Best Way To Listen To Albums

[benpaco]

OK, I’ll share two here. TL;DR music is always better with good friends, especially those you are/were interested in.

First and quicker, was coming home from an awards banquet with the girl I was interested in at the time. We listened to Atlas Genius’ “Through The Looking Glass” EP in the car, and there was a moment where she was just talking and Trojans came on and it felt so perfect, I just smiled and smiled.

Second is this, edited down from the way I wrote it out to remind myself what happened so I’d not forget, but it’s for Blue October’s Foiled. Same girl, but actually after I’d moved on from being really interested in her:

I'd never felt like any one person was there in a moment solely for me until [date of the event] (I never did go find that date … damn. Oh well.) For all these friends I'd had that were there for me, they were often there only by circumstance, or because I asked them to be, or with others. No one had let their world be me for a moment before. And then there was a strange moment. I call it a floating moment. I've had a few of them, I hope everyone has - they're the moments you feel like you're ... well, floating. You're heart beats faster and slower at once, and you're both as panicked and as calm as possible. They're complicated. So in this floating moment, my best friend (or at least one of them) was cold and tired and we'd both been through some weirdness recently at that time. We'd been trying to spend time together because we felt like we could care about each other and just be safe together and that helped. But there came the moment where she was on a couch, and she slid over for me to come sit. She was tired and cold, so we snuggled up close. (After a very awkward attempt from me to cram into a crowded couch of about 7 without cuddling, as I knew she had a bf).

We talked a little, by no means anything long or meaningful. Tidbits about Fight Club (as we were watching that at the time), or what other people were doing, and consistently, the needed “You OK?” and the cuddled nod on a head or a chest that followed. Soon, as it was an overnighter, people started sleeping. I decided I really didn’t want to sleep because I wanted to enjoy it. Everyone and the movie both.

Well, what does this have to do with Foiled? Well, I was in a Foiled kick at the time. I’d listened to nothing but that on end for about a week, must’ve gone through it about 25-30 times. I knew all the words to every song, and all the bass parts … and all the ukulele chords for each song. I’d gotten a little into it. As we watched Fight Club, I’d been trying to sync up the lyrics with their mouths moving, just in my head. I’d made it through almost the entire album with limited success when I looked down again, to ask once more if she was OK. Her eyes shut and a smile on her face, she’d fallen asleep on me. I tried to breathe carefully to not stir her, and I rested my head on her’s, something that was different. An awkward kid like myself, even in marching band, has boundaries, and that crossed them. And it was wonderful.

I went back to watching the movie, as it was right about when they were starting to fly around and things were getting exciting. It finally synced up to 18th Floor Balcony decently, not great, but decent. And I looked down and I felt those words echo through my friend, through me, into some greater consciousness.

“I close my eyes
And I smile
Knowing that everything is alright
To the core
So close that door
Is this happening?
My breath is on your hair
I’m unaware
That you opened the blinds and let the city in …
And I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
And we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony.
We're both flying away.”

This was not only the best album-y moment I’ve ever had, it’s one of my favorite moments. Nothing’s happened romantically between us, in fact, she still has the same boyfriend. I don’t need or really even want our relationship to change from how it is right now, but that moment will forever feel just … floating to me.
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. . . 2016 . . . 2015 . . .

Things I Make

[AgainstMeAgainstYou]

Your first time with an album, just listen to it. Don't try to focus too much on it, cause you're not gonna be able to remember every song title or what each song sounded like just from one listen. But when you return to it, really don't let anything else distract you and just focus only on the album as much as possible. Really internalize each song, feel what you're hearing. If you like the album right off the bat, this is very easy to do.

Oh, and of course, listen to it from start to finish, in track order, uninterrupted. That's a given. Otherwise you're not listening to the album at all.

[tgarritsen]

The best way I like too listen to albums is really late at night. Preferably drunk.

[JMan]

[cattlest]

listening to 'too dark park' at night, in bed, with headphones, tripping your balls off.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Too Dark Park by Skinny Puppy
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I AM A CRACKED MACHINE

[zdwyatt]

There are plenty of variables, but one constant: music must be loud. I don't mean blow-out-your-eardrums loud, but loud enough that you are hearing everything. It shouldn't just be floating around in the background. Personally, nothing tops the home stereo with all the windows open.