Monday, May 23, 2011

What A Long Strange Trip It's Going To Be

Heading down to this year’s M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland, I was excited for numerous reasons. One of those reasons was the thought of how I would be able to listen to quite a few albums. This excited me not only due to my love of music, but also because it meant that some more albums could be checked off the Every Album Challenge list.

I estimated that during the four-hour ride to Columbia, I could listen to approximately 6 albums (assuming an average of 40 minutes per album). That meant 12 albums for the entire trip. Figuring that I might put the satellite radio on for a baseball game at some point, I conservatively estimated 10 albums would be listened round trip. That thought made me very happy. That thought was also completely wrong. I was able to listen to 6 albums when it was all said and done. That’s right, 6.

Realizing this on the final stretch of the trip home, it dawned on me just how daunting a task I have taken on here. I have currently listened to a total of 74 albums since the challenge began a month ago. 74 albums a month is a pretty good number. However, when you consider the fact that there are a total of 2.053 albums to be played, 74 is barely a scratch. For the first time since I dove into this challenge, I’ve actually stopped to ask, “What have I gotten myself into?”

I know that the new Pop Evil record is due to come out sometime this year. It’s a fact that Kiss is working on a new record with an eye on a fall release. The Cars just released their brand new record (the first with Ric Ocasek since 1987). All of these releases are huge temptations. Yet, somehow I must cast temptation aside and plod on with the many, many albums that are already in my possession. It was hard not to run out to the store on May 10th when The Cars Move Like This came out. I was a huge Cars fan back in the day.

Warrant released Rockaholic on May 17th, and after seeing them live at this year’s M3, I KNOW that I want to own that album. And yet, I can’t. The best I can hope for is a review copy that I will be allowed to listen to just long enough to write a comprehensive review. Then it’s off to the side pile until after the challenge. Did I really think this challenge through before I took it on?

And yet, it’s not all bad. I have enjoyed the rare albums from my collection that I’ve been spinning. And listening to a block of hair metal bands in one chunk was nice. However, it still hurts that there will be no new Warrant or The Cars in my collection anytime soon. I guess that I will have to settle for listening to Cherry Pie and Shake It Up. I just hope they will hold me over.

Albums Listened To: 74
Albums Remaining: 1979

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