This isn't meant to read like some sort of trolling thread, but I've been pondering this a little and I'm curious which order you put gig-going and album vs track listening in these days - in terms of a priority or which consumes the biggest chunk of your time or attention... As in, do you prefer to goto gigs than listen to albums or do you now spend more time listening to tracks (on playlists or as videos) rather than going out to gigs? And does this vary from genre to genre?

For instance, I know I much prefer tracks by electronic acts (often consumed in nice playlists or short bursts of albums, as some electronic records can tend to get a little be samey after 6 or 7 tracks), and have a lot less inclination to see them live. Whereas with rock bands I'd much rather see them live than listen to their albums. When it comes to discovering music, obviously tracks make it much easier to get a quick taste of something, and you fall in love with one song, and then get into the record, and then really want to see the band live... which I guess is why I have an issue with the prevalence of 'new music' everywhere in the media and how 'festival bands' seem to have become central to the music biz, because there's often no album(s) to get your teeth into, and you end up going along to a show to curiously see a band who could benefit from a better understanding of who they are and how to hone their sound (which usually comes from the production process of making an album or three).

Overall, I'd say:
1. Albums
2. Tracks
3. Gigs (which in my early 20s would have been number one)

I'm still far more interested in albums because I love repeatedly going through a record and finding new sounds and textures nestled in depths of the production (one of the many reasons why Pinkerton is so brilliant is how much you still discover on the 50th listen).

I guess I find that some of the bands I love can be a little bit disappointing live - due to poor sound in the venues or idiots talking over the quiet bits (or cunting-a-long at the top of their lungs throughout the gig - I guess I haven't really mellowed and become more tolerant of humanity...). Obviously, a lot of bands are now making more of their living from gigs, and you read a lot about how tracks are replacing albums, but for me it seems to be the same as it ever was. The process of making an album should be really important to an act becoming an incredible live beast, but perhaps people have gotten rather used to a much lower level of average, that they have no idea what an exceptional live band (someone like Les Savy Fav) is any more? I guess that's a whole other thread.