The X-Phile (original) (raw)
nerkitt 😟blah
March 1 2010, 19:59
Listens: Symphony X - Accolade II
Shadows of shadows passing. It is now 18:31, and as always, I am absorbed with a delicate thought. It is how poetry has indefinite sensations to which end music is an essential. Since the comprehension of sweet sound is our most indefinite sensation, music, when combined with a pleasurable idea, is poetry; music without the idea is simply music. Without music or an intriguing idea, colour becomes pallor, man becomes carcass, home becomes catacomb, and the dead, arbitrary moment motionless.
I've been called an audiophile before. I don't think it's a label that fits. Judging from what I know and have heard of (and from) auddiophiles, I'm simply not fit for the job. I don't care for gold- or chrome- or whatever-plated speaker cables, I don't give a flying frack about the Loudness War... I just take whatever's on hand equipment-wise, and as long as my speakers don't break or completely mangle sound, I'll go with them until they do.
On the other hand, I see why people would call me an audiophile. I love music. My life more or less dances around good music, that is music I consider to be good. I can go on for hours on end talking about music (from early Peter Gabriel-era Genesis to the latest Transatlantic album) and get absorbed in tons of tiny details and style comparisons, probably boring everyone around me halfway to death.
But then again, what gets me off seems to be something different from what audiophiles focus on. Trying to compare the matter to written words, I'd say your steretypical audiophile is someone who has very high expectations in terms of typography, page layout and layout consistency. I, on the other hand, simply enjoy a gripping well-written story, no matter if it's printed in flawless design on glossy paper or scribbled in ball-point pen on recycling paper.
That is to say, I can get completely raptured in Ed Warby's mechanically precise drumming or Daniel Gildenlöw's incredibly versatile voice; I shudder in ecstasy at Neal Morse's songwriting and Roine Stolt's ability to pour "good vibes" into musical arrangements... but I don't care about the details of recording and post-production as long as they don't interfere with the melody, the composition, the songwriting or the possibility of recognising musician's technical perfection with their instruments.
So... what could you call someone like me? Melodiophile? Musiophile? Suggestions are welcome.
Also, bonus credit to whoever recognises the quote at the start of this post, and double extra credit to whoever gives the right one of (at least) two correct answers.