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Column: Requiem for the album
I'VE BEEN A bit down since reading an article titled “The Album, a Commodity in Disfavor” in Monday's issue of The New York Times.
According to music industry insiders, the sales gap between singles and full-length albums has gotten to the point where many are saying the album has gone the way of the dodo.
Albums have been a major part of my life since I started “borrowing” CDs from my parents around the age of 7. I would listen religiously no matter how long they might have been, taking in every second with my full attention.
Since then, my music collection has expanded significantly, and the album is as important as ever to me.
Depending on my mood, I might throw on “Vulgar Display of Power” by Pantera for a major boost of aggression, “Rust in Peace” by Megadeth when I want to work on my guitar playing, or “Bat Out of Hell” by Meat Loaf for no particular reason at all.
I get pumped up, calmed down or inspired to do better at everything I do by different albums, and each new one I hear holds a special place in my CD rack.
Even with iTunes, I try to stop from buying single songs and instead wait until I find the full album at a store or until I download the whole thing. Impractical as it may seem, I have a good reason.
Albums are never put together in an arbitrary way (except for best-of compilations, which are basically just a bunch of hit singles), and it seems rude to me that I would just get one song when the artist spent so much time working on the others. Also, there's the idea of what I'm missing: What if the one song I bought isn't the best, and I could be getting much better music?
Some albums even go so far as to tell a story, such as The Who's “Tommy,” Marilyn Manson's “Antichrist Superstar,” and My Chemical Romance's “The Black Parade.” If you buy one of those songs without hearing the rest, it's sort of like reading only one chapter of a book. You might be able to understand it, but you will miss out on the context.
Now, if all you wanted was “SexyBack,” I don't think you should necessarily have to buy the rest of “Future Sex/Love Sounds.” Keep in mind, though, that it was put together to be heard in a particular order, and you're possibly missing a rewarding listen.
So whether you're taking in “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles or “Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious” by Carcass or anything in between, enjoy it while you can. We may not be seeing any new albums in the near future.
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— New York Times: The Album, a Commodity in Disfavor
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