19.10.05

Double Albums - why?

With the new Kate Bush (you wait 12 years for an album, and when it arrives - it's a double) record on the horizon, time to reflect on the truly essential double LPs which wouldn't have been better honed down to a single - here's Graham:

I honestly find it hard to think of a double album which wouldn't have been better off editted onto one disc (with the possible exception of Quadrophenia and the Wall - but they're operatic so maybe they can be let off). Even London Calling - when was the last time I actually got as far as Train in Vain?

I would weigh in for 'Exile on Main Street' and the White Album as being worthy of 2 discs, though I am scratching my head to think of any others...'Blonde On Blonde', 'Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus'...

I would love to say 'Zen Arcade' and 'Warehouse:Songs and Stories', both by Husker Du, but to be honest I just don't have the stamina for more than side one of each. If we are allowing live albums, I'm having 'It's Too Late To Stop Now' by Van Morrison, and Queen Live Killers (which apparently isn't very 'live' at all...but it's good fun.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would say that the White Album would have been much better as a single than as a double, but that would mean dumping much of the twee McCartney stuff. Quadrophenia should stay as a double... Live albums, well there my opinion is the longer the better: if you want a live album, you want the whole show. Most of it, anyway. The complete Who Live At Leeds is better than the original release. The Dylan live Before The Flood could have been a single album though as about half is just The Band - but it works as it is.

Tom said...

Live At Leeds is a definite...the reissue version with Tommy on the second disc.

Anonymous said...

You have to wonder why they kept crap like "Fortune Teller" in their act, though.