How does one "Get lost in the music"?

Leicachamp-

you have too much on your mind. Whar are your troubles?

Schubert and Tostadosunidos, I wish I could agree and I envy you both. If I could still get lost listening to my car stereo, it would have saved me years of obsessive behavior, untold shock therapy treatments (which I just found out are legal again) and upwards of mumblemumble $XX,000 on gear!

Mapman... I think we should keep that study under wraps lest our Oreos become a controlled substance!

Alonski, maybe it's an age/era thing. I used to go to another world hearing music on a mono AM car radio before there were 8-tracks or cassettes.

I've heard Eric Clapton say that his studio recordings never have the magic of his 4-track cassette demos.

Another thought-

one has to take the time, to get lost, in the music.

Tostadosunidos, Yeah, I remember that era. But even earlier, in 1971 or so, I remember my first experience hearing STEREO playback. I was mesmerized – and for the life of me I couldn't understand how that tiny needle tracing a microscopic groove could separate the music into 2 channels! On top of that, early stereo mastering/mixing of popular rock music was all about effects like panning back and forth and disembodying the musicians from their instruments (i.e. different parts of the drum kit showing up in different channels). Yes, now it's total cheese ball, but back then... talk about going to another world... all I can say is – thank God for gravity.

Also, slightly off topic (sorry, Leicachamp):
I know that there's now a renewed interest in MONO... but this time, it's expensive high-end MONO... but I must be missing something. I don't recall ever hearing a MONO rig throwing a wide and deep soundstage, which is where, among other attributes of STEREO, that I get my thrills. Can you (or anyone for that matter) enlighten me as to why there's a retro buzz about 1 Channel sound, to the point of having a few $5K MONO phono carts on the market?