Perfectly fine albums you only need to hear once...

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You know, the one time is an enjoyable and impressive listening experience, but you don't need to hear again.

The Streets: "A grand don't come for free"

Fine album, a linear tale for the most significant parts, some great tracks playable in isolation, but actually putting on at track 1 and ending at track (12?) more than once, ah no.

― mark grout (mark grout), Sunday, 24 September 2006 22:47 (nineteen years ago)

I think I've listened to it all the way through maybe three times. I only ever listen to 'Blinded By the Lights' nowadays.

― chap who would dare to contain two ingredients. Tea and bags. (chap), Sunday, 24 September 2006 22:55 (nineteen years ago)

Illinois

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Sunday, 24 September 2006 23:40 (nineteen years ago)

Prince Paul- A Prince Among Thieves

― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Sunday, 24 September 2006 23:50 (nineteen years ago)

illinois...so OTM!

― robert anderson (venimdenim), Monday, 25 September 2006 01:01 (nineteen years ago)

Tommy

― jim wentworth (wench), Monday, 25 September 2006 01:08 (nineteen years ago)

I think Illinois has lots of replay value, but I suppose that's just me.

I've always been ok with one listen to most GBV albums.

― Nathan P1p (hoyanathan), Monday, 25 September 2006 02:42 (nineteen years ago)

Scott Walker - The Drift.
as a matter of of fact, i can't liten to it more even if i want to.
unless it's in the background.like a soundtrack or something

― emekars (emekars), Monday, 25 September 2006 05:09 (nineteen years ago)

The Drift otm

― Cunga (Cunga), Monday, 25 September 2006 05:18 (nineteen years ago)

zen arcade.

― paid in cigarettes (paid in cigarettes), Monday, 25 September 2006 06:35 (nineteen years ago)

Most Weird Al Yankovic albums.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 25 September 2006 07:33 (nineteen years ago)

well, yeah comedy in general..

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 25 September 2006 08:02 (nineteen years ago)

a few examples

opeth - 'damnation' (pretty enough, but simply not the style that the band does best)

mogwai - 'come on die young' (liked it the first time, and still wonder why i have no inclination to every really play it again. admittedly, it's had the forced repeat listen factor applied to it - so i have given it a fair showing)

fiery furnaces - 'blueberry boat' (i'll play it for certain tracks exclusively. way too exhausting to be taken whole)

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Monday, 25 September 2006 13:11 (nineteen years ago)

The Drift otm. (not so for Tilt!) also Aerial by Kate Bush.
much Warp label material, and a host of '90s electronica.

― Max Blazevic (kitaj), Monday, 25 September 2006 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

hmmm...'drift' bears more repeated listens than 'tilt', which hasn't dated that well. in fact, 'the drift' is one of my most-played albums of the year.

― mister the guanoman (mister the guanoman), Monday, 25 September 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

The Streets: "A grand don't come for free"

i take it we aren't the types to re-read books or watch movies we've already seen, either

ah, novelty!

― marc h. (marc h.), Monday, 25 September 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

sorry, that was a little snarkier than intended. i still play that album, though!

― marc h. (marc h.), Monday, 25 September 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

i listen to it as well.

i just think it's lacking the sharpness and wit of his first record, which warranted repeat listens through the quality of the rhyming.

i do listen to 'dry your eyes' when i'm in an introspective mood though.

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Monday, 25 September 2006 14:02 (nineteen years ago)

None taken.

But that is the hub of it. Some films I do re-see, some, albeit fewer, books I might re-read. Some narrative type albums I might play more than once.

But not that one.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 25 September 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

wtf @ "Aerial"?

Mind you I'm tempted to add Ys to the thread so...

― ten kebabs maaaaate (fandango), Monday, 25 September 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

The Gnarls Barkley album.

― Rodney doesn't like polka. He is racist. (R. J. Greene), Monday, 25 September 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

D'angelo's Voodoo is another.

― Rodney doesn't like polka. He is racist. (R. J. Greene), Monday, 25 September 2006 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

Music that only needs one listen is, to my mind, pretty much totally pointless. The point of music for me is having a lasting relationship with it.

Gnarls Barkley and Blueberry Boat are pretty muhc unlistenable because of how they're mixed/mastered.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 25 September 2006 14:20 (nineteen years ago)

*yawn*

― Rodney doesn't like polka. He is racist. (R. J. Greene), Monday, 25 September 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

Haha, my ability to listen to comedy albums over and over again has really caused me problems when it comes to making mixtapes for people.

― Eppy (Eppy), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:00 (nineteen years ago)

I've listened to Voodoo, like, a hundred times.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:02 (nineteen years ago)

Rodney, you're an idiot.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:03 (nineteen years ago)

Every time I think this will be the case, I eventually go back and revisit the album in question and become obsessive. (Especially with comedy albums - I've been on a Longmont Potion Castle kick lately. Genius!).

― Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:04 (nineteen years ago)

Free jazz/improv albums are like this for me. It takes some amount of energy to put myself in the musicians' "in the moment" mindset, to try to hear what they're hearing, and often it's not all that rewarding.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:04 (nineteen years ago)

I've listened to Voodoo, like, a hundred times.

Really? To me, it's completely gorgeous....and tedious.

(x-post Nick, is that supposed to be worth replying to?)

― Rodney doesn't like polka. He is racist. (R. J. Greene), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:11 (nineteen years ago)

Is they any tedious women in the house tonight?

― PappaWheelie says, ''only pick any'' (PappaWheelie 2), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:13 (nineteen years ago)

I think Nick used too much compression in that post.

― ten kebabs maaaaate (fandango), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:14 (nineteen years ago)

Really? To me, it's completely gorgeous....and tedious.

I can get pretty wrapped up in the details of the grooves, like how the bass will be a little bit behind and the vocals will be ahead, or vice versa. It's pretty amazing.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe I'll have to give it another listen. I've always preferred Brown Sugar, but that's just me.

― Rodney doesn't like polka. He is racist. (R. J. Greene), Monday, 25 September 2006 15:32 (nineteen years ago)

"Smile".

― Sith Vidious (nest), Monday, 25 September 2006 16:01 (nineteen years ago)

Jordan OTM - the first thing that came to my mind was, well, pretty much anything involving Derek Bailey.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 25 September 2006 16:23 (nineteen years ago)

There are exceptions though - Ayler's Spiritual Unity is worth many listens, as is "Free Jazz" (which isn't really as free as some other stuff).

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 25 September 2006 16:24 (nineteen years ago)

"Smile".

-- Sith Vidious (isskindis...), September 25th, 2006. (later)

:-(

― PappaWheelie says, ''only pick any'' (PappaWheelie 2), Monday, 25 September 2006 16:38 (nineteen years ago)

You'd have to be capable of replying first, Rodney.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 25 September 2006 20:23 (nineteen years ago)

I think Illinois has lots of replay value, but I suppose that's just me.

I agree that it has replay value if only because of the richness of the arrangements, but it's exhausting for me to sit through the whole thing front to back. After three or four listens during which I marvelled at the harmonies & songwriting, it became a chore to have to skip through "One Last Woohoo For The Pullman" or whatever it was.

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Monday, 25 September 2006 20:45 (nineteen years ago)

Final Fantasy's "He Poos Clouds," otherwise known as "The Brown Album." For whatever reason, I can remember how most of the songs go, and that I like them fine, but I just don't want to do it again.

― Eric Harvey (eric marathonpacks), Monday, 25 September 2006 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

I'd disagree with "The Drift" as not having replay value... Its probably the most listened to album of the year for me... some people seem to think its all shock horror and therefore thats it, first listen, then discard away... but really its like a series of very dry, dark jokes, I think. though of course far far behind Tilt (which is subtle and extremely pleasant... not really dated in as far as it doesn't sound anything like 1995, or any other year really)

I'd suggest maybe conceptual art stuff like "I am Sitting in a room"... tho really you don't even need to actually hear it...

― gekoppel (Gekoppel), Monday, 25 September 2006 22:03 (nineteen years ago)

zaireeka

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 25 September 2006 22:04 (nineteen years ago)

Exile on Main Street

― a regal trolley (aaron a), Monday, 25 September 2006 22:06 (nineteen years ago)

I agree that it has replay value if only because of the richness of the arrangements, but it's exhausting for me to sit through the whole thing front to back.

I agree, but we're talking about two separate things here, aren't we? I think Illinois is worth listening to many times, and that it's a chore to listen to in one sitting.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Monday, 25 September 2006 22:12 (nineteen years ago)

I see what you're saying, but I was basing my suggestion on the OP:

actually putting on at track 1 and ending at [the last track] more than once, ah no.

Granted, I did it three or four times, but I felt like it wasn't much of a stretch to include it on a list like this.

Also, I've been here for six months and haven't said anything remotely interesting or debatable. Figured I was past due.

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Monday, 25 September 2006 23:06 (nineteen years ago)

Loads and loads of Load records. There's a lot of "noise" and experimental stuff that I listen to once and never touch again, even though I enjoyed it.

Though I think htat Sick Mouthy has a point, at least somewhat. The Notwist and Brazillian Girls lately have left me feeling like they were pleasent, but not compelling in any way, and I vaguely resented them for it.

― js (honestengine), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 03:55 (nineteen years ago)

Nick, I concede. It was foolish of me to pick a fight with a powerhouse of intellect like you.

― Rodney doesn't like polka. He is racist. (R. J. Greene), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 04:34 (nineteen years ago)

Who the fuck are you, Rodney? You've written in the Stylus singles column about three times and done some bitching on ILM? My "pointless crusade" that "no one cares about" is the most-read, most-discussed, most-linked thing on Stylus this year - bar year-end lists and like it's about the most-read thing there ever. It's been written about specifically in the Boston Globe, it's inspired a feature in Word magazine, it's been jacked by some guy who writes reviews for Time Out London, it's got me reams of emails from recording engineers, musicians, label people, and, hopefully, it's inspired a few artists to think more carefully about how their records sound. If you're too cloth-eared and dense to recognise that, you know, the basic form of a piece of music, i.e. how it sounds, it's physical composition in terms of movement of atoms and such, is a hugely important factor in how we receive it, whether or not it's always consciously noticed, then fair do for you. But shut the fuck up picking at me like a bitter primary school kid who's jealous of the guys in the year above, because it's pathetic.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 07:22 (nineteen years ago)

Gnarls Barkley and Blueberry Boat are pretty muhc unlistenable because of how they're mixed/mastered.

― Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 07:39 (nineteen years ago)

(But then again, you said the above, which many people with lots of actual experience recording/mixing/mastering music would think is the very definition of cloth-eared -- not that I'm defending Rodney (or can even figure out what you two are bickering about)).

― Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 07:42 (nineteen years ago)

I do believe that the issue of badly mixed music has been recognised as an issue, like never before since the advent of CDs.

This thread was originally about the 'content' shortening it's replay value rather than its production, but yes there are many reasons why this can happen.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 07:43 (nineteen years ago)

Dear god Nick chill tf out for any reason already.

I liked the article, but Grout OTM, you're in no way the first person, to bring attention to the issue, or the most eloquent when you're flaming on people daring to suggest that this hobby horse may be getting a bit tired.

It's starting to get embarrasing now and quite literally obsessive.

― ten kebabs maaaaate (fandango), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 08:09 (nineteen years ago)

i don't think that any album you hear once and never want to hear again would be particularly good!

i mean, i see where people are coming from with eg the drift but the reason i don't want to hear it very often is because i don't feel like that very often. if i had regular dark nights of the soul i would totally listen to it all the time.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 08:15 (nineteen years ago)

(I wasn't 'anti'ing Nicks view, anyway whatever..)

Lex, no I don't think it's even that straightforward.

If an album does a job of telling the story, and successfully, then there may well be no reason to hear it all again. The Streets album a case in point.

There are loads of tracks I'd be happy to play again, but track 1 (It was going to be so easy) I don't need to hear again, and the final track with the two scenarios (bloke goes daft and scraps with TV repairman vs Bloke reflects on his shortcomings, chills out and all works out OK in the end) is brilliantly done and I never want to hear it again. (Not 'violently object', just isn't necessary)

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 08:42 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not saying it's unimportant either, but taking threads off-topic here constantly doesn't seem to generate much goodwill for the cause. People should stop baiting for sure, but Nick could do with just letting it slide sometimes as well (imho).

― ten kebabs maaaaate (fandango), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 08:55 (nineteen years ago)

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