What do you mean by "gritting your teeth?" I knew what you were getting at for sure, I'm a fan of albums that are not just a "collection of songs." As someone that has released two albums myself, I am keenly aware of the importance of proper tracking and both sonic and lyrical continuity. Taking the listener on a journey that stems beyond a 3 minute pop-song is not an easy task, and I don't claim to have done well at it, but I always strive to. I am old enough to recall making both mixed tapes and mixed CD's when I was a kid. I think now a days, people make playlists, but it's not the same thing because there is an infinite amount of space on each list. The limitations of the format helped to craft the albums we've all mentioned. I miss making mixed tapes/cd's.