Double Albums: What's Your Take?

[MARV]

Are they great concept pieces or a whole lotta fluff? What are your favorites? Are there any flops? Right now, I'm listening to the Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness. With the barage of music coming at us from all over the place, it's all too easy to forget crowning achievements such as this. The Cure's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me came to mind during Spaz's Best Three Albums In A Row thread.

<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>

[coop41]

I loved minutemen Double Nickels On The Dime and Husker Du- Zen Arcade, two of my all time favorites, both double LP's[8D]

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[BigBri]

[i]Double Nickels on the Dime[/i] is great.

I love Husker Du's [i] Warehouse: Songs and Stories[/i]. Their last studio release is awesome. Whereas many bands fizzle out after releasing creative garbage, not these guys.


[i]Sandinista![/i] I love the variations on The Clash's triple LP. I know many can't get past the first disc.
...and that's the risk of releasing double LPs. Some songs just may not be good enough to see the light of day (I guess we often call those "B-sides), and the song quality can really get stale as you get deeper into the album.

[DonGately]

I think the three cd-set "69 Love Songs" by The Magnetic Fields is one of the greatest albums ever. Really top-notch stuff. Even the filler is pretty good for the most part.

[rotator]

Two good examples of when it works...

The Clash: Sandinista
David Sylvian: Gone To Earth

Alot of newer electronic artists have double albums, but I guess they are just considered a 'regular' album (there may only be 8-10 tracks but the length of the track dictates the need for the extra wax.) Underworld, Chemical Bros, Orbital come to mind


My fantasy double-albums would come from:

Orchestral Manouevres In The Dark : Architecture & Morality would have benifitted from a whole extra album of 'ambient' tracks like 'Sealand'.

Kraftwerk circa Computer World. Each track doubled or tripled in length.

Simple Minds. mix the weird instrumental tracks from Real To Reel Cacophony with Sons and Fascination epics....boom -double album of pure gold!

[birdmadgirl]

[quote]Originally posted by marvymarv
[br]Are they great concept pieces or a whole lotta fluff? What are your favorites? Are there any flops? Right now, I'm listening to the Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness. With the barage of music coming at us from all over the place, it's all too easy to forget crowning achievements such as this. The Cure's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me came to mind during Spaz's Best Three Albums In A Row thread.

<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>
[/quote]

I love double albums. What's not to love? I mean, you're getting a double dose of the music/groups you love.

Not New Wave, but when Fleetwood Mac released "Say You Will" in 2003, people bitched and moaned about how long it was (18 tracks, I believe. I don't think it was billed as a double album, however). I didn't understand. How can it be "too long"? Hell, it's *18* tracks by the band you love. Why are you crying about it?! If it's too long, listen to half and then go do something else for a little while.

KM3 is an excellent Cure album, BTW. One of my favorites. [:)]

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[lundibleu]

Double albums are cool. New Order's Substance has to be the best one ever.[:D]

[firefall]

Todd Rundgren's mid 70s masterpiece''Something,Anything?",an eclectic mixture of nearly everything good sound.And perhaps Todd,a forerunner of new wave.

[bob pompo]

I'd go for The 1/2 Inch by MECANO who have released a new album, as I've heard.
Considering the Smash.Pumpkins, this particular album is one of my favourites too.

Firefall pou vgaineis sthn A8ina ?

[DevoManiac101]

AH! by Double I thought you all meant DOUble (the band) lol ... [:p]

Nothin' wrong with a little "The Captain Of Her Heart"

[iGroove]

FRANKIE SAY RELAX

this is definitely worth mentioning because you got a double album AND some interesting artwork to accompany it. i only wish that ztt would find it in their heart of hearts to re-release the entire remastered album on cd!

[bob pompo]

Good idea! Then have to add Einsturzende Neubauten's double "1991-2001 STRATEGIES AGAINST ARCHITECTURE III " which includes a photo album plus info upon the tracks (mainly obscure, previously unreleased or given in alternate versions)
I'll post a couple should you are interested.

[scramjet]

[quote][i]Originally posted by rotator[/i]
<br>Two good examples of when it works...

The Clash: Sandinista
David Sylvian: Gone To Earth

[/quote]

I would consider Sandinista as an example of when it doesn't work. Instrumentals? Kids singing "Career Opportunities"? It's a cliche, but there's a great single album in there somewhere. Probably true of many double albums. It seems that bands in there "can do no wrong" phase don't release double albums. Maybe it's not a coincidence.

That said - Pink Floyd's "The Wall" anyone? You could scrap at least half of that one too, actually.

[bootsinsf]

Frank Black Teenager of the year is a wonderful double , as is his latest Fast Man Raider Man .. and to all of you young uns out there The Clash's Sandinista was a TRIPLE ALBUM and LONDON CALLING was the double ... and even tho not in the genre Led Zep Physical Graffiti is just one great time.... as is Hendrix Electric Ladyland ... someones showing his age ... I'm outta here !