a) Are there albums in your collection that you have to listen to its entirety? (Not counting ‘live’ albums or recordings of musicals). And b) are do you ever have instances where after listening to one album, you simply have to listen to another specific album? Are there albums that you’re inclined to play in pairs or threes?
Here are some albums that seem incomplete if I don’t listen to them in their entirety - Similarly, it would seem ‘wrong’ if I ever chose to shuffle any of the tracks about:
Achtung Baby - U2
Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau Twins
What’s the Story (Morning Glory?) - Oasis
I have to think about the albums in pairs bit. Although I’m pretty sure it’s happened to me a few times
The Dreaming (1982), and The Ninth Wave, which is the B-side of Hounds of Love (1985).
The first isn’t a “concept” album per se, but there’s a definite continuity in mood between the songs that, IMO, requires the album to be listened to from start to finish.
The second is a definite concept album (or, rather, half-album) with a story. Arguably Kate’s most brilliant work.
Most of my Classical and film score albums can (and are) heard from start to finish. I am accustomed to liking most or all of the stuff on my CDs, and if I have the time, I just let 'em play all the way through. It’s very vexing when I get an album with stuff on there that I don’t like. I feel cheated, since I am accustomed to liking everything on an album.
I just got a 4-CD set of Varese Sarabande’s 25th Anniversary Celebration (a collection of all instrumental and/or orchestral film scores) and I listen to those 4 CDs, start to finish, no jumping around, no skipping over a track here and there. It’s all quality stuff.
Though I do like CD #4 a little better at the moment, but that is just a phase–all the CDs are fabulous.
This is perhaps my all time favorite album. I used to listen to it all the way through late night in bed with headphones on. It’s quite an experience. I would fall asleep with the final creepy instrumental track running through my head and wake up drenched in cold sweat.
Loveless by My Bloody Valentine is another one I enjoy listening to from start to finish. All the songs segue perfectly into on another in some sort of dreamy, blissful haze. Highly recommended.
Spiderland by Slint is another one you really need to listen all the way through to get the full effect. The entire album is a subtle buildup to the chilling climax in the last song.
The only one I absolutely, positively have to listen from start to finish with no interruptions is Gavin Bryars’ Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet
YosemiteBabe, I got that VS collection as well. Though I can’t say I liked it quite as much as you, I was impressed by the selections and diversity, and how little overlap there actually was with my already sizeable soundtrack collection.
Hey! I thought I was the only one here who had this one. Well, I’ll second it and add Crimson by Edge of Sanity. Except usually, for both, I only listen to track #1 in its entirety before turning it off.
Also Misplaced Childhood by Marillion, which is not only one of the greatest concept albums ever, but is also the story of my fucking life. (Except the whole “found my childhood at last”/“wear your white feather” nonesense at the end. I took a darker path…ok I kid.)