Alan Rosenberg says he has “musical OCD.” The CD and vinyl collector has been cataloging all his music since he first started buying records back in 1973. This was eventually computerized into a database, which contains every song and album, release dates, chart positions, purchase date, and a rough estimate of how much Rosenberg listened to each album.
“My goal was never to have the biggest collection,” Rosenberg told 360°Sound. “In fact, I discard probably 20 percent of my purchases. I must listen to a new album at least five times for it to make it into my database and get on the shelf. Because CDs are so cheap and I’m constantly digging through my local record stores, flea markets and yard sales, my backlog has grown substantially, but I’ll get to them eventually.”
Born and raised on Long Island, New York, the 60-year-old CD Junkie runs the YouTube channel, “The Alan Rosenberg Show,” in which he talks about selections from his collection, which totals over 5,000 albums. In this interview, Rosenberg discusses his rabid Rolling Stones fandom, impressive CD box sets from the Madfish label, and why he prefers CD to vinyl.
360°Sound: How long have you been collecting CDs? Do you remember the first CD you ever bought?
Alan Rosenberg: I started buying CDs when they were first released, though they were quite expensive at the time. I remember buying the first Rolling Stones CDs when they came in the “longbox” which I thought looked really cool, but like most, I threw those longboxes out. They’re probably pretty collectable now. [Check out contributor Mark Seaman’s ode to the longbox].
I definitely remember buying Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. when it came out and I was so excited to get Dire Straits Brothers in Arms CD, which had in bold letters “A FULL DIGITAL RECORDING.” That was a great example of the advantage of CD as the recording sounded amazing on CD, and you got longer expanded tracks which couldn’t fit on the vinyl edition.
What are some of your favorite genres? Who are some of your favorite artists?
I’m a classic rock guy focusing on ‘60s through the ‘80s. Certainly, my favorite era is the ‘70s My favorite artist is The Rolling Stones. I’ve been a fanatic since 1973 (and saw them live in 1975 when I was 12). Other big favorites are The Kinks, The Who, early Genesis, Bob Dylan, and I have a love of Wishbone Ash.
I love so many artists and am a completist-type personality, so I have the complete discography of many artists. I currently have 417 Stones albums (not including all their solo recordings), 60 Who albums, 88 Wishbone Ash, 77 Springsteen, 63 Kinks, 84 Dylan albums. I have over 5,000 albums – about 700 vinyl, the rest CDs.
What do you love about the CD format?
First, the sound. My component stereo and surround sound is pretty much vintage ’80s and to my ears, as a general rule, nothing sounds better than the remastered CDs. Of course, it’s all about the mastering. There are early CDs that can sound thin and recent remasters can be compressed and brickwalled [low-pass filters designed with such a steep cutoff slope that they resemble a brick wall]. But vinyl is especially all over the place. More often than not, a great remastered CD is an amazing musical experience.
Second is the portability. I’m my own radio station. I listen to music constantly in the house, in the backyard, and in my cars (which all are old and have CD players). I’m always listening to CDs. Third is their toughness. I’ve bought scratched CDs for like nothing and they virtually always play perfectly. Frankly, vinyl can be a pain – cleaning, handling, they can be a lot of work. CDs are so easy.
Fourth is the price. When CDs came out, they were giving vinyl away for nothing, so I was buying a ton of it. The last few years we are in the golden age of CDs. You can buy them all over the place for next to nothing. Their value is second to none.
Which CDs have been getting lots of spins lately?
I recently got the new Jethro Tull release RökFlöte and the Genesis BBC Broadcasts box, which I’m enjoying. I’ve actually been getting into Taylor Swift, which may surprise many. There’s a British label called Madfish, and they put out a massive Caravan box (over 30 CDs and books, etc.). I’ve been listening to that for months. What a package.
They had put out a Wishbone Ash box, which is my favorite box set of all time. There’s no beating these CD box sets for what you get, the sound, and the price. My tastes run wide. I’m open to trying different subgenres.
Which CDs are at the top of your want list?
I’m hoping the Rolling Stones will finally release a fantastic new album. I’d love to see them go out in a blaze of glory with a spectacular new album and final tour. We’ll have to see what happens. And as much music as I have, I’m always exploring old classic bands I missed back in the day. Recently some subscribers turned me on to Golden Earring.
I’m thinking about getting the Horslips box from Madfish, which has all their albums and tons of concerts, but it’s out of my price range right now. They also have a massive Al Stewart box. There’s so much music and so little time to listen to it all.
Tell us a little about your YouTube channel and how you use it to show off your CD collection.
I always commented on music, even when I was a kid. In high school, I published my own music fanzine. Then I would write on Facebook. Friends suggested I start a YouTube channel, and it’s been going for two and a half years. I just hit 1,000 subscribers, so it’s pretty small, but there are some dedicated viewers and I really appreciate their support.
I love it. I come up with topics, but it’s all about showing my actual albums. I only talk about stuff that I own and know intimately. None of my videos are scripted or edited. It’s all done in one take, and it’s pure passion. My love of this music is real; it’s in my DNA.
How do you feel about the future of the CD? Do you think we will see a revival similar to what has happened with vinyl?
Apparently over 50 percent of people who buy new vinyl, never listen to it. It’s an astounding fact, though not totally surprising. I think young people who really want to listen to physical media will eventually come around to the amazing sound, transportability and better value of CDs. And for us lifelong music purchasers/listeners, well, we know that already.
The vinyl resurgence has been a wonderful thing for all the local stores I shop at, and I’m grateful for that. But I’ll keep buying the CDs (and occasional used vinyl), so hopefully CDs will be here for the rest of my life.