Album fan? Track fan? Or Both/ depends.
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: General Music Discussions
Forum Description: Discuss and create polls about all types of music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131093
Printed Date: March 06 2025 at 01:51
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Album fan? Track fan? Or Both/ depends.
Posted By: Logan
Subject: Album fan? Track fan? Or Both/ depends.
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 01:06
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Now of course there has been a lot of music designed as hits to be played on their own, but I'm not thinking of that kind of music. I am thinking of more progressive and artsy forms of music than the hits (or the majority of hits) and I'm not thinking of singles. This topic really is about music found on full studio albums, and how one feels about listening to those tracks independently or as compilations (you own or others) and random shuffles.... I've heard it said before at PA a number of times that you can only really appreciate Prog tracks within the context of an album -- I suppose that statement should cover studio albums, live albums and compilation albums put out by labels and artists since lives and compilations were not excluded in the statements and part of my rebuttal was to talk about compilation albums as well as how live albums commonly draw songs/pieces from various albums. I also have heard that real music appreciators only listen to full albums. And that you should not judge a track on its own, or even an album on its own if an artist put out more than one, as that album is taken out of context by not considering the full discography (there usually is some specific context to such discussions, but sometimes those are just the blanket statements -- also read that one should never consider one album better than any other in a discography. I commonly do listen to full albums, but I also like listening to much from albums in other forms, including making my own compilations, playlists, different live albums and concerts with different setlists. and I have found that randomly shuffling my collection (used to do this on my iPod quite often) has been a wonderful way to re-discover music and gain a new appreciation for music in a different context. I often would be wowed again by music, and actually love the contrasts in the random shuffles. I appreciate both listening to full albums and hearing and focusing on tracks independently of an album. I do find value in listening to full albums, of course, and I would not want to judge/rate/ evaluate an album without listening to it in full first. Sorry, the poll options are a bit of a silly mess, and I hope I have explained where I am coming from. Please don't get too hung up on the poll, that is just intended as a fun accessory to discussion and posting. I'd rather read your own thoughts than see how you voted. |
Replies:
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 01:18
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I literally ONLY ever listen to full albums from start to finish from my own collection; I never dip in for a track or two and literally can't stand the 'shuffle' idea. I've never been any different and won't change. The only exceptions might be when I try something out on Yt. I have a small handful of tracks I will skip because I really don't like them, but they are indeed a small group. I like the idea of playing whole discographies and do occasionally, but when an artists has released 20 albums, it can become a bit restrictive.
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Posted By: Octopus II
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 01:33
I am 'old school'. I always play the full album. 
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 02:24
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Full discographies of albums and ALWAYS in chronological order across all music genres, as you probably guessed. I haven't bought a 7-inch single since the mid-1970's. I've never tried random shuffling either, apart from with a deck of cards.
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 02:56
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When it comes to checking out new-to-me artists, I often will look at the ratings and reviews of albums before checking them out. Unless it's album recommendations from users here, I mostly discover new-to-me music through looking at RYM using whatever filters interest me at the time these days (sometimes I googlesearch Reddit based on my interests du jour). So I also decide based on how the albums are tagged/ labeled. When checking out a new-to-me album via youtube or some other streaming platform, if not playing the whole album the first time, sometimes I do play bits and pieces of all the tracks looking for that which most interests me. I do find some albums where I might like a middle song but not like the first one (I might grow to like the first song later), and sometimes I do want to more quickly check out music. Likewise, if I were to go the full discography route, I might be put off any the first albums whereas later albums would have appealed. It's a matter of time and efficiency for me, especially as I don't want to spend many hours a day listening to music (sacrilege I know). I would rather sooner get to those albums that are most/more likely to appeal by an artist and sometimes that can be true of songs. And then if I like a track, I might well play the whole album. If I buy an album, than I almost always listen to the whole thing. And when I play physical albums in my collection, then I almost always play the whole thing -- same for most albums that I own digitally. It's with streaming that I am more likely to act differently. And as said, I long have enjoyed making playlists (as a kid I made mixtapes) In sum, I am a flexible listener and quite supple overall -- hardly a contortionist level of flexibility, however. :) |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 03:03
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Listening to full albums is what I usually do. But sometimes there isn't enough time. Or I might decide to stop when I don't like the music, which sometimes happens when I'm checking out new releases. This year I've listened to more than 120 new releases of 2023 which I semi-randomly select from the database, plus many others from previous years which I had never listened to before. If I start listening to an album and I really don't like it, I will stop listening and move on over to the next one. Also, sometimes I will listen to one of my favorite albums and then move on or start skipping when I'm pressed for time and get the urge to listen to a different album. That's not because the current album bores me, but because I simply don't have the time to listen to 10 albums each day. Parenthood - both a blessing and a curse.
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to: 
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 03:12
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I came to the conclusion years ago that there will always be a huge raft of music I would probably enjoy, that I will never get to hear before I die, and I'm actually quite content with that. I long ago conquered the 'Fear Of Missing Out' phenomenon and will listen to far less new music, but explore it thoroughly and methodically, which suits me. Consequently, I have not heard a single album released in 2023 yet. Now, please don't get the impression I am criticising anyone elses' approach, least of all yours Greg; I just do what is right for me. I would also say that of the music I listen to, I am already familiar with well over 80%, preferring to re-visit albums I've not heard in a while, rather than exploring new (to me). I can appreciate that would be a higher rate than most forum members and I think that could also make an interesting survey for you to do? What percentage of the music you listen to is a) had less than 5 lifetime listens b) less than 15 lifetime listens and so on....
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Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 03:13
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I realise that some of these are worded like "I favour...", some "True prog fans.../Serious music afficinados" and some "...THE way to go". Furthermore some are descriptive and some about what "I favour" (which may not necessarily always be what I do). Personally I'm not interested in saying anything about how other people should listen to stuff, or what makes somebody a "true prog fan" or "serious". To be honest, I quite strongly dislike the options where such statements are made. There may be a bit of irony/exaggeration for fun in them, but still... It's not up to me to tell anyone else how to listen to music, and it's not up to you to tell me. Just to address the question you wanted to have answered...
 I do albums, tracks, random shuffle, depending on my mood (and also listening time). I don't think any option fits that (as if I click "combination of the above" that could mean some of the terrible options are included that ask me to prescribe stuff to other people). |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 03:43
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^^ I take no criticism Jared, and I have greatly appreciated reading both of your posts. And thank you all for the thoughtful posts. I have no issue with people having different approaches, but I have taken issue when people have stated, without irony or humour, that there is something wrong with me and others because we can enjoy listening to the songs by themselves (outside of the album context). It's been inferred that someone I and others are only in it for the "hits" because of our thoughts on this, and I have seen the "No True Progman" fallacy brought up on more than one occasion by more than one poster in regards to those who can enjoy listening to music in different ways. With the help of Wikipedia with my slight alterations: "No true Progman, or No True Master Pwogman (there's a blast from the past) or appeal to purity, is an informal fallacy in which one attempts to protect their generalized statement from a falsifying counterexample by excluding the counterexample improperly." It's an overgeneralisation and very presumptuous, and excludes all those who don't conform to a stereotype or claim as being true this or that. Suppose I assert that no Progman likes to hear tracks outside of the context of the albums from which they derive. You counter this by pointing out that your friend Mr. Progus likes to hear tracks outside of the context of the albums they come from. I then say "Ah, yes, but no true Progman likes to listen to tracks outside of the context of the albums from which they derive. You then sigh. |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 03:49
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 04:03
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I really don't think any forum member should be making value judgements on the way others listen to their music; it's not at all constructive, doesn't engender forum harmony and is more than a tad disrespectful. There would be a point to make in saying that in the spectrum of overall listening styles, you are near to one end of the spectrum and I'm probably at the other end, but that's all for the good because we want different things from our experiences. Ultimately, there is more new quality music being produced these days than any of us are ever likely to keep up with and I have said before that I admire the way members like you, Ian, Cristi and Drew are able to keep up with so much of it!!  I've learnt that by the time you've reached your mid 50's, revisiting stuff you've not heard in nearly 25 years is almost like listening to a new album (especially if your memory is as awful is mine!)On topic, I will always hark back to the rainy Saturday afternoons as a teenager, when an LP purchased at Cheltenham market that morning, found its way onto my turntable. I used to feel (rightly or wrongly) that with prog in particular, there was always a 'science' to the way an album was constructed, as a complete experience... I can't personally imagine listening to SEBTP in any other manner, for instance! I just think we should celebrate the differences amongst us....
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 04:36
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I've found the best way of exploring new music is by putting together a poll, such as the dozen unknown albums discovered in my Prog Rock Timeline poll from yesterday.
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Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 04:49
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Not pretending it is THE way to go, but I generally listen to full albums, sometimes one side of an LP, but never a single track (unless it's a side long track...). I hate compilation albums. Otherwise I'd listen to the radio and browse the Internet to listen to new discoveries (and if possible to a full album to get to know an artist). ------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 04:57
| I don't sit through an album uninterrupted anymore. In my teenage years (mid 70's) we would listen to albums, but everyone was making mix tapes. Now that I'm retired most of my listening is done walking the dog and it's difficult to get through a 60+ minute album. |
Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 05:17
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"True Prog fans listen to full albums, not songs!" - As I see it, albums being coherent pieces of music with matching artwork (and not just collections of random songs), is an important part of the Progressive Rock genre. ------------- quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 06:05
| Depends for me. I'll listen to full albums, individual tracks, playlists, and random shuffle. This depends also on audio source (I will play full CDs mostly, rarely just for a track), if I am doing anything else as I am listening, and genre. Prog tends to be full albums. I have Amazon Music Unlimited for streaming and will shuffle play my 'likes' which tend to be non-prog tracks that appeal to. I listen to auto-generated playlist from Amaxon every week of various tracks. Mostly new to me. Sometimes familiar. It's based on what I listen to, so tends to be a mix of alternative, psychedelic, post. Prog, and art rock. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 06:26
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I am using the queue feature at TYM (obviously) to help with keeping track of what I want to listen to. Currently the queue contains more than 200 releases that I at one point wanted to listen to later. With so much new music coming out, it's difficult to keep the list from growing ... each day I'll alternate between picking something from the queue and just randomly selecting a favorite album, or listen to something that I see other people listening to. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: wiz_d_kidd
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 06:47
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If it's a concept album where all tracks flow together into a unified whole, I listen to the whole album. Otherwise, I've learned to enjoy everything else on full shuffle. It brings up tracks I'd forgotten about. It presents tracks out of context and often makes them stand out. It adds variety and surprises. It's like listening to the best prog-rock radio, tailor made for me. ------------- “I don’t like country music, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do. And for those who like country music, denigrate means to ‘put down.'” – Bob Newhart |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 07:19
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At the end of the day I'm really am a full album kinda guy, but realistically I'm so busy most of the time that I find it hard to spend the time doing so. As a result I end up with the 'ol Timoom player loaded to the brim with prog, classic rock, blues, jazz and even a few classical pieces on random play for my musically thirst. ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 07:59
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By the way, for all the fans of a good shuffle, this was a fun thread (and can probably still be continued): http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=107008&KW=Shuffle&PN=1" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=107008&KW=Shuffle&PN=1
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Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 08:02
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Maybe I should get back to listening to tracks ... I use Spotify, and they have something called "release radar" which is an automagically created playlist with new music I am supposed to like. My only problem with that is that whenever I use it I get annoyed because unless I concentrate really hard, it's difficult to remember which track was from which new album. Particularly when I'm listening while I'm working, it's still better to listen to entire albums, even if it takes longer. There's less switching between artists. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 14:14
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Listening to full albums is THE way to appreciate music - SOMETIMES I favour listening to tracks independently of the albums - SOMETIMES Random shuffles are THE way to go - DEFINITELY NOT I favour my own playlists / compilation albums - RARELY (THOUGH I OFTEN SKIP TRACKS FROM WHOLE ALBUMS) I commonly start listening to albums, then stop partway thru - FREQUENTLY Depends on the song / track and album - YES True Prog fans listen to full albums, not songs! - NO! True Prog fans listen to full discographies, not albums! - EMPHATICALLY NO! I often like listening to full albums and individual track - YES Serious music aficionados always prefer albums - PERHAPS, BUT "MUSIC AFICIONADO" SEEMS SNOBBISH TO ME ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 14:28
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Albums. Was never a singles download purchaser or a random shuffler. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: Gentle and Giant
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 14:35
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Albums. I always play an album from beginning to end whatever the format; I've never used a playlist either. ------------- Oh, for the wings of any bird, other than a battery hen |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 14:48
I have only ever purchased one single track from Bandcamp: Morgan Delt - Galactic Grids from the compilation album https://troubleinmindrecords.bandcamp.com/album/various-artists-trouble-in-mind-records-presents-eindhoven-2015" rel="nofollow - Various Artists: Trouble In Mind Records Presents: Eindhoven 2015 by Trouble In Mind Records . This was the only place I could find this track and after some consideration decided not to purchase the album. The idea of purchasing a single track from an album seems like an anathema to me. ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
The Dark Elf wrote:Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 14:54
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^ However, I do download single tracks from YouTube. ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 15:05
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I'd say, there are very many ways you can listen to music. I will only speak for myself here. If it is classical music, I usually prefer live performances over recordings. After all, that's how most of it was intended (of course, the moment we get to musique concrete or the like, things look a bit different), and I very rarely buy classical recordings - unless it has some historic significance like, say, a unique performance by the Berlin Philharmonics. I can also enjoy concerts with more restrained genres like folk music or singer/songwriter. But as far as pop or rock goes, I usually prefer recorded music, among other things because I don't enjoy pop or rock concerts very much - especially not if the audience members are drunk. I'm more keen on the "be quiet and listen carefully" culture of classical music than the "make some noise" culture of popular music. Whether it has to be single tracks or albums depends on the circumstances. Of course, if it is a concept album, or if it is meant to be heard in its full length, I will usually do that. I would never want to listen to, say, "On the Run" or "Any Colour You Like" as single tracks, because I don't think they really make sense as such. But I wouldn't mind listening to "London Calling" or "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as tracks. I wouldn't mind listening to the whole albums either. And then of course there are all the 60's singles that weren't intended as album tracks at all.
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Posted By: Necrotica
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 15:23
Same! ------------- Take me down, to the underground Won't you take me down, to the underground Why oh why, there is no light And if I can't sleep, can you hold my life https://www.youtube.com/@CocoonMasterBrendan-wh3sd |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 15:55
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Depends on the song/track or album. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 16:16
------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 16:20
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^ Well, that's basically what I meant. Still, to me, seeing and hearing the musicians play live adds something extra. |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 16:24
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^Fair enough. For me it's blues and jazz live that I prefer over classical, but live music in general always turns my crank. ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 16:39
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^ I can enjoy jazz concerts too. I may also like more intimate concerts with smaller pop or rock artists, provided that the audience is relatively cultivated. But stadium concerts are a big no-no for me, and when I attended rock festivals many years ago, I couldn't care less about big names. I went to hear musicians who played on the smaller stages, many of whom I had never heard of before. |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 16:55
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Stadium concerts fell off my life plan long ago. So here's a question for you... What's the biggest name you've seen in the smallest venue, smallest audience? ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 17:08
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^ That'll probably be a Danish band or artist, because you don't usually get to hear big international names on small venues here. |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 17:23
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Ah...for me, Bruford and Moraz for their first album tour. A 250 seat auditorium with maybe 25-30 people in attendance. ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 18:01
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Posted By: Necrotica
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 18:48
For me, that would probably be Natalie Prass in 2019. She's a pretty popular figure in modern sophisti-pop and indie pop, but when I saw her, it was in a nice cushy theater in her hometown. Really fun show, and I got to meet her afterwards!  " rel="nofollow -
------------- Take me down, to the underground Won't you take me down, to the underground Why oh why, there is no light And if I can't sleep, can you hold my life https://www.youtube.com/@CocoonMasterBrendan-wh3sd |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: June 15 2023 at 20:37
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In the early 80s I saw the Great Fatsby, Leslie West of Mountain, playing at a keg party in a VFW Hall in River Rouge, Michigan. And if you were ever in River Rouge, Michigan, you would certainly say, as I did when he started playing in a corner of the hall (no stage), "What the f*ck is he doing here?" ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: Zeph
Date Posted: June 16 2023 at 00:58
| Always full albums unless I’m looking for new music. Single tracks feels like watching 1/10 of a movie. I never use shuffle or mix my own playlists. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 16 2023 at 01:44
| I rarely listen to new releases other than on shuffle moad. Typically albums are now 55 minutes plus compared to the standard 40-45 minutes in the vinyl era. I occasionally though buy vinyl and then listen to a whole album properly. However i rely on streaming most of the time. I do have 'fomo' which is why shuffle is good for me! |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: June 16 2023 at 02:08
I can think of a couple... I saw Spock's Beard do their first UK show back in around 1999 (Day For Night) in a school hall in Rotherham with about 500 people there... I also saw Riverside do their first UK show back in 2007 (Rapid Eye) in the community hall in Lydney with about 200 people there...
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Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: June 16 2023 at 02:18
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I've only listened to shuffle by mistake and turned it off as soon as I notice. New, yet unheard music I will rarely finish. Most of what I try out I won't connect with. I really do check out "everything" though, as everytihing interests me. From abstract Hip-Hop to South East Asian music of the 78rpm-era and Ghanian Highlife etc...Quite a few of those will be compilations or mixtapes anyway, so the full album is compiled by a curator, not the artist. I think I understand differnent kinds of music well enough to know when it's time to just let something new to me should get -or deserves a full first listening or not. I don't just skip through a Deep Listening album. But I might give up on some kind of prog album in less than five minutes (I would of course not pretend I really know the music - or review it). |
Posted By: Stressed Cheese
Date Posted: June 17 2023 at 13:08
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It depends, mostly albums if I have the time to listen to a full one (and if I can think of a full one I'd want to listen to). But surely even the most die-hard album people sometimes just want to listen to a specific song or don't feel like sitting through a whole album? While I definitely feel like you're missing something if you don't listen to whole albums, keep in mind that albums are also constructed in a somewhat coincidental manner oftentimes. Songs may be written as songs, not necessarily as part of an album, and what ends up on an album often times is dependent on what an artist/band had lying around at that time or what was fully developed or even what fits on two 20-minute sides. Songs are usually played live out of order as well. So while I prefer albums overall, I don't think it's necessarily the only way they're meant to be heard. I also think random shuffle can be pretty fun. You get some interesting juxtapositions at times, and you'll hear some songs you wouldn't normally listen to too often, or just haven't heard in a while for whatever reason.
In all seriousness, I also barely listen to full 60+ minute albums. I tend to just treat them as double albums, so I listen to the first or second half, usually. I also usually split up my first listen to double albums over two evenings. If I'm listening to something something for the first time, it can be a bit hard to appreciate everything when you're listening for more than an hour. |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: June 17 2023 at 13:38
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In doing my interactive playlist threads on https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131076" rel="nofollow - new wave and https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131075" rel="nofollow - Chamber rock , I feel the type of music influences how I listen. A lot of new wave is much more fun to listen as a playlist or shuffle of individual tracks. And that may be in part of how I was exposed to new wave, mainly through MTV. While chamber rock, as I learn about new to me artists, feels preferable to follow up by listening to full albums. Technology is a factor. In my teens through my mid thirties, there was no random shuffle until the iPod.iPad. I would have some mix tapes and CDs but now I make digital playlists and can bring songs in and out. Most playlists that I make don't involve prog. |