For the longest time I would only play side-1 of Neil Young's "Rust Never Sleeps". I did not know what I was missing. I agree that the album cover art and liner notes were just as important as listening to the actual album. I clearly remember the day I realized that the Who were actually urinating on that big rock on the "Who's Next" cover. But I won't get fooled again. Now there's an album where both sides are killer. I often just played sides 1 & 2 of CSNY's "Four Way Street".
Album Sides
Indulge me this silly topic. Sonics aside, there are two things I lament about the decline of the LP as a source of music in my life. One is the loss of the physical album cover, which we could read (without magnification) and study and relate to, if you know what I mean. I rarely know the names of songs anymore on CDs, because I don't "hang" with the cover.
The other loss is the album side. With an LP, there are two "first songs," and two sequences of songs to suck you in. Song sequencing is a whole different challenge with a CD. Do you remember records where you would listen to one side all the time and even ignore the other side or sides? The CD experience is different.
There have been some remarkable album sides. Which do you love most? A few of mine: Abbey Road side 2, Blonde on Blonde side 2, Moondance side 1, Wheels of Fire side 3, American Beauty side 1 (side 2 also).