The Best Albums of All Time, According to Me (With Occasional Commentary)

They say you are what you like, and if that’s true, then my taste in music speaks volumes about my private and musical personality. These albums have been with me for ages, some newer than others, but all of them share a common thread: they’re all incredibly good. I’m not trying to sound like an old fogey pining for the good old days, but I do feel sorry for the youngins who missed out on the era when this music was being created. Luckily for them, it still exists and is audible. But buyer beware: just because something’s labeled “remastered” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an improvement. Some remasters are, dare I say it, worse than the original tracks. It’s not ideal, but we can’t control the rights holders who sometimes replace the original tracks with these subpar versions. Fortunately, the listening technology these days is better than ever, so there’s that. Back in the day, getting noticed as an artist was almost as hard as finding a needle in a haystack because there was no internet. Record managers were the gatekeepers who decided who was worth investing in, and when they did, they invested big. I’m talking piles of cash, enough to set everyone up for life. But hey, that’s what you had to do to get the best musicians, sound engineers, and technology available. Producing an album was a massive undertaking, and failure wasn’t an option. Sure, that whole process might seem a bit shady, but there were some advantages to it. If you could sing or play your instrument like nobody’s business, you had a chance to become a superstar. If you looked good too, well, let’s just…

Interview With Myself (And Then You)

I did this many years ago, and here is a very recent (2023) version. The template for this comes from here: 33 Questions For An Interview With Yourself Feel free to pick this up and do it yourself. Link back to this post, so I can see it. 1. What Do You Do for a Living? Well, the fact that you ended up here means you already know at least part of the answer. I’m a music producer, composer and sound engineer, mainly. I work for myself, so I make my own music, and I work for others whose music I either write and produce or edit. I also have a “day job” that feeds me reliably and pays the bills, because I could no longer make a living from music alone. That used to be different, but unfortunately, that’s the way it is today. But I really like my second job. I work with great people, and I can do my work in a relatively free and creative way. I am a marketing manager and board member in the textile industry. There is no good reason to complain. 2. Who Do You Love? Okay, then I’ll be completely honest. You asked for it. I love my friends, some of whom I’ve had for a very long time, and my partner and our dogs. To put it succinctly to the point. Of course, the issue is more complicated. I have a big and fucked up family history that could be described as broken. In this respect, love is not dripping from every crack. I love certain people in this family in a certain way, but that’s more through blood ties…

I Suffer From Sensorineural Hearing Loss

During my lifetime I developed a condition known as sensorineural hearing loss which resulted in permanent loss of high frequency hearing. My right ear is affected a little more than the left, albeit due to a congenital auditory canal that is somewhat narrowed. This condition makes it difficult for me to hear certain frequencies like human speech, especially in noisy environments. A prominent example of someone having the same problem is Phil Collins. This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the inner ear, specifically to the hair cells in the cochlea, and are — in my case — the result of many years of exposure to loud music both as a performer and as a producer. Today I want to be open about my hearing loss and speak about the challenges I’m facing as a result. Living with sensorineural hearing loss is a reality that I never thought I would face when I was younger, but it’s something that I have learned to live with over the years. Looking back today, I couldn’t hear certain frequencies too well very early on when I began playing music, especially when I was surrounded by background noise or chatting people. It’s a condition that has affected my (social) life significantly, and it’s something quite serious. I’m sharing my story in the hope that it will inspire others to take steps to protect their hearing, and to avoid the same fate that I’m enduring. Diagnosis I was officially diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss in 2011, after I noticed that I was having more and more trouble hearing in even only lightly noisy environments, like a dish washer in a kitchen that…