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Collection Sorting Questions

GavinB

pfm Member
Hi Folks

DJ Shadow - should I file this under D or S, given that I file David Bowie under B.

What do you do?

Thanks

Gavin
 
I prefer to file under the 'given' name, so 'S'. Similarly 'K' for Krush, 'V' for Vadim, etc. Same for reggae artists who style themselves Jah xxx.
 
Tis a pickle, no?

For what it's worth DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince sit between Dinosaur Jr and and Nick Drake in my collection. But not being into dance / house music it's the only artist I have beginning with DJ. Had I been I could see that being an issue.

Warren G is under W though, which regularly piques my OCD until I have a smoke and realise it doesn't matter as long as I know where to find it.

Shameless plug for my https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/side-by-side-in-my-collection.229804/
 
My copy resides in a segment of my collection loosely unlabelled as ‘Hip Hop.’

Past that point, I don’t keep records in alphabetical order. It would hurt my head too much.
 
Bonnie Prince Billy, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers all get filed under Oldham, Will in this house.

If I had any DJ Shadow it would be under Shadow, DJ
 
Yes I've struggled with Bpb and his aliases, think his records are strewn about in my collection. Similarly Cat Power (under c at the moment).
 
I remember John Peel berating those that filed Howlin’ Wolf under W (quickly checks Henry Cow and Captain Beefheart sections). And as for Big John Patton - is that Big big enough for him to be filed under B?
 
Roscoe Mitchell & Anthony Braxton - Duets is filed under A for Art Ensemble
Bola and everything else on Skam is filed under S except Gescom which is filed under A for Autechre
The Sonic Youth shelves are filed; official releases chronologically, bootlegs chronologically, solo projects by member then chronologically.
Anything on Tzadik gets filed under Z.

Though rather a lot of stuff is currently 'filed' in piles on the floor waiting for shelf space to become available...
 
I've spent decades seeking a system that will work for me i.e. foolproof.

A couple of years ago a friend suggested a solution which has resulted in (finally!) aways finding what is wanted. Loaded collection into Discogs a/c, use website to sort alphabetically by artist, then follow this for RL filing and finding.
 
use website to sort alphabetically by artist
And does that put Bowie under B or D?
I use CLZ Music to catalogue my CDs etc. but of course you can choose how to sort each artist under that.
Perhaps I'll go with the Cat Power suggestion. That's been a head-scratcher for me too, but is currently under C.
 
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Though rather a lot of stuff is currently 'filed' in piles on the floor waiting for shelf space to become available...
If only I had the space to file properly alphabetically :( Mine are now grouped roughly into genres as far as possible some in different rooms and more and more spreading out on the floor in our living room much to SWMBO’s despair. Space is not helped by the large photography art book collection also taking up shelf and floor space. I should really sell stuff I don’t play or hardly ever, but I’m always reluctant to part with stuff collected over nearly 60 years.

Still it makes finding a particular record or pressing of one quite an adventure some times. ;) Vacuuming the carpet can also be quite an exercise in navigation.
 
Mine are now grouped roughly into genres as far as possible some in different rooms

Jim - I think assigning each room to a different genre is the way to go. :)

It reminds me a bit of Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth when they lived in downtown New York. Their apartment apparently became so full of books and records that when their neighbour moved out they rented the apartment next door, moved in and kept their original pad to store their collections.
 


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