Thoughts on the double album

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?

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? 

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

Kotro wrote: Double albums are still just one long album to me.

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.

Dean wrote: 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.

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?

the first three Chicago albums where Double albums,








Edited by aginor - July 09 2011 at 08:52

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!

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.

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.