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For a long time, I was really into discovering bands and listening to all kinds of music, new and old.

Now I find it exhausting. Seems like it was easier to pick out and find music that I liked in the by-gone era of less choice. Back in 1987 When I could go to "Mother's Records and Tapes" at Military Circle mall, I knew exactly what was cool.

I'm still very proud of my early purchases:
1. Lenny Kravitz - Let Love Rule
2. 10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe
3. Peter Gabriel - So

I bypassed Poison and Erasure at the time for much more "alternative" choices before there even was an alternative genre.

This culminated in my being possibly the biggest - Junior High - R.E.M fan on the east coast. I had every R.E.M album before anyone ever even heard a little song about losing your faith. To this day R.E.M's "Dead Letter Office" is in my top 5 albums of all time.

Note that some might argue that this not really an album in the true sense but more of a compliation because it is really just a collection of B-sides and earlier songs. Depending on which version you get, the last five songs on DLO are actually from another early R.E.M album called "Chronic Town." C'Town is usually referred to as the first R.E.M album, and their inclusion in DLO makes it a great way to "discover" the early days of R.E.M if you aren't familiar with them already.

The Chronic Town songs were very influential on me. In fact I probably still compare all music I hear to those songs as a sort of ultimate example of "my kind of music." R.E.M has evolved, and I have to say that I am not as big a fan nowadays.

My music taste went from whiney white guys to angrier white guys with the "grunge" movement, and then somewhere about 1997; I just kind of dropped out. Now I struggle to find new music that I really feel is worth taking the time to experience. I just end up looking at buying old "Offspring" albums or some kind of iTunes R.E.M compilation where I can hear some of my old favorites. Even the new music that I do like usually sounds like something from 1995.

I think I'm posting this as a way to sort of mourn about the fact that this part of my life is basically over. I used to really relate to emotive lyrics and felt sincerely that music was a way to express myself when I couldn't find other words to do it.

Now the same old songs just bring up good or bad feelings from the old days which is good, but not the same.