You’ve heard me celebrate and wail and moan about winning and then losing the damn iPod. And with huge guilt, I replaced it – guilt because what the hell am I doing spending that kind of money? But I did it and poof.

So loading what I had in the library almost defeated me – I almost quit before I really began because the system crashed and I thought “oh jesus I bought a dud” but all is well. It was, simlpy, a crash 9which is “simple” nowadays. Go figure.) So then I started thinking about what else I would want to listen to. I mean I still haven’t downloaded every CD in the house here. And I won’t. There’s all of Stu’s celtic, Irish, Scottish music only a smidgen of which I like. Pipes. Shudder. But I like Battlefield Band and I love Boiled in Lead and some of those celt-rock whatever the hell they are, so I gotta get around to that. And I like some klezmer, but I tend to like say, modern recordings of the Klezmer conservatory Orchestra and not those old radio shows Stu likes. And I don’t tend to listen to the CDs from shows I haven’t seen, or cartoon soundtracks. As you can tell, not unlike the bookshelves here, we have lots of stuff in common and LOTS of differing tastes.

But when I started, I knew there were things I wanted to listen to and didn’t own so I’m thinking “there goes the budget at iTunes” but no, WAIT! Why look! Seattle Public Library has that Eric Clapton CD so I don’t have to pay to download “Layla”. And look! There’s the Springsteen! And oh man, look at all that Mark O’Connor! I have so wanted to hear more of his stuff since I bought “Appalachian Journey”.

So I haven’t cracked iTunes yet. But I will because, well, do YOU have everything you want on CD? Did you buy replacements for all your vinyl (if you’re of that age?) I know I sure in hell didn’t. A) who can afford that? (ok, other than HIM) and b) did you have that little niggling “yeah but if I DO, it’ll just get replaced by some OTHER technology” reaction? I know, we’ve had the CD’s a while and their sticking around but having gone (as Laura’s blog reminded me a while ago) from 78s in my parents’ collection to 45s and 33s, to tapes to CDs, who isn’t skittish?

So I really did check out a number of music CDs to download to the computer to upload to the iPod. And isn’t it hysterical - I don’t want to feel like I’m using the library as a pop culture resource. Stu and I have been borrowing DVDs lately – mostly of popular films and here I am now just availing myself of that Faith Hill CD so I can get the 2 cuts I like and I’m embarrassed? Like WHAT? They’re going to take away my intellectual’s credentials? My poetic license (yes, I had one. Lost it though. I never renewed it and you know how that goes. Applying for a new one is such a hassle.)

But no, it’s not that it’s that I’m one of those snot heads who wants to be sure that libraries stay repositories for b-o-o-k-s. I know we all have to adjust to libraries as computer stations, and all but I want libraries to be havens for readers. And yet, here I am, checking to make sure I took out more books than non-books this month because it bothers me. Good grief.

But okay, so this morning, after joking around about other stuff I wanted on the iPod (it’s got SO MUCH SPACE on it, oh my god, I went to the library website and searched for and reserved more CD’s to download for my iPod because I MUST have this stuff.
Harry Belafonte – one of the Carnegie Hall concerts, it’s all they had.
Weird Al – because I LOVE weird Al and because like Alan Sherman, he taught me some songs in parody when I didn’t know the originals.
Oh yeah, Allan Sherman –a “best of” collection
A humongous FOUR disc set called BACK TO MONO – FOUR discs of Phil Spector produced stuff. One of which I will totally ignore as it’s all Christmas music and I can’t stand that stuff EVEN from the Ronettes and the Crystals (ok, OKAY yes, I had the Roches Christmas CD but I sold it. And I should get it from the library for like 2 of their songs)

But there’s Gene Pitney, the Righteous Brothers, Darlene Love, and because I’ve wanted to BE in a girl group for YEARS.

Oh yeah, and I’ve had a hold for like 3 months this 3 disc thing called WASHINGTON SQUARE MEMORIES, with Greenwich Village folk from Jean Ritchie and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee to Judy Henske, Hamilton Camp (who died in October, - anyone else out there remember Hamilton Camp?) and Eric Andersen and Tim Hardin and a CD of James Taylor and one of Meat Loaf and one of Gordon Lightfoot. (Do you have have the fantasy I do? Of meeting Meat Loaf and holding out your hand and saying” I’m so glad to meet you, Mr. Loaf. I’m a fan of your work.”? No? Um, okay, um, never mind. Dooo – de –doo-de-doooo.)

Hamilton Camp? Bob Gibson? Okay let’s try this? “You Can Tell the World”. “Well, well, well” “Pride of Man?” They wrote them. And oh MAN, see what you’ve done? NOW I know what I have to download. Bob Gibson’s album THE PERFECT HIGH because it’s wonderful and because it has that song on it. One of my favorite songs in the whole damn world which no one else knows called “A Box of Candy and A Piece of Fruit”. Okay, there goes the Itunes gift certificate. Or would, if it were on iTunes. Or the MP3 site I just looked at. Damnation. Too obscure even for them.

And what’s most interesting is how many damn HOLDS there are on most of these CDs. I’m 13th of 41 for the folk thing. I’m 11 of 11 for the Spector collection. Hell, I’m even not first for the Shangri-Las CD! Think someone else out there is the same age group and possibly – gasp – has an iPod?

iPods. First one’s always free.