Students discussing the Egypt Station album while listening to it.
The launch of The Spectator’s new Listening Party was held in The Spectator office (2325), above the cafeteria. This trial run featured Egypt Station, Paul McCartney’s new concept album.
During this early event, only a few students attended but seemed to have a good time.
“I’m not exactly sure what a listening party is,” said Tasha, Chabot student. For the uninitiated, a listening party is an event to listen to a whole album, have free pizza, and at the end, you share your opinions about the music. “That sounds pretty cool, it might be cooler if it was pizza AND dessert,” said Anna Lisa, another student.
Many students don’t listen to whole albums anymore, “Of course I love music, though I usually just find one song, and buy or download that.” 19-year-old student, Hualani said.
This does seem to be a trend, although the album isn’t dead, “I usually listen to an album once, and then the songs I really like, I add to my playlist.” Ovi, a 26-year-old student, said, “I love music, I think a listening party is a great idea.”
Ovi continued on the issue of most people not listening to albums anymore. He expressed the feeling many agree with, when you hear a song on the radio, it’s only a small snapshot of someone’s work. If the radio plays a popular song, who decided its popularity?
If you listen to an album, you learn more about the artist, the ideas behind not only one song, but that song in relation to the album as a whole. When only one song is picked out of the album for you, by someone else, perhaps with an agenda, the message you receive may be entirely different from what was intended.
That’s the idea behind a listening party, we can learn and interpret more about not only the music but the intent behind it. The Concept album is an album in which the tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning together than they do individually. This isn’t the only type of album examined in the parties, but it will be a great space to do just that.
The launch included largely students on the newspaper, who shall remain anonymous at this time.
“Each song has this great rhythmic beat that for me really makes you want to get up and dance. I like how Paul is bringing back the old sound of the Beatles. He’s putting a modern twist on a retro sound.” an anonymous attendee said.
“For someone who doesn’t really like this genre, it sounded pretty good,” another listener said.
The Beatles have often been referenced when talking about concept albums, but they did not have the first Concept album. Though they did popularize the idea with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was simply a coincidence that Paul McCartney’s new album released the same week our listening party began.
If you or someone you know would like to check it out, come to room 2325 beginning this Thursday at noon, up the stairs of the cafeteria building. Walk down to the end of the hall, and you’ll find the door to The Spectator office, where we will be listening to the new 21 Pilots album. Pizza will be provided in exchange for your presence and participation.