Classic Albums - Graceland

We're in a cycle of the music world driven by singles rather than full albums. The a la carte nature of itunes and the slump in CD sales is truly hurting the full album as an art form. While I have purchased some great full CD's recently (for example, the new Wilco CD as terrific, as is the new LCD Soundsystem), there is a void of great albums.

Gone are the days when CD's sell 10 or 15 million copies here in the US (well, besides High School Musical, I suppose).

It's a shame because I used to feel a certain magic when walking into a music store. The possibilities of what to buy, finding hidden gems, collecting CD singles - all replaced by by the digital world.

It's hard to stop technology, and while I truly love the "custom radio station" I created with my playlists on my ipod (though I'm still a bit bitter with itunes after my fight with them), I am afraid that there have been many more memorable full albums already released in the past few decades than there will be in the next few decades.

Thinking to the 80's - my intro to music - The Joshua Tree, Purple Rain, Thriller, Graceland, Born In The U.S.A., Synchronicity - albums EVERYONE from that time owned.

I'm thinking this while watching this great show on VH1 Classic called "Classic Albums." Basically, it's a "Behind the Music" about a specific classic album, the stories behind it, and the recording process. It's fascinating to learn the stories behind the songs. Even more interesting is watching the artists deconstruct the songs, stripping the actual tracks apart so viewers can listen to the individual instruments - the bass track, the backing vocals, and all of the elements that made the music great.

I have a couple more episodes to watch (Who's Next, Hysteria, Dark Side of the Moon, Metallica), but have already seen episodes on Face Value, A Night at the Opera), and am now seeing on Wikipedia that a ton of these episodes have been produced. Can't wait until VH1 picks up the full slate!