So I got my MAT degree in 2009. One of the best gifts I got when I graduated was from my sister: Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. When I got it I'd listened to about 250 of the recordings. A decade later, and I am quite close to finishing the list. Indeed, at this point, I only have 31 left to listen to.
Why post now, and not once I'd finished the list? Well, one reason is the ten-year mark. But, also, there's a lot of context needed for these last recordings. In ten years I lived in Boston, Berkeley, Connecticut, Monterey, Pacifica, Reno, Singapore, and Vallejo. In each of these places I scoured their libraries. When I moved, I always got a library card and raided their CDs. I even scoured the music resources of the UC Berkeley Library, for some of the rather rare tracks. For years I've been going on YouTube, periodically checking as increasingly rare albums were eventually uploaded. 31 recordings, despite all that, have eluded me.
These last 31 recordings are real bastards. They are not *impossible* to find - but they clearly aren't easy, either. Consider a Hungarian artist Moon recommends, whose album was released as a cassette in the 1980s. That shit is not accessible (luckily it has, quite recently, been released in a digital format).
Long story short: since the last ones will probably still take a while to eventually track down, I'm posting now.
Breakdown of my findings: I generally agree with Moon's list. I enjoyed 666 out of 969 recordings, or 68%. Which I think is rather good.
Even with 31 still missing, I still completed a few categories:
Out of 46 recordings labelled 'Blues' I liked 29, 63%.
Out of 43 recordings labelled 'Vocals' I only liked 21, 48%.
Out of 37 recordings labelled 'Folk' I liked 25, 67%.
Out of 32 recordings labelled 'Hip Hop' I liked 22, 68%.
Out of 25 recordings labelled as 'Pop' I liked 13, 52%.
Out of 17 recordings labelled 'Electronica' I liked 15, 88%.
Out of 15 recording labelled 'Musicals' I liked 9, 60%.
So for most, a majority. I suppose this tells you more about my tastes than anything. But in all I've found it to be a very rewarding experience, and I'm still excited for polishing it off.
Why post now, and not once I'd finished the list? Well, one reason is the ten-year mark. But, also, there's a lot of context needed for these last recordings. In ten years I lived in Boston, Berkeley, Connecticut, Monterey, Pacifica, Reno, Singapore, and Vallejo. In each of these places I scoured their libraries. When I moved, I always got a library card and raided their CDs. I even scoured the music resources of the UC Berkeley Library, for some of the rather rare tracks. For years I've been going on YouTube, periodically checking as increasingly rare albums were eventually uploaded. 31 recordings, despite all that, have eluded me.
These last 31 recordings are real bastards. They are not *impossible* to find - but they clearly aren't easy, either. Consider a Hungarian artist Moon recommends, whose album was released as a cassette in the 1980s. That shit is not accessible (luckily it has, quite recently, been released in a digital format).
Long story short: since the last ones will probably still take a while to eventually track down, I'm posting now.
Breakdown of my findings: I generally agree with Moon's list. I enjoyed 666 out of 969 recordings, or 68%. Which I think is rather good.
Even with 31 still missing, I still completed a few categories:
Out of 46 recordings labelled 'Blues' I liked 29, 63%.
Out of 43 recordings labelled 'Vocals' I only liked 21, 48%.
Out of 37 recordings labelled 'Folk' I liked 25, 67%.
Out of 32 recordings labelled 'Hip Hop' I liked 22, 68%.
Out of 25 recordings labelled as 'Pop' I liked 13, 52%.
Out of 17 recordings labelled 'Electronica' I liked 15, 88%.
Out of 15 recording labelled 'Musicals' I liked 9, 60%.
So for most, a majority. I suppose this tells you more about my tastes than anything. But in all I've found it to be a very rewarding experience, and I'm still excited for polishing it off.
