I'm not sure this post is in the right place, but how do other forum members categorize & file their CD collection?
I would guess at the moment that I have about 1,300 CD's. Since joining this forum my tastes for other music & genres has grown. So the spectrum is quite diverse. I would list my music under the following categories (with a few examples)
Folk/Country - Basia Bulat, Frazey Ford, William Fitzsimmons, Eilen Jewell, Steeldrivers, Iron & Wine, etc
Dance - Chicane (Trance), Netsky (Drum n Bass), Burial (Dubstep), Anthony Hamilton (but maybe he's Soul), Aloe Blacc (maybe he's Soul too)
Blues - Black Keys, RL Burnside, Kelly Joe Phelps (but maybe he's Folk/Country), Junior Wells
Alternative - Animal Collective, Beach House, The Decembrists (but maybe their Folk/Country too), Beck, Belle & Sebastian (where are they supposed to go)
Classical - Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Mendellsohn (should these be listed under the composer, musician or type of classical music?)
Jazz - Kenny Burrell, Stan Getz, Jimmy Smith, Jan Garbarek & Tord Gustavesen (should these two be under ECM recordings)
World - Buika, Issa Bagayogo, etc
Where would you file Richard Hawley, Sia, Natalie Merchant, Rox, Camera Obscura, Turin Brakes, Tina Dico, Angus & Julia Stone, etc?
I would really appreciate some advice. Thanks in anticipation.
Cheers
Flettster
Posted on: 21 April 2011 by King Size
Personally I don't like filing according to genres for the very reason you highlighted with this methodology (eg. where do you file Kelly Joe Phelps... plus the new Iron and Wine isn't exactly Folk/country is it?). For me art least, filing by genre seems to assume that I would want to listen to a specific genre rather than a specific artist, yet I never sit down and think I want to listen to "country rock", but rather that I feel like listening to Gram Parsons. Again would you file Gram under country or rock? What about Eddie Hinton and Tony Joe White? Is it country or country-soul?? Plus where do you stop - Do you sub-categorise dance into - house, trance, dubstep, garage, techno, etc.?
The surname/christian name debate is an interesting one. My collection is filed by surname but the record company I now work for work on christian names and I have begun to appreciate the logic in this. Where previously I would have had a conundrum with the likes of Lloyd Cole & The Commotions (group name so filed under L) and Lloyd Cole solo releases (solo artist so filed under C). If i simply file under L for Lloyd the problem no longer exisits. When I eventually get my CD collection out of packing boxes and onto shelves I will change the order to reflect the above.
Where I have multiple artist releases by one artist I file in chronological order - for me it makes more sense for R.E.M's Murmur to be first instead of Automatic for the People.
Compilations, Soundtracks, singles etc. are filed separately in alphabetical order.
Ultimately it's about what works for you though.
Posted on: 21 April 2011 by mudwolf
oh my Gary, that is amazing what you've done.
I group by genre, as in rock along one level and classical in another, jazz. but my coffee table has an open cubbyhole and I have a number of favorites for quick access. I have a small LED flashlight for most of my nights I keep lights low.
With LPs I finally had to take women singers to their group, Dylan gets his own and country/ soul/jazz separated. I'm familiar with what I have and try to keep them organized but I'm not so compulsive to organize it as to 1st to last album tho I make a vague attempt at that. Tho all Beatles are together with solo works.
Problem with the albums now is they all face right and I enter room from left so have to be familiar with backs or color binder. I'm almost thinking those smaller groups I'll turn them around so I can thumb thru and see the fronts. In classical and rock I cut some cardboard with letters so I go to D then next H, P, T so I have a faster clue where to look.
Classical is more difficult, mostly by composer but some are by performer. And sometimes I can't find it no matter what.
