Albums from start to finish

[abdoujaparov]

single albums that have 2 discs, examples:

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

The Beatles - White Album

The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.

obviously two (arguably three) of those i've just mentioned are fucking fantastic classics, but RHCP's is an example of pure shite. i mean, RHCP can't even fill a single disc with great songs these days so the gaw they had of thinking they could fill two discs is ridiculous. Biffy Clyro recently released a double album which is another example of 'really?'

[4AssedMonkey]

on the subject of album length, double albums are a thing that annoy me quite a bit. bar a few, what double album wouldn't have been ten times better if it'd been condensed down into a single album!? most bands seem to get to a point in their career - their peak usually. just released their most successful album maybe - where they release a double album and they're usually overlong, bloated, full of filler, and just too much

filling up one single disc is often too much but filling up TWO discs in one album. silly

[FloorFiller]

To be fair, some single disc albums of 35 minutes have filler on them and some 1.5 hr doubles are solid gold. I think producers etc. need to sometimes be a bit stronger with artists when it comes to the sequencing and selection. As the one who created, honed and then repeatedly practiced something, I think you can get too immersed to see something for what it really is.

The "bonus tracks" and "special edition" aspect of digital music is what annoys me most. Michaelangelo didn't finish a sculpture, then put a funny hat and Groucho tache on it, but seemingly with music that seems to be OK.

[4AssedMonkey]

"although it is always a bit weird when you listen to an album in full, and there's a clear 'end song' in place, and then another song begins out of nowhere that doesn't fit in with the rest of the album at all."

That was the point I was trying (and failing) to get across. For me, if the songs are good enough, then put them on the album and sequence them properly so it all still works. And as for some shitty remix or live track on the end, don't get me started......

[FloorFiller]

yeah live / remix / demo tracks at the end of an album are the ultimate load of shit. if i ever download an album and the album has them tacked on to the end i just delete them straight away

[Amy Lawn]

Conversely I'm currently all over these deluxe edition albums you get, where there's a little booklet about the album, 2/3 CDs, bonus tracks, outtakes, live versions, studio sessions etc. But you have to already love the album before you buy them. If anybody wants recommendations then I'd point them in the direction of Pavement's entire back catalogue, which have been given beautiful deluxe CD packages, Dirty and Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth, Psychocandy by The Jesus And Mary Chain and a load of R.E.M's pre-Berry departure albums (Document, Reckoning and Life's Rich Pageant are the ones I have).

[Vieuphoria]

I still listen to full albums. Currently half way through The Score, as the new Lauryn Hill track got me in the mood for it. I do shuffle way more than I used to though. But I like listening to full albums. I can listen to An Awesome Wave over and over. Loads of great bands on this years lineup that I listen to regularly.

[FloorFiller]

i think there's far more skill making a brilliant 35/40 minute album than there is filling the entire disc up. whilst it can be argued that there's more music there and so more skill / time has been put into it, to be able to make something so perfect fit into such a short space of time is even more impressive imo

[Badlands]

My musical listenership consists of pretty much only listening to albums from start to finish, apart from the odd mix CD and an ipod for the gym etc. Sad that its becoming more rare. "The album" is still the greatest art form for me.

Funnily enough, I saw Springsteen do the entire Darkness on the Edge of Town album in Stockholm last night from start to finish. Sublime stuff.

[4AssedMonkey]

Whilst OT, I reckon Linkin Park's first/second albums work great as a full listen. Then they got lazy. And shit.

Just giving the Rudimental album a spin. Pretty good.

[Badlands]

Great thread this with some excellent examples and thoughts. For me, hip hop artists are the biggest culprits of padding out their albums. Some terrible filler on some, and them there's the skits....

[FloorFiller]

Whilst OT, I reckon Linkin Park's first/second albums work great as a full listen. Then they got lazy. And shit.

Just giving the Rudimental album a spin. Pretty good.

[Nyika]

Frank Turner-England Keep My Bones

Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever to Tell

[dancelittleliar]

Thing with double albums now, is it's not very clear cut what is and what's not a double album with CDs that can last to 72 minutes. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy for example was 70 minutes long, enough to qualify for a double (longer than London Calling) but wasn't described as one. A double album now is an abstract thing that basically means "calling this a double album seems like a great marketing technique" not, we've made it too long to put on one record.

[4AssedMonkey]

Great thread this with some excellent examples and thoughts. For me, hip hop artists are the biggest culprits of padding out their albums. Some terrible filler on some, and them there's the skits....

[4AssedMonkey]

Frank Turner-England Keep My Bones

Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever to Tell

[FloorFiller]

I'd pretty much agree with this. Thinking of the Hip Hop stuff I have (not much TBH) but there is some crap on loads of them. Snoop Dogg is a twat for this, as is Dre at times. Jay-Z and Kanye less so, but still guilty as charged. In fact the only Hip Hop album I can recall that is solid from opening to closing is The Predator by Ice Cube.

Unless you class the Beastie Boys as Hip Hop, in which case, there are loads.

[Nyika]

Hmmm. "English Curse". Hmmm.......

[4AssedMonkey]

I don't know, I don't mind English Curse, don't skip it usually. Admittedly it's not his best though. Actually, thinking about it, I usually give "glory hallelujah" a miss.

[dancelittleliar]

English Curse is a nice idea, but a bit of a novelty. You have to listen to the lyrics, otherwise it's rubbish, and listening to every word of a song takes a lot of concentration.

[4AssedMonkey]

Nas - Illmatic. 40 minutes of pure hip hop perfection. such a compact little album but all gold

[Mardy]

Never heard it. I'm on it.

*opens Spotify*

[mr gumby]

Just about all pink floyd, marillion, early genesis and mike oldfield albums. Also other concept albums like the streets' a grand dont come for free, and the who's tommy. Also, 'Yoshimi battles the pink robots' by flaming lips, and 'Forever changes' by Love.

[Nyika]

REALLY!?!?

I love that song. I mean really love it.

Don't mean to be rude, but I'm stunned by that.

[drewsstrat]

I like albums that flow and songs that link somehow. Not so many recent albums I can think of but top of my list

Rush 2112

Marillion misplaced childhood

Boston Boston

Arcade fire funeral

Fleetwood mac rumours

The killers hot fuss

Deacon blue raintown

Pink floyd dark side of the moon

I suppose the adele album should be up there for the theme running through it and first person perspective and so should

Amy winehouses back to black which is a modern day tragi-classic

Edited May 5, 2013 by drewsstrat