Complete Albums

It’s been a while since I’ve listened to an entire music album. Especially with minimal distractions. I’ve missed the experience!

This morning, I bought The Captain and the Kid on iTunes. Then, I listened to each song in order. I focused on the meaning of the lyrics. I got a sense of the whole collection. I took the time to feel it all.

And it’s everything I hoped it would be.

We live in a world of sound bytes and short-form content. We scan headlines and assume we know what the accompanying article might say. We listen to bits and pieces of stuff.

Who has time to do nothing for an hour except listen to music? It turns out that I do! At least for today.

There’s something to be said for slowing down and taking a break from our routine craziness.

The Captain and the Kid is a concept album. I’ve enjoyed several others through the years. Paradise Theater by Styx, Misplaced Childhood by Marillion, and Pink Floyd’s The Wall are a few of my favorite examples. While each of these albums features great individual songs, the songs acquire additional meaning within the context of the whole.

To get the most out of a musical album, you must listen to it from the beginning to the end. That’s how you can experience the story unfolding. While I’ve never seen a production of Aida, I have a pretty good sense of the story. (Of course, now that I’ve searched for this, I must watch it!)

Partly because I love musicals, I’ve spent many wonderful hours listening to complete albums.