70 minute albums that are just too short

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is there such a thing? has there been an album over 55 minutes that is not at least 1/4 filler? what is the optimum length for records in your musical universe. most of my favorite records are over in 35 minutes or less.

― keith, Sunday, 2 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i remember liking all 70+ minutes of daydream nation when i was 16, but that may have been due to a certain somic youth monomania i was suffering unde at the time.

― peter, Sunday, 2 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Astor Piazzolla's Zero Hour, I think it's longer than 55 minutes. And it's all brilliant. Does that count?

― Mickey Black Eyes, Sunday, 2 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Off the top of my head, the only records near/around 60 minutes that fail to bore at any point are PiL's Metal Box and Public Enemy's Fear of a Black Planet. Forty minutes is pretty ideal -- round number, digestible, less prone to lapses, etc...

― Andy, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I would say, off the top of my head, Boards of Canada's Music has the Right... It's like, 71 min exactly, and unlike most super long albums, I'm always able to sit through the entire thing. All the tracks sort of blend together after a while, so I can't list off track names or anything, but I can't think of a single part that I'd erase.

To answer your other question though, I usually like albums that are an hour or under...that way I can listen to the entire thing in one sitting.

― Emily, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like 40-45 minute LPs, but even then I skip tracks. I don't much care about filler - if there's 40 good minutes on a 70 minute LP then it's as if I've bought a good 40-minute LP AND I get to pick the running order. And I might even get to like the filler.

Longest LP I regularly listen to all the way through = The Orb's first (120 mins!). 69 Love Songs I wouldn't want shorter but I don't do the whole 3 CD thing often at all.

― Tom, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

MMM - all noise, no filler.

― geoff, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Howe Gelb's Hisser may be unlistenable home recorded crap to most people. I find it is gorgeous. 78 minutes and 22 seconds of down to earth stripped down mostly serene songs. I still discover new strange sounds in this album which suddenly make sense. Howe's pleasant baritone and his weird and funny lyrics make me want this record to go on forever.

Another candidate could be Yo La Tengo's "I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One" though I am not sure if it extends 65 minutes.

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

For the most part, LP-length is best. Unless you're using it as background noise, 45 minutes is about the right length for really listening.

― Sean, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

haven't played it in a while, but what about tindersticks 2nd album?

― gareth, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I usually think that, unless it's a single piece of music that's >45 min (e.g. a symphony), an album should not go longer than 45 min. 35- 40 is good. I don't think there's any bad stuff on ODB's Return to the 36 Chambers but I usually only want to listen to at the most 2/3 of it at one time.

― sundar subramanian, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Similarly Pavement's Wowee Zowiee which is all good, but oppressive in large doeses.

― Sterling Clover, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

haven't played it in a while, but what about tindersticks 2nd album?
Not bad but why take the second if there is the debut? The First Tindersticks Album is probably the perfect 70+ minutes album. Whoever interrupts that record when I listen to it should be shot.

The latest Yo La Tengo (77 minutes) is another striking example. Especially the latest track "Night Falls on Hoboken" which is almost 18 minutes long should never stop.

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

sp: ~~latest~~ = last

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Neurosis's Through Silver in Blood. c'mon, someone else has to agree with me... 70+ minutes, average song length about 11 minutes, and it never bores me. in fact, its one of my all time favorites. there are lots of albums that are 60-70-80 minutes that i like a lot

― will, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wasn't Underworlds Dubnobass etc over 55 minutes. For me that constantly evolved and never once felt like a filler track plugging a musical gap anywhere on it

― Sonicred, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Electric Wizard - Dopethrone is about 70 minutes but it doesn't ever end it's just taking a break till the next one comes out. And it's fucking awesome.

― Kris, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the shorter the better. all the best albums clock in under 40 minutes.

― g, Tuesday, 4 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd be happy if the last two Boredoms albums were each 700 minutes long.

But mostly, I do like records in the 45-50 minute range. I'm lazy & I don't like to skip around, so I can own a 70-minute album for years and never hear the last 2-3 songs.

― Mark, Tuesday, 4 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I agree with Mark from above. The Boredom's "Vision/Creation/Newsun" was the first album in A LONG LONG TIME that I sat through in one sitting, with my face just smashed together in pure pleasure...then, I did it AGAIN. Then I called people and made them go get it. Then they never called me back.

― Gage-o, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Prince Paul's A Prince Among Thieves--the narrative could have been developed even better if there'd been longer to do so with. Not that I'm complaining--it's a great album--but I do hope the movie rights Chris Rock optioned come to pass.

― M. Matos, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Zen Arcade works best played all the way through, though I dont want to put down the 4 sided format either.
Sigur Ros' lp is great at night for everything from flat out falling asleep to to more active forms of entertainment.

― Mr Noodles, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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