Obsessiveness

From the Music Memiors


Are you a completeist when it comes to your favorite recording artists? (Meaning do you have to have everything they release even if its another best of compilation or something of that nature)
I am a completist - although I don't buy compilations if I own every song, and I generally avoid live albums (I generally detest recorded live music). On some bands, I go so far as to buy every solo album from every member of the band (Queen and Styx are like that for me). I spend 35 bucks for a japanese CD single of Brian May (Queen's Guitarist) for 3 songs.

Have you ever bought more than one copy of a certain album? If you did, tell us why.
In general, I am not counting replacing records with CDs (I don't count cassettes, I only ever had about 4 store bought cassettes - I jumped from vinyl to CD).
Night at the Opera by Queen - I bought it on vinyl and wore it out, bought another copy ( and a new needle). Then it was the first CD I bought, then I bought the anniversary version that had some bonus tracks. I've thought about buying the DVD audio version but with my sound system, I doubt I would notice any quality difference from the CD.
Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell - had it on 8-track (go ahead mock me), then on record then on CD.

Which bands make up the majority of your collection? How many CDs, Lps, cassettes etc?
No one makes up a majority of my collection - I have 1500 CDs and a like number of albums. I have complete collections of many many artists - I'll pick one a letter :)
Abba, Pat Benatar, Harry Connick Jr., Chris DeBurgh, Eurythmics, Flower Kings, Gandalf, Jeff Healey, Iron Maiden, Billy Joel, Diana Krall, Lana Lane, Metallica, Gary Numan, Ozric Tentacles, Pendragon, Queen, Rush (or the Rocket Scientists), Joe Satriani, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Wall of Voodoo, Yes (or the Young Dubliners). I have more.

The band I have the most by (if you include extras) is Queen - all 14 studio, 4 live, 3 rarities discs, 1 GH (it had a song on it I needed), the Flash Soundtrack, 3 from Freddie, 4 from Brian, 7 from Roger, and another movie album Brian did. - 37 from them. I think that is the single largest grouping.

What makes up the majority of my music by style is Euro Power Metal - I have over 100 bands (and about 150 CDs) of that kind of stuff. Bands like (and these are guys I have complete collections of too) - Helloween, Rhapsody, Stratovarius, Ayreon, Axenstar, and others.

Do you buy an album from a band just because you like them or do you wait until you've heard it before making the purchase?
If it is an artist whose music I like completely, I will buy unheard definatly - to be honest about 1/2 of my purchases are "Get the next CD from these guys, love em" - This summer I got (all at once) the new CDs from Cowboy Troy, Big and Rich, and Gretchen Wilson. I hadn't heard a single song off on any of the CDs.