Machine Messiah

As you may or may not know, my CD collection is huge. Close to 2,000 titles. All range from pop, pop rock, psychadelic, southern rock, disco, jazz, pop jazz, classical, jazz fusion, progressive rock, new wave, new romantic, Indonesian music, etc. I think I don’t have country, rap, reggae and rock metal. Since I have an iPod, I ripped and stored many songs from my collection to this device. No, not all of them. Only songs that I want to listen while travelling or during work. I travel a lot. Not just from my home to office, but also to other cities and countries. So having an iPod in travelling is like having your 2nd wife. The 3rd wife is of course books. I never travel without music and books. BTW, currently my iPod has reached 5,700 songs.

With this iPod I make many playlists. Based on genre or mood. Here’s my playlists:

1. Sweet Pop (for any songs that fall into pop category. Not the artist. But the songs)

2. Pop Rock (for any rock songs that can be considered pop, AOR, or easy rock)

3. Progressive Rock (for all sub-genres of progressive rock)

4. Slow Prog Rock (only for progressive rock songs with slow and medium tempo)

5. Duet (of course only songs sung by two people are in this playlist)

6. Dance (all dance tunes)

7. Jazz (only jazz songs that I wanted to listen on the road. Some are better being listened at home)

8. Jazzy Tunes/ Soul/ Funk/ West Coast (it’s difficult to seperate these genres, since usually they influenced each other)

9. New Romantic/ New Wave (of course this is for those genres from the 80’s)

10. Cinta Indonesia (all Indonesian songs in general fall into this playlist. Some songs that can be categorized into jazzy tunes or pop rock or progressive rock, can also be found in those playlists)

In the past 2 weeks, especially during my business trip lately, I’ve been frequently listening to Jazzy Tunes and Sweet Pop playlists. As you might have guessed, most songs in these playlists came from 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Anything come from Carole King, Air Supply, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Beach Boys, Santa Esmeralda, Crosby Stills & Nash, America, Olivia Newton John, Bee Gees, Cliff Richard, Leo Sayer, Dionne Warwick, Bugatti & Musker, Sheena Easton, Al Jarreau, Heatwave, Kool & The Gang, Chicago, Quincy Jones, Gino Vannelli, T-Connection, Earth Wind & Fire, Lake, and many more.

Most songs originally came from my younger days. Some 20-30 years ago. And listening to these songs brings back old memories. You know, days when we were still wearing short pants (for boys), watching that B/W television with only one TV station, AM radio, comicbooks, bicycle race, Matchbox, Lego, View Master, etc. Later during secondary school we experienced those Beta/ VHS videotapes with coloured TVs, discotheques, night lives, boys-only events, frequent visits to cassette outlets, cinemas, advanced toys, comicbooks, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew adventures, Lima Sekawan/ Pasukan Mau Tahu/ Sapta Siaga/ Trio Detektif books, everything. As for senior years, we experienced love and romance, outdoor adventures, wild and dangerous activities, photography, journalism, art, music bands (or groupies), etc.

Every song brings back old memories. Some are good, and some are bad. Some things you want to cherished, while some other memories are better left forgotten. Some people you’ve been wondering and wanted to meet. While some other people you wished begone forever. Some events/ adventures/ accidents/ incidents you wished could happened again, while some others you wished better stayed in its grave.

Some friends in the office often copied my music collection. I stored all in an external HD. So I can carry it everywhere I want to, including copying other’s collection. Most friends were very excited to know what I have, and I’m happy they’re enjoying songs from their old days. I’m sure those songs also bring them back to their old memories.

If you’re like me, I’d suggest you start by having an iPod