I assume the answer is yes since many of you run vinyl rigs, but just wondering how many around here listen to entire albums at a sitting? In the age of instant gratification and playlists I seem to be, recently, gravitating to listening through entire albums. I don’t have vinyl and only stream or play from a network drive so it’s easy for me to bounce around from song to song, artist to artist. Maybe it’s a nostalgia thing but I enjoy hearing a record in it’s entirely the way the artist recorded it. I’ve flirted with the idea of vinyl for the very reason that it seems to be a format that lends itself to listening through an entire album in one sitting. I seem to be less inclined to make that move though now that I’ve been doing the album thing via streaming.
For me, it depends on so much about the album and my mood.
Sure, there are times when I want to listen to the entire album, but other when I do not. I often get in the mood to listen to only a song for two off an album.
I listen to quite a bit of progressive music, which is often in the form of concept albums, but even then, I don’t always feel the need or the want to listen to the entire album. Or, I may be feel like in am in the mood for an album, but then while listening, my mood may change, and I feel a stronger mood for something else.
I do not feel any obligation to listen to an entire album, even if it was my original plan.
Just last night, I felt like only hearing the opening 2 tracks (Eternity’s Breath, part 1 and 2) from Mahavhishnu Orchestra’s album, "Visions of the Emerald Beyond", and that was all I was in the mood for.
And that put me in the mood to hear Allan Holdsworth’s, Devil Take the Hindmost" and "The Un-Merry-Go-Round" off the album, Metal Fatigue.
The rest of my listening session went in a similar direction of only listening to a track of 2 from several other recordings. A couple of tracks of Swedish prog band’s 2012 album Viljans Öga, a couple of tracks off of Alice Colntrane’s, "Journey to Satchidananda".
Even an album like, Genesis, "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", which tells a narrative story from beginning to end, and begs to be completely listened to; I will still listen to selective songs from time to time.
And of course, all bets are off with regards to classical music. It is very often the case, that a composer and/or a specific piece I love, will be paired with composers and music I don't like.
It really depends. First of all, I don’t listen to music as an ambient background noise while I am doing something else. Either I am listening to music or the hifi is shut off. When I do listen to music, I want to hear the whole piece, or a logical equence of pieces. Most classical and jazz albums are fairly well organized for a satisfying sequential listen through the whole thing. Pop albums, which to me includes just about everything else, can sometimes be brilliantly organized (Joni Mitchel "Blue", Ziggy Stardust, OK Computer) but many have no narrative sensibility and can contain "clunkers". I still tend to listen to the whole album, but I’ll get cranky if it starts to bore me or if I have to listen to a track that sucks. For that reason, I don’t listen to much pop music.
Mostly, yes. Entire CDs all the way through. Though after long listening sessions I’ll usually finish up with a few single selections to end in the proper mood before heading to bed.
Only records and almost always completely through unless listening time is over or there is a song I can't stand - luckily very few out of about 350 records. Double albums are the only potential exception. If I have had enough for a while, I will go through the other rotations and start back with the second record for that rotation. I try to listen to all equally to the degree I can - it's OCD trying not to waste any of them. I am not a collector.
Interestingly enough, once in a while I will hear a song I really like while driving listening to Sirius XM and I'll buy the record if it is available, just for the one song. Only once was I not happy with the entire record, but I liked the one song so much it's OK. Example - Paul Simon - One Trick Pony is a great song, but I only listen to the side that song is on - I think the other side stinks - no offense Paul. But One Trick Pony is a great song - not a great album. I think the song is about Art Garfunkel even though I think it is also a movie soundtrack.
Depends on the album, and the quality of the recording.
Current activity can be a factor with vinyl vs streaming. Dismounting off the floaty thing at the deep end of the pool, finding someone to hold your drink, drying off completely, navigating guests and other objects to get into the house, and walking through several spaces in flip flops to get to the music room just to lift the tonearm at the end of the album is not convenient.
This is easy to answer. I play albums. I don’t think I’ve ever just selected a track to play unless I’m listening to a selection on an album I like so much that I replay it in situ and when it’s finished the album play continues.
i grew up in an LP world when one played Side One and then Side Two. When tape cassettes came along, then VHS tapes, then Laser Discs, then CDs, I dove in, bought the necessary gear and listened to albums as before. Even now, having ripped my CD collection, added my dubbed hi-res LPs, an wholehearted adopted streaming to the point where 99% of my listening is streaming, it never occurs to me to select by track. Well, maybe I have to take that back…sort of….as sometimes I’ll look for a particular singer on YouTube and play an aria. But that doesn’t count in a way because it’s not how I listen on my music system.
I'm in the process of listening to all of my "albums" on CD's in alphabetical order so I don't miss any. I've spent the last couple of years getting all of my equipment refurbished, sometimes including upgraded electronics. I also purchased new interconnects and speaker cables. I'm just starting basic room treatment.
With all of the changes I've made many of the titles I listen to sound different and better than ever even though I've had them for decades.
I was a digital only guy and then got the vinyl itch.
I almost exclusively listen to vinyl because it forces me to listen to full side ls and full albums.
I have found B sides/deeper cuts are often amazing on a good system vs the "hit"s. Jimmy Hendrix are you experienced. Nirvana Nevermind. David Bowie scary monsters are three example that on digital I would have skipped to something else before working through to tje magic.
I started buying albums in the late 1960's. I never just listened to one side. I always play all sides in order. Think of it as an artistic creation. The album was conceived with all the songs (not necessarily a concept) in the order in which they are laid out. I know know some compromises have to be made when mastering so a cut may have to be re-sequenced.
You don't look at part of a photograph or statue or painting. A classical lover wouldn't listen to the middle movement then move on to another symphony. I can see millennials not wanting to do that. But would you go to a movie for the middle?
Now I have over 2000 albums, carefully selected so I know I will like what is contained on the whole album. I have virtually all major genres and enjoy the time it take to listen to entire record.
When I listen to vinyl, I listen to one side of an album. When I get up I choose a different record and pick a new side! When I stream its playlists or for music discovery in which case I listen to the full album.
I remember back in the 80’s when CD’s first came out they reordered songs on 70’s albums and people lost their minds. The record companies responded by saying you can program the CD player to play in the original order but finally they just repressed as originally put out!
I grew up in the late 70's and early 80's. My local North Jersey radio station, was WDHA, it was an album rock format. They used drop the needle and play new releases beginning to end. My friends and I would record the broadcasts on our cassette decks and have an inexpensive copy of the album. I use to buy cases of TDK cassettes from Crazy Eddies.
I noticed that when streaming, if I don't like the album, I often don't finish it, and when listening to music from a vinyl record, I listen to it until the end and very often change my mind about the album.
This is an easy question to answer, I listen only to albums. I am habituated to albums having started collecting LPs in 1956. When tape cassettes became popular I got a Nakamichi tape player and began copying LPs to listen that way to save wear on my vinyl. When VHS came available and then Laser Discs and then CDs, I collected them. None of these formats lend themselves to playing by track so it never occurs to me to listen that way. Now that I have much of my LP collection and all of my CD collection stored in digital format I spend most of my time streaming thanks to Roon. I still have my turntable, my Nakamichi tape deck, my VHS player and my Laser disc player but they are idle most of the time because streaming is so wonderful.
I often listen to complete albums these days. I didn't when first started streaming but now I find myself frequently letting the whole album play, and then my streaming service starts guessing what I want to hear next. I notice it never plays a complete album after the album I selected is finished. I think that's a good thing. It has led to some discoveries.
I listen to CDs exclusively and I almost always listen to the whole album. I was a greatest hits fan, but after learning they are usually heavily compressed, I started buying the artist’s albums with the best dynamic range and I have been enjoying the hits and the deep cuts. It’s like being in high school all over again. But, with a much better system!
There are of course popular albums that feature tunes that take up an entire side or tunes that run together. I guess if one’s tastes inclined toward am radio and singles-oriented Pop, one might be more inclined to buy albums for the hits. Best of compilations no doubt hold great appeal for such listeners. In the late 60’s, 70’s, I just happened to know more people focused on fm radio and entire albums, so I was swayed in the same direction. While I’ve made plenty of cd equivalents of "mix tapes" for others, I very rarely listen to them. Equally strong cases might be made for the virtue of variety as well as sustained absorption in a particular mood/theme. Faced with a buffet table, do you take a spoonful of as many different dishes as possible, or choose full portions of just a few that share a common flavor profile?
1. those albums (vinyl or cd) where the order of the songs is different than the printed order? who made those decisions?
2. cd's. I sometimes use scramble, and found I became focused on songs that I was not fully aware of, strange: I figured out, those were most often the ones that followed the great songs which I was still thinking about.
3. we retired have more time to listen to both sides, or all sides, however I do, like others, play a favorite side: only, or 1st. Playing out of order, not your favorite side first can make you more aware of other tracks like #2 above.
LPs get a full listen, and generally CDs also, especially since I'm using a single CD transport these days (my ancient "built like a tank" Marantz 5 disc CD changer still works and sounds great but can't compete with the convenience of streaming). Streaming and the Schiit Urd go through a Bifrost 2/64 (superb DAC), the changer uses a DacMagic with its bespoke (mostly) Pangea power supply...also sounding great. Remixed, remastered, repackaged, restored, re-released...pretty much all good in my book, and I listen mostly to jazz. Often I put on some vinyl and step away to do something...oops...I should get one of those "Q up" gizmos.
Generally, I prefer to listen to a disc in its entirety. Not always, but usually. I listened to a Mapleshade CD all the way through (I cannot remember the artist or title, it was one I got nearly 30 rears ago and I have more fingers on one hand than the times I have listened to it), then Janis Ian/Breaking Silence, then Rebecca Pidgeon/The Raven. Then I listened to two tracks from Mia Doi Todd because I wanted to hear My Baby Lives In Paris and then I listened to three tracks off of Ray Lamontagne/God Willin' And The Creek Don't Rise, but generally I prefer to listen to complete CDs.
@jastralfuAs strange as it may sound, I have explored more artists and their work with vinyl than I would have with streaming. I only stop listening to an album if it makes the cat bolt through the closed window. I discover so many "B sides", it's really cool.
Yup. I’m old school. I find it much easier to do while playing a LP. The 20 minute interval keeps me engaged. I can get lost and bored while listening to a CD or digital file.
@grislybutterwe were not well off when I grew up either. I do remember listening to my parents collection of Billy Joel albums though when I was all of maybe 10. I think they had maybe five or six albums and that was it. That and The Beach Boys Endless Summer. I loved those records. Can’t recall, but I believe I listened to those all the way through at the time.
When my vinyl rig was working, I generally listened to albums straight through. Now that I'm forced to listen to CD's, I have to admit I skip around if I don't care for particular tracks.
I grew up listening to vinyl so I still listen to albums in their entirety even though I dumped my vinyl decades ago in favor of CDs. The only exception is when I’m streaming in the car or at the gym.
when and where I grew up, an album cost 2 weeks' salary. A turntable would cost twice that. Most people had 10 or 15 records total. (One for Christmas and one for a birthday - slowly adding up) We were poor so we didn't have a turntable. When I started working, I could afford to buy a used one. I also bought my friend's record collection about 30 albums (he was super rich - for us).
When your monthly paycheck buys you 2 albums, it better be good to listen to every side and song.
As a rule, I only buy/keep cds I enjoy all the way through.
I've made my own anthologies of artists whose albums are inconsistently appealing to me, such as Led Zep and Rory Gallagher but these are very much exceptions and I rarely play them.
I grew up right at the crossover from vinyl to cassette tape so I never really got into vinyl. I have wonderful memories of listening to the radio, particularly at the community swimming pool, all through the seventies. I think that’s what draws me to vinyl even though I’ve never put that into my system. I can remember back in the 80’s listening to a cassette and longing for a way to just hear or buy the one song I really loved. Then mixed tapes became a thing but you still had to buy the entire album not just the song. Streaming has more than scratched that itch and it’s been the way I’ve streamed music for the most part. Being intentional about listening to an album, warts and all, has been a fantastic addition to the way I listen to music. Seems like most of you do something similar wrt listening to albums. Some have the same habits when streaming of bouncing around or skipping the song(s) that is not appealing. Streaming has also opened up so many more genres I would never have indulged in if buying each album was required. I can also build a playlist of every album by a particular artist and listen to each album all the way through, which I am doing right now with a Steely Dan playlist.
This is why albums are not so popular anymore. I get bored with my collection and wanna always use roon.
Plus with albums spinning around ever so cooly, it’s difficult to skip songs that may suck. But on the flipside listening to all the music on an album allows you to slowly appreciate tunes that may not otherwise excite you right away. Lots of Beatles songs were kinda like this but overtime you begin to really like them. Greatest hits albums from The Beatles are horrifying since I'm used to the sequence from the original albums.
I would imagine with Taylor Swift given her extended release lots of people have not listened to most of it because they are focussed on Quickstream stuff from Spotify. I have not listened to any of her new music except Fortnite which is a really cool video.
The comments are interesting here. I’m one of those that usually listens to the entire album, one side after the other in a sitting. With digital on my server run by JRiver, I typically pick and choose songs through the app unless I like the whole album. Like others, I’ll load the whole thing and listen to it.
With albums I too usually don’t buy it unless I love the album and like most of what’s on it. For instance I love Supertramp’s “Crime..” and “Crisis..” but really only liked about 4 songs off “Breakfast”. So for a long time I haven’t bothered purchasing the album because there’s a couple songs that are so-so and a couple I really can’t stand sitting through. With digital I can just pick what I wanted.
Although I was recently offered a perfect 1st release copy at a record store for $15 at a record show that I couldn’t resist.
After reading the responses I guess that I am in the minority , listening to over 95% vinyl I pick an album turn it over and play that side because I had listened to the other side that last time I picked that album . This holds true for almost all listening to Rock , Folk or Jazz . I say. almost all because there are some albums that were written as a whole or concept , Pink Floyd DSOM , WYWH or Animals , The Who Tommy or Quadrophenia or The Moody Blues Nights in White Satin to name a few.
Classical albums are the only ones that I listen to from beginning to end , after all they were written that way .
I don't have any remastered albums with extra songs but I feel the same way about the order of the playlist on the original release verse a Greatest Hits version that just doesn't have the same flow .
I can put in one shot on many days a sinple artist from which i own 10-30-50 files or more ...All one after the other for few days...
I go to another artists after ...
i dont like at all listening and touching the trurntable lever when i owned one...
I put on my player all an artist albums play "on" and listen...
when all has been heard i go on with the next...
For sure i have more than 100 Chet Baker albums for example ... I dont listen the 100 at one fell swoop ... It will be too much... But 5-10 albums sure...
i hate disturbing music with any pushing button or stop it after 20 minutes of the side A... 😊
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