I've been following this thread with enthusiasm.

I'm wondering, from experience, if people who might be interested in
"getting into" CM aren't daunted by the selection with which they're
faced making an initial purchase.  Imagine:  you are a CM neophyte who has
decided to start collecting (or at least buying) CM CDs.  You go to Tower
or what-have-you, and look up Beethoven (to whom you've just been turned
on) and are overwhelmed that there are 150 or so versions of Sym 5 out.
Gods!  How discouraging.  Then you buy one randomly, or through association
(I've heard of this guy!) and are perhaps ridiculed for your poor taste,
etc etc.

I myself have a measly 5 or 6 versions at the most of any Beethoven
symphony.  On this list alone in a few months I think I've heard a dozen
or so reccomendations of versions I've never heard.  How would one start?

It's not so hard to collect every Led Zeppelin album; even a completist
only has to get a handfull of outtakes and bootlegs [assuming you can't
get all 4 "In Through the Out Door" covers] to get it ALL.

But--and I guess this is my point--I have this same problem.  Its harder
for me to buy composers with whom I'm unfamilliar but are interested in.
Its much more tempting to get the new Bartok Quartets.  I sometimes even
have this problem with pop music.  Every time I figure its finally time
to get that Frank Zappa album I am daunted by the choices.

Where to start?

Bob K., listening to Ravel but wishing he had "Freak Out"