Like music? Think you know a lot about it? Then, the first one to correctly guess the artist of all the albums listed wins. Wins what? Don't ask me; I'm only the writer! (And no cheating!)

Yesterday. . .and Today. Bookends. One of These Nights. Between the Buttons. Pipes of Peace. Who's Next. Days of Future Passed. I Got Dem ol' Kozmic Blues Again, Mama!

I guess you could say I have a thing for albums, particularly those as old or older than me and originally released as 33 1/3 rpm vinyl. Yeah, there's nothing like rockin' out to music that pops, hisses and skips, especially the stereotypical broken-record skip that repeats over and over. So, with the advent of compact discs, why would I even bother with this outdated format? Well - depending on the album, but in most cases - the digital version is like watching one of your favorite movies after it has been edited for television; it just doesn't sound right. Sure, digital may eliminate a lot of the annoying crap, but may of the cool subtleties get lost in translation. And for that, I'll take the pops, hisses and skips.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. (See a pattern here?) Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Hotel California. Out of Our Heads. Venus and Mars. Tommy. To Our Children's Children's Children. Cheap Thrills. Whipped Cream and Other Delights. Sweet Freedom. American Woman. Highway 61 Revisited. All Things Must Pass. Rumours. Waiting for the Sun. McCartney. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

Albums are more than the supporting cast for hit singles, achieving gold, platinum or multi-platinum status for the number of copies sold; they are a collective unit, comprised of singles, instrumentals and "album cuts" that co-exist as a musical vision or art or whatever the group, artist, producer, or record company intends. While a track or two may go on to become hit singles, that shouldn't pass off the rest of the rest of the album as unworthy or unnecessary. In fact, those remaining tracks may gain popularity over time, like Led Zeppelin IV or Led Zeppelin II or Physical Graffiti or basically anything by Led Zeppelin.

Of course, price is always an issue. What was once $5 now averages $20! No wonder online downloading is so popular; with prices like that, a person would have to be greatly inspired - or desperate - to buy a CD, when Morpheus, Grokster and Kazaa (among others) have made peer-to-peer file sharing so easily accessible. And though iTunes and the new Napster offer honest downloading, faith in legality has been somewhat distorted, with the RIAA chasing those who so much as breathe in Kazaa's direction, including those who don't own a computer.

Though formats, prices and eras have changed a few times over, the album's concept has not: a certain number of songs, possibly one or more that are hit-worthy, arranged in an auditory-pleasing (or displeasing) sequence. Even with the onslaught of digital music, albums are still a prevalent force, now even offered by Napster for $9.95 each.

So, whether Dylan's Nashville Skyline turns you on or you dig the Beatles' Revolver, these and many others are available on their original vinyl, plus 8-track (though the previous may take some searchng or a trip to San Francisco), cassette, and CD, whichever format fills your needs, unlike today's new releases that have a limited format: loud, computerized and falsisch.

Funny how things change.

Answers: Yesterday. . .and Today - The Beatles. Bookends - Simon & Garfunkel. One of These Nights - The Eagles. Between the Buttons - Rolling Stones. Pipes of Peace - Paul McCartney. Who's Next - The Who. Days of Future Passed - The Moody Blues. I Got Dem ol' Kozmic Blues Again, Mama - Janis Joplin. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme - Simon & Garfunkel. Hotel California - The Eagles. Out of Our Heads - Rolling Stones. Venus and Mars - Paul McCartney & Wings. Tommy - The Who. To Our Children's Children's Children - The Moody Blues. Cheap Thrills - Big Brother and the Holding Company. Whipped Cream and Other Delights - Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Sweet Freedom - Uriah Heep. American Woman - The Guess Who. Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan. All Things Must Pass - George Harrison. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac. Waiting for the Sun - The Doors. McCartney - Paul MCartney. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie.

Copyright © 2004, Talia M. Wilson
published in Cooper Point Journal, Feb. 5, 2004

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