None of the above! Et tu Myles?
Myles, can I suggest you re-title this thread because it's about
cataloging and/or
arranging a record collection, a very interesting topic. But it's definitely not about record
storage, something that's been discussed ad nauseam anyway! I voted 'Good Memory' (NOT!) just to view the poll. In fact, my LP and CD collections are organized by
content! Because, to me, that's what this whole thing is all about -- listening to music that you want to hear.
My primary motivation when selecting/retrieving something for playback is either, "What kind of music (including instrument and/or performance) am I in the mood to hear?" -- or, if I haven't got something in mind, then I just browse my (content-based) categories until something winks at me
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
I've found that content-based LP/CD organization leads to less vacillating and much more music listening -- important these days when time always seem to be in short supply. For years, even before computers, I used to divide my collection between classical and everything else, then alphabetically by composer or writer/performer. And you know what? It took me forever to find something to play, and often as not, it wasn't what I
really wanted to hear!
I guess one could also maintain a searchable computer database, if desired. What led to my rethinking all this though, was a few years back, when I became friends with a truly compulsive
collector, as in: thousands of records! And yet, his 'thousands of records' were organized only by content. Not a slob by any means, yet he is the
complete opposite of "anal retentive", whatever
that is called. He had nothing written down or databased, and when I asked why he didn't maintain
some kind of list, he said it would be a waste of time; that he knew where all the "special goodies" were; and if anyone had a request he wasn't sure about, he could find out if he had it in about ten seconds! And he could care less about having instant info about all his Toscaninis, or 1/2 speed masters, shaded dogs, or whatever. What's important to him is: What kind of music do I want to listen to
right NOW!
I was defintely intrigued, but of course, resistant to change, especially change which meant dismantling everything I worked so hard to organize!
![Mad :mad: :mad:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
But I slowly began creating little sections for certain content I listened to a lot, like Guitar, Jazz, Orchestral, Brass. Later these became Guitar:jazz, Guitar:classical. Or Jazz:instumentals, Jazz:vocals, Jazz:soloist, as my preferances became more defined. The result was a kind of confidence I could quickly find something I would enjoy right at that moment. I would no longer be intimidated by my own record collection -- and damn the Dewey Decimal System!!