The Album Discussion Party

[dihansse]

Here is an idea open for discussion:
- everybody member is free to start one thread on an album and you can only start a new thread at least each 2 months
- you have to pick an album from your own overall top 100 chart which you think is underrated on the site but is at least three years old (there are other threads for newer albums and I think it makes sense to discuss albums which already have an established value).
- I first thought: maybe the choices should be limited to the top 10,000 overall chart to stick to albums which are at least acknowledged to have some value but then I saw that in my own top 100 there are 14 albums not ranked in the overall top 10,000 so personally I wouldn't include this rule; But it's an idea.
- If you start a thread you have to start with a thorough reasoning why you like the album and why you think it should be rated higher, ie don't just introduce a thread with "I love this album, what do other people think of it". How you do this is entirely personal choice: track by track discussion, focus on general feel, ... but the start has to be personal: focus on technicalities, general cultural value can be entered later in the discussion
- replies by other members should have some added value: no sentences like 'I totally agree', 'I don't like this genre at all', etc. You don't have to like the album under discussion but if you don't, try to give reasons.
- The person who started the thread decides when the discussion ends but to keep it manageable I would say this has to be between 2 (to give people the possibility to listen to the album, form their opinion and have some room for discussion) and 6 months (to avoid discussions dragging on too long).

Of course open to discussion and amendments...

[RoundTheBend]

Thanks all!

Glad this excites us.

I too liked the idea of having a thread dedicated to an album (If so I imagine that going to the Music forum, not games). A little concerned that it would be overkill/messy whereas having one thread with an album per week sounds helpful... having said that, such a format wouldn't help discussion.

I also liked the idea that the discussion is live so that it can morph into a real discussion instead of point/counter point less "human" of a discussion. Using skype and then copy conversation into thread for later review. Maybe that's what starts the thread? Maybe we have a virtual listening party Sunday nights (a host per continent/timezone group... EMEA & Americas enough?) or something like that and then can comment/relisten discuss more in detail throughout the week.

It's too bad there's this thing called copyright because SoundCloud offers a comment at a point in the song thingy that's pretty neat and I think would be fun to use something similar so you could comment at a certain point of the song... referencing the time is perfectly fine too though. It probably wouldn't be the norm to comment that detailed, but for the once in a while reference/seeing everyone's comments at a particular time in the song all in one place would be rad.

So could we agree we do the following:

1) Stickied thread where we nominate albums. I think nominating an album is probably the best way to go and maybe we need to have x amount of people agree on it (for the purpose of fueling a discussion) because one concern is that it falls apart because two weeks in a row someone gets bored with the choices and stops participating?Also totally agree not one person should manage this... it is a community and maybe the thread of nominations would allow anyone to help manage/keep it alive?

2) Each album gets a new thread in the Music forum (Originally thought this might be a game... but lets turn the Music forum into precisely that).

Mind help co-writing the OP "guidelines"/purpose statement/whatever you want to call it. Here's a go but feel free to better:



Welcome to the Album Deep Dive!

As much as we love the album page, it doesn't allow for real back and forth discussion.

This week we invite any and all to check out this album and REALLY listen to it. Share all you learn/all you love/all you hate about the album, but please refrain from a post that just says, "me likey". Give some detail. Tell us why and how you've come to your conclusions. Ask good open ended questions that fuel good discussion.

(album link goes here)

[RockyRaccoon]

So you're basically talking about doing the Album Listening Club right?
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2023 Chart

Early Psychedelic Rock

Electronic Chart

[mickilennial]

[RockyRaccoon]

[WindowAbove]

Nobody Cares.

[RoundTheBend]

[Allabaster]

If there is not enough interest in discussing albums on a forum about albums, I fear that the mirror has shattered.

[RockyRaccoon]

I think limiting it to the BEA top-100 is a bad idea, for the most part I think people are too interested in talking about OK Computer or Dark Side Of The Moon for the billionth time.

I think if we made this ALC broad and said "hey just pick an album you love and we'll all listen to it and talk about it", it could be really cool, and lead to new discoveries. If we limit it to the BEA top-100, participation will likely drop off real quickly. A balance would be good.
_________________
2023 Chart

Early Psychedelic Rock

Electronic Chart

[RoundTheBend]