Currently, I’ve been going through album after album of both new stuff (to my ears), and classics. After a period of making mixes/playlists, compiling best-of’s of a band’s career and listening through their work, and leaving my iPod on shuffle- I’ve finally returned to the most elaborate art form in an artist’s catalog- the complete album

An album has more than just songs. An album is a collected work and theme of an artist’s life. The expression of Bruce Springsteen’s turbulent and longing music can be heard crystal-clear through songs like “Nebraska”, but never will it be more perfect and complete than throughout the complete album of the same name. Sequencing of the tracks is debated over and carefully chosen to flow perfectly to the listener. And the artwork- something I’ve been fascinated with since the first time I ever picked up a CD- can sometimes tell just as much of a story as the music itself. Often times, it provides the necessary clue to solving the puzzle. Imagine listening to an album as listening through a closed door, deciphering what’s going on in a room.  In a perfect situation, the album’s artwork can be the keyhole that allows you to see.

I’m going to just throw the list of what I’ve listened to in it’s entirety on Beat Farm, along with a one to two sentence note. Not necessarily a review, just whatever happens to come to mind. This is everything that’s been played- in full- since about Wednesday.

Stevie Ray Vaughn: Texas Flood

There are more words to be heard within SRV’s guitar playing than there are in his lyrics. Listen to what he’s trying to say.

My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves

It’s still folky, but it moves.

Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers

One of the most perfect albums to ever be created. Straight up 70’s rock and roll from start to finish, with a great cover.

Smoking Popes: It’s Been a Long Day

It is a compilation, but it flows like a punk album. “Smoking Popes” as a band name=why I even picked them up.

Muse: Absolution

1985 pays a visit to the 2000’s, and it sounds pretty cool.

Local H: Local H’s Awesome Mix Tape, Vol. 1

The artwork underneath where the disc sits is more revealing- a stack of cassette tapes of classics among more “wtf” tapes…and if you look carefully, you’ll find one of Local H’s stacked in there too.

U2: The Unforgettable Fire

While looking at the album artwork, listen to “A Sort of Homecoming” and “Promenade”.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: BloodSugarSexMagik

Most amazing thing about this album- it’s long, and every single track is good. They could have cut this down to 11 tracks and each one of them could have been perfect (Power of Equality, If You Had to Ask, Breaking the Girl, Suck My Kiss, I Could Have Lied, Give it Away, Naked in the Rain, Under the Bridge, BloodSugarSexMagik, Apache Rose Peacock, Sir Psycho Sexy, for example.), but instead it runs long, and still manages to be amazing. The songs are on there because RHCP WANTS them to be on there- not because they need filler.

U2: Under a Blood Red Sky

U2’s defining moment.

Take some time, listen to some albums from start to finish. And really listen. Email mgignac@purdue.edu your favorite albums to listen to from start to finish, with a sentence or two why, and we’ll publish you!

-Matt