But my trusty iPod has been rotating:

1. A playlist of pieces I’m working on for a classical guitar CD. It’s interesting and instructive to compare interpretations and production on versions recorded by different artists over a span of about 60 years.

2. A playlist of Pantera’s greatest — consider it a tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell. Besides, sometimes you simply gotta thrash.

3. Damien Rice, 0 — It’s a mixed bag; some songs I like, the rest don’t do much for me. But it’s a great example of songs working despite not-so-stellar production, and that can be just as instructive as learning from an audiophile production.