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Album Sides

Indulge me this silly topic. Sonics aside, there are two things I lament about the decline of the LP as a source of music in my life. One is the loss of the physical album cover, which we could read (without magnification) and study and relate to, if you know what I mean. I rarely know the names of songs anymore on CDs, because I don't "hang" with the cover.

The other loss is the album side. With an LP, there are two "first songs," and two sequences of songs to suck you in. Song sequencing is a whole different challenge with a CD. Do you remember records where you would listen to one side all the time and even ignore the other side or sides? The CD experience is different.

There have been some remarkable album sides. Which do you love most? A few of mine: Abbey Road side 2, Blonde on Blonde side 2, Moondance side 1, Wheels of Fire side 3, American Beauty side 1 (side 2 also).

drubin
alpass
174 posts
 
Genesis
Selling England by the Pound
side 1 and 2
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,836 posts
 
Abbey Road side 2...has there ever been a more seamless medley of great songs?
macdadtexas
1,794 posts
 
Elton John - side 1 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

U2 - side 2 The Joshua Tree

Led Zeppelin - side 1 Led Zeppelin II

Stone Temple Pilots - side 1 Core

Pink Floyd - DSOTM both sides

The Police - side 2 Synchronicity
drubin OP
3,285 posts
 
I'm glad to see this thread revived. It reminds of something else that I struggle with coming to CDs from LPs, which is including new material on the CD and sometimes changing the order of the songs. Stop it, your messing with the integrity of masterpieces! The only Beatles remaster I have bought is Rubber Soul. It sounds great but is hardly recognizable to me as the same Rubber Soul that carried me into puberty.
martykl
3,578 posts
 
Side 2 of Abbey Road just leaps to mind here.

Todd Rundgren always had the quirky side and the straight side.
The first side of "A Wizard, A True Star" and the fourth live jam side of "Something/Anything" come to mind.

"Radio Ethiopia" from Patti Smith was another split personality record.

Marty
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