In my initial listening to this wonderful collection, I had a wonderful memory that I thought would signal a negative slant to this review. Since I listen for the purposes of review AND to do quality control for The Society, I spent a few hours taking in this ragtime musical bath.

And the wonderful memory that I wrote of was – and as I prepare to write it, I realize perhaps it will only be wonderful to me – of a day at a county fair on Labor Day weekend, nearly a decade ago. My young son had spent most of the day having a raucous, happy day with his best friend. We were miles from home, and as I discovered, managing time and stamina efficiency is a skill most five year olds have yet to master. Directly put, he crapped out and there was still quite a bit to do, and no one wanted to go home with the same desire that he did. So I sat on a bench and let the five year old take a nap.

The place of his choosing was quiet at the start, but as he (and possibly I) drifted off, we realized that our resting spot was quiet and empty for a reason – we had set up right next to an exhibit on wheels that was actually a very large player piano, with additional one-man-band elements like cymbals and bass drums for extra effect. I recognized most of the songs, and most of that thirty minutes was made up of the music of Scott Joplin.

What’s the point? In my first run-through on this title, I had that same feeling after the first fifteen minutes. The running order – in keeping with standard practice – is to put the most familiar songs at the top, and to be honest, I was at first listening for any glaring errors (no use thinking about the music if the album’s wrong). And it drove me insane – so if you think that listening to some music that reminds you of being at an endless outdoor fair that ladles on the nostalgia, then perhaps don’t go much further – there’s still hundreds of other downloads to think about and listen to.