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As has become clear to us all, there is simply too much music. Statistics show a gazillion new songs are released every day. And I could keep up with that. Just about.
But it gets harder as music emerges on only some of the bewildering number of digital services, which may or may not be ones you subscribe to. These days you often have to hunt music down, assuming you’re lucky enough to discover it exists in the first place.
But keeping up with new music is only half the battle. The other mountain to climb is the massive peak of reissues. That’s where 2025 nearly did my head in.
Old time acts
Just looking at three of the bigger old-time acts...
The Beatles. Photo / Supplied
The Beatles had a huge year with the reissue of a souped-up version of the 1995 Anthology documentary, now expanded from eight hours to nine, and the accompanying eight-CD set. Anthology joins Peter Jackson’s eight-hour Get Back, the original Let It Be film, and the Beatles ‘64 documentary, all on Disney. A John and Yoko documentary arrives soon.
And how to keep up with Mr Springsteen? Last June there was Tracks 2: The Lost Albums, containing 83 songs, representing a full seven unreleased albums. Then a few months later we got the Nebraska ‘82: Expanded Edition where the 1982 album was expanded to a full five discs plus a concert film. So that’s well above 100, many new, Springsteen songs. Plus one dreadful biopic starring the guy from The Bear.
A fascinating glimpse
As to Bob Dylan, after dueting with Barbara Streisand, and in the wake of the not-at-all-bad biopic A Complete Unknown, he released more from that early period, specifically 139 songs, on the eight-CD set The Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through the Open Window 1956–1963.
It’s a fascinating glimpse into his growth from 1961 to 1963, but I’m running out of time to listen to all this stuff.
And not just listen. You want to live with it, get to know it, get jiggy with it, form a relationship. Music shouldn’t be a hurried one night stand; one quick listen just doesn’t cut it. But who has time for anything more? There is simply too much music.
The Beatles on a rooftop. Photo / Supplied
Forgive my howls of despair. First world problems. I write as a music-lover not a critic so at least let me be useful in recommending a couple of gigs.
Gigs
First is this weekend at Okahukura Studio, the community arts space on Grey St in Tauranga CBD down the alleyway behind Bohemian Tattoo. This Saturday, January 24, from 7pm there’s a delightful alternative bill of The Inth’way Mangosteen Experience, performance poet Captain Houndstooth, Profound and We Will Ride Fast, whose excellent 2025 single I totally forgot in my 2025 wrap-up.
Then on Tuesday, January 27 Ben Lloyd and his band The Brood are playing at the Mount’s Palace Tavern, solid mainstream rock, and finally Friday, January 30, at Katikati’s Arts Junction the folk club host Scott Cook and Pamela Mae, highly recommended globe-trotting troubadours from the States. They sound very good.
Hear Winston’s latest Playlist: