Do you shuffle your prog playlist?

Years ago I always listened to tracks in their intended order, so for example Queensryche - Breaking the Silence is always followed by I Don't Believe in Love.

Now I still don't believe in love, but I no longer strictly listen to tracks in order. Nowadays the common thing to do is shuffle all tracks and just listen to whatever the iPhone chooses.

I also discovered that iTunes will keep playing tracks in the same genre as long as you do not skip a track. It once played 15 or so metal songs in a row, although the playlist had other genres.

The shuffle button keeps things fresh and unexpected -- an important quality for prog listening. But the down side is,
1, Obscure bands/releases and King Crimson cannot be added to that playlist. Many prog artists don't necessarily release music on digital stores such as iTunes.

2, Prog is generally better experienced as an album format, not individual songs.

So, Individual Thought Patterns, or good old one album in one sitting?

No, never, and I don't skip tracks either. No one ever says that a greatest-hits album or a various artists compilation is better than an original studio album and there is a very good reason why. On a well produced album track order is not random, it's carefully chosen by the artist and their producer to create a unified whole that is more than just a collection of songs. Shuffle is second only to "gaps between tracks" as the reason I dislike listening to music on media-players of any kind.

Not quite shuffling, but I will play some tracks at the end of CD's prior to the earlier ones if they seem to "flow" better musically, but that's rare.

I love to shuffle!

I don't shuffle.  I listen to entire albums and no skipping songs.  Seems wrong to do it any other way.

I listen to music mostly on vinyl. I like holding the album cover in my lap and watching the record spin around. The advent of all this technology has reduced attention spans. I don't think the younger generations appreciate music as much. Back in the seventies we had to search in record stores for albums. I've even searched for years for certain albums. When you finally find that Jewel you've been hunting for you savour it. I don't even have an i pod or any of that crap. Sometimes I'll reach into my album collection just to see what I have grabbed and throw it on. I've got sh*t in there that I don't even know I have. 

Despite growing up with MP3 players, I always preferred listening to full albums. I only shuffle when I don't have enough time to listen to one and it's never as satisfying.

Edited by Meltdowner - March 29 2017 at 07:09

Hercules wrote: Blacksword wrote: I think shuffling is mostly a young persons thing, or the preserve of people who don't really take music that seriously. It works better with 'disposable music' like Ed Sheeran or Adele. Christ I'm a f***ing snob. Join the club, my friend.

I also stick to the order the album has been issued. My preference has always been to listen to a whole album, not to individual songs.

Depends. If the tracks are loosely connected, I will shuffle. If I'm dealing with something like, say, Dark Side Of The Moon, then I'll most likely listen to the whole thing.