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Double Albums That Work and the One That Don't


spectoremg
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[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1457195060' post='2996266']
ELO's Out Of The Blue was a favourite when I was about 12. Now the one that I consider one of my top albums of all time is Pat Metheny's 80/81. After that, all the doubles I like are live recordings.
[/quote]

How could I have forgotten Out Of The Blue? One of my all time faves and a double I'm still happy to sit and listen to end to end... So many great songs. And nearly 40 years since I first bought it. 40 years!!!! Blimey!

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Frank Zappa's 'Uncle Meat' works for me.

Muse's 'The Resistance' is brilliant throughout too.

Does Guns & Roses' 'Use Your Illusion 1&2' count as a double album? I remember listening to both albums and thinking that they'd have been better off scrapping half of those songs and releasing a single album.

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[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1457209269' post='2996437']
No no no not all, I love the way it starts off tentatively and builds, class act..and how could I have forgotten that album, its still on regular rotation i the car :). My dad still wonders where it went ( I snaffled it age 13 lol)
[/quote]

Glad to see I'm not alone in appreciating Bert Ruiter (probably spelt that wrong!).

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[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1457389233' post='2998137']
The Clash - London Calling
My favorite album, been a constant play for me since it's release.
I can't understand some of the comments above, there isn't a bad track on it :)
[/quote]

Agreed, I love every moment of that album from start to finish!, if anything it's Sandinista that's the dodgy one.

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[b]Works:[/b]
Sonic Youth, "Daydream nation". Has to be heard start to finish. Even the sprawly parts like, erm, 'The Sprawl', work in the full context, especially with the bizarre voicemail-with-piano track Providence splitting the two parts. And an amazing three-part song ending.

Minutemen, 'Double nickels on the dime'. My favourite double album cover and title, and packed with lots of nuggets that are short enough to leave you wanting more of each. Huge variety.

Plus Out of the Blue as mentioned above, I still have the cardboard spaceship on a spire!

[b]Live doubles:[/b]
Space Ritual - love the Michael Moorcock spiel, Ramones "It's alive!" and Thin Lizzy's Life:live - I don't care if it's overdubbed, it's superb.

[b]Don't work:[/b]
For bands that I like it's just a case of too much filler, like Tom Wait's Real Gone, Songs in the Key of Life etc. But they would have made very good single LPs.

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"Tales of topographic oceans - Yes.....utter sh*t besides about 10 minutes (should have been a single!) "

yep, i remember when it came out, even the press called it "wishy washy tales of the deep" i was big yes fan then and i could not listen to it, im not even sure you would get a single from it all !

The Swing of Delight by Santana is one of my fave Doubles with the gifted Dave Margen on bass,
sound of his bass on this is great i tried for ages to get that sound,
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5nUNCTcZog&index=4&list=PL94gOvpr5yt1oFJlhE0-6Y-OECTLc_QYI"]https://www.youtube....0-6Y-OECTLc_QYI[/url]


Welcome to the Pleasure dome by Frankie.... worked great, even with the bit of padding
victor wooten yin yang is ace

Edited by funkgod
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[quote name='Kevsy71' timestamp='1457390540' post='2998159']
...and Thin Lizzy's Life:live - I don't care if it's overdubbed, it's superb.

[/quote]

Oooooh Life:Live over Live And Dangerous? Controversial. Having seen Lizzy on their farewell tour I so wanted to love Life:Live when it came out but the sound was so horrible and thin to my ears compared to L&D. Plus too much Sykes widdliness all over it. Personally I'd nominate L&D...

The only Lizzy album I've repurchased on CD. [Edit] That should be ...only one NOT repurchased...

Edited by TrevorR
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[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1457419692' post='2998223']


Oooooh Life:Live over Live And Dangerous? Controversial. Having seen Lizzy on their farewell tour I so wanted to love Life:Live when it came out but the sound was so horrible and thin to my ears compared to L&D. Plus too much Sykes widdliness all over it. Personally I'd nominate L&D...

The only Lizzy album I've repurchased on CD.
[/quote]Neither count: no live albums and compilations allowed.

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[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1457419692' post='2998223']
Oooooh Life:Live over Live And Dangerous? Controversial.
[/quote]

Do you know, I'm ashamed to say I've never heard Live & Dangerous. Trevor you've encouraged me to sort that out forthwith...my love of Life:live may be down to having nothing to compare it to!

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1457438381' post='2998478']
Neither count: no live albums and compilations allowed.
[/quote]

Note to self: read rules, especially rules 1 & 2 :rolleyes:

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Does rhcp blood sugar sex magic count as a double album?
I bought it on one casette and then replaced it with one cd years later.
Granted an album of over 70 minutes would have been pressed on two lps back in the day but lots of classic albums have been re-released on two lps recently to cash in on the vinyl resurgence.
Also maybe im being picky here but guns n roses illusion albums were released as two seperate albums rather than a double album.

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[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1457474053' post='2998988']
Also maybe im being picky here but guns n roses illusion albums were released as two seperate albums rather than a double album.
[/quote]

They were both released as double albums - I remember stacking the shelves at HMV with them:

https://www.discogs.com/Guns-N-Roses-Use-Your-Illusion-I/master/9536

https://www.discogs.com/Guns-N-Roses-Use-Your-Illusion-II/master/9586

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my favourite is one that was never meant to be released, a Russian bootleg Led Zeppelin double vinyl Album, Led Zep 2 and 3 in one gatefold sleeve, I didn't need it as I already had them both but when I saw it I just had to have it! it's got he cover artwork on the outer covers (minus the revolving section from the genuine Version of 3)

Matt

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Yes: Genesis The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Most of Zappa's doubles, including You Are What You Is and Joe's Garage. Prince's Sign 'o' the Times.

No: Joni Mitchell's Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (sides 1 and 4 are amazing, sides 2 and 3 skippable). ELP Works, as previously noted - I'd rather have the band side, and then seven or eight minutes each of the solo stuff.

Maybe: The Beatles White Album - maybe a great single album plus EP?

And an honourable mention for Van der Graaf Generator's Pawn Hearts, a single album originally planned as a double. The bonus tracks on the last re-release give a flavour of what a great double it would have been!

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[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1457529449' post='2999369']
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie. Stunning.
[/quote]

Indeed - although that was a triple album, with each side being themed - the running order was different to the CD to match these themes (and the LP had two extra tracks).

Edit: come to think of it, it was a 2xCD, and a triple LP - so either a double or triple album!

Edited by Kevsy71
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I can see how Use your illusion can be referred to as two double albums. Lots of material on those albums.
I bought them on one cassette each on the release day so never considered them as double albums.
e.g. Metallica's Justice for all was released on two lps but its generally considered a single album.
Megadeth's first album was issued as a double vinyl but its barely 30 minutes long.

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[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1457529449' post='2999369']
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie. Stunning.
[/quote]

Love it, the production sounds a little flat on the louder tracks these days and there are a few misses on there but overall it's amazing. Still have the telephone directory sized guitar tab book too. Also love The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails.

As fond as I am of Pink Floyd, I've always struggled to make it through The Wall. As amazing as parts of it are, it's very dour sounding and it reminds me of my days at a horrible primary school so that might be a factor.

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