Introduction. And hello.

Can you have too many records?

That's a question I've asked myself many times over the years.

I'm yet to find a definitive answer. However, at this point in my life, all signs point to 'no'. You can't have too many records.

This is reflected in my music collection. And, it's not just records. CD's, cassettes, digital files, DVD's, VHS, t-shirts, ticket stubs, memorabilia, Madonna condoms - I have a lot of this shit.

Which got me thinking. How long would it take me to listen to every album I own? Every EP? Every 7"? And, maybe more importantly, how many would I actually enjoy? I've tried to cull the collection many times. While a few CD's have ended up on eBay here and there, I've never been able to part with much of it. I've happily given away doubles and stuff that I think will have a better home with someone else. I am, undoubtedly, a music hoarder. Maybe listening to everything will make it easier. It may also make it harder.

Now, I'm not the first person to blog this experience. I've read a few before. My favourite was a guy who's wife threatened to throw out all his records unless he listened to them all. I'm not claiming it as an original idea. I'm doing this for myself more than anything else. It's a good excuse to revisit it all.

So, I aim to listen to every album I own. There's a lot. There's a lot I love. There's a few I don't.

I don't know how long it will take. And, truth be told, I'll probably never finish it. That's OK, too (though if we do get to 2034 and I actually finish, then go me!).

I'm not setting myself too many rules. I plan to to listen to every physical record/7"/CD/CD single/cassette individually. Digital doesn't count. I'm not opposed to digital. Quite the opposite (I may or may not be listening to Kylie Minogue on iTunes as I write this). My iTunes library is a complete labour of love. It's a necessary evil. But, it has made me lazy. I still buy CD's, though more and more, it's ripped to iTunes and added to the (physical) library. Which is, in part, what's inspired me to do this. iTunes has made everyone lazy. I rarely play CD's any more. I actually get a bit nostalgic playing CD's these days. Yet, I'm still compelled to buy them. If I like an album, I get a physical copy. For me, digital is complimentary to my actual collection.

So, that cool Cat Power mp3 bootleg I downloaded last month won't count in this blog.

I'm also not doing it in any kind of order. Alphabetical is a bit too dry. I might do it more like Pin The Tail On The Donkey. Random selection.

Also, being the music hoarder that I am, we're going to double up a few times. So, Madonna's 'Like A Prayer', which I own on record, CD and cassette, might count as one blog. The Beatles' albums in stereo and mono will probably be separate posts. The anniversary edition of The Dandy Warhols' 'Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia' will probably be a separate entry to the original album. The Who's 'Live At Leeds', which I have as the original album, the 1995 single disc expanded edition and the 2001 two-disc edition might be three separate posts, or it might be one post - I'm not entirely sure yet. There might be one for all three, there might be one that covers them all. There might be both. I'm gonna play this by ear.

To give you an idea of the task at hand, this is what I'm up against:

Compared to a lot of internet crazies I've seen, my collection isn't that big. My friends, meanwhile, think I'm going to become the old woman who lived in a record. Whatever the case may be, this is my collection and it makes me happy. This blog will hopefully explore why it makes me so happy.

There'll probably be a lot of nostalgia. There might be some fairly dry reviews. There might be long winded rants. There might be forgotten treasures. There might be disappointment with albums I used to love. There might be the rediscovery of something really great. Again, I'm playing this by ear.

I'm looking forward to what I find. Musically, nostalgically, or otherwise.

Here we go!