the first time, all over again. However for me I can't recall a first-listen any more memorable to hearing favorite album haven't heard in a while (no matter how many times I've heard it before). There is this certain rush one gets by familiarizing oneself with an favorite album it's all .

On the other hand with the first time listening to an album there that excitement you get when hear a new song you know is going to be great right from the start. A first-listen also has unsuspected twists and turns you don't know will happen during the song. That is just a general over-view. I can't recall too many albums I heard first time.

I would rather have a smaller collection to listen, then hearing many albums once. I usually don't "consume" as many as most people here do. *cough* Trollheart *cough* Sometimes I play them over and over, sometimes two or three times and not go back, so my memories of a first time listen are lost in the midst of repeat listenings.

[Forward To Death]

Every listen is the same to me. First, second, last, I'm always listening to albums for the things I like. I don't really ever get sick of good music like some people seem to, either.