Can Length Ruin An Album?

sidewinder · 09-11-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anabundanceoftubes

To me length can be a deal breaker but that it completely depends on my mood. Sometimes I feel like listening to a whole album, but others a couple of songs will be fine.

Mood does play a big role. Sometimes you're preoccupied with something and time flies, or you're paying close attention and loving it; other times you could be bored (or not in the mood for the style of music) and the album drags...even if it's an album you love.

I often find myself changing my album ratings on RYM as I listen to them, mostly likely because my mood is playing a role in my enjoyment of it.

Alfred · 09-11-2009, 03:25 PM

"In Ghost Colours" by Cut Copy is waaaaaay too long for what it is.

sweet_nothing · 09-11-2009, 07:02 PM

In short yes a song that is too long can ruin things, more so if the songs just boring. Godspeed! You Black Emperor comes to mine about that, I cannot listen to 20 minutes of that. Songs that are usually long are epic, and they should be. Pink Floyd could pull this trick off like in Echoes or Shine On You Crazy Diamond (which they had the sense to break up in parts), but alot bands simply can't. The song is 15 minutes and you expect me to sit through 4 of them in which you play the same 3 notes over again, **** off. That's not setting an atmosphere it's setting me for a song change.

junosama · 09-11-2009, 07:13 PM

I agree some songs are just WAY too long. Only like classical music should be really long. I think most people want to hear lots of great "single" type hits. There is more pressure than ever to make each song a real hit on an album.

MoMusic · 09-11-2009, 08:39 PM

Answer No, if the quality of the music is good.
Answer Yes, if the quality of the music is bad.

storymilo · 09-11-2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoMusic

Answer No, if the quality of the music is good.
Answer Yes, if the quality of the music is bad.

doesn't this pretty much apply everywhere?

Brad Stengel · 09-11-2009, 09:48 PM

Terrific long albums:
The White Album
Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness
69 Love Songs
Exile On Main Street
Zen Arcade

That's off the top of my head, but the fact is, there are alot of albums out there that could stand to have at least 1 or 2 tracks shaved off.

Then again-there are alot of albums that I consider too short-
Richard Hell- Blank Generation
NODZZZ - s/t
Vivian Girls- s/t
Wipers- Youth of America

But, as Urban said, I'd rather be left wanting more than hearing a few extra filler tracks.

Astronomer · 09-11-2009, 10:36 PM

I have rarely come across an album that is too long for my liking. I like length, and I like albums to be like journeys of sorts. The only time I could think that length would be an issue is if the album is too short.

SATCHMO · 09-12-2009, 12:42 AM

It s not necessarily an issue of the length of an album per se, but how well the music is paced in light of the length of the album.

Guybrush · 09-12-2009, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidewinder

I do this as well, especially for something like a review. I usually still listen to the bonus tracks at some point, but not as part of the album. In my MP3 library I change the album name for those to "album name [Bonus Tracks]" to remind myself.

Back in the day though I acquired many albums that had extra tracks and I didn't know they were extra tracks...for instance the US release came with bonus tracks and I didn't know any different, and they weren't clearly identified as such on the back of the CD, or an album that came out in the vinyl/cassette years and the primary CD issue includes bonus tracks. Examples being several of Skinny Puppy's early albums (the CD version of Bites has 17 tracks, original vinyl/cassette had 9; the original Remission was a 6-track EP but the CD release has 11 tracks, etc), and Aphex Twin's Richard D. James album...I only recently discovered that the original UK version was 5 tracks shorter. So I got used to all those albums being as long as they are, it would feel strange to now separate the bonus tracks...but if I did, the albums would probably feel more solid.

Tagging them as bonus tracks is a good workaround and I try to do that myself. The problem with bonus tracks is biggest I think when it's proto versions of songs you've already heard before on the album. My version of Caravan's For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night (1973) has 5 extra tracks to the original 7. Only one of those is "new", the rest are proto-versions .. they're nice but by including them in the while picture and overall album opinion, you get so much repetition and inferior versions of the previous songs.

CDs should've had two sides like LPs .. then they could put extras on the other side.

09-11-2009, 03:25 PM	#62 (permalink)
Alfred one big soul Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 5,096	"In Ghost Colours" by Cut Copy is waaaaaay too long for what it is. __________________ LAST.FM / VINYL COLLECTION / RYM

09-11-2009, 09:48 PM	#67 (permalink)
Brad Stengel This Space for Rent Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 815	Terrific long albums: The White Album Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness 69 Love Songs Exile On Main Street Zen Arcade That's off the top of my head, but the fact is, there are alot of albums out there that could stand to have at least 1 or 2 tracks shaved off. Then again-there are alot of albums that I consider too short- Richard Hell- Blank Generation NODZZZ - s/t Vivian Girls- s/t Wipers- Youth of America But, as Urban said, I'd rather be left wanting more than hearing a few extra filler tracks. __________________ These is the musics I own: http://rateyourmusic.com/collection/BradStengel/oo

09-11-2009, 10:36 PM	#68 (permalink)
Astronomer we are stardust Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 2,894	I have rarely come across an album that is too long for my liking. I like length, and I like albums to be like journeys of sorts. The only time I could think that length would be an issue is if the album is too short. __________________

09-11-2009, 07:13 PM	#64 (permalink)
junosama Groupie Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1	I agree some songs are just WAY too long. Only like classical music should be really long. I think most people want to hear lots of great "single" type hits. There is more pressure than ever to make each song a real hit on an album.

09-11-2009, 08:39 PM	#65 (permalink)
MoMusic Groupie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Brisbane Posts: 17	Answer No, if the quality of the music is good. Answer Yes, if the quality of the music is bad.

09-12-2009, 12:42 AM	#69 (permalink)
SATCHMO Al Dente Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 4,708	It s not necessarily an issue of the length of an album per se, but how well the music is paced in light of the length of the album.