The (only) Album

When I saw my friend post that he was going to compile his top 10 favorite albums of all time, I thought there is no way I could ever make my own list. There are just too many albums that I like, too many I haven't heard. It's just almost impossible to rank them let alone choosing just 10. But the idea intrigued me so much that it's all I've been thinking about. And David, sorry I beat you to the punch but you were taking just way too long. But first, a note about The Album:

When I first started to be able to buy my own music, it was the beginning of the "file sharing" age. I had bought probably a couple dozen albums before I discovered the phenomenon. I admit, I had bought the majority of the albums due to a song or two that I had come across on MTV or the radio. I would always go straight to whatever track that I knew and, if I was lucky, get to like a few of the others. Once I had started to tap into this wonderful technology of being able to create your own mix on a CD-R, and download songs for free, I basically completely stopped buying music. There was no need for me to buy Enema of the State when I can just download What's My Age Again and All the Small Things for free. I probably went 4 years without buying a single album with the exception of a few local band demos.

Then something changed. And thank Christ it did. What exactly led to it, I'm not quite sure. Maturity, knowledge, experience, the FCC, a combination, who knows. But as soon as I tore off the packaging and stuck that circular piece of plastic into my stereo and the sound of those ethereal guitars hit my ear drums, my perspective of music completely changed. I hate to sound so emotastic but it also changed my life. (see #1)

Ever since, I no longer judge music or a band by listening to just one song. I have to listen to the whole CD, starting with track 1, and play it all the way through to the end to really understand the artist and their music. Only the really good musicians understand the importance of the album and are able to manipulate the styles and the structures of each song to piece them together for a larger being. It's almost like putting together an audio puzzle.

Now, I don't even remember the last time I downloaded a song for free. I very rarely even download albums off iTunes. I appreciate the thought and time that went into creating the tangible piece you pay for. Unfortunately, with technology being what it is, the importance of "The Album" in the mainstream market is diminishing. I do love my iPod, but I feel the younger generation is missing out on the greater whole thanks to it's capabilities. Shuffle, 2 songs per artist, custom playlists, etc.

With that being said, this list is not a necessarily what I think are the best albums of all time. A couple of them are, but these are just my personal favorites.