Albums you personally enjoy listening to from start to finish

[roadman65]

Chicago Transit Authority including Free Form Guitar which many would skip over like Revolution Number 9 on the Beatles White Album as its not a song by nature just like the Fab Four's recording.

Chicago 19

Blood Sweat & Tears

[Laura]

I would personally disqualify compilations and greatest hits albums from such a list, but if we include them, then "Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits" is definitely one for me.

I counted official compliations and greatest hit albums because I still don't listen to all of those from start to finish. Most bands have at least one hit that I skip over.

[hbelkins]

Chicago Transit Authority including Free Form Guitar which many would skip over like Revolution Number 9 on the Beatles White Album as its not a song by nature just like the Fab Four's recording.

"Liberation" and "Someday" (and it's prologue) are the ones I skip over on that album. Since those songs make up the whole of Side 4 of the double LP set, I usually hit "stop" on the iPod after "I'm A Man." Given that I'm a fan of long guitar and drum solos, I love "Free Form Guitar"

[Pete from Boston]

The first album by the Cars is pretty much a 'greatest hits' - every song a hit or at least played on classic rock stations.  And yes, I still enjoy listening to it from start to finish...

This is a rare and interesting phenomenon.  The album I always call a one-album greatest hits is Boston (and not at all because of my current place of residence).

[roadman65]

Boston's debut album has had every song played on it that is recorded.  However, here in O Town WMMO manages to cut out the Foreplay intro on Long Time the same way many stations leave Jackson Browne's The Load Out just to play the ending tune Stay.

Not many albums have a single song from them played completely.  Even Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd which only has five songs on it has every song as the conclusion to Shine On You Crazy Diamond is never played.

The Who's Who's Next comes close as it does have plenty of songs on it played on the radio at one time or another, but not quite.  Plus with the CD extras that the original LP did not include it adds almost a whole album side of unplayed songs.

[Pete from Boston]

CD extras don't count, IMO, for this.  They are not part of the work as published. 

The Who's Next extras don't even cover everything left off the album, either.

[roadman65]

Then you must consider Who's Next to be a greatest hits album then?

[Pete from Boston]

Then you must consider Who's Next to be a greatest hits album then?

I consider The Who's greatest hits to be Hooligans, The Who's Greatest Hits, Who's Better Who's Best, 30 Years of Maximum R&B, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, the new Greatest Hits Plus "Be Lucky"... Did I miss any of their "greatest hits" albums?

[cjk374]

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra albums are specifically designed to be consumed as a complete album.  They even have narrative in the booklet (and concerts).  The band even prefers to think of themselves as "rock theater".

You should go to their concerts...a most excellent show!   


These are 2 albums I can listen to end-to-end:
Cowboy Troy:  Black in the Saddle

Colt Ford:  Ridin' through the Country

[akotchi]

History:  America's Greatest Hits
Stevie Nicks -- just about any of the solo stuff
Fleetwood Mac -- just about anything after Buckingham and Nicks joined.
Phil Collins:  No Jacket Required
Peter Gabriel:  Hit (two-disc set) or Shaking the Tree
Celtic Thunder:  Storm and Mythology (two-disc set)

[roadman65]

Oh yes I forgot Genesis And Then There Were Three and Genesis (The Mama Album as many call that one) I have both listened to end to end.

Plus Phil Collins solo, But Seriously album as well.  Wore out the original cassette and later had to buy it in CD.

[Roadrunner75]

Oh yes I forgot Genesis And Then There Were Three and Genesis (The Mama Album as many call that one) I have both listened to end to end.

Plus Phil Collins solo, But Seriously album as well.  Wore out the original cassette and later had to buy it in CD.

Most Genesis albums are good from start to finish, including the above.

Although I have some playlists (for Ipod in the car) of various random tracks I collected over the years, I primarily still listen to albums.  I also still buy CDs over downloading MP3s - even better if I get them used at one of the remaining records stores around.  I want the best sound quality for the money as well as the album liner notes.

[roadman]

Two of my favorite "listen end to end" albums are Gordon Lightfoot's Old Dan's Records and Carole King's Rhymes and Reasons.

[Laura]

Oh yes I forgot Genesis And Then There Were Three and Genesis (The Mama Album as many call that one) I have both listened to end to end.

Plus Phil Collins solo, But Seriously album as well.  Wore out the original cassette and later had to buy it in CD.

Most Genesis albums are good from start to finish, including the above.

Although I have some playlists (for Ipod in the car) of various random tracks I collected over the years, I primarily still listen to albums.  I also still buy CDs over downloading MP3s - even better if I get them used at one of the remaining records stores around.  I want the best sound quality for the money as well as the album liner notes.

Yes! I used to listen to Genesis' Selling England by the Pound a lot as part of a work commute to a job that was about 25 minutes each way. Side A in the morning, Side B in the evening.

I've been really lazy these days and skipping around to my favorite songs and not listening to the concept albums as intended, except for Trick of the Tail, which is always start to finish for me.

As for "how I buy my music", it greatly depends. If I want it right this second, I buy it from iTunes. If I can wait, I will pick up CDs because I can get them cheaper

I also have a large vinyl collection, but I haven't been as heavy into collecting vinyl in recent months since my turntable has been with my mom since '12.


iPhone

[Roadrunner75]

Yes! I used to listen to Genesis' Selling England by the Pound a lot as part of a work commute to a job that was about 25 minutes each way. Side A in the morning, Side B in the evening.

I've been really lazy these days and skipping around to my favorite songs and not listening to the concept albums as intended, except for Trick of the Tail, which is always start to finish for me.

So you saved Cinema Show for the ride home...good move.  Always good to have a Tony Banks keyboard solo ready to go in the car.  And I can't argue with Trick of the Tail for start to finish listening...best ending.

[roadman]

I also still buy CDs over downloading MP3s - even better if I get them used at one of the remaining records stores around.

I still buy CDs over downloading as well.  If you've ever had a computer crash and try to retreive files from a backup service, you'll understand why I do this.  Also, as a friend of mine told me years ago when everybody I knew was copying albums to cassette, and then dumping the albums,  "Always retain your source material, even if you think you'll never need it again."

[Duke87]

Every album I own. Listening to an entire album from start to finish is THE way I listen to music. To the point where when I am with someone else and they start skipping songs or putting things on shuffle it annoys the shit out of me. Music that flows consistently (such as over the course of an album) helps me focus, but having constant abrupt and jarring changes in what I am listening to is distracting as all hell and mentally wears me out.

For me, this places too much control of my experience in the hands of artists and producers that may not always have the best of judgement.  I long ago gave up on the idea that every album is a work of art that should be respected as a whole.  Not everyone puts out a whole album of good songs, but this is no reason to throw the baby out with the bath water and skip the good ones.

This argument is interesting since the question of control is one reason why I never listen to the radio and use the CDs in my car instead. I want to control what plays.

At the same time, though, I need it to be completely consistent and the same every time or it will sound wrong and jarring. Even if a song is eh, I won't ever decide to skip it because once I've listened to the album with it in there I can't deal with listening to the album without it, it will seem like something is missing.

And yes, it might be a crappy song that even the band themselves don't like, but that is beside the point. I don't care what the artist intended. I don't care what the record label intended. All I care is that the songs play in exact the same order every time I listen to them, and follow a consistent organizational structure.

There are a couple artists I like that have released a lot of songs just as single tracks or bunches of tracks. To keep the structure in place I have gone so far as to organize these tracks into fictitious "albums" myself, otherwise I would never listen to them.

[TheKnightoftheInterstate]

Eric Church's "Sinners Like Me"

[roadman65]

One album that you have to listen to end to end is Tommy by The Who as it is a Rock Opera.  Although Underture is not really part of the opera story and actually is an elongated Sparks  which was played earlier after Amazing Journey, you could actually skip it and go to Do You Think Its Allright.

I have the double CD set and I recorded on cassette the Tommy concert from Radio City Music Hall back in 89 that was aired on Westwood One Radio Network which WNEW in New York was syndicating at the time.  In that concert they left out Underture and one other track later on the album in the performance.  So you could say listening to the entire opera live was like revisiting most of the album.

[1995hoo]

.... In that concert they left out Underture and one other track later on the album in the performance.  ....

The other omitted track was "Welcome." Pete Townshend hates that song.

[roadman65]

.... In that concert they left out Underture and one other track later on the album in the performance.  ....

The other omitted track was "Welcome." Pete Townshend hates that song.

I thought so, but was unsure so I did not mention it.  I'll have to play that tape again.  Too bad i cannot transfer it to CD as if the tape breaks I have lost everything plus I my two cassette players will someday die as well with no means or parts to fix them as they are fossils just like 8 tracks became before them.

[Roadrunner75]

I'll have to play that tape again.  Too bad i cannot transfer it to CD as if the tape breaks I have lost everything plus I my two cassette players will someday die as well with no means or parts to fix them as they are fossils just like 8 tracks became before them.

I've transferred a handful of my old tapes to CD/MP3.  I haven't done it in a few years, but I rigged a cable from the stereo to my soundcard, recorded each side as a track and then split them into separate tracks using an audio editing program.  Now they sell cassette players made specifically for directly transferring them to MP3 files - I think ION makes one, which also makes a turntable (which I have) that directly transfers vinyl to audio files.  I would only transfer tapes (and vinyl) that are not otherwise available on CD or other digital format - and ones that are worth the effort at that. 

[roadman65]

Yeah thanks for that info as that particular concert was a very special event as it was a  one time thing that will never ever be duplicated.  Even if it were it would not be the same as it was that particular year's event.

[kendancy66]

Steely Dan. "Can't buy a thrill"

[7/8]

Sorry to raise an old thread, but I was pleasantly surprised by all the responses about Genesis, which is one of my favourite bands! I'm also hoping some newer members will chime in here.

So, here are the albums I enjoy from start to finish, in order of artist name, and albums in order of release date. As you can probably guess from my list, I'm one of those people who likes to listen to whole albums in the proper order (my parents' use of shuffle can get on my nerves )

Alan Jackson; > The Bluegrass Album

Arcade Fire; > Funeral > The Suburbs

The Beatles; > Revolver > Abbey Road > 1

The Black Keys; > El Camino

Blink 182; > Enema of the State

Blue Rodeo; > Five Days in July

The Cars; > The Cars > Complete Greatest Hits

Death Cab for Cutie; > Transatlanticism > Narrow Stairs > Codes and Keys

Def Leppard; > Hysteria

Dire Straits; > Sultans of Swing

The Eagles; > Eagles > Hotel California > Their Greatest Hits

Eric Clapton; > Unplugged

Fleetwood Mac; > Rumours

Flogging Molly; > Drunken Lullabies

Genesis; > Foxtrot > A Trick of the Tail > Seconds Out (my #1 favourite Genesis album) > Invisible Touch

George Strait: > The Cowboy Rides Away: Live from AT&T Stadium

Green Day; > American Idiot

Interpol; > Turn on the Bright Lights

John Mayer; > Room for Squares > Heavier Things > Paradise Valley

King Crimson; > In the Court of the Crimson King > Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal

Kings of Leon; > Come Around Sundown

Led Zeppelin; Led Zeppelin IV

Miranda Lambert; > Revolution

Of Monsters and Men; > My Head is an Animal

Paul Simon; > Graceland

Peter Gabriel; Peter Gabriel 3 > Security > So

Pink Floyd; > Dark Side of the Moon > Wish You Were Here > The Division Bell

The Police; > Zenyatta Mondatta

The Rolling Stones; > Let it Bleed > Sticky Fingers > Exile on Main Street > Some Girls

Rush; > A Farewell to Kings > Permanent Waves > Moving Pictures

Simon & Garfunkel; > Bridge Over Troubled Water

Sting; > Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994

Supertramp; Crime of the Century > Even in the Quietest Moments > Breakfast in America

Talking Heads; > Remain in Light

Tom Petty; > Full Moon Fever

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers; > Damn the Torpedoes > Hard Promises > Greatest Hits

U2; > War > The Unforgettable Fire > The Joshua Tree

Van Halen; > 1984

Yes; > The Yes Album > Close to the Edge > (Possibly Yessongs, which I just recently bought, so it's too soon to tell)