Record Collectors: do non-record collectors with opinions annoy you?

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Dear Record Collectors,

I know two opposite kinds of people with music opinions: non-record collectors with singular and passionate opinions, and record collectors with wide-ranging and eclectic factual knowledge.

As an example of the first, I'm thinking of my friend who's in a great simple band and is v.poor, so has maybe 10 records and thinks that these are the GREATEST and all other music is shit (so he just has like Blondie, Stooges, Chrome or something) and won't listen to reason about anything else (even though in about a year he'll add ONE MORE BAND to the list of bands he likes then pretend he always liked them) - now record collectors, does it annoy you when people like this, with singular and passionate opinions, pipe up with their almost-fascist music opinions?

In other words, is knowledge or devotion more important?

(MODERATOR'S NOTE: E-mail address changed cause it was sending out Message Failures)

― Maryann, Tuesday, 29 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

*shrug* Doesn't bug me. He likes what he likes, right? And hell, he's making music and I'm not, so I gotta give him that!

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 29 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

People who devotedly love bands are fine. People who use their devotion to bands to slag the music you like is less fine, though if they're prepared to argue their points that's OK.

Actually thinking more about this, people who like specific bands annoy me more than people who like specific records or like music in general. Its the focus on artist not listener, I suppose.

― Tom, Wednesday, 30 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Devotion to Simply Red (say) or Zappa or Oasis or [endless list] = horrible

yet

Devotion to Gary Numan or Sabbath or [much shorter list] = charming

I was aware of this feeling long before I myself gave in to my Inner Numanoid. I think Nicole put her finger on why: sidling up to Winners is rubbish, but puppydog wuv for utter bullied losers is a Good Thing.

Which list is Morrissey in? Mark E. Smith?

― mark s, Wednesday, 30 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What about being a bully about loving the bullied losers ?

― Patrick, Wednesday, 30 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Your friend is exactly what I want to be. Except not in a band. Or poor.

― Kris, Wednesday, 30 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Record collectors with opinions annoy me.

― Otis Wheeler, Wednesday, 30 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The guy Kris wants to be sounds exactly like Ramon. Before our last trip to New York, he tried to sell all his records and CDs, but he couldn't even get $100 for them. All he listens to are my CDs. More people should be like this.

― Otis Wheeler, Wednesday, 30 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So, you're saying we can borrow your CDs, Otis?

― Sean Carruthers, Wednesday, 30 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nuh-uh. Ramon already owes me $400, I would never lend him CDs. But if you want to listen to nothing but my CDs, you're welcome to be my roommate. You're welcome to buy my shit CDs too.

― Otis Wheeler, Wednesday, 30 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hm...are your shit CDs really shit, or just stuff you're tired with?

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 30 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My friend owes me $400 and I have no money. Since all I listen to is the Wipers and Gluecifer anyway, what am I doing with Royal Trux, Charalambides, Piano Magic, Coil, Raymond Scott? I hate those fuckers. They're shit CDs, but I'll be happy to just be "tired" of them if it makes people want to give me their money.

― Otis Wheeler, Thursday, 31 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My only real question about this entire conversation is why does sidling up to Simply Red make you sidling up to a winner? Did I miss the memo?

― Ally, Thursday, 31 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The memo was addressed "Yuppies Only" — I sneaked it out of your in-tray and forgot to return it.

― mark s, Thursday, 31 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Charming. Still doesn't explain your opinion on Simply Red. I'm serious: did I miss something? As far as I knew, round these parts being terrifyingly devoted to Simply Red makes you, say, Patrick Bateman. Are they actually still alive and kicking?

― Ally, Thursday, 31 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mark's an old man. You can't expect him to be bang up to date with the latest movers in the hit parade.

Wasn't Mick Hucknall recently caught placing an ad in a lonely hearts column?

― Nick, Thursday, 31 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"As far as I knew, round these parts being terrifyingly devoted to Simply Red makes you, say, Patrick Bateman."

Ally, this is exactly the same point *I* was making. But it was also a past-tense observation (dated before I gave my all the Numan): at which point — timesense very muzzy — you couldn't move for SR topping the charts. Singleminded and exclusive devotion to the Monumentally Successful (money-wise mainly, tho "success" can be measured many ways drone mumble). The problem-child in my not-ontologically-coherent list is Zappa.

News Flash kids: when I capitalise, I'm very likely being sarcastic.

You're not a yuppie, Ally, because your attitude to capital accumulation is that of a live-now wastrel. And I'm not a yuppie because I'm VERY VERY old. Hurrah!

― mark s, Thursday, 31 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And when I miss great chunks out of my sentences, I can expect to be misunderstood and to piss people off when I even DON'T mean to. Sigh. I *hate* the word "loser" used dismissively: so have for the longest time used the word 'winner' as an insult instead.

How's that?

― mark s, Thursday, 31 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No, it's not the same point because, quite frankly, I think having that weird freaky devotion to a dead band makes you quite kick ass, where you seem to be saying it made them, say, not kick ass. See?

― Ally, Thursday, 31 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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