I came very late to the hardcore fandom. At first, instead of buying her entire catalog, I simply bought Enchanted. I had no idea which songs were on which albums when I picked out my favorites.
My perspective is definitely very different, as it wasn't colored by any expectations or preconceptions of Stevie as someone making a progression. I wasn't listening to one song with the idea in my head that it was done "in her prime" and listening to another song with the mentality that it was done while she was "in decline" or whatever. It was all the same to me; I listened to Enchanted and I judged each song based on its own merit.
As a result, when my favorites emerged, a lot of them had nothing to do with "liking the solo albums." I did love the hits I recognized like Leather and Lace, Edge of Seventeen, Talk to Me, and Stand Back. However, my new favorites were Long Distance Winner, Gold and Braid, Sleeping Angel, Battle of the Dragon, The Highwayman, HAEWAFY, Ooh My Love, and Blue Denim - the last of which I had no idea appeared on an album that was much-disparaged.
Therefore, I care far more about songs than albums, and to this day don't concern myself very much as to whether something appeared on Wild Heart or Rock a Little when it comes up on iPod shuffle (yes, I still have one of those).
I guess the digital age and the divorcement of songs from albums also enables that mentality.
Thus, I don't hate any album. They all have good songs on them - albeit some more than others - and that's what I care about.
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- Nancy
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