# What is your Concentration Music?



## MrKowz (Oct 15, 2010)

When you are knees deep in VBA and Excel, what music do you like to listen to that you find helps you think?

For myself... anything and everything Pink Floyd.  Especially "Money", "See Emily Play", "Time", "Comfortably Numb", and "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict"


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## jeffreybrown (Oct 15, 2010)

For me it is whatever is on my ipod which is all sorts of music.

Basically, I just need to drown out all of the background chatter.


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## arkusM (Oct 15, 2010)

Often silence, with the aide of ear plugs helps me. Otherwise piano or some classical music works for me.


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## Atroxell (Oct 15, 2010)

Normally silence, aided by headphones that play nothing and muffle some of the noise. I often wonder what my co-workers would think if they knew my headphones had nothing playing on them. I am privately amused by their attempts to get my attention by speaking my name repeatedly and loudly even though I can hear them just fine. 

I work in an environment where nearly 30 very chatty people are within earshot. Since I have not found a way to tell 30 people to simultaneously shut up, still have a job and be liked by my coworkers, anything I can do to discourage receiving noise helps. And I will remove the headphones to talk with anyone who calls to me or approaches my cube. I am not anti-social, I just like to focus on the job at hand.

Having said that, there are times when silence (or muffled sound) is not on my desired menu for the day. But chit-chat other than my own is never on my desired sounds list so, particularly on Fridays, Pandora allows me to further filter out the chit-chat by listening to everything from Classical to Punk, New Wave and even some more modern stuff (c. 2000+). I like _some_ of the current pop stuff as well. (I think that music contains a musical version of whatever it is that they put in McDonald's beef to make you like it.) My kids often direct me to music that they think I would like. They are 21 and 23 years old, so you can guess from some of that...

I find any style of music enjoyable, with some exceptions. I don't like screaming, cussing or any genre of music whose name contains words that rhyme with "cr4p". 

Ok, ok, I know someone is going to say, "No screaming or cussing, but he listens to Punk?" Well ok, then...99.9% of the time I don't like screaming or cussing in my music. There's a time and place for everything.

I find some mashups to be entertaining. "Boink Bonk/Tik Tok" is a current gamer/pop mashup that I think is pretty amusing. Unfortunately, once you hear it you can't get it out of your head. I have some of that kind of stuff at home. Google it if you are a gamer and think it might be amusing. It's on YouTube.


And Pink Floyd is always on the play list for me.


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## Domski (Oct 16, 2010)

Not allowed music where I work 

Dom


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## HalfAce (Oct 16, 2010)

I go with either arkusM or MrKowz sentiments exactly.
Sometimes silence and the rest of the time anything Pink Floyd - along with a healthy dose of Joe Walsh, Alan Parsons, Chris Rea, maybe some Lou Reed or Humble Pie...

(And if they ever told me I couldn't have music at work... well, then I must've had _Lost For Words_ turned up too loud for me to hear 'em...)


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## RodneyW (Oct 16, 2010)

Anything Pink Floyd. Classic Rock works but so does Classical Music too


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## Marbles (Oct 17, 2010)

Radio 4.


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## DonkeyOte (Oct 17, 2010)

Muse.  Loud.  Oddly.  
_Perhaps for inspiration _


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## RoryA (Oct 17, 2010)

Ministry, or New Model Army, usually.


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## Tinbendr (Oct 17, 2010)

Progressive Rock or I watch movies on my PDA.  But if I run into problems, I usually turn if off.  I'm lucky enough to have a office to myself.

David


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## TinaP (Oct 17, 2010)

I have very eclectic taste. You'll find every genre in my playlist. That said, I mostly listen to '80s. 

I, too, work in an environment where I hear every conversation on the second floor of our building. Every. Conversation. And there's a constant stream of foot traffic right behind my desk. So I have a ready source of interruptions, should I want one. The music drowns out most of the noise, but when I need total silence to concentrate on a bit of logic, I undock my laptop and wander into the computer room, where the white noise drowns out everything but my thoughts.

My question is, what should I do about the coworker who, when I'm in deep concentration, always walks up behind me and shouts, "Wake up!"  Homicide seems appropriate, but Human Resources frowns on it.


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## Marbles (Oct 17, 2010)

Michelle Shocked:  Come a Long Way, or the next song on my player:  Belle And Sebastian:  The State That I Am In.


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## HalfAce (Oct 17, 2010)

> what should I do about the coworker who, when I'm in deep concentration, always walks up behind me and shouts, "Wake up!"



You might be able to get away with a cup of boiling hot coffee 'thrown over your shoulder in surprise' ....


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## MrKowz (Oct 18, 2010)

HalfAce said:


> You might be able to get away with a cup of boiling hot coffee 'thrown over your shoulder in surprise' ....


 
I second this.


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## TinaP (Oct 18, 2010)

HalfAce said:


> You might be able to get away with a cup of boiling hot coffee 'thrown over your shoulder in surprise' ....


While I'm not a coffee drinker, I like the idea. Perhaps ice water or a sticky Coke...


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## SuperFerret (Oct 19, 2010)

I have an eclectic taste. So I could be listening to anything from before I was even considered (60's, 70's) through to 80's, Classical (Mostly Mozart, Bach, Beethoven) Punk, Rock (Classical, Modern), Ska, Reggae, Folk, Dance, Metal (Death, Thrash), and _some_ Rnb or Pop. 

I tend to stick on Grooveshark, my current playlist consists of: B.O.B ft Hayley Williams, Evanescence, Emilie Autumn, Aerosmith, Therapy?, Apocalyptica, Coheed and Cambria, Less Than Jake, KISS, Paramore, Brett Dennen, Jack Johnson, Belle and Sebastian. 

So a nice mix


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## Expiry (Oct 19, 2010)

When I'm working on excel, I like to listen to an array of music which includes Soft CELL(), MID() Ure, RIGHT() Said Fred, Donna SUM()mer and LINEAR() Ritchie.


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## SuperFerret (Oct 19, 2010)

Expiry said:


> When I'm working on excel, I like to listen to an array of music which includes Soft CELL(), MID() Ure, RIGHT() Said Fred, Donna SUM()mer and LINEAR() Ritchie.


 
*facepalm*


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## RoryA (Oct 19, 2010)

Not to mention DOLLAR, climie FISHER and king KURT.


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## cornflakegirl (Oct 19, 2010)

COUNT Basie?


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## Greg Truby (Oct 19, 2010)

Good question - it has provoked interesting answers. Intriguing that Pink Floyd gets so many nods. For me it’s actually New Age stuff. I stumbled across it radio surfing the internet and found that it works well for me when I’m programming. Surprisingly, I’ve found that Electronica/Club Dance music also usually works quite well. In both cases I have the volume low on noise-canceling headphones. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
How about the opposite question? What *music *is impossible for you to work to? [Office chatter or the guy/gal in the next cubicle talking too loudly on the phone is on everyone’s list, so we'll call that a "gimme".] For me, I cannot do any kind of sustained, deep concentration to golden oldies or Motown. Temptations? Sam Cooke?  Elvis? Fats Domino? Frankie Valli? Huh uh. Within a few bars I’m wanting to stand up and belt it out like a drunk at a karaoke bar. I can sort e-mails or such, but zero productivity on anything complicated.<o></o>
<o></o>


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## Atroxell (Oct 19, 2010)

The only music I find _impossible_ to work with is the music played during those times when I have my headphones off and either mine are still playing on the desktop or someone else is rocking out at top volume three cubes down. The "music" is just loud enough to create a noise that is almost indistinguishable as any particular song. It's the sound that ends up annoying like a mosquito buzzing in your ear in bed at midnight.

And don't forget the co-worker who taps his/her fingers on the desk or foot on the floor... slow torture.

That's when my headphones come out for sure.


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## HalfAce (Oct 19, 2010)

Funny, I can go all day listening (and working) to the very music Greg finds impossible. 

What I can not work to, listen to, (read that _*tolerate*_ in any way shape or form)... is anything that rhymes with crap - or sounds anywhere close to anything that does.  Just can't do it.
There's not much that'll make me put the boot to the Bose, but that will in an instant.


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## TinaP (Oct 19, 2010)

I absolutely cannot stand Marilyn Manson and the like.  I can feel my blood pressure rising whenever I hear it.


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## RobMatthews (Oct 19, 2010)

TinaP said:


> My question is, what should I do about the coworker who, when I'm in deep concentration, always walks up behind me and shouts, "Wake up!" Homicide seems appropriate, but Human Resources frowns on it.


Seems like you need to cultivate your "angry eyes"...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/3007738598_0a1700c3e1.jpg

http://www.google.com.au/images?q=a...f43c0N&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&ved=0CBEQ_AU

My wife has angry eyes that could kill a cute little bunny at 500 metres, if she so chose to use her powers for evil...


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## HalfAce (Oct 19, 2010)

> Marilyn Manson and the like. I can feel my blood pressure rising whenever I hear it.


Make you want to 'put the boot to the Bose' does it? 

I remember the days when WE (the consumer) told the recording industry what was 'hot' by what we would buy.
Now it seems the industry is deciding what's hot, (in advance in most cases anymore!), they _tell_ our kids what's hot and that's what the kids buy! 

I prefer the old way.


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## Greg Truby (Oct 19, 2010)

HalfAce said:


> I remember the days when WE (the consumer) told the recording industry what was 'hot' by what we would buy.
> Now it seems the industry is deciding what's hot, (in advance in most cases anymore!), they _tell_ our kids what's hot and that's what the kids buy!
> 
> I prefer the old way.


 
Actually, I think internet "voting" by way of clicking on various downloads or music or playing videos is probably fairly democratic in the sense that it enables young music consumers to pick from a much greater variety than we had under a cartel of major music labels & radio stations. I just think that kids today just aren't very discriminating consumers. As you say, rap music is complete crap and the major music labels seem to insist on trying to weave it into everything. And I blame these non-discriminating youth for making this this atrocity profitable enough for the labels to commit this crime against nature.


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## SuperFerret (Oct 20, 2010)

Cannot, absolutely *cannot* concentrate on the task at hand if Ace of Spades comes on (I turn into Animal from the muppets for some reason) and can't concentrate if the noisy woman down the office decides to tell yet another hilarious stroy about how much money she and her husband has at full volume... 
Even if I have no music on I have to bring out the headphones! 

Speaking of which, I'm in the market for some new in-ear headphones can anyone recommend any good ones?


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## Domski (Oct 20, 2010)

Pretty much anything that falls within the R&B/Hip Hop/Rap sprectrums makes me want to murder people.



SuperFerret said:


> Speaking of which, I'm in the market for some new in-ear headphones can anyone recommend any good ones?



Try Sennheiser, you can get some pretty good ones without spending an absolute fortune.

Dom


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## SuperFerret (Oct 20, 2010)

Domski said:


> Try Sennheiser, you can get some pretty good ones without spending an absolute fortune.


 
Thanks I'll have a look into that, I had been looking at Skullcandys but I've heard very bad things about their headphones


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## Domski (Oct 20, 2010)

They might have improved but Skullcandy headphones where definitely more style over sound quality when they first came out.

Dom


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## RoryA (Oct 20, 2010)

My last three pairs of headphones have all been Sennheiser so I'd agree with that recommendation.


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## MrKowz (Oct 20, 2010)

SuperFerret said:


> Speaking of which, I'm in the market for some new in-ear headphones can anyone recommend any good ones?


 
Sennheuser is the way to go with in-ear headphones.  I know people have mentioned Skullcandies aren't that great, and I agree.  However, I have a pair of $80 skullcandies (bit more expensive cause they have the mix in-line) that sound really nice.  The biggest problem with Skullcandy is that their cords aren't that great.  I've seen them snap and separate a lot.

Do yourself a favor... do NOT buy the Beats in-ear headphones (or ANY products from Monster... used to work at Best Buy and I can honestly say that 99% of Monster products are WAAAAY overpriced for the same quality).  They're $200 and have the same quality as a $100 pair of Sennheusers.


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## SuperFerret (Oct 20, 2010)

MrKowz said:


> Do yourself a favor... do NOT buy the Beats in-ear headphones (or ANY products from Monster...


 
Was just looking at some of those...  looking like Sennheuser is the way to go, may have to do some scouring this evening see what I can get. Thanks for the advice


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## JamesW (Oct 21, 2010)

Anything by Joe Satriani.


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## HalfAce (Oct 21, 2010)

Oh yeah! (CHICKENFOOT!!!)


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## JamesW (Oct 21, 2010)

HalfAce said:


> Oh yeah! (CHICKENFOOT!!!)


 
Not too keen on them.. Individually they are awesome, but together they seem... I'm not sure... 'average' I guess.

I saw Joe live on Tuesday night.  Front row seats too! I was literally 6 foot away from him, I wanted to touch him 

I will also add that I listen to anything on Planet Rock (UK classic rock DAB/Internet radio station - they have Alice Cooper, Rick Wakeman and Rob Birnie as DJs (to name but a few) - well worth a listen!)


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## SuperFerret (Oct 21, 2010)

JamesW said:


> Planet Rock (UK classic rock DAB/Internet radio station - they have Alice Cooper, Rick Wakeman and Rob Birnie as DJs (to name but a few) - well worth a listen!)


 
May have to give that a listen!


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## JamesW (Oct 21, 2010)

Make sure you listen to Rick Wakeman's show on a  Saturday morning - He is hilarious.


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## SuperFerret (Oct 21, 2010)

JamesW said:


> Make sure you listen to Rick Wakeman's show on a Saturday morning - He is hilarious.


 
Will do! Thanks for the tip!


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## HalfAce (Oct 21, 2010)

I'll have to give Planet Rock a listen-to.
For radio I normally subject my co-workers to 107.7 The Bone out of San Francisco.
Their guys in the morning are Lamont & Tonelli. I think they might be insane.


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## arkusM (Oct 28, 2010)

SuperFerret said:


> Cannot, absolutely *cannot* concentrate on the task at hand if Ace of Spades comes on (I turn into Animal from the muppets for some reason) and can't concentrate if the noisy woman down the office decides to tell yet another hilarious stroy about how much money she and her husband has at full volume...
> Even if I have no music on I have to bring out the headphones!
> 
> Speaking of which, I'm in the market for some new in-ear headphones can anyone recommend any good ones?


 

May wife has some Sennheiser's, I have "Sure" in-ear. I like them both. Mine are almost like earplugs in-fact I could use them as such with no music.


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## AlanWade (Oct 30, 2010)

For me it has to be The Stones. As long as I dont have a beer and start singing to the wife its fine.................


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## arkusM (Nov 1, 2010)

arkusM said:


> May wife has some Sennheiser's, I have "Sure" in-ear. I like them both. Mine are almost like earplugs in-fact I could use them as such with no music.


 Should be "Shure" Headphones.


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## xld (Nov 3, 2010)

Greg Truby said:


> As you say, rap music is complete crap and the major music labels seem to insist on trying to weave it into everything.



Therein lie the words of an old fart! Like all music forms, rap has good, very good, examples, and it has bad, very bad, examples.

I note a preference here for Pink Floyd and so-called progressive music (what  a mis-nomer, it was completely regressive and self-indulgent), and I personally detest that music.


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## JamesW (Nov 3, 2010)

Rap used to be very good, now it seems every other word is (insert random swear word here)<INSERT here word swear random>, and the videos are rated on how many large black ladies you can fit onto one screen.


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## xld (Nov 3, 2010)

JamesW said:


> ... and the videos are rated on how many large black ladies you can fit onto one screen.



and that's a problem?


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## Domski (Nov 3, 2010)

xld said:


> I note a preference here for Pink Floyd and so-called progressive music (what  a mis-nomer, it was completely regressive and self-indulgent), and I personally detest that music.



Couldn't agree more. It's about as pleasurable to listen to as an angle grinder through the head!!!


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## JamesW (Nov 3, 2010)

xld said:


> and that's a problem?


 
Well yes... I don't really want to see a *music* video with 10000 half naked anything, thankyou very much...


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## Domski (Nov 3, 2010)

Oh I don't know about that. I might start a list


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## xld (Nov 3, 2010)

JamesW said:


> Well yes... I don't really want to see a *music* video with 10000 half naked anything, thankyou very much...



Then turn it off, that is what the button is for.


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## MrKowz (Nov 3, 2010)

JamesW said:


> Well yes... I don't really want to see a *music* video with 10000 half naked anything, thankyou very much...


 
They still make music videos?  I thought those died out around 2000 when Real World, Jackass, and all of those other tomfoolery shows took over MTV and VH1.


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## Andrew Fergus (Nov 10, 2010)

When elbow or knee deep in VBA coding I like to drown out noise from others so will usually listen to either 80's music or rock.  Blink 182 is usually the band of choice (love the drumming and power chords). I can also shut the door to my office if things are a bit noisy (luxury!).

I have often wondered why music?  What is going on with the body that makes us choose music through headphones?  How does bombarding ourselves with music help us concentrate more?

I think we want to control the noises we are hearing, which we couldn't normally do.  Our subconcious can readily pre-process the noises we are about to hear, being music we are familiar with.  Given we know the sounds that are coming we don't have to concentrate on them and we don't have to consciously process any unexpected noise.  In effect we are blocking one of our senses so that we limit the amount of external uncontrolled information received (to almost nothing given we are visually glued to the screen).  Which means we can concentrate more on what we are trying to do (hence the 'concentration' music).

Some personal observations that this:
1) try it with unfamiliar music and it doesn't have the same effect;
2) the speed with which the songs seem to fly by (just the one chorus!?),
3) the inability to recall in sequence the songs you have just listened to, and
4) the number of seconds it takes to re-engage your brain to an external interruption (e.g. a simple question like "tea or coffee?" - it may take say 5 seconds to respond.)

Cheers
Andrew


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## MrKowz (Nov 10, 2010)

Andrew Fergus said:


> When elbow or knee deep in VBA coding I like to drown out noise from others so will usually listen to either 80's music or rock. Blink 182 is usually the band of choice (love the drumming and power chords). I can also shut the door to my office if things are a bit noisy (luxury!).
> 
> I have often wondered why music? What is going on with the body that makes us choose music through headphones? How does bombarding ourselves with music help us concentrate more?
> 
> ...


 
I love the truly intellectual discussions that spawn on these forums. 

You bring up some good points!  I've noticed such things as well, especially in my choice of music I sleep to.  I love sleeping to certain types of classical music (soundtracks to movies like Lord of the Rings or Gladiator are AMAZING).  If I try to sleep to anything that has guitar or comlpex vocals, it keeps me awake.


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## SuperFerret (Nov 11, 2010)

MrKowz said:


> If I try to sleep to anything that has guitar or comlpex vocals, it keeps me awake.


 
So no Dragonforce for you then?


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## HalfAce (Nov 11, 2010)

> the songs seem to fly by (just the one chorus!?)





I've noticed this too. There have even been occasions where I've repeated the song because I didn't hear the parts I like best the first time through.


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## HalfAce (Nov 12, 2010)

You know, there's something else I've noticed too.
Since when did bands start choosing such stupid, meaningless names?
_Lady Ga Ga_??? Come on!
Don't get me wrong, I've heard some of her music and it sounds just fine for the most part, but that name!...

What ever happened to "Mott The Hoople" and "Toad The Wet Sprocket", you know, band names that made some kind of sense?


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## MrKowz (Nov 12, 2010)

HalfAce said:


> What ever happened to "Mott The Hoople" and "Toad The Wet Sprocket", you know, band names that made some kind of sense?


 
Those make sense!?  What is a Hoople!?


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## HalfAce (Nov 12, 2010)

A Hoople?

Why, that's what _Mott_ is. (...what else would it be?)


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## xld (Nov 12, 2010)

MrKowz said:


> Those make sense!?  What is a Hoople!?



The Major in Our Boarding House!


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## diddi (Nov 21, 2010)

OMG what is it with Pink Floyd and programmers? I too experience the greatest level of motivation from the Floyd.  For all the other Floydians out there, try Eloy (albums that i would recommend for noobs would include 'Ocean' and 'Visionary')


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## MrKowz (Nov 22, 2010)

diddi said:


> OMG what is it with Pink Floyd and programmers? I too experience the greatest level of motivation from the Floyd. For all the other Floydians out there, try Eloy (albums that i would recommend for noobs would include 'Ocean' and 'Visionary')


 
I'm going to get the greatest level of motivation ever in a month.  Going to go see El Monstero (best Pink Floyd cover band in the world).


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## HalfAce (Nov 22, 2010)

> I'm going to get the greatest level of motivation ever in a month.   Going to go see El Monstero (best Pink Floyd cover band in the world).


 Maybe the best motivation _currently_ available...
The actual best motivation was in San Francisco on their Dark Side of the Moon tour in '74!

(One of the best concerts I have little to no memory of!  )

[EDIT:]
Where do you go to see El Monstero?


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## MrKowz (Nov 22, 2010)

HalfAce said:


> Maybe the best motivation _currently_ available...
> The actual best motivation was in San Francisco on their Dark Side of the Moon tour in '74!
> 
> (One of the best concerts I have little to no memory of!  )
> ...


 
I envy you... I envy you so much right now... 

They are going to be in St. Louis, MO in December from I think Dec 16-26.  They ended up selling out in about 20 min.  I tried to get balcony seats (the best seats), but those sold out within 1 minute from ticket sales opening.  Might be able to find tix on ebay though!


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## HalfAce (Nov 22, 2010)

Ahh, actually I envy you now.
After enduring the '...music?' (  ) of 3 teenage daughters for a dozen years, (now that they're all grown up & moved out) I could use a shot of some _real_ tunes again.

When you go, try & have a little extra fun for an old guy trying to remember his youth eh?


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## MrKowz (Nov 22, 2010)

HalfAce said:


> Ahh, actually I envy you now.
> After enduring the '...music?' (  ) of 3 teenage daughters for a dozen years, (now that they're all grown up & moved out) I could use a shot of some _real_ tunes again.
> 
> When you go, try & have a little extra fun for an old guy trying to remember his youth eh?


 
Will do!


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## yytsunamiyy (Nov 22, 2010)

HalfAce said:


> ....on their Dark Side of the Moon tour in '74!
> 
> (One of the best concerts I have little to no memory of!  )


 
No wonder, you'd have been no more than 3 months old judging by your pic :D


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## diddi (Nov 22, 2010)

living in australia, i missed the dark side tour, but i did manage to have 7th row from the front in 1987. a truely life changing experience for me.


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## Mr_Roscoe (Nov 22, 2010)

Listening to the soundtrack from 2001 A Space Odyssey while coding/debugging always makes me think I am trying to outsmart "HAL"


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## T. Valko (Nov 23, 2010)

Depends on what kind of mood I'm in...

If this doesn't make you feel good then nothing will: Percy Faith - Theme From A Summer Place

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSsiS-v6_6M

An absolute masterpiece: Yes - Shoot High Aim Low

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDIhzx6Jc_A

Not for lightweights: Bulletboys - Smooth Up In Ya

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziL2FyIg1_I


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## justme (Jul 26, 2011)

cornflakegirl said:


> COUNT Basie?



I've been on facebook too much, I was looking for the like button!


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## Michael M (Jul 27, 2011)

For mine
Some quality Blues Guitar..
Dave Hole, Clapton, Ash Grunwald....etc.


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