While the internet has solved quite a few of the world’s problems, it is not sinless. It has been the greatest human achievement in making knowledge accessible, but has also been another game of Chutes and Ladders.
A good thing can unintentionally kill off other necessary thing.
Using it has killed off a few things I think we will learn to regret if we don’t already refer them. One thing worth mentioning is what streaming music services has done for and against the entire music industry. While it has catapulted some artists’ careers and made the entire industry more nimble through learning a new life in the digital era, artists lost the ability and producers lost the flavor for really pouring themselves into a full album.
LP stands for long play, and having a full length recording gave artists at least 10 challenges to really navigate the heart of their art. Producers put up with a full recording because it was the standard of how people listened to music at the time. Listening to a full length album required patience on the part of the listener, producer, and artist, all wrapped up in a beautiful struggle that created something completely unique.
The impatience of the digital age has dealt a few blows to everyone. First, it trained finicky music lovers to only buy the singles while unintentionally causing contempt for the other songs not made for radio. Secondly, it gave panicky producers license to rush the process and give this new impatient consumer audience what they really wanted, singles. Lastly, it didn’t allow the artists to fully express their tragic comedy and give the people what they needed, the whole story.
I had missed the glory days of the full length recording but it seems we are returning to it again. I can’t wait to see the return of the elaborate high-fidelity stereo systems returned to our living rooms!
Q. What is your personal favorite full length recording which almost seems flawless from start to finish?
Q. What was the first $.99 single you purchased at the start of this whole streaming music thing?
Q. Do you agree or disagree with my rant? How so, if so?
Tim Holman, Writer 
Almost perfect LPs? Third place: Enya, The Memory of Trees; Second Place: Kenny G, Breathless; First Place: Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Whipped Cream and Other Delights. Oddly, each artist (group) had other LPs before my favorite. As for Whipped Cream, I was 13 when it came out and a Herb Alpert fan already, but the LP cover was, hmmm, intriguing for a thirteen year old. I am shocked that my mother let me buy it. Of these three LPs, one or two Enya songs are not among my favorites, but everything else seems flawless, in my flawed memory. Your second question? I never have, but my son downloaded two full Bond CDs in that fashion for a birthday present years ago. (Bond, the four ladies playing classical cross over music, not James Bond – my favorite of theirs was Explosive). As for the third question, I agree. An entire album defined the artist at that point in their career. You could decide whether you would make the effort to pursue the other recordings or move on. A hit single could easily become a one-hit-wonder and then oblivion. I am too old to figure out what next will be.
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