Anyone listen to entire albums?


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. 

128x128jastralfu

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?

.

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!

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 the whole album 90% of the time and like others have said, I rarely listen to the extras that are added.