[revolver94]

How do you guys get into albums? Like, what is the process like?
For me, it's something like this.
First, I listen to the album for the first time. Only very rarely do I like an album on my first listen; I'm just not familiar with it yet. As I continue to listen to the album, I start to become more comfortable with a few of the songs, but more noticeably the ambiance. There's this great period with albums when I know none of very few of the songs, but I love the atmosphere it creates. I remember this phase particularly well with Is This It and OK Computer. Then, I start to notice the songs. Assuming its a good album, this means that I start to like the songs more. At this point, my appreciation of the music at the core of the album skyrockets, eventually reaching an epitome where the album causes me to feel overwhelmed with emotions. You know, gives you shivers and makes you want to sing and dance along. Then my reaction starts to calm down a bit, until finally the album levels out at whatever appeal it happens to have to me.

Disregarding the "ambiance" phase, my appreciate of the music looks somewhat like this:

If I don't listen to an album for a while and am in the mood, I can experience that intense emotional state again; this happened to me recently with OK Computer, launching it up to #2 (it was stronger than my original moment). I've actually had that with OK Computer more than once... great album. But you all know that.

Is this whole process just me? What is listening to a new album like for you guys?

[Mr. Shankly]

😕

[Facetious]

[Xavygravy]

I agree with your theory mostly. 😎

[Mother Nature's Son]

You used many difficult words, but whatever I understood, I agree with you..

And I'm also familiar with this ¨hearing a great album after a long time-ecstacy¨. The longer time you wait to hear an album you know well, the better it will be when you hear it again.

[Hayden]

....

I just enjoy them. 😐

Science and music in my eyes have always been a bad mix.


I do agree with the part that Mother Nature's Son agrees with also. Very true.
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Doubles & Conch

[Guest]

Ehh... I'm not having the confusion others are having. I understood it. I thought it was well said.

Is the word "ambiance" throwing people off? I think revolver94 is describing the overall feel of the music, the atmosphere, not so much the smaller individual details like the notes, song structure, and lyrics. These sort of things are less clear in the early part of listening to a unique album.

I see music as having a lot to do with patterns and adapting to them. Some albums take somewhere between a few to several listens in order to "feel it" because of this.

[Guest]

I don't really read too much into it. I just listen and if I like it, I like it.

[lancashirearab]

The ambiance is an important part of an album. How does it make you feel? Albums can make me twitchy and restless. They can relax me after a difficult day. They can make me want to sing along. Each type of album is embraced and sampled in different ways. I didn't get into the Young Marble Giants' album in the same way I got into The Wedding Present.
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Hey look, there at the back
a wooden tree
isn't it a pretty one?

[Mother Nature's Son]