As a radio producer, I have a lot of odd and strange things to play on Shockwave. When I started buying CDs several years ago, it occured to me to catalog them on my computer. I could never catalog my records; it's too big a job. But if I started now, when I had fewer than a hundred, I could just add on as I acquired them.

I acquire CDs if
a) They're something I want to hear
b) It has a song or a cut I may use on the air
c) It's cheap and looks vagually promising
d) I have burned a CD for myself, from tapes or vinyl or mp3s
Reason a) explains the Steeleye Span CDs (I have them all, except for compilations and live concerts). I generally make an effort to replace albums with CDs. Especially the ones I like and may get around to listening to again.

Reason b) explains most of the various CDs, the single largest catalog item, often in a sub category. As you will see, that cataloging is rather haphazard. Oh well, as long as I know where they are. More on that later. That also explain the sound effects, movie/tv stuff and environment albums. I often do a show on Folk Songs For Yuppies: TV Theme Songs. And a good environment background helps set the scene aurally.

Reason c) explains many of the obscure titles. If I buy a CD (or tape or album) unheard, from a group I've never heard of, it's a bit of a gamble. The gamble pays off about a third of the time. Some gambles have paid off big time, as with Wally Pleasant. Some aren't very good, but have a cut I can use, as in The Ringling Sisters, who's cut Horny (a short spoken word bit about getting turned on as a child by Astro Boy and other cartoons) is great.

Because I have so many compilations and Best of's, it's sometimes hard to find an individual cut. One show was solely seven versions of The Lion Sleeps Tonight (and had another one that I didn't have time for, and have collected several since). To help find stuff like that, I started cataloging individual songs on a CD. That's a completely different file representing fewer CDs but many more entries.

Reason d) explains some of the CDs you won't be able to find commercially. No, I won't burn one for you.

Here is the list of all my CDs, cataloged on FileMaker Pro for the Mac, in alphabetical order by artist; note all the various and soundtrack compilations. I actually have a lot more stuff on vinyl and tape, but they're not in a database. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask.

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Baron Dave's Recommended CDs: Reviews and recommendation of many of these.

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