An Intro of sorts ....

I must confess one thing from the outset - I'm a big music fan. Not just a run-of-the mill fan, more of a hardcore fanatic. I'm that guy at parties who's in the corner talking some dudes ear off about who produced The Stooges first album, and why it matters.
I'm a details man. When I hear a record I like to know when it came out, who's in the band and who produced it. I like to figure out where it fits in the big scheme of things - the influences it draws on and the originality (if any) it conveys to the listener. Not to say that all music needs to be labeled or pigeon-holed into a particular style or genre - I'm more interested in seeing if I can identify where it fits amongst the rich tapestry that is the "History of Recorded Sound" (or something like that .... it sounded less pretentious in my head).
Basically, it all comes down to what Mick Jagger said in '74: "It's Only Rock & Roll, But I Like it". And they knighted the bastard so I guess he was on the right track!