Albums -who bothers with them?

What's the preferred way you listen to an artist's music -are albums still relevant?


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Nigeyy

Legendary Member
The other thread about albums with no fillers got me thinking.....

I admit I'm old school. If I want to listen to an artist, I'll buy the album and listen to it all the way through. While I admit to having some "Greatest Hits" albums I tend to eschew them. I very rarely skip tracks, and almost always go from track 1 to the end.

I'm not sure any of my kids have ever listened to an album from the beginning to the end, and I can't help but think they are missing out. At least previously, I think an album was a musical intent by the artist, and as such, is best to be experienced the way the artist intended (not least of which I think some artists have spent time and huge deliberation agonizing over their album's content and track listing).

How do you usually listen to an artist's music?
 
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cookiemonster

Legendary Member
Location
Hong Kong
I love albums and have just restarted building up my vinyl collection again. The sound is better, warmer and more welcoming, and the artwork is great. You get your money’s worth with an album, not so with a download.

I also still use Spotify and have done for years.
 

Slick

Guru
I do use streaming for when I'm out and about but I must be old school as well as I do still enjoy listening to an album on vinyl.

Youngest niece and nephew arrived just last year for a visit and were fascinated by the record player and vinyl. They didn't have a clue how it worked as dad is a techno freak and would never consider anything other than streaming.
 

SGG on a bike

Senior Member
Location
Lowestoft
If I find an artist I like, but am unfamiliar with, I always get the full album for all the hidden gems of sings that don’t normally get airplay on the radio. I do believe that one of the huge benefits of the likes of Spotify, Apple Music etc is the ability to find obscure artist‘s work easily. I’ve found some superb albums that way.
 

Electric_Andy

Heavy Metal Fan
Location
Plymouth
Always the full album for me. If it's an artist or band that I've never heard, I select the "top songs" option on my streaming platform, so that gives me an overview of their most popular tracks. If i like them, I'll then listen to their first album and work my way through to their must recent.

Lots of guitar bands I like differ a lot from when they formed to present day, so a best of mix doesn't really follow very well. It would be like watching a TV series on random order.

If I just want some background pop music, I'll stick on the most listened to songs i.e. "trending" in the uk.
 

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
When I was regularly buying albums (many moons ago) it seemed to me that every track was excellent ie early Stones, Beatles, Hollies etc
It got to the point that you could hear a good track, buy the album and find it was utter cr*p........as with the last REM album I bought. Same with the last Weller album.
I rarely bother now.
 
Not bought a Album for over a decade, listen to music a lot of the day on utube ( subscription no adverts) I find it rather clever at suggesting other artists I should listen to etc. I am getting old I think and find commercial radio annoying.
 

Electric_Andy

Heavy Metal Fan
Location
Plymouth
Not bought a Album for over a decade, listen to music a lot of the day on utube ( subscription no adverts) I find it rather clever at suggesting other artists I should listen to etc. I am getting old I think and find commercial radio annoying.
Agree. I don't want to listen to adverts, phone-in competitions or DJs banging on about how their mum found a carrot shaped like a thingy. Albums are as the artist intended, some tell a story and some are very good at consuming your attention for the duration
 
My favourite things in the world are the albums that I can enjoy start-to-end (not always "no filler", but some are).

Anyway, i have a student days story, and some of you need to be sitting down to read this. Ready?

Most of us had taped our vinyl (ok, yes, friends' vinyl too), usually onto C90s - so you could fit a whole 40-45min album onto each side. Now, this one friend didn't take care what order he recorded sides A & B of an album. Yes that's right:
Certain albums he ALWAYS listened to Side B, then Side A; that was how he'd taped them, so that's how they would stay.

And even more shocking, he could not see ANYTHING WRONG WITH THIS.

eurgh, the memory still makes me shudder.
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
There are certain albums that I have that I have to listen to all the way through - in fact I recently upgraded my Amazon Prime account to Unlimited just because this was the only way to listen to a particular album that I have somewhere on CD but can't find.

But mostly I'll just listen to the music on my iPod on shuffle - and will skip the ones I'm not in the mood for.
 

swee'pea99

Legendary Member
If it's an artist or band that I've never heard, I select the "top songs" option on my streaming platform, so that gives me an overview of their most popular tracks. If i like them, I'll then listen to their first album and work my way through to their must recent.
Good God! I've never done that, or anything approaching it. I'd consider myself a pretty full on music chap - listen every day, generally for a couple of hours or more - but I don't think I've heard all of any band/singer's output.
 

Electric_Andy

Heavy Metal Fan
Location
Plymouth
Good God! I've never done that, or anything approaching it. I'd consider myself a pretty full on music chap - listen every day, generally for a couple of hours or more - but I don't think I've heard all of any band/singer's output.
Well I'm an all-or-nothing guy sometimes. I get really into something and then overdose and get bored and get into something esle. Much like a small child. Also I only discover/listen to new music probably once every couple of months. The rest of the time it's artists I already love and have done for years, but I still play an album right through, just depends on which one I fancy at the time.
 

delb0y

Legendary Member
Location
Quedgeley, Glos
The only time I listen to albums all the way through these days is when driving. I do prefer to listen to a whole album but there are a few albums where I skip the awful tracks. That said, now we're in lockdown and I'm not driving it means I'm not listening to much. Maybe an opportunity to dejunk...
 
The only time I listen to albums all the way through these days is when driving. I do prefer to listen to a whole album but there are a few albums where I skip the awful tracks. That said, now we're in lockdown and I'm not driving it means I'm not listening to much. Maybe an opportunity to dejunk...
This is about the only good thing I miss about long car journeys!
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
I've got quite a few LPs I only bought for one track back in my 'HiFiNut' days, generally by people whose music I didn't really like but who came out with a tune that had a virtuoso performance or superb production that sounded fantastic.
 
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