Saturday, October 02, 2010

Background Noise

I think some music is designed with a kind of "somebody else's problem" field (rememebr Hitchiker's guide?) which continually directs your attention away from it so that it is impossible to actually listen to it. It is, actually designed as complete background noise. Yes. I am convinced of this. How else could I try so hard, so many times, and still not know what I've been listening to!
I keep trying to listen and pay attention to this one album and it all keeps sounding the same so that my mind wanders and I never actually find out if it is indeed the same tune over and over.

This is a problem common to new age music and also some soundtracks. You have a sense of liking the album and it creates a nice atmosphere or mood, but when you try and actually pick out tracks you particularly like it defys all attempts to distinguish one from another.

1 comment:

Marcy said...

=) That reminds me of when I was little and my brother Jeff would sometimes practice piano when I was in bed, but before I'd fallen asleep. The piano was right next to my room, and I would try so hard to listen and not fall asleep, but it seemed like I never could for long. This in spite of the fact that I had a super early bedtime and I have many memories of what seemed like long hours lying in bed trying to sleep. But when he'd play, I'd always wake up later, after he'd stopped, and be disappointed that once again I'd failed in my attempt to listen.

Stupid calm and soothing field! =) In practice, it sort of worked like a "somebody else's problem" field, too!