All my adult life I have pursued many interests, which in many cases turn into passions. Chief amongst these are Reading and Music. I have read a very wide selection of books and authors from Classics through to Science Fiction and Fantasy. My absolute passion in literature is Sci-Fi (evident in my first effort of writing a book is Sci-Fi) I have read novels, biographies, factual books, classics of just about every genre (well lots of them at least) I have so many favourite books and authors I have lost track of which stand out the most. Iain Banks (aka Iain M Banks) has to be up there as one of the best writers I have ever had the pleasure of reading, a great loss to the the community of literature.
As I sit here I am also pursuing another of those passions, Music. I have collected and listened to vinyl since the early 60s, and yes I still buy vinyl. But also CDs and just to show I am not a recidivist I have a collection of more than 10,000 mp3 files. Right now I am listening to an ITunes mp3 play list of hundreds of 78 rpm records, transferred over many hours of part of my collection of Big Band Swing and Jazz, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Duke Ellington. There are many more all fabulous. The musicality and immediacy of the recordings on 78s is stunning. Never turn away when you see 78s in charity shops, buy them, buy an mp3 converter turntable, hook up to your computer, it will change your life.
Just listened to "Gone with What Wind" by the Benny Goodman Sextet, it is so good I have tears as I listen and type, foot tapping brilliance.