Double Albums

[astfgyl]

Was listening to Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie.... this evening and it got me thinking about double albums in general and how I've a bit of a soft spot for them even though they're generally kinda bloated but I just love being immersed in a big album like that. I have always been an albums chap in general so the idea really appeals to me.

My own favorite is Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile because I'm just mad into it but I'm just wondering how anyone else feels about the idea in general, and what favourites or recommendations or opinions good or bad are out there.

Things like the Loads and Use Your Illusions and Kid A/Amnesiac, that sort of thing I think counts as well.

Anyway I'd like to see if there's many out there that I've missed or I'm just not thinking of as well

[Pagan Saviour]

The two you've mentioned aren't bloated at all, two of my favourite albums.


The Loads and Illusions on the other hand are - one good record between both at the same time I'm glad they recorded everything in both instances.


Can't think of too many others off the top of my head but do know Corrosion of Conformity's next one will be a double.

[Bürggermeister]

Opeth's Deliverance and Damnation are worth a mention but fall into the one good album across two discs category for me. There's a good EP to be had out of the Illusions, barely. It's mostly muck.

Mellon Collie is the only one with the creativity and diversity to be really an enjoyable listen all the way through. I used to collect the SP singles back in the day and, for the first two albums, the B-sides were as good as what made it onto the albums. Corgan always had great tunes to spare. The B-sides for the Mellon Collie singles were weak, though. He shot his creative load making the album, but just about gets away with it.

If you think about it, the move from records to CDs resulted in most bands making what would previously have been double albums. The average album length went from 35 minutes or so up to over an hour a lot of the time, just because they felt they had to fill 72+ minutes, usually with shite. Most bands don't have that much quality material in them at any one time. For perspective, Reign In Blood and South of Heaven combined still come in about 15 minutes shorter than either of the poxy Loads individually.

[Pagan Saviour]

There's a good EP to be had out of the Illusions, barely. It's mostly muck.

Ah here!

[Bürggermeister]

Ah come on, be honest, it's mostly shite. They've been dining off Appetite for a long, long time - the greatest fluke ever, I put it to you 😂

[Jward]

Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Far from their best, but still some cracking tunes on it


Does '...And Justice For All' count?
Probably not.
Not enough songs on it.

It is 65 minutes long!

[Pagan Saviour]

Ah come on, be honest, it's mostly shite. They've been dining off Appetite for a long, long time - the greatest fluke ever, I put it to you 😂

There's a fair amount of fluff on it for sure and the first record I think is the weakest, but there's 5-6 absolute classics between the two albums, a bunch of tracks that aren't bad - then the shite you refer to.

Yeah - Appetite does seem to have been a fluke of sorts. Their workrate studio wise is unbelievable - dining out for sure.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

There must be at least three threads at this stage where everyone has given their detailed opinions on Use Your Illusions I and II

[Brodent]

Hushed And Grim.

[blessed1]

Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys 3

Therion- Gothic Kaballah

Most Ayreon albums

Iron Maiden - Book Of Souls and Senjutsu

Judas Priest - Nostradamus

[Pagan Saviour]

Therion- Gothic Kaballah

Most Ayreon albums

Iron Maiden - Book Of Souls and Senjutsu

Judas Priest - Nostradamus

??

[Anvil]

All the Double Maiden albums have some good ideas and the odd great song but the majority of the songs aretoo long or just crap (that is me as positive as I can be about them).

[blessed1]

Ya I wouldnt have much positive to say about them either haha
I used to hate Kepepr Of the Seven Keys 3 but I love it now.

[OpenSores]

Disembowelment - Transcendence into the Peripheral, the double vinyl, not for everyone but it's mighty in my opinion, raw as fuck.

[HeartWorm]

The Wall and London Calling.
Won't find many better than them.
The Beatles White Album is an obvious one as well.