Top 10: Start-To-Finish Albums

A modern debate continues to rage – has the art of an album been lost?

Music is so freely accessible on digital platforms that there is now no longer a reason to sit and listen to an album front-to-back like there was in the past. You can’t ‘shuffle’ a vinyl record – therefore when artists were curating their upcoming release, it was always to fit in to the confines of a vinyl record. A standard 12″ record at 33rpm can hold roughly 22 minutes worth of music per side (the recommended length is 20mins) and at absolute maximum could be 26mins or 28mins utilising various compression and dynamic techniques – generally thought of as poorer in sound quality. That meant the artist must pay close attention to specifics of the album creation – notably, track listing. A recent, frustrating example of this is 2001’s Lateralus by Tool, who had to alter the track listing from the original album release to fit into the confines of a vinyl record. Why is this important? It can disrupt the continuity of an album – and fans will notice that the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Disposition, Reflection and Triad is split on the Lateralus vinyl release and arguably disrupts the flow of the album. In the digital age, these considerations aren’t important. You can curate your album as you see fit – the majority of listeners will press shuffle play, or pop the album into a playlist with a shuffled order in any case. There is no incentive to listen from start-to-finish and therefore (in my humble opinion), the intended message/story from the artist for their album is overlooked.

I love continuity within an album, and I often will sit and listen to albums from start-to-finish that embrace this idea. I’m not talking about concept albums like The Downward Spiral, The Wall, or The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust – or even modern examples such as American Idiot or The Black Parade. I’m talking about those albums that are just quality track after quality track. No fillers, no b-sides, no wasted space – just good songs meticulous crafted together to feel like a cohesive progression of ideas. Here are my top selections for albums that for me, do it best.

1. Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair.
   • I still remember where I was the first time I listened to this album the whole way through. Most of you would have heard the famous singles (Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Head Over Heels), however the deep cuts on this album are just as strong – The Working Hour a personal highlight. The transition from Broken into Head Over Heels and back into a Broken reprise has to be one of my all-time favourite album moments. Just incredible, this is as good as synth-pop gets and encapsulates the 80s for me perfectly.
2. Manchester Orchestra – A Black Mile to the Surface
   • A fantastic modern release from a band that has flown under the radar for some time. There’s a loose story to the tracks, and for the majority of the album each track flows seamlessly into the next – most notably trio The Alien, The Sunshine, and The Grocery. The closing track The Silence holds it’s place as being one of the most memorable live performances I’ve ever seen, when I saw them in Sydney in 2018 – it’s a haunting song about a new father struggling to come to terms with the failures of his family life and hoping his newborn won’t be dragged down by their past. If you haven’t heard this album, I’d strongly recommend watching the band play the album front-to-back live on YouTube – it’s a treat.
3. John Butler Trio – Sunrise Over Sea
   • This album has it all, and it was truly the period where JBT peaked – both in songwriting quality and the lineup that took the album on tour. Is there a more iconic opening than the lap steel slide on Treat Yo’ Mama? I love that the back end of this album is stronger than the front – songs like Seeing Angels, There’ll Come a Time and personal favourite Oldman are where (in my opinion) JBT got it right. After this release they seemed to double down on Zebra-like tracks and lost my interest a little. Still, every time I listen to this album I’m taken back to the Hordern Pavilion watching 3 quality musicians jamming on these tracks.
4. Coheed and Cambria – In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
   • Prog-rock, space rock, alt-rock – whatever. Coheed are underrated as a band and I’ll die on that hill. Maybe it’s Claudio Sanchez‘s undeniably divisive falsetto vocals that pepper every track – I just don’t think they get the flowers they deserve. The musicianship is first-class and this record is littered with tasty jams and fills. It rocks hard (The Crowing and Al The Killer), it’s soft and sweet (The Light and the Glass), it’s good to sing your lungs out to (the title track, and A Favour House Atlantic) and it transcends into Rush-like breakdowns (21:13). Many a great moment on this album – fun fact, the original CD had 11 silent tracks between the final two songs. No idea why!
5. Billy Joel – The Stranger
   • I love that Billy Joel‘s album are rarely more than 9 or 10 tracks long. Quality over quantity – and the tracklisting for his 1977 release The Stranger could almost be a chapter of his Greatest Hits. For one album to have Moving Out (Anthony’s Song), Just the Way You Are, She’s Always a Woman, Only The Good Die Young and The Stranger as singles wasn’t enough, we also get two of his most loved tracks in Vienna and Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. You’d be hard pressed to find a fan who doesn’t agree that this is the crowning jewel in an absolutely remarkable songwriting catalogue.
6. Incubus – Make Yourself
   • Banger, after banger, after banger. Is there a better opening run of songs for a band than Privilege, Nowhere Fast, Consequence and The Warmth? Just incredible. Another album where the continuity between songs is well-thought out (Make Yourself into Drive feels perfect). Having your most well-known track at track 12 of 13 (actually, not unusual for Incubus!) is a testament to the quality of songs. This was Incubus at their best – breaking free of the funk-rock persona and moving further towards rock, however not without losing the tastiness and quirkiness of both Einziger and Kilmore‘s influences.
7. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
   • When I used to enjoy a glass of whiskey and a cigar on my balcony (not so much anymore!), this was my go-to album. 44mins of pure bliss, bookended by the absolutely stellar Shine On You Crazy Diamond. People often refer to The Dark Side of the Moon as the best Pink Floyd album – Wish You Were Here is numero uno in my eyes. It feels so understated, however it’s incredibly complex. It’s hard to find a release where David Gilmour isn’t blowing your mind, but I’d start with this one every day of the week.
8. Eric Clapton – Unplugged
   • For me this is the greatest live album that’s been released. As good as it is to sit and listen to, the story behind how Clapton got there is heart-breaking and inspiring (won’t do the story a disservice by paraphrasing here – recommend checking it out!). This album was one of the two albums that lit a fire under me to make the acoustic guitar my main instrument (Mayer‘s Room for Squares the other), and to this day I still play along with Signe, Layla, Walkin’ Blues and any other bits that I can (still learning!). Every time I listen, I’m still in awe of the quality of musicians that Clapton chose to accompany him – Andy Fairweather-Low, Nathan East, Ray Cooper and most notably for me Chuck Leavell on piano. His rag-time, jazzy, bluesy blend of tinkling is just so impressive.
9. Jimmy Eat World – Futures
   • There’s something about the opening accent of Futures that just feels and hits completely different. The title track is the absolute perfect opening song for a rock album – loud guitars, heavy drums, and a quality guitar lead motif. Then the chorus breaks and it’s impossible to not sing-a-long with Jim Adkins as he belts “Say hello to good times!”. This album means so much to me – another one where I can recall exactly where I was when I heard it for the first time. Whilst there’s many quality tracks to discuss, none are more deserving than closing number 23 – the band’s magnum opus, and I could make a strong case for it being my favourite song of all time. It’s a beautifully crafted, sonic journey as Adkins takes us through the emotions of having to leave a loved one behind after trying so hard to make it work. Absolutely gut-wrenchingly perfect. Also, don’t sleep on Night Drive – I maintain it’s their most underrated track.
10. Jeff Buckley – Grace
    • There isn’t an album that exists that I have listened to front-to-back more than Grace. It’s generally my ‘go-to’ when I want to listen to music but aren’t sure what I feel like. About 3 seconds into Mojo Pin and I know I’ve made the right choice. Whether it be lying in bed falling asleep, out for a walk, cooking a meal – once it goes on I rarely press stop or skip. I’ve said a lot in past posts about Grace, so I won’t rehash the same points again. If you haven’t heard this album, please, please, please take an hour out of your day to do so. Life-changing.

So there you have it. These albums for me are cover-to-cover classics and I can listen to each with ease without feeling the need to skip. It’s rare in my opinion, and I truly value the art of curating a quality album with no filler and all killer!

Honourable mentions could go to many albums. Here are some of my other favourites: The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream, Powderfinger – Odyssey No. 5, Tool – Lateralus, Blink 182 – Enema of the State, John Mayer – Room for Squares, Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism, Muse – Absolution, Foo Fighters – There is Nothing Left to Lose, Coldplay – Parachutes or A Rush of Blood to the Head, Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf and many more.

What are yours?