The Soundtrack of One Kiwi Man's Life

 I recently took home a collection of records from an estate sale. I made the purchase on Trademe from a listing of 4 packed boxes of unknown albums. Most had their jackets, so I figured it was worth it, if not for the well-cared-for sound, for the historical education.

The following is the 174 of records once owned by a Dunedin man who has left behind a time capsule of New Zealand’s listening culture. As I sort through each sleeve, I’m piecing together a story of one man’s soundtrack, and perhaps, a reflection of an era.

ORCHESTRAL RECORDINGS

Perhaps passed on from somebody else, these sleeves contain 35 symphony recordings of orchestras and piano forte solos, reproduced by various music companies and earlier 10-inch productions from the late 1940s and early 1950s. They showcase popular light orchestral works and salon pieces of the post-war era, from waltzes and film themes to piano showcases and dance band interpretations. Unlike the later LPs in the collection, these smaller records feel like echoes of a transitional time in recording history, when classical refinement met the beginnings of easy listening.

VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATION ALBUMS 

I grew up on Now that's what I call music CDs, so I have an existing relationship with this kind of compilation album. In a way, they were the first published playlists, letting listeners buy just their favourite hits, the ones they already knew from plenty of radio play. I do wonder, though, how much genuine curation goes into them. It's likely more like a practical mix of whatever was charting under the label’s umbrella that season, a kind of “greatest hits” by convenience. Still, they offer a fascinating snapshot of what was popular at the time and how labels packaged familiarity as something new.

RETROSPECTIVE SHOWCASE ALBUMS

The greatest and the very best. These are what Spotify would call an artist's "this is:" playlist. A celabration of their most successful tracks over decades of hard work. They’re the kind of albums that let you skip straight to the songs everyone knows already, and often they are a go to christmas gift.

LIVE ALBUMS

I've often though you're probably a really big fan of an artist if you purchase their live albums, but perhaps for some this is a hack for getting a better recording. It's interesting that our collector didn't have anything else by The Beach Boys except for three of their live records. I wonder, did they consider going along to their concert in Auckland or New Plymoth in 2007?

THE ORIGINAL STUDIO ALBUM

That classic LP. I'm sure most music lovers will agree that the original studio album is the most authentic way to listen to an artist, as releasing one of these babies is the oportunity to curate the most planned and polished experience. The studio album is regularly designed as a thematicly cohesive work of art, with lyrical and musical storytelling. Something that many people today don't take the time to appreciate.

 Purchasing a studio LP of an artist is like getting into a long-term relationship. It shows commitment because it often includes songs you wouldn't have otherwise heard as singles played on the radio, especially at a time when playing records was the only other way to hear music. It's the original studio albums where I'm most frequently seeing a name written on the record. It's when you would purchase an artist's studio LP that you would also consider it to be part of who you are as a young person that you follow that artist. Here we have someone, we can say, really loved John Hore, especially his earlier stuff.

COVER ALBUMS

If the world of Jane Austin movies has some truth to it, there will have been a time when a 'cover' of a song was normally the only way you would ever hear it, either because you practice them yourself from sheet music at the piano forte or someone would perform it for you at a party. This history of cover music would obviously mean that in the earlier days of record production people were more accepting of tribute bands and reproductions of works from another artist. But my own perspective is shaped by a world where "a real artist" writes original music even if the likes of Birdy had their big break with someone else's song. 

MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACKS

In some ways, these are often also a Various Artist compilation but they're something extra special if you know the film. Even for a 90s kid I'm finding this selection of films is a somewhat disorienting 60s fever dream.

COMEDY & MISCELLANEOUS

I'm not sure what it really says about someone if they have Dancin' Exercise on Record, but I can say that if you have Rowan Atkinson Live in Belfast I can appreciate your sence of humor. 

I wonder what it says about someone when they have multipuls of the same record? For modern collectors it's very intentional; what with the multipul variants releaced by the artist, *cough* Taylor Swift *cough*. Of course, considering the medium that vinyl is, one may likely over play or scratch a records and therefore need a replacement, but it also reflects a time when gifting records was more common.

 Considering the variety and time span that all these records cover, the reason for a few double-ups may also be due to the combination of a couple's collections. It should be noted that my husband had never been one to collect physical media of his favourite artist, but it was not me who owned the 5 Seconds Of Summer CD. The reason it's more scratched than any of my own may also be because it's been stored in a draw in the garage with the sandpaper. Perhaps afterall, this is a little bit a collection or Russell's and a little from his wife Margret. I guess I'll never know. But I will be thankful to them for all of the records I now have to listen to.

It's unlikely this collection will stay together as there is really too much for me to love all by myself. But here stands a record of what this collection was. Let me know if you're actually interested in any of these records and I can let you know what quality it's still in.