October 05, 2005

 the death of fandom

5302.jpga big talking heads box set (aka "the brick") was released yesterday. it consists of the entire back catalog, remastered into 5.1 dualdiscs with "DVD-A surround". pretty impressive.

at least i think it is. a lot of folks on the boards seem to poo-poo the dualdisc format. i barely know what it is.

what i do know is that the set costs more than $120, which is money i don't have. and frankly, i think i've outgrown my obsession to have every single recording the band has touched.

if it weren't for the immensely cool packaging i'm not sure i'd even be tempted by this thing. i mean, i own the music already. and since i don't even have the technology to full enjoy the remastered albums i might as well just save my money and spend it on shoes instead.

still, it's sad to realize i've lost that burning passion for my favorite band. a couple of years ago i bought a new "best of" compliation (which went on to win a grammy award for packaging) -- i pre-ordered it on amazon months before it was even released. it's seems strange that my hardcore fandom has slipped that much in such a short period of time.

Posted by xta at October 5, 2005 12:50 AM | TrackBack
Comments

I've had the same thing happen with my once-obsessive Todd Rundgren fandom, so I can relate. I guess for me it's a combination of age, money, and value received weighed against money (and time, for road-tripping to multiple shows) spent. But it's still kind of sad to leave it behind.

Posted by: minty at October 5, 2005 11:10 AM

in my mind, there's a distinction between being a fan (even a rabid one), and being a collector. the two don't necessarily have to go hand-in-hand. you can still be a rabid fan without also being a collector.

Posted by: lisa at October 5, 2005 12:27 PM

I've been feeling the same way about my own inability to be even remotely aware of music recorded since 1995. Is this what the icy grip of mortality feels like?

Posted by: bwventril at October 5, 2005 07:16 PM

Band obsession is like a lover, getting them in bed every minute of every day eventually fades. Doesn't mean you're not up for a good tryst between the sheets now and again. What you do, wait for it to come up used on ebay or local record store or something for a lot less money. :c)

Sim loves the TH. He plays the old vinyl regularly. I'll have to mention this to him.

Posted by: Becky at October 6, 2005 10:40 AM
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