Songs that are too short/too long

Have you ever heard a song thats good but just goes on and on (or the opposite where the song is too short)? For me its the title track of Metallica's "And Justice For All". I liked the song but it was just too long to listen to on a regular basis.

I don't mind if a song goes 'on and on' I mean if it's good then long or short it's a good song. If it drags on, for me at least, it's not a good song and I want to skip it.

In any case - a song that I feel could have been shortened is Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The mid-section is just useless imo - it's atmospheric I get it but it also takes away from the continuity of the song and the awesome riffs. Basically the beginning and the end of the song are the best parts.

For me, the best longest song I heard and love to bits is Opeth's Black Rose Immortal. Morningrise is a fantastic album for that fact and for the awesome ending 'To Bid Your Farewell' oh man what a great ending.

I don't have an issue with long songs, in fact in many cases I prefer longer songs providing they have lots of changes and/or extended improvisational sections.

AJFA was the first one I thought of.  Then I thought I probably wouldn't like it even if it was short.

I love grindcore, but the "microsongs" (songs under 30 seconds) get on my nerves. You're not making any statement whatsoever. It would be OK as an occasional novelty, but for chrissakes write a song f*cksteak!

I can only take certain long songs. Also those short 30 seconds song's imo are just stupid. Like I really tried to like Vektor but those 6 min songs also the vocals I couldn't do it. I really don't like alot of long songs overall though.

Depends on my mood. Some days I'm too impatient for epic songs, some days I like to take the time (no DT pun intended). Just like there are days where I prefer accessible music to complex music, and vice versa.

There are few albums I have problems with being too long. AJFA is one of them. Heathen tends to get too drawn out for my taste, like the songs could be trimmed some. What I can't stand is if a song that's, say, ten minutes long, and the non-musical intro is around a third of that. Better off splitting it into two tracks.

I find the 30 - 60 second songs generally very annoying.

I don't like grindcore anyway but usually where i encounter these snippet long songs is with cross-over thrash bands. Take SSS - when they get into a proper length song I love them but when they play a 45 second song it's like what did I just listen to... is this a song, a part of a song, an intro to a song what is it?

In terms of short songs or short albums - of course I love Reign in Blood and the like where you get 28 - 35 minutes worth of consistent material. I don't mind short albums, in fact I love albums that are under an hour the way they were in the 1980s. Back then it was due to the format limitations of vinyl and tape but even when you can fit 79 minutes worth of music, I would rather than 45 minutes worth of excellent music than another 34 minutes worth of filler material.

Two albums I like that have long songs are:

Metallica - AJFA
and
Dark Angel - TDNH

Alex Dee Rokket wrote:

I find the 30 - 60 second songs generally very annoying.

I don't like grindcore anyway but usually where i encounter these snippet long songs is with cross-over thrash bands. Take SSS - when they get into a proper length song I love them but when they play a 45 second song it's like what did I just listen to... is this a song, a part of a song, an intro to a song what is it?

In terms of short songs or short albums - of course I love Reign in Blood and the like where you get 28 - 35 minutes worth of consistent material. I don't mind short albums, in fact I love albums that are under an hour the way they were in the 1980s. Back then it was due to the format limitations of vinyl and tape but even when you can fit 79 minutes worth of music, I would rather than 45 minutes worth of excellent music than another 34 minutes worth of filler material.

I will say there are examples of albums that do go on for too long. Comebacks tend to do this. Look at VH and Different Kind of Truth. Great album, defied expectations, but good Lord 13 tracks was just redundant, especially considering one of the great features of the early albums being that they were so punctual and short but sweet (I still wonder why they couldn't have split it up some and have two records in need of only a few songs more). Aerosmith did the same thing with the 15-track Music From Another Dimension. I like to hear albums contextually, as a whole to find a greater sum, and if takes more than 70 minutes with simple hard rock, that gets a bit taxing. Reign in Blood was solid because I felt like, boom, I just heard an airtight masterpiece in 30 minutes. Kind of the same feeling as watching a top fuel dragster complete a 320 <5.0 run.

Here's a classic one that's waaaay too short:




This is actually longer than the studio version!

I know I've stated this before on here - but at some point in my musical fandom (late 90's maybe?) I went from a guy who thought anything past five minutes was too long.  There were exceptions of course (AJFA interestingly being one).  To a guy who generally feels anything less than five minutes is too short.  Am much more a fan of the long adventurous stuff than the quick and finished number.  This is what drives me crazy about punk.  Why does everything have to be so short?  Don't even get me started on the band OFF.  Great stuff, but come on the songs don't even get a chance to get going before they go to the next one.  Let the stuff grow and breath.  And don't make me buy a whole album that is only 15 minutes long.

I have no issue with long songs at all - I'd rather listen to an 8 minute track than a 2 /12 minute pop radio song any day of the week

And I think AJFA is a great track and a great album! 

I'm sure that listening to KISS Alive! and the 12 minute version of 100,000 years over and over in the 70's primed me up for long tracks....

Good point about Kiss. I do love extended jams, even trashy ones like Neil Young would pull off.

Once upon a time, as a kid who took everything too seriously, I had it in my head that no song should be under five minutes. I loved hearing Pink Floyd's live albums because they were just super long, dragging out every solo. Also DT was a big deal for me. My favorite songs were epics. 2112 was my favorite. Of course things changed and I appreciate shorter songs even more so.

Sleep's Dopesmoker's a bit short!

I dig long songs especially when there is extended guitar jams in them. Short songs are the ones that get me sometimes. I like some songs that are only 2 minutes or so long and I think they could have been better if they were longer. Some of Joan Jetts songs come to mind.

I hate when short songs omit stuff which should obviously be there because they thought it was "cutting off the fat"....example..'Tears of Babylon' by Freedom Call...KILLER SONG...KILLER MELODIES....but there is barely a bridge in the thing, no lead...it almost makes it sound like they just cut and paste the entire way through, nothing elevates it in the middle and then brings it back with that chorus, and it's like, this really needs to be here, but isn't...

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

I hate when short songs omit stuff which should obviously be there because they thought it was "cutting off the fat"....example..'Tears of Babylon' by Freedom Call...KILLER SONG...KILLER MELODIES....but there is barely a bridge in the thing, no lead...it almost makes it sound like they just cut and paste the entire way through, nothing elevates it in the middle and then brings it back with that chorus, and it's like, this really needs to be here, but isn't...

Certainly this all the way; I know exactly what you mean. There's 85 songs I could bring up related to this, but for whatever reason they're not coming to mind, I'll get back to you...