by Lee Wakefield | Photos by Press
31 brilliant albums that we need to see performed in their entirety
Yes, we want to hear every meticulous detail of our favourite record
Flying Lotus 'Cosmogramma': Previously described as the "Jimi Hendrix of his generation", it took three albums for Flying Lotus to find his groove but, when he did, it came in the form of Cosmogramma. What has followed after has been consistently brilliant, but it's difficult to look past this record and the euphoria hearing it in full would bring.
Brand New 'The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me': An album that arguably defined a genre, this marked the point Brand New stepped away from the whiny rock but dialed up the teen angst, embracing expansive guitar music with emotional clout. They've already done Deja Entendu, so why not this classic?
Bloc Party 'Silent Alarm': They might have burst onto a scene that was drowning in mediocrity, but Silent Alarm is a genuinely thrilling, assured listen. 'Helicopter' and 'Banquet' may have over saturated every indie disco, yet it's the album's lesser album tracks that we want to hear more.
The Horrors 'Primary Colours': There's a case that each Horrors album is pretty strong, but Primary Colours feels even more special because it's the sound of the band completely turning their back on what the listener might expect. As well as its remarkable cohesiveness, this is a record that burns with utter unpredictability, a trait that live will be further enhanced.
Four Tet 'There Is Love In You': Under his Four Tet moniker, Kieran Hebden is remarkably unique, each album boasting an addictiveness that is hard to shake. 'There Is Love In You' is arguably his finest work, every track ebbing and flowing effortlessly as it progresses.
The Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds': We're unsure as to how long The Beach Boys can carry on but recent reunion shows proved that there was life left in the old dogs yet. One final, stirring performance of Pet Sounds, with all the shimmering harmonies and uplifting melodies, will do nicely, thanks.
Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours': Yep, we're surprised that this one hasn't happened yet as well. Even if it might be simply just milking the cash cow dry, we would certainly rush to catch the band performing this legendary body of work in its entirety.
Blur '13': A lot of people will be calling for Parklife, but the majority of that album features in the band's live shows when they roll out the greatest hits. Instead, we'd love to hear the fragility and general weirdness of 13 in full, partly due to it boasting some of Albarn and Coxon's finest songwriting.
Frank Ocean 'Channel Orange': You're still waiting for that new Frank Ocean record? Us too, and we're struggling. The only thing that could possibly sooth our pain is if the crooner unveiled plans to perform his masterpiece in its entirety, perhaps more likely to happen than the elusive third album announcement.
Rage Against The Machine 'Rage Against The Machine': While the greatest hits reunion shows went down an absolute treat, we, of course, want more. We reckon that should be in the form of Rage performing their debut album in full - a record that sent every teenager headbanging around their bedroom to its muscular riffs and venomous lyrics.
Muse 'Showbiz': They've already done 'Origin of Symmetry' at Reading and Leeds, but now it is time to pay homage to their debut. A very underrated record, it would please both indie and rock fans to have this played in its completion - especially as they shun the majority of tracks in their current live shows.
Interpol 'Turn On The Bright Lights' : Most bands take years to find their feet. Not Interpol. TOTBL is a debut by a band who arrived on the scene as a band fully-formed, with songs complete enough to let the space between the notes truly breathe. From the bubbling melodrama in 'Untitled' to the infectious thrill of 'Say Hello To The Angels', the pounding menace of 'PDA' and sheer indie majesty of 'Obstacle 1', you'd struggle find a more flawless album.
Wu Tang Clan '36 Chambers': Let's be honest, this would just go off in a way nothing else in music could get near to. Make it happen Wu Tang!
David Bowie 'Heroes': Bowie's done Low, live, and people were suitably blown away. Surely it's time for Low's sister album Heroes to get an airing, The Thin White Duke's ticker permitting of course.
The Pixies 'Doolittle': Frank Black's crew's most accomplished record. Indie fans would implode with joy if this ever happened.
The Fugees 'The Score' : Before Lauryn Hill's tax woes and Will.I.Am essentially stole Wyclef Jean's whole act, this record was just brilliant. Live they were incredibly powerful, and the whole of The Score would be irresistible.
The Libertines 'Up The Bracket': Before imploding they could play a passable version of most of these songs. To see them play it all again now would answer the prayers of fans of great British guitar music, who have started to despair at the current crop of bands. Maybe they could roll it out at Hyde Park?
The Smiths 'The Queen Is Dead': What? It could happen! Morrissey and Marr's masterpiece is perfection, and seeing The Smiths play it in full would be almost too much to bear for music starved Smiths fans.
Kanye West 'The College Droupout': Forget the Yeezus Tour, Kanye, just get on stage and play this. It's what everyone wants.
Iggy and the Stooges 'Raw Power': This would be simply thrilling to hear all the way through. Raw Power is just what this album is. Visceral beauty.
The Streets 'Original Pirate Material': Unlike anything the mainstream had ever heard, this changed the face of UK music. Still sounds relevant today. As well as the social commentary there are plenty of moments to get fans dancing until they wouldn't know where they were. A beautiful mess.
Deftones 'White Pony': Easily the most interesting album Deftones, or almost any other band, ever made. Cerebral rock which doesn't lose its hard edge, this would be a night you would not forget in a hurry.
James Blake 'Overgrown': Last year, Blake was declared a worthy Mercury Prize winner, and hearing the spellbinding musical journey live in its completion would only add to the wonder.
Prodigy 'Fat Of The Land': The dance floor would be absolute carnage if this were played live all the way through, with multiple casualties. Somehow it feels this is exactly what both the band and the fans would want.
Arcade Fire 'Funeral': A strong contender for the best album of the last 10 years. Arcade Fire are a tour de force live, and never better than when banging out the hits from this flawless record.
A Tribe Called Quest 'Midnight Marauders': The robotic voice that runs through this album tells the listener "seven times out of ten, we listen to our music at night". That's certainly when this album would sounds best; at night, live, with a lot of deliriously happy hip hop fans.
LCD Soundsystem 'Sounds of Silver': Some electronica can be a bit dry live. Not so LCD Soundsystem, and this album pretty much embodies everything great about them. As Will Ferrell would say: 'More cowbell!'
Radiohead 'OK Computer': Just a masterful piece of work. It still rocks hard enough to excite a crowd, with enough innovation to make it a transcendent experience all round.
Cypress Hill 'Black Sunday': 'Insane in the Brain' and 'Hits From The Bong' played on repeat for an hour would probably please most fans, but the whole album would have any crowd moving for the full set.
Beck 'Mellow Gold': Opinion has been divided on his later work, but the world is pretty much agreed that this brilliantly shambolic proto-indie-rap crossover is superb. We don't think it would be possible to leave in a bad mood after hearing Mellow Gold live.
Queens Of The Stone Age 'Songs For The Deaf': There is so much more to this album than 'No One Knows'. An aural assault of the very best kind, this would rock so hard we may never recover, or would ever want to.
While we're perfectly content with heading to a gig and witnessing our favourite artists churn out their most famous hits, there are some songs that simply resonate because of how seamlessly they fit into the body of an album.
We like your singles, of course, but what about that obscure track we've banging on about to our mates for all this time?
There's no better feeling than hearing every track of that album you've been cherishing for years - come on musicians, make our dreams come true.