Do you like hearing new albums with fresh ears?

musicismylife78

In the old days, the days without Youtube, when bands were releasing new albums, you would just hear the lead single off the new album, and then if you went to the bands show you would maybe hear them play some new material. Nowadays its not uncommon for bands to perform a majority of the tracks, prior to the album even being released. YouTube allows us all to see bands try out new material, thus when bands go to record, we have already heard the songs. And their are just so many venues nowadays bands can promote their product:the blogs, tv shows, movies, commercials, those online venues like AOL Sessions, or MTV unolugged, or Pitchfork basement etc...

Seems to me this is the way things are, and they arent going to change anytime soon. We have also seen many bands question the validity and value of the album or cd or full length (sufjan) and others have actively taken steps to release individual songs rather than albums (radiohead, thom yorke, and Billy corgan).

What is your opinion of this? Is it bad or good? Do you like to listen to a new album in its entirety with fresh ears, or do not care if (insert bands name here) new cd comes out and you have already heard most of the songs?

BALLBOY

I prefer fresh ears but it so hard not hear the majority of the album because of all different ways to do so. When Powderfinger (i have been talking them up here recently) release Vulture St the single was out but JJJ(Australia wide radio station) played the whole album a few weeks before the release & that was nice to hear & by the time it was out i had forgotten what it sounded like & it has become one of my favourite records ever. This may be a good way to get around leaks but they will always happen. I am old school with my music & always will be. The only downloads i have are PJ boots, just not interested in what is out there. Backspacer was the first time i have ever had a CD delivered to my front door instead of going to a record store. Good post.