[jules650]

I'm an album guy. Some songs are growers, and I really enjoy discovering a cool track in an album that I've bought a while ago.

 

[Coltrane]

If it is rare for the artist you listen to to release an alum full of good songs you are listening to the wrong music. I have an absurd amount of album, and I almost never delete a song from my ipod. Usually just the noise tracks (Fitter Happier, Revolution 9)

All actual music fans I know still buy albums or atleast download and listen to albums. The problem is the younger generation is buying just singles. As a guitar teacher I find myself practically begging my students to download or purchase full albums, because that is where they get full appreciation of an artist. The problem is the difference between 1 and 10 bucks is pretty significant for a 14 year old.

Albums will ALWAYS be the number one choice of expression for musical artists, and choice of consumption for true music fans. However we are just making it easier for people to remain casual fans. Just think of the effect The Wall would have on someone compared to just Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2.

 

[saboteur1]

I'm an album guy, too. Me and my brother, together (with his bandmates) have amassed a decent sized collection that each of us couldn't have done on their own. Maybe around... 600 CD's total, not much compared to most guys on here, but I've got the rest of my life to buy them.

 

[F107plus5]

I enjoy albums because I prefer to match phones to the music. And if I'm listening to mp3 I keep wearing out my elbows swapping cans.

 

[ken36]

I like to download first, but usually buy the CD. My itunes library has 5 downloaded tracks at present.

 

[LonerGenius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coltrane /img/forum/go_quote.gif If it is rare for the artist you listen to to release an alum full of good songs you are listening to the wrong music.

Perhaps I listen to the "wrong" music for you...but there is certainly nothing "wrong" about enjoying a few songs from several artists without enjoying all of their music.

If I don't like every food item on a menu am I eating at the wrong restaraunt?...or is personal preference allowed in your world?

 

[DBrim]

For awhile, it did for me. Recently I've rediscovered the fun of buying albums and listening to the whole thing at a time. Let's just say that recently Amazon has been enjoying this realization too

 

[Digitalbath3737]

The mp3 isn't doing anything bad for the album at all. More artist are getting recognized because of mp3s. What's killing the album are artist that don't have enough talent to put out a decent album.

 

[DJShadow]

Thats a very broad question because you have the topics of downloading in its various forms, how artists are influenced by this convenient media and ways in which record companies react are what I'm gaining from your post. Please be less ambigious. I assume that your intent was that downloaded mp3 tracks are detrimental to our enjoyment and pursual of albums. mp3 is a format/codec and has become absorbed into culture as being the generic term for a music track. When people ask me how many mp3's I have on my mp3 player I sometimes feel like saying 'none' because I don't. You may think I'm being anal but its the same thing as calling vacuum cleaners 'hoovers', fizzy drinks 'coke' etc. Assuming only mp3 tracks are being downloaded is wrong because you FLAC, AAC, shorten etc.

I don't think that individually downloaded mp3 tracks have ruined the concept of albums in independent and mainstream spheres. Artists commit themselves to making a full collection not just one song. It seems mandatory to make at least one album which is certainly true from the profilic, even right down to one-hit wonders. I'm not aware of any artist that only releases one track at a time and hasn't made an album of some sort (even then a 'track' could be a 45 min long performance - thats an album in my opinion).

In my experience, the continued perpetuation of mp3 tracks have influenced listening and purchasing patterns of the consumer. Theres a far greater propensity to download a track than to buy the album containing it. Whether most people will decide to buy the album afterwards is speculation at best (they may download it instead). All the people I know who actively download mp3 tracks tend to listen to playlists. Going through their ipods, I rarely see full albums. But even before the advent of downloading music, they usually listened to singles anyway, mp3 tracks have maybe disincentived listening to albums altogether. I listen to albums (and EPs) exclusively.

The interesting pattern amongst my mates and family is the correlation between album listening and music tastes. Me, my brother and some random guys I know have mostly non-mainstream tastes, whereas the rest are interested in mostly mainstream pop and UK/USA rap and r&b. The former group actively purchases CDs whereas the latter tends to frequently download their nectar. For me, the rise of mp3 tracks has made me enjoy and discover more albums due to the knock-on effects on websites and other intermediaries.

In other words, no. Those that always listened to albums will continue to and those that don't will relish in the selective nature of mp3s afforded to them.

 

[Jigglybootch]

I don't think MP3s have ruined the album. I think MP3s are a nice way to discover new music or preview new albums from artists you like, which can in turn help you make a decision as to whether or not you want to spend the money on an album. Or something. I don't know.

 

[Stephen_Ri]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJShadow /img/forum/go_quote.gif You may think I'm being anal but its the same thing as calling vacuum cleaners 'hoovers', fizzy drinks 'coke' etc.

I find "fizzy drinks" more ambiguous than "coke," and, excepting those persons who watch the History Channel too much or keep wardrobes full of vacuum cleaners, "Hoover" even more so.

Your friends with narrower tastes probably realize that one of the "benefits" of downloading music, the preview, does not lend itself well to discovering good music. I find that the albums which are difficult to get into (which require more than a couple listenings to really appreciate) are the most enduring. Of course, some albums are just great from the first listen, but (generally) obscure "deep" tracks and albums lose in iTunes.

 

[Fred333]

I think the mp3 has revolutionized music and the way it is received by the masses. People can hear music that never knew existed because now they have access to it. They can also listen to thier favorite musicians more often with ipods and pc players. The biggest is storage of so much music. For any occasion.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is my opinion that since downloadable music, the art of the album almost no longer exists. Any others feel this way?

not for some

 

[Know Talent]

depends on how you are defining "art"...

are you talking the "concept" album thing? Stuff like YES, ELP, RadioHead, Pink Floyd, Rush, etc...

Many recordings, prior to downloads, were often thrown together without much coherence IMO so I don't really see a difference in that regard. Hell, when's the last recent recording you bought that had a coherent theme and no filler? I echo those who would rather an artist/band put out a quality 30-45 minute effort vs. some 60+ min crap cromag opus.

Someone mentioned downloadable music is good because it offers exposure to a larger variety of music and artists.
I enjoy the variety and would not rob people of their freedom to chose but IMO there is almost too much crapola coming out due to the relative ease of using modern recording "studio" software.

Owning a PC, software and a few mic's does not make you a recording engineer.

On artistic talent...There are alot of people who "think" they have a gift for vocals, lyrics, playing an instrument...

Can you tell the difference in recordings where the entire band plays together in the same studio? This recording individual instrumental/vocal tracks and sending digital copies as email attachments so they can be mixed with other similar really compromises the interplay between artists that makes the "all together" recording style more special IMO.

 

[casull]

Some albums deserve to be listened to cohesively, some are just collections of songs. I've heard great cohesive albums that should never listened to other than in their entirety, and then I've heard albums that are just collections of distinct songs, with no real relation to each other. There are good albums in both categories, I think.

As far as art goes- I'm 18, and didn't start listening to much music until I was 12 or 13, so the album as a physical object has no place in my heart like it does for those who grew up with record cases covered with neat art. I guess I can see the appeal of having album art if you're used to it, but to me the sound it all there is.

For the record, I have +/- 30,000 digital tracks, and about a dozen cds that I have bought over the years.