How long do you like your albums?

Got this idea in the "Appetite" thread, and thought it deserved it's own.

How long do you prefer your albums to be? Do you like em really long and epic? Or short? Maybe in the middle?

In this day and age it's pretty common to find extremely long albums - especially in my favorite genre (power metal). Most albums are well over 60 minutes it seems.

Personally, I like an album to be around 40 minutes. That's about perfect. Too much and I get bored.

Alot of my favorite bands go well over an hour (Nightwish, Therion, etc). I wish they'd just release shorter albums - but more often. Sometimes bands wait 3 - 5 years between releases nowadays.

Back in the 80s (when I first got into music), bands would sometimes release an album a year, but they'd be shorter albums. That was WAY better IMO.


Any thoughts on this?

some albums sound great ending early (Reign in Blood), however other sound great going on & on (Burnt Offerings). it all depends on the band, style, genre, etc.

I usually like it to have it end at the 45 minute mark.

It depends on the album. If the titles are all good it can be long. But I don't like albums with a lot of filler, then it is better if they are shorter but overall got titles on it.

mc666 wrote:

some albums sound great ending early (Reign in Blood), however other sound great going on & on (Burnt Offerings). it all depends on the band, style, genre, etc.

Yeah, I'd agree with this. However, 40 minutes seems to be the optimum amount usually as it seems to prevent filler and the loss of concentration. Still, it really depends on the album itself.

GrandNational wrote:

I usually like it to have it end at the 45 minute mark.

That's about right for me as well. 40-50 minutes. That means 10-12 4-5 minute songs which is a length I like.

the more the merrier, really. I just know what I DON'T want, which is that they're too short..

not too short.. not too long!

45-55 minutes tops, preferably...

mc666 wrote:

some albums sound great ending early (Reign in Blood), however other sound great going on & on (Burnt Offerings). it all depends on the band, style, genre, etc.

I have to agree with this statement, I prefer it to be around the 45 to 60 minute mark, but again it depends on the album.

If it is a box set I want 70-75 minutes worth of music.

LP length was the way to go for the most part, 40-45 minutes.

However, these days most of the music I listen to averages about 8-10 minutes per song...so longer CD lengths doesn't bother me as much in that case.

Depends on the album - i.e. the donnas, ramones, joan jett if they put out an 80 minute album, it wouldn't feel right. A 40 minute Dream Theater album would be an ep and not feel right.....

Example of too show - WASP - Babylon, ends too soon!

60-80 minutes, preferably.

scottmitchell74 wrote:

GrandNational wrote:

I usually like it to have it end at the 45 minute mark.

That's about right for me as well. 40-50 minutes. That means 10-12 4-5 minute songs which is a length I like.

Agreed.

35-40 minutes.

Depends on the band and their music mostly, but 40-50 minutes is usually a decent amount. I will say that I thought the early Van Halen albums always seem to be over too soon. 35 minutes of music wasn't long enough for talent/egos that big.

GrandNational wrote:

I usually like it to have it end at the 45 minute mark.

This is the minimum of my personal preference as well. Always satisfied with a 45 minute album.

There are some killer 30 minute or less albums and there will be more....I just wish they'd of kept it going for another 10-15 minutes. On 30 minute albums I usually find 9-10 songs most barely at the 2:30 mark...some at or around 2 minutes, which drives me nuts. I love songs in the neighborhood of 3 to 4 minutes.

exact33 wrote:

not too short.. not too long!

This

Many of the heavier music bands usually make albums well under an hour in length.

Depends on how much filler there is. The last Priest album was way overdone but Theocracy is pretty long and I don't even notice.

I've got a short attention span, so 35 to 45 minutes is ideal. 50 minutes is pushing it, but if the album is really good, all killer, no filler, then it's cool.

Depends on the album, but the recent trend to try to fill up a CD with as much as possible isn't something I care for. Judas Priest - Nostrodamas is a good example. Could have been a GREAT album had they cut it down to just the 10 -12 best songs on one CD and cut out all the fluff.

I frankly have the same problem with the last couple CAGE CDs. Everyone raves about them, but to me they are too long and too samey, even though there are some superb songs on them.

NoLifeTilMetal wrote:

Cage – Hell Destroyer (MTM) 2007

Cage’s “Hell Destroyer” was one of the most celebrated U.S. power metal albums of 2007. Metal fans globally sang it’s praises. Having already been a Cage fan, I was anxious to hear it. As the opening moments of the title track rang forth and vocalist Sean Peck released those Halford-esque, blood curdling, heavy metal screams, I was anxious to agree with all the praise. The first couple tracks will grab the listener by the jugular and won’t let go. This is real power metal heavily inspired by Judas Priest. The vocal and musical similarities between Cage's "Hell Destroyer" and Judas Priest's "Painkiller" are unmistakable. Comparisons to bands like Iced Earth, Helstar and Deadly Blessing aren’t far fetched either. Likewise, “I Am The King” and “Metal Devil” are crushing metal numbers that should please even the most discerning metal fanatic. The songs are dynamic and dramatic, with dual guitars showcasing blazing riffs and shredding solos. Everything from the cover art, to the musicianship to the production is all top notch.

I also found it compelling that “Hell Destroyer” was a concept album. The epic storyline is obviously inspired by the Bible but isn’t taken directly out of the Bible either. Rather, the Biblically inspired end times themes are mixed with some slight sci-fi themes to create a fiction story that merely parallels the Book of Revelation. There are also interludes with spoken words and sound effects that are suppose to help tie the storyline together.

My only complaint with “Hell Destroyer” is that I found it to be a bit too long and samey. The tempos, the songwriting, and even the vocal performance didn’t change much from song to song, making it hard to listen to this CD in one sitting. I think “Hell Destroyer” might have been a stronger album had the band trimmed it down to the best 11 - 12 tracks. I felt the same way about Judas Priest’s lengthy concept album “Nostradamus”. Also, much like “Nostradamus”, I think the storyline would not have lost a bit had the interludes been left off in favor of just the strongest songs. Other than this complaint, I have to agree with the accolades thrown at “Hell Destroyer”.

On the other hand, I want a box set to be packed with as much music as possible. Even a live album or compilation CD can be like this. It usually features the band's best material so rarely gets boring.

Quote :

I frankly have the same problem with the last couple CAGE CDs. Everyone raves about them, but to me they are too long and too samey, even though there are some superb songs on them

It's the only one I own, but I pretty much thought the same thing about Cage's Hell Destroyer.

Now for a band like Porcupine Tree, they can fill up every second of the cd. The music to me is that good. I don't mind it one bit.

Some I like for only a day but others I love a lifetime....

kmorg wrote:

Some I like for only a day but others I love a lifetime....

I thought the same thing on first view.