In today’s digital world of downloading and streaming music, sadly the art of the album has become a thing of the past and a vehicle for nostalgia. Albums used to be the average fan’s portal into the world of their favorite bands and music. I loved picking up an album and pouring over every detail. The vinyl record, cover, back cover, gatefold, liner notes, inserts with more information or photos, folded posters, lyrics to the songs, booklets, and the eight to ten songs placed in a specific order on that black spherical vinyl spinning on my turntable. Albums told a story. And to fully understand the story, you had to start at track one and listen until the very last track. Side one and then side two…the album in its entirety. With the ability to download a single track or tracks of our choice from preferred streaming services, people seem willing to abandon the concept of the long play album. Should we be that willing to forgo the LP?  Are we as music fans willing to sacrifice the art of the album and neglect the full story being told? And because we can, does that mean we should?  

My response is no! Long live the album and I encourage the return to the days of listening to an album in its entirety.

© 2023 Gregory Vessar. A Thousand Miles from Kansas. All Rights Reserved.