It’s been a while since I’ve bought a music CD.

Still recall the days when I was just a kid. I started my pop song listening in primary school, around Standard 5 I think. Don’t know what the craze was with Aaron Kwok then. Back then, cassette tapes were still the norm, and I don’t think CDs were that popular in Malaysia yet. It would cost around RM11.50 – RM12.90 a piece, and I think I’d play them A side and B side until the deck player would start creaking.

The music I started listening to way back was classical music. I can sort of roughly pick out the time periods of something I listen to, by the complexity of the composition (you could sort of feel who composed it as well, especially the more famous composers) and the type of instruments used. The modern symphony orchestra didn’t really evolve until the late 18th century I suppose (or so I speculate).

Back to popular culture. The first pop idol of mine back then was probably Jacky Cheung. The very first album of his I bought was introduced by a friend, and it’s titled the Kiss Goodbye (literary translation, I think Michael Learns to Rock [another one of the groups I followed] made a rendition of this song recently). So I’d collect all his albums, and eagerly anticipated the release of each new album. The span for one album was probably 3 to 4 months back then, and I can still remember the lyrics to the songs back then.

Heh, these days, I don’t know whether Jacky Cheung still produces albums. I sort of stopped listening to his music after he got married. He was using more Chinese composers for his music, and I found it a little bland. He was also trying to emulate Jay Chou (still one of my favourate Chinese R&B singers, heh, even if some of my friends find his songs gay), but I think it’s just not his style. He’s more suited for ballads and more traditional Canto pop.

The thing is, back when I was still a kid, I used to collect all these things. My mom would be mad at me for collecting a pile of things that I don’t listen to anymore (and cassettes die after 3 to 4 years, unfortunately). I always wondered why adults don’t collect music like teenagers do. I think I understand now. These days, I don’t really listen to very many new tunes. Can’t keep up with the music scene. Pop stars and boy bands come and go. Some are one album wonders then fade into nothingness.

Kind of happy with my limited selection of anime tracks and movie soundtracks. Listen to the radio when I do go out shopping. Heh.. times change, as do people’s taste in things they used to go mad over.