Thoughts on the double album |
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friso
Prog Reviewer Joined: October 24 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 2505 |
Topic: Thoughts on the double album Posted: July 09 2011 at 05:48 |
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In progressive music we've got plenty of double studio albums and double live albums. From my experience it doesn't happen to often I really finish a double album, simply because halfway I want to hear something else.
There are of course some 2lp's I like just fine like the Magma debut, Uncle Meat by the Mothers and Soft Machine's third. Still it rarely happens I listen to them in one run. Some thoughts on this? |
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ExittheLemming
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 19 2007 Location: Penal Colony Status: Offline Points: 11415 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 06:09 | ||
I agree and would guess this has merely been exacerbated by the CD format making the normal running time of new releases close to that of 80 minutes?. There are very few artists (from any era) that can maintain sufficient high quality or variety for 1 hour and 20 minutes of brand new material.
By way of contrast I could name many 40 minute(ish) albums that I consider as near as dammit flawless for their entire duration. |
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29625 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 06:19 | ||
Whenever I rip a double album that's more than one CD, I renumber the tracks on the second CD and combine them into one album so I can do an uninterrupted listen if I feel like it. But so what if you take it all in in one setting or take a break?
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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paganinio
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 07 2008 Status: Offline Points: 1327 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 07:08 | ||
You don't have to listen to the whole thing in one sitting, you know. I often divide a long album into two or three listening sessions. That's the best way to enjoy long albums, and make for a very complete and diverse listening experience. |
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catfood03
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 24 2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 07:52 | ||
I was just listening to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway last weekend. I listened to the first disc in the early afternoon and the second that same night. Still was a very enjoyable experience. I don't have as much time (or patience) as I did when I was a teen I guess.
I agree that a tight 40 minute album is preferable to an uneven 80 minute one, but progressive rock isn't exactly known for its brevity. Edited by catfood03 - July 09 2011 at 07:52 |
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Kotro
Prog Reviewer Joined: August 16 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 2809 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 07:55 | ||
Double albums are still just one long album to me.
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Bigger on the inside.
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Garden of Dreams
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 26 2011 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 336 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 08:03 | ||
Same for me. That's why I try to listen to double disc albums in one sitting.
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Just give it all an hour by the concrete lake.
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Dean
Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 08:08 | ||
I wouldn't want every album to be a double, but I'm more than happy with those few that are - I honestly can't imagine Tales from Topographic Oceans, The Wall, Tommy, Electric Ladyland, The Beatles (White) Album, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, Marbles, Incantations, Yeti, Zeit, To Venus And Back, 666, Aerial, Tago Mago, London Calling, Made In Japan, Focus III, Space Ritual, Physical Graffiti, Soundtracks For The Blind, English Settlement or Sheik Yebouti being anything less than double albums. Sure, some of them are an endurance challenge, but rewardingly so.
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What?
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dreadpirateroberts
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 27 2011 Location: AU Status: Offline Points: 952 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 08:08 | ||
Getting that many listening minutes unbroken is my problem. If I decide to stay up until ridiculous hours of the night, I can manage it. Otherwise I have to break it up. Which can be nice too, but I miss the 'full sitting' a lot of the time. Especially with a new album.
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We are men of action. Lies do not become us.
JazzMusicArchives. |
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Ricochet
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 27 2005 Location: Nauru Status: Offline Points: 46301 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 08:11 | ||
I always listen to the whole album, never stop it or skip the pieces (except if I accidentally metal), so I have no preferences. Coming up short or losing the thread fall into the normal possible flaws of any given work.
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ExittheLemming
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 19 2007 Location: Penal Colony Status: Offline Points: 11415 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 08:19 | ||
I know it's all about taste y'all but for me Tales, Electric Ladyland, White Album, Lamb and Tago Mago would be significantly enhanced by some judicious editing/pruning. All have their fair share of filler methinks? |
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Dean
Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 08:31 | ||
Ha! You'd need to search deep and long through the PA forum to find my diatribes (correct use of the word btw) on "filler" in Prog albums . I'll begrudgingly give you The White Album as one that perhaps could benefit from a wrinkled prune, but as a document of the Fab Four at that time it could not - however the tracks I could consider cutting would not be "fillers".
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What?
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Icarium
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: March 21 2008 Location: Tigerstaden Status: Offline Points: 34055 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 08:50 | ||
the first three Chicago albums where Double albums,
Edited by aginor - July 09 2011 at 08:52 |
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ExittheLemming
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 19 2007 Location: Penal Colony Status: Offline Points: 11415 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 08:56 | ||
Does that mean that you oh mighty and revered Dean were once a scallywag (gulp) trollish critter on these very hallowed pages? (Please don't destroy the dream I beg you) |
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Easy Livin
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: February 21 2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 15585 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 10:52 | ||
Interesting to think that a double album from the LP days will usually fit onto a single CD. A double CD album can be as long as a 4LP set these days!
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28057 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 12:47 | ||
Almost always excessive. I think The Wall is the only one I could get through without skipping. Maybe some Klaus Schulze if I feel like having X go on for 2.5 hours.
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JD
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 07 2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 18394 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 13:24 | ||
Since the title is 'Double albums' I'll assume we mean vinyl for the purpose of this. As with many others it depends on the album, Quadrophenia, Tommy, The Wall, The Lamb Lies Down are all good examples of successful doubles in my opinion. Sure some songs could be cut, but there aren't any really excessive 'fillers' from what I can see (hear). Now to be honest, when I make CD-R for my car from some of these doubles I prefer to not have to take two CD's for the sake of a minute or minute and a half over the capacity of single CD so I have taken some creative license and trimmed a few parts here or there to fit these onto a single disc. It hasn't compromised the listening experience for me. But if you want to talk about double CD releases, the ones with two 60 - 70 minute discs. Then there is definitely room for editing on a lot of the ones I've heard.
To quote someone famous, I'm sure who, "Just because you can do a thing doesn't mean you must do a thing". I have mixed feelings about Tales from Topographic Oceans. Sometimes I love the length other times I find it way to indulgent. The other factor here is your listening situation. To sit for 80 minutes uninterrupted can be a little tough for many. Since I spend a fair amount of time in my car traversing the countryside it gives me the time I need to dedicate my attention to longer recordings as well as time spent on the patio reading. If it's important you'll make the time, if it's not then buy your single songs off iTunes and leave the listening experience as it was intended behind. |
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Triceratopsoil
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 03 2010 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 17995 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 14:02 | ||
The only double album I sometimes find too long is Cardiac's Sing To God, although every track on it is incredible.
Also, <3 |
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Progosopher
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 12 2009 Location: Coolwood Status: Offline Points: 6401 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 14:32 | ||
Of course it all depends on the album. I like Dean's list, and as others have said, if I have the opportunity to rip or burn an old double onto a single CD or playlist, I will, but sometimes that is not feasable. As to double CDs, well again, it depends on the album. If it is a continuous affair, I will try to listen to the whole thing, but yes, that can get difficult. In some cases, I do not even try. IQs Subterranea is one I really like, but have a hard time getting through it all in one session. It is not that the music drags, it is just that often I have things to do and the music just gets in the way. I have recently bought a two disc collection of Atomic Rooster, which is over two hours total, and I never listen to it all even in one day. Since it is not a concept or anything, I don't even try. Yet for some albums, even an hour or so is stretching it. For example, Shadow Gallery's Room V really wears on me after a while.
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The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"
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himtroy
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 20 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1601 |
Posted: July 09 2011 at 15:04 | ||
Thats why I stop and reup my mood before going onto side two. Keep it going!
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I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance. |
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