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Post by Chris on Mar 27, 2016 21:15:34 GMT
Following on from MartinT and Tims conversation it got me thinking...do collections have soul or are they simply an array of soulless things?
Im in the soul camp myself but I can see both sides so all I'm aiming to do here is stimulate a bit conversation.
Mrs Chris had a big collection of DVDS that she liked and it took me ages to get her to part with them and move to a drive full of films - she's kept a few as I have also. My books are also like that : I have a copy of Scottish Islands that she waited hours for to get signed by the author and then gave me as a present. I treasure that dearly so,to me,it has soul. I also own a couple of rather fine fountain pens(another collection) that were gifts or were difficult to come by. I wouldn't part with them for the world. Music as well : my CD collection has been whittled right down but what I've kept stirs emotion beyond the music.
Im utterly NOT trying to provoke arguments but how does anyone else feel about this?
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Post by ChrisB on Mar 27, 2016 22:59:10 GMT
To my mnd it would be true that a collection of old records and, especially, tapes can have soul but not a single item within a collection. CDs or files with soul, either singly or as a collection? No, not a chance!
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 28, 2016 8:39:39 GMT
I can remember buying certain albums and they have memories for me when I pick them up.
Don't think they have soul though.
There is soul in the cut and paste work I did with many John Peel programmes on tape.
The reason for this is the order I have them in must be unique.
Leaving in the best for me, cutting out the stuff I don't like.
More the order of the music and what it dos for me rather than the rows of reel to reel tapes though.
They could go onto a PC storage
So does the item have soul. Don't think so
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Post by ChrisB on Mar 28, 2016 8:48:12 GMT
To me, someone's record collection is an extension of their personality. I have likened the human trait of flicking through someone else's records as analogous to dogs sniffing each others bums when they meet!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2016 8:58:50 GMT
I have had a few collections over the years. Whilst I have cherished them at the time, I've usually been relieved to let them go. I have generally been happiest with fewest possessions. It's a lesson I'm still learning, but my next move will be a minimalist one. Time to let go of most of the things I've acquired. Will that include vinyl and CDs? I'm not sure yet. The hifi will be downsized though.
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 28, 2016 11:29:03 GMT
Well maybe there we have the soul for me.
The collection stays ! Might lose a few of the not so good ones
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Post by Chris on Mar 28, 2016 11:36:10 GMT
Interesting answers. Strange that analogue seems to have soul and digital is regarded by some as having none. I'm not big on vinyl so can't say I get it.
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Post by Tim on Mar 28, 2016 11:40:19 GMT
I'm not really a collector, in fact I was relieved to downsize my CD collection and store them away. CDs to me are just a bit of plastic. However I can see the intrinsic value of an LP, especially if it's signed or if it was a gift. LPs for sure can be works of art and I can certainly understand why people collect them for more than just the music.
The question of do they have a soul is I think subjective, to me an inanimate object is just that and has no life, has never had life so cannot have a soul. It may evoke emotion and music certainly does that, but how it's delivered is moot as it's the music not the medium for me.
I can enjoy and treasure some thing's, but is it actually the thing or the circumstances of how we came by it - depending on what it is however. Art can certainly stir me, but I can't for one minute get excited or stirred by a wall of plastic and paper, the music yes, the wrapping, no.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 28, 2016 12:41:29 GMT
My music collection is the single most valuable thing to me. I could rebuild my system, but I could never rebuild that collection. So, as a whole, it has a lot of soul to me. It's intimate, it's unique and it's mine. Whether it's analogue or digital is immaterial, just as when I play it.
If I had to move house keeping one thing only, it would be the music.
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 28, 2016 13:58:58 GMT
I have my list of everything I have on a database and an out of date one on paper.
If I lost my LPs and CDs for any reason at least I could try to rebuild it
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Post by MartinT on Mar 28, 2016 16:27:17 GMT
It would be almost impossible. I have a lot of early pressing vinyl and a lot of pre-remastered CDs which would be very hard to find. Even harder, some SACDs and DVD-As which are unobtainium. No, I don't want to lose my collection.
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Post by John on Mar 28, 2016 16:51:52 GMT
Interesting question and one during my life I would give different answers
Like Chris I used to see your record collection of extension of your personality in fact when I was younger I used to share tapes with woman in the hope at some level they get that I was sharing a bit of my soul that somehow it would give them this insight into what gave me meaning and purpose
So for me its a expression of what one hold deeply it gives deeper meaning and at times of crisis has a renewing quality. It has given me great memories and experiences and is like a a old friend that is there no matter what. So me it enriches me spirit and deepens my soul
As for having a collection I have never kept music for the sake of it. I must have a sense that at some point that I play it and will enjoy it if not I usually will let it go unless there is some very deep emotional connection
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ynwan
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Post by ynwan on Apr 8, 2016 10:10:51 GMT
Sentiment, as in sentimental value, has nothing to do with soul as far as I can see. Even if considered as an extension of ones self it doesn't mean that a part of ones soul is transferred to them - they still remain inanimate objects. That doesn't mean that some items can't be special to the owner.
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Post by ChrisB on Apr 8, 2016 10:32:38 GMT
To pick the thing apart as literally as that I would have to accept that a human being possesses such a thing as a soul. Although I'm perfectly comfortable with other people believing in such religious notions, that's a step too far for me.
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Post by MartinT on Apr 8, 2016 18:29:31 GMT
I'm not religious either and I interpret the use of 'soul' as meaning of great importance to my inner sense and wellbeing.
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Post by John on Apr 8, 2016 19:05:41 GMT
Thanks Martin a good description of how music can touch us too
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Post by Eduardo Wobblechops on Apr 8, 2016 19:10:43 GMT
Would agree with that Martin. Used to have several thousand books in my collection, now mostly gone except for the ones that mean something to me or are signed by authors I treasure. All my reading nowadays is on Kindle. Probably a good job, I'm a prolific reader and if I'd continued keeping hard copies of everything I've read I'd need to rent some space to keep them by now!
Music is another matter however. I've gone from years of the FBA route back to vinyl. Best thing I ever did, and I treasure my new collection. No real rarities except the laquers of Sara McLachlan's Mirrorball release on Classic Records, which I won on the bay for next to nowt really. Lots of new and pricey 45rpm's though, many of which are very good sounding indeed!
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