I’ve always loved music. As a kid I collected 45s; then 8-tracks (my first car, a ’69 Mustang, had an 8-track), and then LPs and cassettes. I still have lots of LPs, but you can’t beat the durability and convenience of CDs.

I have two Sony 400-CD players, which output digitally to a Theta TLC anti-jitter conditioner and a Musical Fidelity outboard digital-to-analog converter (DAC). My Vandersteen 2s are driven by a Musical Fidelity A300 dual-mono amp. A small Musical Fidelity tube amp sends the music up to my living room, where I have a separate home theater amplifier and speakers.

As you might imagine, it’s challenging logistically to keep track of which CDs are in each of 800 slots—so I use an Access database to generate reports of CDs by Artist or CDs by Slot #. The latter report shows that, as John Cusak said in High Fidelity, I have them arranged “autobiographically.”

How to Download Free Live Music Legally!

Check out the bands at and recordings available at:

One look at all the music available shows why record sales are declining; many of today’s best bands allow taping of their live recordings. Today’s recording technology is so advanced and today’s bands are so good that you simply don’t need to pay for your music any more. What’s in it for the band? More ticket sales!

You’ll need to pay attention to the ground rules and download a few free tools, but there’s a whole new universe of free music out there.

For detailed instructions on how to get started, click here.

Paul’s Party Mixes

There is an art to the mix tape/cd. Here are a few that I’ve put together. If you ask me real nice, I might send you a couple CDs.

[Mix 1: Fire] [Mix 2: Water] [Mix 3: Earth] [Mix 4: Wood] [Mix 5: Metal] [Mix 6: Xmas 2001] [Mix 7: Drunken Angel] [Mix 8: Party May 03] [Mix 9: Knappyhead v1] [Mix 10: Knappyhead v2]