Music for books

[Tobytook]

I've started this kind of thread elsewhere on the Net, and it's usually yielded interesting results.

So - what's a good soundtrack to read something by?

This will mainly depend on what you're reading, of course. Many people will choose silence, but let's see what kind of responses we get.

Rock on...

(or jazz on, or classical on... or whatever - you get the idea.)

Tobytook

 

[bebe]

music that will scare the hell out of you

the ave satani on the omen soundtrack scares the hell out me, i swear. I can't even listen to the whole song without seeing scary demon people and lots and lots of fire. It is just one of the most frightening songs you will ever hear in your life. (its not even subtle, either. it starts scary, and ends scary) You should listen to it reading to the book The Omen I think, but the music will probably distract you into thinking there's something evil lurking underneath your bed, couch, chair.....whatever you're sitting/lying on. Has anyone else heard this song? I know...it's freaky!! -B

 

[Tom Head]

Peter Gabriel's Passion (his soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ) is useful for almost anything, IMHO. Darned good stuff. Afro-Celt's Further in Time is another of my favorites. For classical, I like Schumann.


Cheers,

 

[Holger]

Craig David - Born To Do It

and

A-HA - Minor Earth, Major Sky

I also listen to this kind of stuff when I need to concentrate on my translation-jobs.

 

[Darren]

I tend to prefer to read in silence. Otherwise I start listening to the music instead!

 

[spaz]

I usually just put on the radio, on some alt. rock station. but if i have my cd player, i pop in something that isnt distracting...... how wierd, nothing comes to mind, i know i have some. Anyways, the point is that it should be something you enjoy, but not something you love, because then you cant concentrate on you reading, like wise with something you hate.

 

[Tobytook]

Originally posted by spaz
...the point is that it should be something you enjoy, but not something you love, because then you cant concentrate on you reading, like wise with something you hate.

Personally, I can't really concentrate properly while any song (i.e. something with actual lyrics) is playing. It's a bit like trying to read while someone's talking to you. For that reason, I only listen to classical or modern instrumental music while my head's in a book. Weird, though - maybe it's an age thing. I distinctly remember listening to AC/DC (hardly background "muzak") on a Walkman, as a teenager, and reading away with no problem.

Tobytook

 

[lujan]

either classical, or sometimes techno, just something to remove the silence without lyrics to distract me.

 

[Dave B]

I much prefer silence otherwise I get too distracted by it or it becomes just a vague pointless background noise. Same is true of having the TV on in the same room as I'm reading. Afraid I've never managed to crack the *block everything else out* kind of reading :-(

Dave B.

 

[Gracewings]

It would have to be no music for me, or without lyrics, at least. Light classical on a low volume might work, and possibly earthy/atmospheric tunes would be okay although they may cause me to start daydreaming about the outdoors.

 

[lies]

I like silence best as well. No radio, no TV, no people around. Just me, my book and some food and beverages.

 

[TownBear]

well, i'm not into soundtracks much at all, but i do like the radio on low
altho, whatever background noise there is, i usually totally block it all out when reading