Nah, depends on the album. A balls to the wall thrash record shouldn't be that long or it'll drag, but an emotive epic prog album can be much longer and still be effective if it's well executed
Well, okay, what I disagree with is putting a hard limit on album length.
But keeping our interest for the full arc of an album that runs 67 minutes seems more difficult than for an album that runs 37 minutes. I think the 67 minute album is more challenging.
Sorry, I was just teasing! You're right, of course, but even if the album is great & justifies that length, I can't deny I get a little fatigue in the latter stages sometimes. I just think that 45-55 mins is generally the sweet spot.
Depends entirely on the album. Basically, it comes down to whether the band is just stuffing everything they came up with on, or actually created something great that happens to need the space. Also, I'd generally rather an album drag than feel unfinished. Can always skip stuff.
I agree to a certain extent with this. But sometimes, even the best albums can drag occasionally if they are too long. 45-55 mins is generally my sweet spot, although there are exceptions!
Generally I agree. BUT, some of my favorite albums are over an hour. ORM or Mare Cognitum/Spectral Lore split. Some, like Solbrud, could be trimmed, but are still good. And then there is Harakiri for the Sky or Paysage d'Hiver, where every album could use a good trimming.
I think going over 50 min is like jumping from a U-Haul to a bus and it’s not prohibited but you need a special license to prove you can be safe with it.
If it's just songs you can leave one out, surely. But 50 minutes into Beyond The Bridge's 'The Old Man and the Spirit' I'm like 'Shush dude, the Old Man is just starting to grapple with his own sense of humanity in the face of the Spirit's bargain!'
I do believe there are some records whose proposal needs to be more 'elaborated' in order to give a proper explanation/sense to the whole thing; but indeed, most of cases e/thg up to 40/45min long are too damn long and tiring to listen all...
I *worship* Maiden (as should be clear by now), but even I’m inclined to agree with this. I’ll always remember reading somewhere (maybe Kerrang!) - as part of some sort of celebration of Maiden, back in the 90s - a quote from, I think, Lars Ulrich, saying that part of Maiden’s original charm was…
I listened to “The X Factor” for the first time in a while last month, and really enjoyed it. But it also dawned on me how influential that album has been on the rest of their output since. It’s basically the blueprint for everything that has followed. For better or for worse.
There was a time when Maiden were masters of both short- and long-form song composition. The peak of this, imho, is “Seventh Son”. An album of absolute hook-filled bangers (FOUR top 10 UK singles) AND a monstrous 10 minute epic.
I think a lot of us love Maiden & forgive them a lot. But they seem to like their epics, even if they're not quite epic-worthy sometimes. Still great, though!
I sometimes think of how much of an anomaly “No Prayer” is. 10 tracks in 43 mins. The longest song on the album, it’s “epic” (‘Mother Russia’*), is only 5’30” mins long! That seems so alien now. The last four tracks on “Senjutsu” clock in at 41 mins!
I agree with that *most* of the time. Often it’s a sign a band doesn’t know how to edit themselves and trim the fat. (I love you, Metallica, but you are a prime example). Most of the time albums peak in the 35-45 min range, IMO.
That said, there are times a band legit has 60+ min of things to say.
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There are a few which don’t drag and don’t have any fillers.
But keeping our interest for the full arc of an album that runs 67 minutes seems more difficult than for an album that runs 37 minutes. I think the 67 minute album is more challenging.
If you can pull off giving me quality and quantity and keep my ever shrinking attention bravo. That being said, I also enjoy brevity. 🤣🤣🤣
Haken - Affinity
Transatlantic - The Whirlwind
Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Riverside - Love, Fear, & The Time Machine
All 60+ minutes, all brilliant.
* I should add that I *love* ‘Mother Russia’.
That said, there are times a band legit has 60+ min of things to say.