Ditching the musical oligarchy

or the current version of it, anyway

Last November, I said auf wiedersehen to Apple Music. In 2023 I left Spotify in a huff, but couldn’t quit the music streaming habit altogether until a few months ago. I’m happy to report that all withdrawal symptoms are gone.

So what am I listening to? My own music collection! Which consists of CDs and some digital files that I’ve carted around from computer to external drive to computer and back again a million times. But none of it is streamed.

It’s been a big pain in the ass to rip all my CDs and get rid of duplicate files and find cover art and whatnot, and I still don’t have everything all tidied up on my new MacBook, but I’m getting there. And in the process, I rediscovered some music I really like.

With a streaming service, it felt like there was a constant push to “discover” new things and make a million playlists. But I’ve always preferred smooshing everything together and hitting shuffle and seeing what happens. Even with Apple Music, I had a “favorites” list of 3,500 songs. Curating lists and using brainpower to sit through so much new stuff was tiring.

Those streaming platforms, from what I understand, aren’t very fair to artists. That’s a concern to me, as someone who is also an artist relying on people to buy my product (which I’ve found on pirate websites, btw). I don’t know the best way for me to support the musicians I like now, but I’m thinking about it. It’s a tough subject. For now, I’m just tired of giving a big corporation $12 a month to get access to things I don’t really listen to all that much.

It's been fun and interesting to go back to the music I own. Maybe I’m now one of those people stuck in the past, forever listening to music that I liked in 11^th grade. I don’t think I’m that person but even if I was, who cares?

I have a few CDs of bands I listened to in 11^th grade (Damned, fIREHOSE, Ramones) plus a little bit of stuff I like now (Olafur Arnaulds, Phoenix, Coldplay). Really my taste seems to be all over the place, from punk to HipHop to Icelandic instrumental. I’m sure going forward I’ll buy newer things, when I can.

So lately I’ve rediscovered some music I’d forgotten about, and realized that some of my favorite albums are live recordings. It’s the energy I guess, and in many live recordings the musicians sound so tight, so together. I think that’s harder to pull off in concert than in a studio.

I saw the Grateful Dead 21 times from 1992 to 1994. That was the ultimate live experience! I also had all kinds of other experiences at those shows, lol. Maybe that’s a post for another day. But to be part of the creation of a musical experience was unforgettable, something that’ll stay with me forever. The audience is part of the band in a way, right? Maybe seeing Taylor Swift is like this, I don’t know. I’m not that interested to find out.

Here are 3 of my favorite live CDs. None of which, interestingly, are by the Grateful Dead!

1.James Taylor – Live, 1993

My all-time favorite. I saw JT live many times, starting with when I was really young and my mom took me. I’ve seen him in California, New York, and Oklahoma. The last time was here in Tulsa, maybe late ’90s? I can’t remember. Always a fun show.

If you are feeling anything less than joyful, put this on and within five minutes you’ll feel uplifted and will automatically, guaranteed, become a better person. There are a few tracks I skip over, but for the most part the whole thing is joyful and fun and so easy to sing along with. The musicians are top-notch, and James is in top form. As are his backup singers. Seriously, you cannot go wrong by having this double CD in your life. You’re welcome.

2. Jason Mraz – Beautiful Mess Live, 2009

I discovered this a few months after my mom passed away in 2011, right around the time I got divorced (it was a bad, crazy, good, horrendous, beautiful year—I even took up GOLF for a few months).

I had cable TV back then and some music channel (do they call cable selections channels? I don’t even know anymore!) was playing the video from this tour. It made me feel like I’d started a new chapter of my life—full of grief and trauma, but also I was now free to create whatever life I wanted for myself. What better way to start than to dance barefoot in the living room listening to his album.

I have an interesting story about discovering this video and this CD and then befriending the bass player, but that’s definitely a story for another day…

This is a lovely CD with great musicians and uplifting music and it’s another one you can’t help singing along to. Really loudly. Preferably off-key so you just really let yourself belt it out, without a care in the world.

I don’t listen to much Jason Mraz (okay, any) but this CD is so, so good. That bass player tho…

3. Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds – Live at Luther College, 1999

If you’re in a more somber mood, try this one. Amazing acoustic guitars, Dave Matthew’s lovely voice plus silly, nerdy bantering between songs. It leaves me feeling wistful, and that’s okay sometimes too.

I’ve never seen Dave live and don’t own too many other CDs yet, but I’d love to see him someday. Possibly interesting story: my second ex-husband looked a lot like Dave. So much so that when my ex’s brother was in New York for work many years ago, he thought he saw my ex walking down the street and wondered, what is Michael doing here? It was Dave Matthews.

(This video isn’t from that CD but still nice.)

What CDs are on your must-listen list? What about live CDs? Where do you stand on those?

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