For your listening pleasure

During a recent late-night conversation with friends, we started on the topic of music. I put forth the argument that some albums should be listeded to beginning to end. As was intended. I have long been a proponent of this style of listening.

What about the mix tape? I knew you would say that. Yes, I know all about the mix tape. Those definitely have their time and place:
- road trip
- party
- true love - infatuation-induced drive to be someone else's DJ and thereby win their heart through your excellent and insightful ability to pair The Clash with Nick Drake
and now...
- ipod for the commute

But what if you are just sitting around listening to music? Don't you want to hear the natural progression of the music? The flow as intended by the artist and producer? Maybe I'm just a creature of habit.

Here are some that I can think of that I really don't want to mess with:

• Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville (some might argue its inspiration, RS's Exile on Main Street)
• The Arcade Fire's Funeral
• Jeff Buckley's Grace
• Wilco's Summerteeth and A Ghost is Born (actually, pretty much anything Wilco has done, except probably Being There)
• Beck's Midnite Vultures (again, most, but not all Beck)
  
• Nirvana's Nevermind
  
• Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
• Radiohead's KidA and Amnesiac
  
• Cat Power's You Are Free
• Pete Yorn's Music for the Morning After
• Old 97s Fight Songs (interestingly, this is the only one I have to listen to start to finish although I like most of their records)
  

Ok, I could go on and on, but I don't think it would make my argument stronger. Some of these are obviously concept albums, but I think others are just carefully engineered.

Now that I have an iPod, I'm starting to open up a little more to the possibilities of mixing. I would agree that not every album warrants this type of listen.

I'm curious to hear what others think and if they have albums that they have to listen to beginning to end, no shuffle or cherry-picking allowed.