Aug
25
Category: 
|No gadget has had such a profound effect on my listening habits than the iPod. Mine is one of those music collections in which tracks get lost, sometimes for years at a time. Since my iPod arrived, I have been travelling to work listening to a radio station that appears to mirror my musical tastes perfectly. Tracks by the likes of Brian, Paul Hardcastle and Pelé do not get much airplay these days (nor, indeed, did they ever) but I have listened to them recently.
I walk more than I did before, probably because I know the walk will be accompanied by some fine music. I listen to music more, because I don’t have to spend time choosing an appropriate minidisc.
I was a little concerned at first that my music collection might outgrow my iPod. In fact, it did almost as soon as the device arrived. This does not, in fact, matter. I have iTunes playlists set up for:
- all my four and five-star tracks
- all the tracks I’ve not heard in the last five weeks
- all the tracks I’ve not heard in the last six months
- all those that were added to the iTunes library in the last fortnight
- and those audiobooks to which I’ve not yet listened. It’s a curious fact that my iPod led me to Audible and Audible led me to spend more time reading books.
As such, almost every track recorded by New Order, the Stone Roses and the Who is in my pocket at any given time. Paul Hardcastle is only there if I’ve not listened to him recently. I’ve not missed him.
