Obsessed By Music

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram - In this episode I talk about the missing drum kits within modern pop music.  I miss hearing the sound of real drums being played in modern music and I was reminded of just how much I miss it when I heard En Vogue's 1997 single 'Don't Let Go' being played on the radio at a shopping mall.   Long live real drums! 

In this follow-up episode I answer 20 more questions related to music and me. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -    This episode of 'Music Worth Hearing' puts a spotlight on the album 'Wildcard!' by Sananda Maitreya.  

In this episode I answer 20 questions related to music and me. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  In this episode I share the many reasons why I still listen to much of my music on the compact disc format and why I can't seem to get rid of CDs!

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  This episode is a continuition of the key music that has shaped my life. Moving on into early adulthood, I experienced many changes with respect to what I was listening to. New worlds were opening up, my horizons were expanding, my tastes were gaining more depth and flavour, and many ideas about what music was were being blown apart.  

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -   Have you ever gone to a live concert on your own? If yes, then good on you for making the decision to actually go and experience the music of an artist or band that you love. Don't miss out just because someone else's schedule doesn't align with yours or no one else likes a particular musician that you do. Go your own way! (Pardon the Fleetwood Mac reference).  Live music is one of the great things that you can experience, irrespective of whether you are attending solo or with friends. When you go solo, you are not really alone anyway, because the minute you arrive at the venue you are surrounded by people. You are part of a community that wants to be there, a community of music lovers who are all there for the same reason and to experience the same thing. Don't hesitate the next time someone is playing live in your city, if you really want to go and see them. Get there, be there, and be part of the real thing that is live music. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  In this episode I talk with Arthur Turnbull, the lead voice of The Music Snobs Podcast.  We explore many topics including the definition of a music snob, generational differences in music taste and discovery, the evolution of music and the influence of TikTok.  You can follow Arthur on Twitter and Instagram.  And you can follow The Music Snobs on Twitter and Instagram. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  In this episode I talk with Daniele Bolelli, host of The Drunken Taoist and History On Fire podcasts.  Daniele is also a writer and university professor with a passion for philosophy, history and music.  We explore the interesection of those subjects in this episode of OBM.  You can follow Daniele on Twitter and Instagram.     

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  This episode is about the first music I heard as a child, what I listened to as I was growing up and the music that has shaped me. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -    This episode of 'Music Worth Hearing' puts a spotlight on the album 'Rough And Rowdy Ways' by Bob Dylan. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  Good and bad music, what does that even mean? Does bad music exist? Are these terms we should be using to describe music?  I think the idea of anything creative being seen as 'good' or 'bad' is just plain wrong. In reality, it's an irrelevant type of assessment. Who decides what makes a piece of music good or bad? It's a trap that's easy to fall into and by using those words, we can get stuck in a loop of assessing things from simplified perspectives. Doing so also limits our dialogue with each other. It doesn't allow for nuance when talking about music. Moreso being overly simplistic in referring to music that we do or don't like, makes things too binary. We all generate opinions based on our personal tastes, and taste is the great differentiator. But it's all relative and subjective. I think saying that you like a piece of music (and trying to articulate why) is more accurate and meaningful than just placing a stock 'good' or 'bad' label on things.   We have a personal reaction to the music that we experience and that which moves us most. So we're better off thinking about music in terms of how much we enjoy it and why we do, rather than describing it as inherently 'good' or 'bad', because those terms are too basic and somewhat meaningless in the subjective world of music listeners.  

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram - AI and ChatGPT is changing our world and it's creeping into creative art forms such as music. Maybe it'll potentially benefit some artists, but there is a fear that it could impact both artists and creative industries negatively as well. Take this instance for example, someone has made a fake episode of the the Joe Rogan Experience podcast using AI technology! Things are getting out of control and I'm asking the question ‘what the heck are we doing?' This type of action raises huge questions of legality, ownership of copyright and the world of the creative arts as a whole.  AI technology is already capable of using voice recognition to create voice duplication. This allows it to reproduce the voice of your favourite singers.  Pieces of music are being generated with artificial voices singing lyrics that were generated by a computer. Some of these AI voices sound scarily close to the voices that you know and love, like Taylor Swift, Arianna Grande, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Frank Ocean or Bruno Mars. I'm arguing that this is wrong. It's the wrong way to be utilising this technology. It's also blatantly disrespect and in poor taste to mimic other people's voices, other people's work, in such an egregious way.  But the cat is out of the bag and its opened up a bag (or can) of worms. This is the biggest technological change in society since the advent of the internet. And from a creative arts perspective, this is arguably the biggest technological change ever.  This is going to change the trajectory of not only us as a species but also of our creative endeavours. From now on, there will be the pre-AI period and the post-AI period.  When considering the history of music, we can draw a line in the sand and say that basically everything created up to the year 2023 was made by people without the overarching influence and impact of AI. So that means that all the music we've had until now is irrefutably human, in the sense that it'll always exist as an entirely human creation. It'll always be there and those original recordings will always exist.  The future will be different - it will likely be an amalgam of our human creative intelligence combined with some sort of an artificial kind. Utimately, there'll be music made of an entirely artifical nature and I find that concept both unfortunate and abhorrent.   But one thing is for sure, our human-created music up to this point is now set in stone and it will last as our enduring human legacy forever. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  In this episode of the Obsessed by Music podcast, I explore the question of whether music is primarily an audio medium.  I reflect on my own habit of dedicating time each week to simply listen to music without any other distractions, as opposed to streaming music on a phone, which is basically a distraction-filled device.  I argue that music is primarily an audio medium, but that visual elements like album art can enhance the experience of listening to music. Even so, I suggest that you should try closing your eyes while listening to music in order to deepen the experience - without any distracting visual stimulus.  Ultimately, music is a remarkable medium that can elevate us, heal us and enrich our lives, and it can do all of that through sound waves alone. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  This episode is about why music is not a commodity. Music is important. It's a vital part of human creativity. It provides so much value to people. People live with music, dance to it, work out to it, use music to heal, to party, to live with. It's the universal language of the world.   Without music, our evolution as a species would not have occurred in the way that it did, it's a part of our evolution and our DNA.  However, the unfortunate reality is that in some instances music can be produced as a commodity, and in my view, music that can be described in that way isn't worth listening to.  Ultimately, music is not just here to be bought and sold, but a fundamental human expression that transcends any economic or commercial value.   

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -    Daytime is not the best time to listen to music. Why not? Well, there are a number of reasons.  There is comparatively much more background noise during the daytime as compared with night time. At night, peripheral and environmental noise is typically reduced. Noise you have inside your home, that's also a factor. The less of it you have, the better it is for listening to audio.  Why is this important for music listening? Well, becasue you want to ensure as much quiet as possible to create what is called a 'black background'. Like when an artist paints on a black canvas, the colours, or in this case 'sounds', appear more alive and truly pop!  But it's not just about the quiet. Something happens to the body and the mind when the lights go down and the sun sets, when you're in a darker room and when there's less visual stimulus. It takes the edge off. You relax, unwind and focus more on the music you hear.  Listening at night is a much more intense and visceral experience. It's a completely different thing to listening during the daytime. It's chalk and cheese. I guess you could say it's night and day. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -    This episode of 'Music Worth Hearing' puts a spotlight on the debut album of Leonard Cohen. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -    This epsiode is about the idea of people listening to music that they may not truly enjoy. That is, pretending to like particular artists and albums because doing so seems like the right thing to do.  Surely not everyone in the world loves Sgt. Peppers and feels it is the greatest album of all time, right?  Choosing music that you want to listen to is not a popularity contest! 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  In this episode I chat with Randy from the CheapAudioMan YouTube Channel, which is where he reviews audio equipment and helps people find the best value in hifi and home theater.  We talk about why he started his channel focused on reviewing affordable hifi, the music that has shaped him, the impact of a good audio system, live concerts, and lots more.  You can follow the CheapAudioMan at Youtube and Instagram

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  In this episode I talk with Michael Fremer - writer, editor and reviewer of all things related to HiFi audio. Michael is notorious for his expertise in the world of analog audio and vinyl records.  We have a wide-ranging chat about the current state of audio, vinyl, the magic of listening to records and the music that he loves playing.  Michael is Tracking Angle.com editor and also editor at large at The Absolute Sound. You can follow Tracking Angle on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.   

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  There is more music available to us than ever before and the amount is only increasing. Many of us have limitless amounts of music available to us at any time, purely by subscribing to a streaming service. But do we really need so much of it? Maybe less music in front of us could make for deeper listening.  It's certainly great to have so much access but simultaneously it can create a huge mass of opaque choice, noise and distraction. Moreso, our constant search for what else is out there can make us ignore all the great albums we already know, which we could be listening to more frequently.   I think it's important to strike a balance between listening more deeply to music we already know and finding new music to experience as well.  For me, streaming music is generally for music discovery and convenience where needed. Whereas listening to vinyl records, CD's or digital files is for when it's time to appreciate music fully, which is to say, sitting down on a coach in front of a pair of speakers. 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  Sound quality! What is it? Why does it matter? It may be subjective, but I think it is all-important. This episode is a short journey through the history of recorded music.  Early recordings were rough. They weren't great and they certainly weren't high-fidelity. But things have changed since the early days. First there was mono, then stereo, and now we even have spatial audio. We've come from analog tape, cassette tape, vinyl records, through to compact discs (CDs), mp3s, and all of the various digital formats that we have today. And don't get me started on the 'loudness wars' that began in the late 1990's!  Throughout all of these changes, sound quality has evolved over time. The way that music is recorded, mixed and mastered has a huge impact on the end result that the listener hears. Sometimes it can be glorious and at other times is can be disastrous. Case in point, I can't stand the major dynamic range compression used in much of modern music.  However, when music is recorded and produced well, it can sound incredible. Subsequently, the notion of 'sound quality' is of paramount importance to serious music listeners.   Recommendations:  A compilation album that has great sound quality: Steely Dan - The Definitive Collection (released in 2006).  A song with amazing sound quality: 'Rocket Man' by Elton John.   OBM tip: make sure you find a release of this song from the 1970s to the 1990s, as more recent releases generally have a squashed dynamic range that sucks some of the life out of the song.     

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  Music is a complex amalgam of melody, harmony, tone, timbre, pitch, rhythm, tempo, instrumentation, vocals, execution, arrangement, mixing, production, distribution and marketing. However, breaking music apart is not so simple and even if it is dissected into individual elements, we never hear those isolated elements alone.  Everything that goes into the making of music is important, yet ultimately, no single element stands out as the most critical. Music is greater than the sum of it's parts, it is alchemy. When done well, it's like the greatest illusion or magic trick, but with one major difference - it lasts forever.   

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  From the moment I heard Keane's first album I was intrigued. When I heard their second album I was moved. I quickly became a fan of their work. But being a fan doesn't mean you'll necessarily love all of an artists' work. Keane have released five albums, their most recent being 2019's Cause and Effect, and it was at this point that I started to question whether I was keen on their latest music. Keane had me feeling hot and cold!  Yet I still enjoy much of their previous output. The reality is we can often have mixed feelings about a band's new music, even when our overall feelings towards their work remain positive. I'm keen to hear album number six.   (Choice tracks from the album 'Cause & Effect': The Way I Feel, Put The Radio On, Chase The Night Away) 

Follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram - The first time I heard 'Alchemy' by Dire Straits on cassette tape, many years ago, it was a life-changing musical moment.  This live performance, recorded and then released with no overdubs, introduced me to the work of Dire Straits and the melodic guitar playing of Mark Knopfler in particular. It's an unforgettable concert, one which left an indelible mark on me as a teenage music listener and is arguably one of the great live albums.  

What role does music play at an Art Exhibition? That's the very question I was in a position to answer following a visit to an art 'presentation' called 'Van Gough and Friends'. Suffice to say I walked out of that experience with as much to think about in relation to the things I heard, compared to the things I saw (i.e. images projected onto a wall) Hear the latest OBM episode to hear my thoughts about music (...not pictures) at an art exhibition*. *Reference to Russian composer Mussorgsky is intentional. 

With endless activities and responsibilties constantly competing for our attention, it's important to take the time, to make the time, to listen to music. 

A song to uplift, a collaboration that gels so well, a track to get us back on the right track. This one deserves a spotlight, so here's a short monologue about 'Gust Of Wind' by Pharrell Williams featuring Daft Punk and Hans Zimmer!   

Have you ever worn an eye mask? OK, how about putting on an eye mask before listening to an album? In this episode I share an experience I had doing exactly that - when I sat down and wore an eye mask while listening to music. Total darkness, no lights, no visual distractions, nothing but sound, obsessed by music. 

In this episode I speak with Michael O'Neal, during which we have a wide-ranging conversation about the different facets of music. Michael is a drummer, audiophile, and fellow music-lover. He hosts the 'Beginner Audiophile' Podcast, dedicated to bridging the gap between niche hi-fi and mass audio brands. He also runs an award-winning podcast called 'The Solopreneur Hour'. 

Although I often listen to music alone (and usually late in the evening), that isn't always the case! Sometimes a buddy comes around and we enjoy listening to records together, so this OBM episode is about exactly that. Tune in as I run through my tips for sharing the experience of listening to music with a friend. 

In this OBM episode I talk about listening to music as the only activity - exploring the idea of listening without distractions, focusing on the music itself rather than anything else, and the difference between hearing something and actually listening to it!  

An invitation for Bob to join me for an episode of the OBM Podcast. The answer my friends, is currently blowing in the wind ;)  In celebration of the release of Bob Dylan's latest album 'Rough And Rowdy Ways' - I recorded this little thing, as I was thinking about his last studio album of original material ('Tempest'). 

An episode to help with getting through isolation. Here are 5 songs chosen to put some good vibes and positivity into everyone's day :) 

Do you remember instrumental music? Do you need to? These are a couple of questions I pose when it comes to listening to music that doesn't have vocals and words. Can you 'remember the time' that you heard a piece of instrumental music that you couldn't forget? 

Have you ever gone to a concert that had a couple of bands playing but you came mainly to see one act? Well that's exactly what happened when a friend and I went to see Fishbone and Trombone Shorty play on a cool double-bill together. 

In this episode is my song-by-song review of Anna Calvi’s album ‘Hunter’. It’s a stunning work that both challenges and excites the listener. From a whisper to a scream, from a girl to a boy, from the hunted to a hunter - majestic vocals and music accompany its convention-bending themes. Primal. Real. 

After recently becoming a father, I talk about the music we are now listening to with a baby in the room and the impact of older music on a pair of brand new ears :) 

Here is Part 2 of my chat with Dan Condon, Music Editor at Australian Radio Station Double J. We talk about music criticism, Bob Dylan, his favourite live music performances and more! 

In this episode of the OBM Podcast I speak with Dan Condon, Music Editor at Australian Radio Station Double J. We talk about his musical upbringing, experiencing musical history in the American south, musicians in the internet age, life as a music journalist and more!     

After listening to some recent music podcasts where I recognised that certain 'best album' lists where created with the aim of highlighting only certain 'types' of artists, I share some thoughts about music segregation. 

20 years ago Ms. Lauryn Hill released a stone-cold classic album. She broke the mould, inspired a generation and built a lasting legacy as a solo artist. 20 years later, it's her only solo studio album.  In this episode I talk about the album, the time that has passed since its release, what Lauryn has been doing in the intervening years and I ask the question: is one classic album enough? 

What draws us in to connecting with certain songs or albums whilst not with others? I've been battling with this question myself and have finally reached a conclusion!  In this episode, I talk about the essential ingredients in the music that I enjoy the most: emotion and feeling.   

Rob Esse talks passionately about the Montreux Jazz Festival, sharing why he loves absolutely everything about it and paying tribute to the festival founder, Claude Nobs, and his everlasting Montreux legacy. 

Rob Esse plays 'Little Dark Age' by the band MGMT and provides commentary as he does a first listen of the album in real-time!  

Rob Esse recounts a magical evening spent in the company of Robert Plant and his Sensational Space Shifters, who performed an absolutely entrancing live concert at the Sydney Opera House. 

Rob Esse attends a Roger Waters concert as part of the 'Us & Them' Tour and he doesn't know what to expect. By the time the show is over, Rob has been taken on an emotional rollercoaster. Is this the kind of concert we really want to see? Listen to hear his thoughts. 

Rob Esse pays tribute to Dolores O'Riordan - the beautifully unique, haunting and tribal voice of The Cranberries. A voice that will linger forever. 

Rob Esse speaks at length about the importance of the name of a band - especially when a band plays 'live' under their original band name but without original members, lead vocalists or critical musical contributors. 

Rob Esse puts a spotlight on Queen musician and songwriter, John Deacon. Known as the quieter member of the band, John contributed sounds, ideas and songs that ended up being some of the most loved, popular music in the band's history. Although John retired from musical activity in the mid-1990's, his musical legacy continues right up to the present day. 

Rob Esse talks about his experience of attending an amazingly good concert by The Pretenders and Stevie Nicks on their joint 2017 tour. It was a night of pure rock and roll beauty and classic songwriting brilliance displayed via effortless live showmanship and unique charisma.