In this modern age of MP3's, ipods and portable media you could be forgiven for skipping the odd track that you don't really like... But should you?
I remember back in the day you bought Vinyl records, the experience went a little something like this:-
1. You went to a shop, you browsed the LP's, now these things were 12 inches long (obviously before metric) a picture on the front of these babies was massive and could be a deciding factor when buying (shallow I know).
2. You took you purchased Item home in a big bag waiting in anticipation of what you might hear!
3. You got home, you removed the disk which was protected by a dust cover sheet (usually white) sometimes their was a poster included inside, I remember buying double dynamite which was a double album which had a poster of Elvis from flaming star
4. You held the black vinyl in your hand a flipped it over both sides checking to see if there were any scratches or dust.
5. you placed the disk onto your player and set the correct speed 33RPM. Before you put the needle to the record you got your dust cleaner, applied it gently to the vinyl giving it the once over, just to make sure the needle wouldn't jump unexpectedly.
6. you could here the needle drag across the plastic briefly before the music played, I used to lay on my bed and listen to the whole side before carefully turning over the LP and playing the other side.
That's how I got to hear and learn Elvis songs, NO I didn't like every song, but I listened to a whole side, took the rough with the smooth and some of those songs I didn't like grew on me (some didn't).
I'm not against ipods or MP3 Players per se, but believe that there is a disadvantage to being able to skip to the next track in a heartbeat if you don't like the intro. I have an Ipod and love it to bits I have 170 Elvis Albums on it which can be anywhere in the world with me which is a fantastic achievement.
I miss the rituals of the vinyl age, it seems like everything is done on-line these days, you can buy one track and ignore the rest, you are sat at home looking at a computer screen without interacting with human beings. I used to save my money and look forward to the journey going to town, going to a record shop that only specialised in records, leafing through the albums talking to other customers etc.
I sometimes wonder if concept albums like 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' by The Beatles would have been the success it was back in 1967 in a modern era, 'Sgt Peppersl' told a story and each song could be considered an Important piece of the puzzle?