Longest album ever?

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Does anybody know what is the longest album (not speaking of box sets, compilations, live sets etc) ever?

I know about two triple albums from the CD age - Magnetic Fields' "69 Lovesongs" and Prince's "Emancipation". But is one of those the longest, or are there even longer lasting albums out there? Does anybody know about any albums more extensive in length than those two?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Well... for starters, I believe Prince's Crystal Ball album is 4 CDs (but as I also believe that some of the material on that album wasn't specifically conceived as an album, it might not count here).

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Well... for starters, I believe Prince's Crystal Ball album is 4 CDs

Hmmmm.. Some people just don't know where to stop... :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:21 (twenty-three years ago)

The recent Morton Feldman album String Quartet No. 2 is 5CDs. I'm sure there must be longer in the classical world.

― original bgm, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Geir, haven't you gone over your one-thread-a-day limit?

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:37 (twenty-three years ago)

La Monte Young's "The Well-Tuned Piano" is available on 5-CD set or DVD.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:41 (twenty-three years ago)

sutcliffe jugend's "we spit on their graves" was 10 LPs or cassettes long..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:44 (twenty-three years ago)

(Just checked: the DVD release of the "Well Tuned Piano" is 6 hrs 25 min long.)

See this article.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Frank Zappa - Laether

― Evan (Evan), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Zappa would hold this title, wouldn't he? Makes perfect sense.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, Muslimgauze put out a nine CD set, but he would.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:47 (twenty-three years ago)

What about Merzbow's Merzbox? I believe it's 50 CDs. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was all new material at the time. Maybe I'm mistaken.

― Jonathan, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 02:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Iron Butterfly are still recording "InnaGoddaDavidaDotCom" for their 90s reunion mega-macro-album.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 03:00 (twenty-three years ago)

the merzbox was not new material it was out of print cds, tapes, and lps

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 03:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Not exactly an album, but that new John Cage composition is supposed to be 639 years long.

― Famous Athlete, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 03:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Not exactly an album, but that new John Cage composition is supposed to be 639 years long.

I doubt that one is ever going to end up on an album. :-)

Anyway, how about the longest popular music album. Obviously, the Avant Garde'ers will always compete about doing all sorts of eccentric things, so they don't count anyway...

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 03:08 (twenty-three years ago)

don't go changing the goalposts because you don't like the answer you're getting

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 03:13 (twenty-three years ago)

"Zappa would hold this title, wouldn't he? Makes perfect sense"

Yep, he's kind of like the Stephen King of Rock and Roll. They're both alright but seriously in need of an editor, or (ducking under the desk now) an occasional label executive to say "No Frank I think we'll pass on this one".

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 04:51 (twenty-three years ago)

"Zappa would hold this title, wouldn't he? Makes perfect sense"

well his first album ("freak out") was supposedly different for 1966, in that it was claimed to be the first rock double album (Zappa's claim i think, rebutted by Dylan fans who say "blonde on blonde")

at least it's two records in one, rather than his later problem of output quality control

"laether" was an industry-baiting "concept album", a "virtual album" to begin with wasn't it ?

― george gosset (gegoss), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 05:05 (twenty-three years ago)

the merzbox was not new material it was out of print cds, tapes, and lps
-- jess (dubplatestyl...) (webmail), March 4th, 2003 10:01 PM. (later) (dubplatestyle) (link

*bzzt*

http://www.furious.com/perfect/merzbow.html

"Scum and the Metalverodrom double album I like. The 50 CD box set will be my favorite when that is released. 30 CD's are remix from my tapes and records. The other 20 CD's is new and unreleased material."

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 05:24 (twenty-three years ago)

The Cortical Foundation was slated to release the entire Hermann Nitsch Orgies Mysteries Theater 6-Day-Play as a 52 CD set this summer.

I have no idea if it will actually happen. I remember hearing from an unreliable source that Gary Todd died, and I can't find any confirmation (anyone know if this is true or not?).

― Matt B. (Matt B.), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 07:06 (twenty-three years ago)

D Greenslade, 'Cosmogony of the Pentateuch' and YOU of all ppl should know that Geir

― dave q, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 13:45 (twenty-three years ago)

does it 'joe's garage' take it because it
was the same record over 3 doubles ?

― piscesboy, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 15:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Zappa wins the title of greatest number of pointlessly self-indulgent and sheer crap long albums ever - hands down. Have you heard "Joe's Garage 2 & 3", don't bother.

― Dadasimus, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 15:25 (twenty-three years ago)

i wouldn't buy a frank zappa record if my hair
was on fire and each one came with a free fountain.

― piscesboy, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 15:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I think Jeff Mills has made an vinyl album where there are only 8 locked (circle-shaped) grooves, so all the eight tracks repeat the same short loop over and over and over... If you just keep your record player on, this surely is the longest album ever.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 15:58 (twenty-three years ago)

actually, mills has been beaten. richie hawtin released his favorite loops from the DE9 album on vinyl. there are at least a hundred locked grooves on two vinyl discs.

can i put in a plug for any recordings of wagner's complete ring cycle? usually, they come out to 14 discs.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Chris Butler's "The Devil Glitch" is the Guinness Book of World Records World's Longest Pop Long at 69 mins.

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:09 (twenty-three years ago)

I remember hearing from an unreliable source that Gary Todd died

Supposedly he fell off a balcony or something? I'm just glad I have the Terry Riley stuff.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Metal Machine Music feels like the longest record ever.

Yeah, I think I remember reading that Gary Todd is dead. Too sad. I do think Cortical still exists though?

― hstencil, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:16 (twenty-three years ago)

"Longest Pop Long" = "Longest Pop Song"

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:18 (twenty-three years ago)

"Joe's Garage" is actually among the better things Zappa has done. Almost some signs of proper pop melodies in there (among all the noise, that is...)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Metal Machine Music: Why did this have to be more than a single LP?

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:30 (twenty-three years ago)

MMM had to be four sides because Lou Reed said so. :)

― jodi shapiro (burun), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, it could have been twice as long. I mean: Side 2 is Side 1 played backwards, but they could also have made two sides with every side played sideways. :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 23:08 (twenty-three years ago)

MMM had to be 4 sides because there were 4 sides worth of music (ie it is not AT ALL 'the same' on every side)

The stuff on the Merzbox lacks the melody and harmony of later Merzalbs like 'Rectal Anarchy'

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 23:14 (twenty-three years ago)

MMM: it's got a catch groove, so it's immeasurable (as is 'Escalator over the Hill' which has a catch groove at the end of side six)

― george gosset (gegoss), Thursday, 6 March 2003 10:24 (twenty-three years ago)

five months pass...

I seen on TV an add for a music CD. It was recorded on 90 minute CD. I don't know if a 90 Minute CD is out there, but they said it on television!

www.michaeljatas.ca

― Michael Jatas, Thursday, 28 August 2003 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I have seen 100 minute CDs in shops here.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 28 August 2003 18:32 (twenty-two years ago)

W. T. F. ?. !.

― David. (Cozen), Thursday, 28 August 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Welcome back, Geir.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 28 August 2003 18:44 (twenty-two years ago)

The Nitsch box came out a few weeks ago, 51 CDs, not 52.

Gary took a bad fall a couple years back, very debilitating accident.

― pogo, Thursday, 28 August 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

i would see a "jatas and geir" movie

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Thursday, 28 August 2003 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Geir Hongro is stellar! Hi, Geir!

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 28 August 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

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