How iTunes is killing music

Before a trip involving driving, we usually burn a CD or two of music to listen to from iTunes. However, before our trip to Tasmania, we couldn't find the CD case and didn't have time to make a new one, so we ended up grabbing a few regular CDs and hitting the road.
I wasn't particularly happy about this--I couldn't remember the last time I had listened to a real CD. Because of iTunes, I am used to being able to Shuffle my music or immediately access any one of my 4300 tracks in seconds. I like creating playlists and hearing what I want to hear, when I want to hear it.
But as we were driving across Tasmania listening to the White Stripes, it suddenly hit me that I was missing out on something. When I shuffled my music or created a playlist, I was neglecting the wholeness of the craft of the artist. I rediscovered that there is much to be said for listening to an entire CD from beginning to end. 'The Same Boy You've Always Known' is a great song, but it is greater sandwiched in between 'The Union Forever' and 'We're Going to be Friends' and within the context of White Blood Cells. Artists have a particular purpose and vision when they put together a recording, and I have a newfound appreciation for that.
Having said all that, here is my 'Melbourne' iMix, a little heavy on the Australian stuff.