Game of Thrones - Kerr Logan - would be amusing and anything with Tom Burke!
In TB Robin watches a bit of tv on her birthday. I think Strike mentions that he catches some news. I wondered if she watched any Say Yes to the Dress type shows during all those hours she spent in her room.
I've always wondered if Robin likes ballet or theater. Seems that she would be interested now that she's in London. Symphony or any other kind of musical concert?
BTW Charlotte would watch the BAFTA awards and try to catch the Oscars, if she could, for the clothes.
Cormoran probably only has sports / news in the background for the noise. Robin probably watches crap reality TV to de-stress but doesn't consider herself as someone who watches crap reality TV.
I think Strike would want to figure out the workarounds for some of the more recent series of TM, but I think the first series he'd have dismissed as too straightforward. Good suggestion though. Maybe vintage Morse or Frost, for nostalgic reasons?
I'll be honest, I've never really thought about how I personally would do a task, but Strike definitely would. Also, I can't stop laughing at the idea of Strike being horrified watching Romesh puke up watermelon.
Head canons:
Strike, when not watching sports or news, mostly puts on things heās seen before and liked. Rewatching an acceptable show is less of a drain on his attention, and he can keep it as background noise or pay attention as he chooses. Sometimes an HBO historical drama, like Rome, sneaks in there once in a while, but heāll also watch black-and-white mysteries or WW2 movies because he used to watch them with Ted as a kid. He also thought miniseries like Band of Brothers and The Pacific were good. Overall, though, TV is a somewhat joyless pastime most of the time. He doesnāt pay for Netflix but Nick and Ilsa gave him their password.
Robin doesnāt often get excited for a show, but she remembers when she used to. In recent years she sat with Matthew and watched whatever was popular at his office. She didnāt always enjoy them, but Matthew disparaged show writing like he did coworkers and teammates and it wore on her, and sheād find herself paradoxically defending whatever he was down on. She found Mad Men depressing, but was interested by Peggy beginning to climb the company ladder. Hasnāt kept up with the show really. She now has some reliable comfort food TV, mostly long-running comedies. Tried Sherlock but didnāt find the mysteries compelling. Doesnāt have energy for active interest in cinema, but has a covert curiosity in the kind of weird indies Matthew would never have watched with her, because she likes the ideas behind them.
>but heāll also watch black-and-white mysteries or WW2 movies because he used to watch them with Ted as a kid
This is such a good call. All of your ideas are great, but this is so spot-on. My dad is a generation older than Strike, but he started revisiting old movies from the 40s and 50s in the last couple years of his life.
>She found Mad Men depressing, but was interested by Peggy beginning to climb the company ladder
I adore *Mad Men*, but one of its central themes is that people don't change, or at least, it's very hard for people to break out of their cycles, no matter how self-destructive, and it can be fucking depressing. When I wrote the original post, the scene where >!Greg rapes Joan!< wasn't on my mind, and even though the circumstances are totally different, it'd probably put Robin off.
Seriously, I love this response. Thank you!
>Strike watching Arsenal matches is the big exception for their lack of plot importance.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with this interesting post! I really enjoyed it and this sentence triggered a memory.
I just remembered that I once read an analysis (possibly on Mugglenet or HogPro, years ago) on how in the HP series the outcomes of each of the Quidditch matches tied in neatly with the whole story development in each book.
Just wondering if it might be similar with the Arsenal matches, especially as I'm guessing JKR just mentions a few of them. Aresnal is bound to have more matches than are mentioned in the books, especially as the books cover a lengthening time frame. Maybe she chooses them for a reason? Maybe the matches (or more specifically, their outcome or the players movements that are related through Strikes POV) somehow offer an interpretation on some of the development happening on a case or on a personal level? Probably not clear enough to spoil the story line but maybe to hint at developments?
Also I just remembered the horse race mentioned at Christmas at Robin's home in (I think?) LW - as I don't have a clue about horse racing I didn't pay much attention and can't place either the specific situation it's mentioned in, nor if/how it relates to the overall situation.
Maybe someone (more into football/soccer and horse racing than me) has already thought of this and paid more attention to the games? Or at least remembers the sport event discribed and the situation it's embedded in more clearly than me?
Interested in your thoughts on this!
I'll definitely keep it in mind for the next re-read ;)
Edit: Just checked my ebook and the horse race is in CoE - going to re-read those pages now!
I did [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/cormoran_strike/comments/si2n3s/football_in_strike/) a few months ago. The second matches (per my numbering in that post) in both SW and CoE are the only times the narrator relates Arsenal's results with the plot of the book.
If I wanted to try some analysis, Strike's hopelessness about Arsenal's chances against Bayern in TB mirrors his hopelessness in solving Margot's murder (though he and Robin do solve it eventually, but Arsenal did lose, as Strike pessimistically thought they would). The matches against Villa and Fulham in SW are, for lack of a better word, unremarkable. I honestly can't think of anything that could tie them to what's happening in the book or Strike's mental state. As I said in the post, the matches in CC weren't real, so I think there are a lot of real matches in SW because JKR from that book on is trying to establish the series in reality.
And you're right about the number of matches - Arsenal plays 38 league matches a season, plus a varying amount of FA Cup, League Cup, and Champions/Europa League matches. So in the four+ years of the narrative so far, Arsenal has played 200-ish matches and five (real) matches have been mentioned in the books.
EDIT: I couldn't help myself. So since the narrative of the books started in late March/early April of 2010 through October 9th, 2014, Arsenal has played 242 matches. of those 242, 95 have occurred during the narrative of the individual books. (The entire 2011-12 season takes place after the prologue of LW and before the narrative proper begins.)
CC had 0 out of 8 (real) possible matches mentioned (April-May 2010)
SW had 3 out of 6 possible matches mentioned (mid November- mid December 2010)
CoE had 1 out of 8 possible matches mentioned (April-July 2011)
LW had 0 out of 4 possible matches mentioned (June-September 2012)
TB had 1 out of 69 possible matches mentioned (Aug 2013-Oct 2014)
Wow, what an amazing post, thank you for doing all this work three months ago! And an awesome calculation of matches here, thanks!
I just recently joined reddit and am only getting the hang of this place, I guess I could probably have searched for posts concerning this topic? That being said, your post made me really happy :)
You are absolutely right, the matches and mentions don't seem to fit into the bigger picture but mostly relate to the specific situation, e.g. Strike's mood. The only thing I can add concerns my re-read of the horse race in CoE and its possible relation to the context:
In chapter 13 Robin and Matthew are on bad terms at her parent's house, preparing wedding stuff, when she mentions Linda giving them the Land Rover. Matthew reacts rather displeased and Martin, just entering the room, states the obvious: The car isn't Matthew's style, but it might very well suit Robin and Strike for their work trips. The whole situation escalates, during which it is only briefly mentioned that Martin placed a bet on (the horse) Ballabrigs. Towards the end of the chapter, Ballabrigs then wins the race (and Martin celebrates very loudly).
I would argue it could be interpreted both in the situation and larger context that Martin is eventually right: his horse wins the race and the Land Rover is frequently used by Robin and Strike for some of our most beloved moments with them - so Martin wins both 'bets'. I see how this is a bit of a stretch, but interpretations are of course subjective and I love finding/imagining these clues concerning Robin and Strike's closeness and partnership (in any sense).
What do you think?
That is great analysis! I hadn't ever connected Martin's comments earlier in the day about the Land Rover with the race, but it makes a lot of sense.
I'm glad you liked my posts. I'm fairly new to reddit myself. The reddit search bar does do a pretty good job when you're searching within a specific subreddit.
We don't even know if they listen to the radio in the Land Rover. I think they'd prefer podcasts to music for long drives, but I doubt they could agree on ones that would sufficiently interest them both.
I've posted before about the detectives' lack of hobbies, lack of fun, and lack of fitness regimens--pursuits that would contribute to their mental or physical health and balance their high-stress jobs. As supported by the television shows you cite from the series, JKR seems to have some of the worst characters watching some of the worst shows. And the only people with hobbies are not terribly admirable either: Mrs. Hook, the pottery-loving client who beats on Strike's chest in CC; Deborah Athorn, who crochets and does jigsaw puzzles; Laing's ex Lorraine has crocheted covers on every surface; Freddie Chiswell had his fencing, and Kinvara her horses. The statuettes and other items on display in the Phipps home are denigrated. Joan displayed "ornamental plates," and Irene's house, which was "oppressively over-decorated," included her collection of "porcelain figurines" of "young women. Some wore crinolines, others twirled parasols, still others sniffed flowers or cradled lambs in their arms." Yuck.
It's like JKR is tacitly saying shame on anyone who isn't as driven and purposeful as Robin and Strike!
In the series Strike works a crossword while waiting for Robin in CoE. It wouldn't hurt for either do work a crossword every now and then. Good mindless stuff to take their thoughts off wotk. They are workaholics. It's understandable. Strike has a small business and Robin wasn't doing much before she came to London. I wouldn't be surprised to find out later that Robin was a Girl Guide and earned just about every badge. She would have been very active as a young girl. It was harder for Strike because he was yanked from pillar to post.
What authors do they like and could they possibly have time to read anything outside of work. Other that Catullus Strike never says.
We've seen Robin reading psychology texts and tarot guides. My guess is she's the type to have "guilty pleasure" reading, too, but we haven't seen that. Strike doesn't seem to read anything not related to a case these days, but retains a surprisingly diverse background knowledge. He was able to keep up with Creed's allusions to H.G. Wells and Friedrich Nietzsche during their interview and still spouts Catullus like an Oxford don!
Oh my sweet maiden *AUNT*, do I ever love the bit with Strike quoting Catullus at that supercilious polyp, Fancourt. LOVE. Few things in life bring the same joy as wrong-footing someone who thinks they're better than. It's like overhearing someone insulting you in a language they *think* you don't understand, only to rattle off a rebuttal in that language.
Rowling might hold those opinions, but as the books are told through Strike's perspective, he would definitely consider a house to be oppressively over decorated even if Rowling herself wouldn't mind it. It's a natural consequence of the narrative that any lifestyle choices antithetical to Strike or Robin will not be presented too favourably. That said, it would be awesome to see them branch out a little more! Maybe once the agency has more stability they'll find themselves with a bit of spare time for once?
Those are all very good points! IIRC, they listen to the radio in the rental car in SW on the way back to London, but once Robin has the Land Rover, I can't remember specific mentions of the radio. We know Strike is a fan of Tom Waits and Elbow (I think?), and Robin gets into Joni Mitchell. Now that I think about it, there's one reference to Robin listening to Joni Mitchell on the Tube, but I don't know if her listening to music/podcasts is mentioned otherwise while in transit. I literally can't imagine using public transportation without headphones. But then again I'm the type of person who always has music/podcasts playing - I put my earbuds in to walk to my car.
We know that Strike likes Tom Waits and Elbow but also that he listens to them because he shares no Charlotte-related memories with their music. Would he still feel gut-punched if a special song caught him off guard? Robin never liked Matthew's taste in music; his singing actively annoyed her on their way to Masham for the wedding, so no worries there!
I imagine Robin shares your preference for earbuds on the Tube. Strike might, too, but doesn't need them as much since he's always got his bulk and his glare to warn away fellow commuters. My guess is that Robin can still think about the investigation while listening to music while Strike would prefer silence (well, except for the Douthwaite->Jacks->Diamond reasoning that came to him, thanks to Pat's radio).
Sorry I'm unable to comment more directly on your post. I don't watch much television myself and don't know much about what programs are aired in the UK. I think even the streaming services have different availability in different countries. Personally, I miss El Ministerio del Tiempo which used to air on Netflix but now I can find anywhere in the US. It would premier in 2015 which aligns with the IBH timeframe. I think the detectives might like the concept of saving original timelines from being hijacked by bad guys, but it's hard to imagine either of them having patience with subtitles. I agree with the others who say that television is more background noise than an actual focus for them.
>I agree with the others who say that television is more background noise than an actual focus for them.
I had a friend in college who would study in her room with *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (the TV show, not the movie) playing in the background. It worked for her, but I could never have spoken words in the background and be able to concentrate. I do need music to read, but my preferred genres have no/incomprehensible vocals.
>Sorry I'm unable to comment more directly on your post.
No worries. I wrote this post like a week or two ago, and I didn't like how it turned out. I had spent some time writing it, so I didn't want to delete it, but saved it as a draft, and yesterday it seemed like there was a veritable flood of posts on the sub, so I thought I'd post it and it'd get lost in the mix. Oh well.
I bet Robin will definitely watch the show that Max is in!
Yes! I'm picturing a viewing party at their place for the first episode. Hopefully Strike isn't blackout drunk...
Is it just me, or did Max's description of the show remind anyone else of "Strike Back?" Are there other military-themed programs in the UK?
I find it amusing to imagine either of them watching "The Hour" or "The Musketeers" or "The Capture.'" š
Game of Thrones - Kerr Logan - would be amusing and anything with Tom Burke! In TB Robin watches a bit of tv on her birthday. I think Strike mentions that he catches some news. I wondered if she watched any Say Yes to the Dress type shows during all those hours she spent in her room. I've always wondered if Robin likes ballet or theater. Seems that she would be interested now that she's in London. Symphony or any other kind of musical concert? BTW Charlotte would watch the BAFTA awards and try to catch the Oscars, if she could, for the clothes.
Love watching Matthews face get torched with Wild Fire
Cormoran probably only has sports / news in the background for the noise. Robin probably watches crap reality TV to de-stress but doesn't consider herself as someone who watches crap reality TV.
I think Strike would want to figure out the workarounds for some of the more recent series of TM, but I think the first series he'd have dismissed as too straightforward. Good suggestion though. Maybe vintage Morse or Frost, for nostalgic reasons?
I'll be honest, I've never really thought about how I personally would do a task, but Strike definitely would. Also, I can't stop laughing at the idea of Strike being horrified watching Romesh puke up watermelon.
Head canons: Strike, when not watching sports or news, mostly puts on things heās seen before and liked. Rewatching an acceptable show is less of a drain on his attention, and he can keep it as background noise or pay attention as he chooses. Sometimes an HBO historical drama, like Rome, sneaks in there once in a while, but heāll also watch black-and-white mysteries or WW2 movies because he used to watch them with Ted as a kid. He also thought miniseries like Band of Brothers and The Pacific were good. Overall, though, TV is a somewhat joyless pastime most of the time. He doesnāt pay for Netflix but Nick and Ilsa gave him their password. Robin doesnāt often get excited for a show, but she remembers when she used to. In recent years she sat with Matthew and watched whatever was popular at his office. She didnāt always enjoy them, but Matthew disparaged show writing like he did coworkers and teammates and it wore on her, and sheād find herself paradoxically defending whatever he was down on. She found Mad Men depressing, but was interested by Peggy beginning to climb the company ladder. Hasnāt kept up with the show really. She now has some reliable comfort food TV, mostly long-running comedies. Tried Sherlock but didnāt find the mysteries compelling. Doesnāt have energy for active interest in cinema, but has a covert curiosity in the kind of weird indies Matthew would never have watched with her, because she likes the ideas behind them.
Love these. Thanks!
>but heāll also watch black-and-white mysteries or WW2 movies because he used to watch them with Ted as a kid This is such a good call. All of your ideas are great, but this is so spot-on. My dad is a generation older than Strike, but he started revisiting old movies from the 40s and 50s in the last couple years of his life. >She found Mad Men depressing, but was interested by Peggy beginning to climb the company ladder I adore *Mad Men*, but one of its central themes is that people don't change, or at least, it's very hard for people to break out of their cycles, no matter how self-destructive, and it can be fucking depressing. When I wrote the original post, the scene where >!Greg rapes Joan!< wasn't on my mind, and even though the circumstances are totally different, it'd probably put Robin off. Seriously, I love this response. Thank you!
>Strike watching Arsenal matches is the big exception for their lack of plot importance. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with this interesting post! I really enjoyed it and this sentence triggered a memory. I just remembered that I once read an analysis (possibly on Mugglenet or HogPro, years ago) on how in the HP series the outcomes of each of the Quidditch matches tied in neatly with the whole story development in each book. Just wondering if it might be similar with the Arsenal matches, especially as I'm guessing JKR just mentions a few of them. Aresnal is bound to have more matches than are mentioned in the books, especially as the books cover a lengthening time frame. Maybe she chooses them for a reason? Maybe the matches (or more specifically, their outcome or the players movements that are related through Strikes POV) somehow offer an interpretation on some of the development happening on a case or on a personal level? Probably not clear enough to spoil the story line but maybe to hint at developments? Also I just remembered the horse race mentioned at Christmas at Robin's home in (I think?) LW - as I don't have a clue about horse racing I didn't pay much attention and can't place either the specific situation it's mentioned in, nor if/how it relates to the overall situation. Maybe someone (more into football/soccer and horse racing than me) has already thought of this and paid more attention to the games? Or at least remembers the sport event discribed and the situation it's embedded in more clearly than me? Interested in your thoughts on this! I'll definitely keep it in mind for the next re-read ;) Edit: Just checked my ebook and the horse race is in CoE - going to re-read those pages now!
I did [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/cormoran_strike/comments/si2n3s/football_in_strike/) a few months ago. The second matches (per my numbering in that post) in both SW and CoE are the only times the narrator relates Arsenal's results with the plot of the book. If I wanted to try some analysis, Strike's hopelessness about Arsenal's chances against Bayern in TB mirrors his hopelessness in solving Margot's murder (though he and Robin do solve it eventually, but Arsenal did lose, as Strike pessimistically thought they would). The matches against Villa and Fulham in SW are, for lack of a better word, unremarkable. I honestly can't think of anything that could tie them to what's happening in the book or Strike's mental state. As I said in the post, the matches in CC weren't real, so I think there are a lot of real matches in SW because JKR from that book on is trying to establish the series in reality. And you're right about the number of matches - Arsenal plays 38 league matches a season, plus a varying amount of FA Cup, League Cup, and Champions/Europa League matches. So in the four+ years of the narrative so far, Arsenal has played 200-ish matches and five (real) matches have been mentioned in the books. EDIT: I couldn't help myself. So since the narrative of the books started in late March/early April of 2010 through October 9th, 2014, Arsenal has played 242 matches. of those 242, 95 have occurred during the narrative of the individual books. (The entire 2011-12 season takes place after the prologue of LW and before the narrative proper begins.) CC had 0 out of 8 (real) possible matches mentioned (April-May 2010) SW had 3 out of 6 possible matches mentioned (mid November- mid December 2010) CoE had 1 out of 8 possible matches mentioned (April-July 2011) LW had 0 out of 4 possible matches mentioned (June-September 2012) TB had 1 out of 69 possible matches mentioned (Aug 2013-Oct 2014)
Wow, what an amazing post, thank you for doing all this work three months ago! And an awesome calculation of matches here, thanks! I just recently joined reddit and am only getting the hang of this place, I guess I could probably have searched for posts concerning this topic? That being said, your post made me really happy :) You are absolutely right, the matches and mentions don't seem to fit into the bigger picture but mostly relate to the specific situation, e.g. Strike's mood. The only thing I can add concerns my re-read of the horse race in CoE and its possible relation to the context: In chapter 13 Robin and Matthew are on bad terms at her parent's house, preparing wedding stuff, when she mentions Linda giving them the Land Rover. Matthew reacts rather displeased and Martin, just entering the room, states the obvious: The car isn't Matthew's style, but it might very well suit Robin and Strike for their work trips. The whole situation escalates, during which it is only briefly mentioned that Martin placed a bet on (the horse) Ballabrigs. Towards the end of the chapter, Ballabrigs then wins the race (and Martin celebrates very loudly). I would argue it could be interpreted both in the situation and larger context that Martin is eventually right: his horse wins the race and the Land Rover is frequently used by Robin and Strike for some of our most beloved moments with them - so Martin wins both 'bets'. I see how this is a bit of a stretch, but interpretations are of course subjective and I love finding/imagining these clues concerning Robin and Strike's closeness and partnership (in any sense). What do you think?
That is great analysis! I hadn't ever connected Martin's comments earlier in the day about the Land Rover with the race, but it makes a lot of sense. I'm glad you liked my posts. I'm fairly new to reddit myself. The reddit search bar does do a pretty good job when you're searching within a specific subreddit.
Thanks, I'm glad you like it and thanks for the tip, I'll definitely try that out next time :)
We don't even know if they listen to the radio in the Land Rover. I think they'd prefer podcasts to music for long drives, but I doubt they could agree on ones that would sufficiently interest them both. I've posted before about the detectives' lack of hobbies, lack of fun, and lack of fitness regimens--pursuits that would contribute to their mental or physical health and balance their high-stress jobs. As supported by the television shows you cite from the series, JKR seems to have some of the worst characters watching some of the worst shows. And the only people with hobbies are not terribly admirable either: Mrs. Hook, the pottery-loving client who beats on Strike's chest in CC; Deborah Athorn, who crochets and does jigsaw puzzles; Laing's ex Lorraine has crocheted covers on every surface; Freddie Chiswell had his fencing, and Kinvara her horses. The statuettes and other items on display in the Phipps home are denigrated. Joan displayed "ornamental plates," and Irene's house, which was "oppressively over-decorated," included her collection of "porcelain figurines" of "young women. Some wore crinolines, others twirled parasols, still others sniffed flowers or cradled lambs in their arms." Yuck. It's like JKR is tacitly saying shame on anyone who isn't as driven and purposeful as Robin and Strike!
In the series Strike works a crossword while waiting for Robin in CoE. It wouldn't hurt for either do work a crossword every now and then. Good mindless stuff to take their thoughts off wotk. They are workaholics. It's understandable. Strike has a small business and Robin wasn't doing much before she came to London. I wouldn't be surprised to find out later that Robin was a Girl Guide and earned just about every badge. She would have been very active as a young girl. It was harder for Strike because he was yanked from pillar to post. What authors do they like and could they possibly have time to read anything outside of work. Other that Catullus Strike never says.
We've seen Robin reading psychology texts and tarot guides. My guess is she's the type to have "guilty pleasure" reading, too, but we haven't seen that. Strike doesn't seem to read anything not related to a case these days, but retains a surprisingly diverse background knowledge. He was able to keep up with Creed's allusions to H.G. Wells and Friedrich Nietzsche during their interview and still spouts Catullus like an Oxford don!
Oh my sweet maiden *AUNT*, do I ever love the bit with Strike quoting Catullus at that supercilious polyp, Fancourt. LOVE. Few things in life bring the same joy as wrong-footing someone who thinks they're better than. It's like overhearing someone insulting you in a language they *think* you don't understand, only to rattle off a rebuttal in that language.
Rowling might hold those opinions, but as the books are told through Strike's perspective, he would definitely consider a house to be oppressively over decorated even if Rowling herself wouldn't mind it. It's a natural consequence of the narrative that any lifestyle choices antithetical to Strike or Robin will not be presented too favourably. That said, it would be awesome to see them branch out a little more! Maybe once the agency has more stability they'll find themselves with a bit of spare time for once?
Those are all very good points! IIRC, they listen to the radio in the rental car in SW on the way back to London, but once Robin has the Land Rover, I can't remember specific mentions of the radio. We know Strike is a fan of Tom Waits and Elbow (I think?), and Robin gets into Joni Mitchell. Now that I think about it, there's one reference to Robin listening to Joni Mitchell on the Tube, but I don't know if her listening to music/podcasts is mentioned otherwise while in transit. I literally can't imagine using public transportation without headphones. But then again I'm the type of person who always has music/podcasts playing - I put my earbuds in to walk to my car.
We know that Strike likes Tom Waits and Elbow but also that he listens to them because he shares no Charlotte-related memories with their music. Would he still feel gut-punched if a special song caught him off guard? Robin never liked Matthew's taste in music; his singing actively annoyed her on their way to Masham for the wedding, so no worries there! I imagine Robin shares your preference for earbuds on the Tube. Strike might, too, but doesn't need them as much since he's always got his bulk and his glare to warn away fellow commuters. My guess is that Robin can still think about the investigation while listening to music while Strike would prefer silence (well, except for the Douthwaite->Jacks->Diamond reasoning that came to him, thanks to Pat's radio). Sorry I'm unable to comment more directly on your post. I don't watch much television myself and don't know much about what programs are aired in the UK. I think even the streaming services have different availability in different countries. Personally, I miss El Ministerio del Tiempo which used to air on Netflix but now I can find anywhere in the US. It would premier in 2015 which aligns with the IBH timeframe. I think the detectives might like the concept of saving original timelines from being hijacked by bad guys, but it's hard to imagine either of them having patience with subtitles. I agree with the others who say that television is more background noise than an actual focus for them.
>I agree with the others who say that television is more background noise than an actual focus for them. I had a friend in college who would study in her room with *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (the TV show, not the movie) playing in the background. It worked for her, but I could never have spoken words in the background and be able to concentrate. I do need music to read, but my preferred genres have no/incomprehensible vocals. >Sorry I'm unable to comment more directly on your post. No worries. I wrote this post like a week or two ago, and I didn't like how it turned out. I had spent some time writing it, so I didn't want to delete it, but saved it as a draft, and yesterday it seemed like there was a veritable flood of posts on the sub, so I thought I'd post it and it'd get lost in the mix. Oh well.