I try not to start conversations with things like “When I was a kid, we…” or “Back in the day, I…” too often (though my kid may disagree) because it makes me feel old and, really, who wants to listen to people preach about “the way things used to be”? However, as someone who was born at the tail end of the Gen X generation and who is part of the last group to come of age before the internet and digital took over, sometimes I’m hit with how things have changed and some of the little (and big) things we’ve lost.
I was in the car the other day and an Alanis Morissette song came on. When it was done, I immediately started singing the next song on the Jagged Little Pill album. Why? Because in high school I listened to that CD over and over and OVER again (sorry, Mom), and I listened to it from start to finish. So the songs don’t just exist as separate entities to me but as one complete body of work. (My car, like most others, only held one CD or cassette at a time, so I would have to choose what I was listening to for that car ride and go with it.)
And it hit me in that moment in the car that I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done that—listened to one album all the way through. Or even one artist for multiple songs in a row. Like most everyone else, my music is now digital and I have my Spotify on shuffle, so I just listen to what comes up on that playlist. That’s convenient and fine, but in that moment in the car, I realized that something was also lost in that process.
An album tells a story. Artists think about which order songs should go in, and there’s a reason why they put one in front of another. There’s a reason why they opened with song A and closed with Song Z. (There were even sometimes hidden tracks tucked behind that last song if you didn’t stop playing the album when the last song was over.) With the new digital format, most of us are cherry-picking the songs we want. The hits. The songs that aren’t necessarily radio-friendly or ones that have less mass appeal get lost in the shuffle. Some of my favorite songs ever were songs that weren’t the ones released on the radio. And now I’m probably missing out on some great songs by artists I like.
So this week, I’ve made a point to go into my Spotify and choose an artist/band I enjoy and just hit play on one of their albums. Then, I let it go from start to finish without skipping around or shuffling. I’ve discovered some great new songs by artists/bands I love, and it’s felt…calming and almost meditative—even if it’s loud rock music. There’s something extra satisfying about the focus of it all. One artist/band, one album in time, one complete journey. I’m really digging it.
So, let me say in my best old lady voice, “Back in my day, we listened to the whole damn thing, and you should give that a try, too.” ;)
My favorite full album listen this week: A War on Everything by The Glorious Sons . (And if you haven’t discovered The Glorious Sons yet, you’re welcome.)
Do you ever do this—listen to an album all the way through? What have been some of your favorite listens?