Like gex gex and chorizo, I am an album-listener, not a song-skipper, but I think it’s a little odd to listen to the whole album out of some obligation to the artist’s vision. I just think that if you like certain kinds of music (e.g. jazz, indie rock), you find artists that have a distinctive sound or an idea that they’re carrying out throughout the album, and you’re probably going to be interested in the whole thing if you’re interested in part of it. Other genres (hip-hop, pop rock) focus more on the catchiness or pleasantness of a specific beat or melody, and either don’t make an attempt to have, or go to great lengths to avoid having, a distinctive “sound” outside of the singer’s voice. They’re just about whether you like the tune or the lyrics of a certain song. So, IMHO, there are probably too many jazz and indie rock albums that are great all the way through to be worth naming. But the further you veer into pop territory, the more rare a consistently great album is.
Even as an album-listener, I’ll certainly skip over skits and monologues, which are the bane of the hip-hop genre. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill would be one of those perfect albums if it didn’t have those stupid schoolkids talking about love between the songs. OutKast is cursed with the same problem. Also stupid are albums that have a five-minute silence at the end and then a “hidden” track (e.g. Odelay could be perfect, but there’s no artistic reason for five minutes of silence at the end of every Beck album, it’s just a pain in the ass to have to go over to the CD player and skip to the next CD).
Well, I can think of lots of albums I’ve bought because I really liked one particular song - but when I listened to the rest of the album, I didn’t care for it. I’m just not gonna listen to songs I don’t like!
If Brother is the group from Australia that uses some native instruments, I’ve heard of 'em too. I saw them at Summerfest in Milwaukee a few years ago - they’re cool! My Mom’s the one who made me see them. She’s got a few of their CD’s.
Some of my favorites in no particular order:
R.E.M - Life’s Rich Pageant
Sinead O’Connor - The Lion and the Cobra
Alphaville - Forever Young
The Cure - Staring at the Sea (the cassette version - if I remember right, the cassette, CD and record versions were all slightly different)
Just about any Beatles album
Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
Kate Bush - The Whole Story
Big Audio Dynamite - This is Big Audio Dynamite
The Clash - London Calling
The Smiths - Meat is Murder and The Queen is Dead
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
Geez, am I dating myself here or what?
AFI - Sing the Sorrow
AFI - Black Sails in the Sunset
Green Day - Dookie
Jeez. There really aren’t many more. Maybe Energy by Operation Ivy, though it goes on for so long (27 songs) I usually don’t end up listening to the whole thing. Most of my current favorite cds have at least one or two songs I tend to skip.
I’m amazed at how many people listed Alanis Morisette. There’s so much hate for her out there, but Jagged Little Pill really is an excellent album. It doesn’t make my list though, because of “Mary Jane,” which makes me wince.
Elvis Costello/Elvis Costello and the Attractions – My Aim Is True, This Year’s Model, Armed Forces, Get Happy (has any new artist ever put out four albums in a row as strong as these?)
The Spinanes – Strand (except for the “atmospheric” interludes)
I am an album listener as well, so practically all of my CDs are ones I love every song on. As Auntie Social said, however, most of my stuff is indie rock.
The one album I can think of right now that I feel the obligation to listen to the whole thing in one go is Husker Du’s Zen Arcade. If I have eighty minutes to concentrate on it, I’ll pop it in. If I know I’m short on time, I won’t listen to it.
Ok, nobody’s mentioned my personal favorites, and I know I’m going to catch flak, but don’t care!!! studio Dave Matthews Band CDs (I don’t have any live albums).
Ok, nobody’s mentioned my personal favorites, and I know I’m going to catch flak, but don’t care!!! All studio Dave Matthews Band CDs (I don’t have any live albums).
13 albums you could put on pretty much any time, and I’d love every song…
My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello Rum, Sodomy & The Lash - The Pogues The Men Who Loved Music - Young Fresh Fellows Can’t Stand The Rezillos - The Rezillos Road To Ruin - Ramones White Light, White Heat - Velvet Underground Funhouse - The Stooges Never Make It Home - Split Lip Rayfield Cure For Pain - Morphine Tremendous Efforts - The Sadies Furnace Room Lullaby - Neko Case More Fun In The New World - X Left, Love and Leaving - The Detroit Cobras