Lots of albums are designed to be listened to in a specific order (almost anything from the Moody Blues). I like to think that the artist chose the order of tracks for a reason and therefore tend to play them as laid down.

I only buy albums on vinyl so always listen to them the whole way through!

Yes, old git here who plays a whole 'album' (but on one of those modern MP3 things). I've never managed to get the hang of play lists, plus I enjoy listening to the album 'as designed'.

Yes. Everyday. Brand new stuff.

Yeti aged 31 11/12ths.

Never.

I nearly always listen to whole albums. Very occasionally I may be in the mood to just listen to a particular song, but that is quite rare.

It kinda annoys me when I'm in someone's car and they have their Ipod, or whatever, on random shuffle.

all the time. Love full albums 🙂

Yup. Whole albums here too. Isn't that the way they're supposed to be listened to?

I agree in principle but some albums are just not strong enough so I find myself flicking with the clicker.

It kinda annoys me when I'm in someone's car and they have their Ipod, or whatever, on random shuffle.

Hardly at all.

bought three albums recently, but haven't listened to 2 of them all the way through. but otherwise I pretty much only buy tracks, and listen to all my stuff on playlists.

I also think the good tracks are even better if you have to listen to the rubbish ones, but that may be just some sort of self-flagellation that has no place in 2011.

Albums here, whatever the medium. Like many an old git I try to discover the whole message of the album, not individual words.
Often I listen to the whole discography of a band, that way I think I got to understand "Load" and "Re-Load" by Metallica better than many others. I also dislike compilations of the greatest hits.
Having said that, sometimes I have to stop before I finish the first song, those go back and forever remain shelved.

Yep, all the time. I also do entire discographies. AT work, I've spent the last twelve months listening to almost everything (160gb) in order by alphabetical artist / album release date. I did skip a lot of the rap / r&b music.

I even dug out the record player on saturday night and MartynS and I enjoyed an evening drinking beer, talking bollocks and listening to some 80s rock music

I listen to whole albums and the whole collection on random, depending on mood. If random selects a track from an album that I really enjoy or fits my mood I often de-random it and go back to the whole album.

Only have CDs at home though so it's whole CDs all the way. It's a convenient measure of time passed I find.

This is going to sound well arsy, but the only way you can really expand your horizons is by listening to whole albums.

I often buy an album based on the strength of a certain song, or a recommedation. That gives me a 'in' to the album. often, I might not like the rest of it too much initially but I love when you bond with the whole album, and other tracks become your favourites over time, enjoying the ebb and flow of the songs.

There are always moments when an album reaches that point with me, and I can remember many of them. Last one was The National, Boxer, great album, but not at first listen.

I'm currently trying really hard with Arcade Fire, but I just ain't feeling the love yet!

I do love iPod on random shuffle in the car though, that can be a great way to reconnect with music. The other day it randomly brought up I am the Ressurection, followed by Deacon Blue Dignity. We were signing our hearts out in the car!

Kev

Never bought a single in my life and whilst albums should be listened to as a whole using shuffle with a couple of thousand available tracks can throw up some interesting combinations of music.

Started ripping MP3s when I had a 200mb hard disc and never looked back, but I'll nearly always listen to the full album and usually the artist discography (mp3 players make this easy!).

A lovingly created compilation can be an amazing listen though.

I listened to all three CDs of 'Now that's what I call the 80s' on Sunday, driving back from the Lakes. It was great 😀

depends on the artist, will always try the full album if its a band as most of the bands in the genres i listen to tend to go for concept albums or at least put a lot of thought into album structure.

i do enjoy 'shuffle' though, especially on certain journeys

but the only way you can really expand your horizons is by listening to whole albums

Well I disagree with anyone saying 'the ONLY' way to do something that is essentially very personal. Also, that only applies to some albums. Some are great musical works as a whole, some are just a vehicle for a few good singles (or just one!) padded out with filler tracks.

Still buy albums and often find a corker of a record on it that I would have not heard if I never had brought the album. But at times wished I only brought the one song as the album has been utter shite.

You win some you lose some.

Glad to hear the support for full albums! 😀 I'm a bit surprised tbh, in this age of short attention spans and mp3 downloads.

I almost always listen to full albums on CD. I'm a bit of a sucker for new CDs and still get "the excitement" when a new bunch arrive in the post.
I listen to music depending on the mood I'm in - random tracks over different genres would annoy the hell out of me. I play albums depending on their overall vibe - the whole package including cover art often dictates what I fancy hearing at the time.

molgrips - Member

but the only way you can really expand your horizons is by listening to whole albums

Well I disagree with anyone saying 'the ONLY' way to do something that is essentially very personal. Also, that only applies to some albums. Some are great musical works as a whole, some are just a vehicle for a few good singles (or just one!) padded out with filler tracks.

Yes, not the only way, but it does massively lead you into other sounds, forms and types of music that you might not ahve considered before.

On your point about 1 track and the rest filler, ladies and gentleman, can i please give you, The Rembrants. Really the only album I have ever bought (look, I was 18 and it was the height of 'Friends' fever in '92) that was just one track surrounded by utter mindless tosh.

Kev

I'm a bit surprised tbh, in this age of short attention spans and mp3 downloads.

I think it's becasue the average age on STW is higher 😀

I pretty much only listen to music on Spotify now, and do listen to whole albums as well as individual tracks.

In the car all the time.

Yep I do all the time. Listening to PSB Please just now actually which is a blast from the 80s. Good tho.

Nearly always whole albums here. It sometimes takes 2 or 3 listens to "get" the album or individual tracks. If you only play the tracks you like you will only ever hear the appeal instantly, which are not necessarily the best on the album

Only exception is like molgrips - when I'm in the car I sometimes put the iPod on shuffle so when something comes up that appeals to my mood I go to that album and play the whole thing

The radio bust in my car but the CD player works so I've started listening to whole CDs again.

There are very few that wouldn't be improved by cutting 3 or 4 tracks.

And I can report that the album "Best of Van Morrison" should really be called "Best of Van Morrison Plus 7 Other Songs"

I tend mostly to listen to music in the car these days, which means full CDs (or the radio). So it's rare that I listen to anything other than albums.

For rock, pop, classic, or opera then whole albums, if its jazz then I may listen to a particular performance.

If it's jazz, I'd tend to take the whole CD, and throw it out of the window. I find the M6 is best for this, but other fast stretches of motorway could work equally well.

(note for the humour-impaired, that was a joke; I do not condone littering, not even for experimental acid jazz fusion)

when I'm in the car I sometimes put the iPod on shuffle

I recently attached a HD to the car stereo, with every single CD we own on it. I need to set up playlists of similar types of music, but I haven't yet. Consequently you can go straight from Enya to AC/DC to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack to oldies Christmas music (none of which are mine btw, all Mrs Grips 🙂 ) It's a bit weird sometimes!

I do not condone littering, [s]not even[/s] but I would make an exception for experimental acid jazz fusion)

I am an old git and I like to listen to whole albums .not even that keen on best ofs as I ;ike tio hear the songs in a sequence I,m used to

Yes, we're not all geeks you know.

Still plenty of bands making 'proper' albums

Generally I listen to an album the whole way through. I am currently listening to The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway whilst revising for my summer uni exams.

Long live the art of album making.

By and large I listen to whole albums but sometimes I'll stick on shuffle play if I can't think of an album I want to listen to.

I just finished a book by a musician called David Ford who suggests that while recording artists may well have a vision for the track order on an album, the actual order on the released album may be decided by their record label or some sort of compromise. If all the obvious singles are at the start of the album then the record company won, apparently.

Yes, when I'm using CDs in the car. On the ipod, less so.

[i]I'm a bit surprised tbh, in this age of short attention spans and mp3 downloads.[/i]

Oh FFS. 🙄

I'm a bit surprised tbh, in this age of short attention spans and mp3 downloads.

Yeah....................

What was the middle bit again?

I just finished a book by a musician called David Ford

Went to see him once, he was a bit like Nick Drake which is always a compliment.

Mostly I listen to whole albums, but sometimes the inner DJ kicks in and I go on a bit of a musical journey. Which is fun because you're never quite sure what you're gonna get (/Forrest Gump). Not keen on random play except on the bike.

Depends. In the car the ipod is on shuffle, that way I may end up listening to a track that would have otherwise passed me by had I been listening to the whole album that it is on (some tracks can be totally anonymous on an album and just become backgound noise or filler but when they are preceeded by something completely different you often find that they stand out and make you pay attention). At home I'm more of a 'full album' type person, would rather have the quality of the stereo than the tinnyness of me laptop to be going on with. If I'm oot for a run, again it's full albums as I want the tempo high, shuffle no good then as I don't want to go from something like 1349 or Endstille to something really mellow and chilled, gotta keep the tempo up and feet pounding dirt! 🙂