The Rise & Fall of the Rock'n'Roll Double Album
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Discover the golden era of the rock 'n' roll double album, starting with Bob Dylan’s iconic Blonde on Blonde (1966) and ending with Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion I & II (1991). In this episode, we explore classic double albums like Pink Floyd's The Wall, The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street, and The Beatles' White Album. Learn how these records marked the creative peak for many artists before the CD era, starting with Billy Joel’s 52nd Street (1982), changed the landscape into longer, less special albums.
Plus, stay tuned as Robert shares his Top 10 favorite studio double albums-featuring a surprising pick for number one!
Robert's Record Corner appears here every other Monday.
--------------------------------------
FAIR USE NOTICE: This video may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Robert's Record Corner (RRC) uses this material for critical, educational and commentary purposes only -- all with the goal of promoting music knowledge and appreciation. RRC believes that this constitutes a “fair use” of the copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, which provides allowance for "fair use" for purposes such as news reporting, criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
#DoubleAlbums #RockHistory #ClassicAlbums #Top10Albums #MusicHistory #VinylRecords #GunsNRoses #TheBeatles #PinkFloyd #RollingStones
We have seen the same thing with movies. The truly long movies from years ago, such as "Lawrence of Arabia," were masterpieces that had something to say, but movies that run long today ("Avatar," etc.) are simply bloated. Here's another way to think about: constraints can lead to great art and innovations, but a lack of constraints can simply lead to a mess.
I love your comment. It's how I feel about the CD format. Bands thrived more with a 43-minute restraint of vinyl, despite this video's topic. I did like "Drive My Car" a lot, a recent Japanese film that was something like 3.5 to 4 hours though. Thanks for watching!
I consider All Things Must Pass a double album with a bonus album. Maybe it's cheating, but that's my number 1.
the apple jams are very skippable😅
Yes - tales from Topographic Oceans!
Allow me to be the first to say STEVIE WONDER'S SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE. I get that this is more of a rock and alternative crowd here, but I would put this album up there on any list for the greatest album ever. Everything Stevie was working on since he was allowed to write and produce his own music comes to full fruition on SITKOL. Soulful, unashamedly mixing politics with faith, jazz with pop, musicianship with studio craftsmanship, and at the center of it all is one of the singular geniuses of 20th Century popular music at the height of his creative powers.
@@flagcoco69 Excellent choice. I nearly had it had 10. I listen all the time and, yeah, should have at least mentioned it. Thank you for watching.
@@RobertsRecordCorner Thank you for giving Double Nickels some love
@@juliosanchez95The Minutemen released the greatest album of ALL TIME... STILL WAITING FOR THE FOLLOW UP FROM OTHER GENERATIONS!
That was well done.
Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a great double album. Physical Graffiti is my favourite, though.
Hmmm, which ROCK artist released the most double albums? Zappa is certainly a contender as he started with a double album and had 8 or 9 more before CDs took over.
Took him to task for that arguably petty omission in my comment above. The fact that he doesn't even mention it brings the term "bad optics" to a new level 🤬😠🤬
Zappa didn't consider himself a rock musician and hated being called that
@@qqw743 He was actually a mason. He specialized in musique concrete. ;^)
The first three Chicago albums were double LPs. Then they put out a 4 LP live boxed set.
When he was going through some double albums how could you not mention Chicago!
Chicago II definitely should have made the list; one of my favorite albums ever and a real work of art. CTA was pretty dang good too. the third one was just so-so imo; tried to do suites like on II but without the quality.
A small correction is that audio CDs do have a time limit (usually 74 minutes to 80 minutes). Funnily enough this was also dictated by classical music -- the wife of Sony's CEO was prompted to chime in as to what should be the standard CD length and apparently she proposed that it should accommodate a whole performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony by Herbert Von Karajan (clocking in at 74 minutes).
I do think a few artists make really good use of this format eg. Tool with their album Lateralus (79min:58s longs and not a note wasted!)
@@francoalencastro716 I did not know this. Very interesting! Thank you
I think some CDs drag on with the extra space seems some artists have to fill it
Oh man, just discovered your channel. Love this deep dive. So good! Never thought about Blonde on Blonde being the first double album before. So cool
@@slistone1940 Thank you!
My current favorite album is a double album, on vinyl of course, by The War on Drugs: A Deeper Understanding. In the last week I've listened to it all the way through three times (with some extra spins for Side 3 with "Thinking of a Place."
I started buying albums when I started my sophomore year of high school in 1968. SO, in a matter of four months I'm buying newly released albums by Cream (Wheels of Fire), Electric Ladyland, Uncle Meat (The Mothers) and the White Album. So, yes, it seems I've always loved double albums.
So my Top Ten Double Album List (for this week):
1. A Deeper Understanding - The War on Drugs
2. Electric Ladyland - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Jimi's guitar playing makes the Noel song listenable)
3. The White Album - every track makes the album what it is, warts and all
4. Third - Soft Machine - always a favorite, still gets lots of plays and with many titles in this list, some repurchases on vinyl (always a reliable signpost)
5. Exile on Main Street - they sort of lost me after Mick Taylor left but like many of these albums, an enjoyable sprawl.
6. Layla.... was a huge Clapton fan, not so much these days, but you still can't discount his influence on blues/rock guitar sound
7. Something/Anything - Todd Rundgren - an audacious pop/rock masterpiece
8. Uncle Meat - The Mothers (of Invention) I felt like I had grown as a listener when I learned to love this and Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
9. Oranges and Lemons - XTC The Brits' analogous of Something/Anything (Todd also produced, under fractious circumstances, XTC's wonderful Skylarking)
10. Tie: all the other albums on Robert's list
Honorable mention:
Wheels of Fire , Ummagumma and Living the Blues (each is one-half live, but still great or interesting double-albums)
Tanz der Lemmings by Amon Duul II
Chicago Transit Authority
Back to the Roots - John Mayall
Blood Sugar Sex Magic - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Nonesuch - XTC =-Andy Partridge is the prolific resident genius, but Colin Moulding is the secret weapon
Extra Special Honorable Mention: Weird Scenes Inside the Gold - a compilation that fully demonstrates what The Doors were all about. If you were only going to listen to one Doors album, this would be it.
Robert, this is only video of yours I've seen so far. So I'm looking forward to seeing some more. Well done!
Wow, thank you for this! Oranges & Lemons is a fun addition. English Settlement is another double LP from the lads I enjoyed. Thank you for watching!
Maybe the Billy Joel thing was meant as a joke, but if Joel hadn't existed, Sony would have just chosen a record by a different artist to have been their first CD. If I'm not mistaken, Songs in the Key of Life wasn't mentioned anywhere in the video, and I think it's one of the very best examples of a double album being an artist's peak, along with Blonde on Blonde, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, London Calling, and Daydream Nation (and probably Double Nickels on the Dime too). I have no problem with the White Album at #7, as I think that The Beatles peak is Rubber Soul and Revolver, and I also prefer A Hard Day's Night and Abbey Road to the White Album. There are also examples of double albums clearly not being the artist's peak: Dylan's self-portrait, Elton's Blue Moves, Fleetwood Mac's Tusk. Though I do think that Tusk is better than some people give it credit for.
@@otisdylan9532 It is a bit of a joke at Billy, I'll admit. I should have mentioned Songs, it's true. I listen to it all the time.
Thank You for including Miles Davis Bitches Brew. More ears need to hear that masterpiece.
You are really going to give credit to Dylan for the first double LP for pre dating Zappa's first double LP by 4 days, even though both were already packaged and ready to go the week before AND Zappas was an actual concept album AND his debut? Really?
@@stevenfunderburg1623 I don't mean to uncredit Zappa. I'm not really a big fan and Dylan is my #1. So, yeah, I guess so? All these comments makes me want to return to Zappalandia though. Been too long! Thanks for watching.
@@RobertsRecordCorner Okay, that made me feel better 👍 Thank you Sir
CD players cost more than 4 to 5 hundred dollars in 1982 BTW. Closer to a grand. But the price did come down as the medium gained popularity.
Great vid, great production. You get a sub👍🏼
@@michaelkoolidge Thank you so much!
Robert, Double Nickels on the Dime refers to driving 55 mph on the 10 freeway. Mike even has the freeway sign and the speedometer in the photo.
I love they did that. Mike Watt CAN drive 55!
PINK FLOYD THE WALL is the BEST double album of all time with The Who's Quadrophenia in at a close second! ! I forgive you for not realizing this.
Double Nickels is a masterpiece!
Thanks for sharing. I'd put The Beatles' eponymous album (a.k.a., "the White Album") as my favorite. Love "Exile ..." and "London Calling," too. Shawn R., Mo-Mutt Music/Sacred & Secular
Tons of "double albums" released in the CD era, 90s and early 00s when I was a teenager saw a lot of rock bands release albums that are an hour long...or more. They just were on a single CD so not thought of as a double album. Now, lots of pop and hip hop artists release records that are 16+ tracks or more and pushing an hour. Taylor Swift and Beyonce, etc....long albums, double and triple vinyls....The streaming era is a tricky one for the traditional double album, I think. A lot of rock bands may feel like 40 minutes or 10-12 tracks per album is enough and save any other songs for future albums or singles/b-sides. This I agree with! 35-50 minutes is usually perfect for most bands.... Separate releases on streaming help streaming totals overall, so the more releases you have on Spotify, for instance, the better chance of being found by new listeners, so loading tons of songs on one release is not as effective as splitting that up into two albums, or one album + singles...
Agree, the age of CD’s caused a lot of bloated albums.
Perfect single rekkid length, 35 to 45 min.
Just discovered your channel. Great informative video. I hadn't realised the problem of listening to classical music before the LP.
My favourite double album :
"Wee Tam and the BIg Huge" . - The Incredible String Band. - 1968. It was released as two separate LPs so that people who were short of money could buy the albums separately. Wee Tam is the man in the street, the individual. The Big Huge is the universe, the cosmos.
@@russellcampbell3274 Thanks for sharing! I will relisten to it!
Though I don't necessarily think if it as their best work, Fleetwood Mac's TUSK is on my list. Props to Lindsey for having the guts/hubris to push the band into doing something that was NOT a rehash of RUMOURS (an album which I love, btw).
I like Tusk a lot. I listen to it much more than Rumours in fact, but couldn't quite put it in my Top 10. I like Lindsey's snazzy songs and Sara is my fav FM song. Agree about your praise! Thanks for watching
I've heard three cuts off of "Tusk": the title track, "Sara" and "Think About Me." Love them all. Hope to listen to it in its entirety soon. Shawn R., Mo-Mutt Music/Sacred & Secular (and Fleetwood Mac fan)
For what it's worth, yes -- Use Your Illusions I and II are bloated and self-indulgent, but they didn't kill the double album format. Smashing Pumpkins released Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in 1995, Propellorheads would release Decksanddrumsandrocknroll in 1998 and Eels released Blinking Lights and Other Revelations in 2005 (which it could be argued is self-indulgent, but keps to a theme better than Use Your Illusion ever did).
Equally, for what it's worth, my favorite double albums are:
Propellorheads - Decksanddrumsandrocknroll
Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
Tom Waits - Mule Variations
Husker Du - Zen Arcade
Minutemen - Double Nickels On The Dime
OutKast’s Double album was actually two solo albums released as one set.
The Who: Quadrophenia.
The Kinks: Preservation Act 2
Frank Zappa & The MOI: Freak Out
Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans
Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti
Capt. Beefheart: Trout Mask Replica
Preservation Act 2!! I have a soft spot for much of that album. I've only heard Topographic Oceans a couple times and yet to get fully into it. I will try again! Thanks for watching.
@@RobertsRecordCorner
It’s not YES best record it kind of took the concept record over the edge!
Zappa and the Mothers released Freak Out one week after Blonde on Blonde. It’s the exception of an artist making a double album at the peak of their power. He did it because he simply wanted to. I suppose he was rather convincing to the record company.
Also, Songs in the Key of Life is top to bottom perfect.
So, at the risk of violating the safe space of a whole generation,let's address the actual elephant in the room. The illiterate, auto tuned hip hop loving, rock forsaking cancer culture AKA Gen Z, who are the largest contemporary consumers of "music" do not posses the inclination or attention span to listen to an entire album, much less becom passionate about patiently and passionately absorbing over 60 minutes of music (much less high concept music) in any form. Especially when there are now streaming platforms which give them the keys to f*@king kingdom (all music, from Mozart to Nirvana, ever) for $8 -$10 . As Rick Beato says "No sweat equity, no mystery, no effort, no passion" . Period. Yes, there are exceptions, but an exception only exists to prove and emphasize a rule. And THAT ladies and gentlemen, is the actual truth. It's all negative, and Gen Z and the technologies which enable them are the cause.
One thing that I did not like is when they would put out a double album on one cd with songs revomed so they could fit it on a single disc.
Gord's Gold, Come Dancing with the Kinks, are a few examples.
Stevie Wonder, George Harrison, Chicago Transit Authority, and Fleetwood Mac did pretty well with double albums...
Mine are
Pink Floyd The Wall
Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti
Genesis The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Metallica And Justice For All (yes was a double vinyl album when released in 1988 before the CDs cemented popularity three years on)
The Who Quadrophenia
The Who Tommy
Iron Maiden The Book of Souls
Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street
Yes Tales From Topographic Oceans
Bruce Springsteen The River
Okay, I love "Double Nickels on the Dime", but I grew up with that stuff like those guys did too and I just have a preference towards the 80s stuff on THAT one.."You DICK, Ted!!"
lol, just no
At the beginning you mention 78s and they could just basically have one song per side. So an artist might release a literal album with a few records in it. And they sold generic empty albums so people could organize their favorites. I have one thats in nice shape, and I guess thats the origin of why we still call a collection of songs an “album”
Bruce Springsteen's The River should be included( at least near the bottom half of the Top 10). It set the stage for the 80's sounds and was a proto type for his biggest album Born In The USA
ever since the vinyl revival, almost every new album has been a double because artists haven't been making albums with those limitations in mind.
Example: Porter Robinson's latest electro-pop album, "Smile xD", even though it's exactly 40 minutes with both halves clocking in at 20, is pressed on two 12" 45rpm discs.
Freak Out! by Zappa/Mothers was released 7 days after Blonde On Blonde, so it's also very prototypical...
My favourite album of all time is Soft Machine’s “Third”. A double album.
@@caryheuchert I always look for it on vinyl! Saw a copy maybe two years ago that was just too expensive.
Definitely not my favorite, but I was hoping you would mention Self Portrait. th-cam.com/video/8Y8YVHRM03g/w-d-xo.html
Honorable mentions that I don't see in other comments so far include:
Freak Out!
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Frampton Comes Alive (assuming live records count)
True! I am fond of SP. I didn't consider live albums for whatever reason. These sorts of things - opinions on things like double LPs - tend to change every day. Thanks for watching am this Mr Trott!
@@RobertsRecordCorner _Self Portrait_ includes live tracks, so that's another reason to exclude it in addition to the fact that it's kind of terrible (but also fascinating).
@@trott Definitely that. I am fond of much of the Another SP box set. "Pretty Saro" is gorgeous.
The Wall is my favorite double studio album followed by London Calling and Physical Graffitti.
I would also agree that Songs in the Key of Life and Tusk should be included in the top 10. Yes's Songs from the Topographic Oceans and Zappa's Joe's Garage could be dark horse contenders as well.
My controversial comment would be the White Album would have been fantastic as a single album instead of a double cause there's some songs that being it down (Revolution #9 anyone?)
Can't disagree with most of your choices, but as much as I like Lou Reed, I can't help thinking that Metal machine music blows a big hole in your "best album by an artist is their double one" theory.😂
@@punkfloyd-m9k True!! Lou knew how to make a mess of things sometimes. I forgot about it when doing this tbh. Thanks!
Tom Petty's 1994 album "Wildflowers" was nearly a double CD. He had 25 songs ready to go, but his label decided to cut it down to 15 songs at a total time just short of 63 minutes. A lot of people think its Petty's best album. I love Petty but I don't care for the album nearly as much as most of his others, and I think his outtake album "Finding Wildflowers" (released 2021) is much better than the original Wildflowers album.
In 1992, Bruce Springsteen released the albums Lucky Town and Human Touch on the same day. Total time of both albums together, 99 minutes. That's more than a double LP. I don't think Springsteen ever thought about combining the two albums into a double CD, but the material was obviously there.
I'm not sure what I'd rate as my favorite double LP. The Beatles white album has too many weak songs, I agree with Robert that it's not their best (I'd go with Magical Mystery Tour or Help). I don't understand the appeal of Exile on Main Street, definitely not my favorite Rolling Stones album (which is "Some Girls"). Chicago II is a good double LP, but has some boring moments (Chicago XI is my favorite of theirs, no weak tracks).
Led Zeppelin's "Physical Graffiti", yes that's really good, though their 4th (aka Zoso) is better. And Physical Graffiti is a collection of previously unreleased songs, along with new ones, so it wasn't worked on as a double LP.
Ok the winner is... Quadrophenia by The Who. I agree with Robert that this is far better than Tommy. The included booklet was really stupid, but the songs were amazing, and Keith Moon was at his peak. John Entwistle just goofing around on The Real Me, and they tell him "no, that's a take!". What an album.
And of course, Billy Joel is awesome, even though he never released a double LP. The Stranger is his most popular album, 52 Street won the Grammy, but his best album is... Turnstiles.
@@andrewfurst5711 On many days, I favor Some Girls to Exile too. Thanks for your thoughtful notes!
@@RobertsRecordCorner Thanks Robert, and great job, very interesting video. This was the first video of yours I've seen, and I subscribed as a result. Well done!
Good video! Rolling Stones Exile is the best!
Thank you. Exile has meant a whole lot to me since Inused paper route money to buy it at age 15!
So great to see this channel back!
@@-er-un1wt Thank you!
Labels killed common double albums because of royalties and costs, supposedly.
Another double album is Love ‘Out Here’ 1969 - it ain’t their best but has some great moments on it
And in the obscure double album Bob Smith ‘The Visit’ 1969 - its a west coast psych classic which features guests Don Preston (Mothers of Invention) and Daryl Dragon aka Captain from 70’s duo Captain and Tenielle
When Def Leppard and Shania Twain started releasing 70 minute albums on CD, I knew that the glory days of the double album were over. Now there were just overblown releases with a lot of filler.
I enjoy me some Red Hot Chili Peppers, but the album lengths are outrageous. I think all of the albums since Blood Sugar have been at least an hour, most of them over 70 minutes. Stadium Arcadium was over 2 hours. Good Lord.
you left out "freak out" by Frank Zappa. 2nd double LP in rock. great video though, you're better than most of the people doing this kind of stuff.
Gotta go with Mellon Collie by the Smashing Pumpkins. It's not that every song on it is great, but boy, there are so many great songs on it. And the atmosphere is just captivating. So warm and hard and soft and angry and emotional.
PS: It took me years to get that Mellon Collie is a word play thing and stands for melancholy. Just never occured to young me.
I'll admit I somehow didn't figure that out till you just told me!
I very strongly disagree about the Beatles and Stones being at the peak of their creative powers with their double albums. This is something journalists decided about 30 years ago. Compared to the wealth of gorgeous compositions you find on Rubber Soul, the White Album is a rather tuneless affair (with few exceptions). We´re not talking about some silly pop band here. The Beatles´ greatest melodies are on par with Mozart. In the case of Exile, it´s a record simultaneously facing a glorious past on one side and a simply banal future on the other. The Stones had really stopped caring about the balance that is required for great rock´n´roll (or any art). Too much relentless screaming, too much uninspired noise. While there´s still lots of beautiful music, it never quite holds up with their best work - all the 60ies stuff from The Last Time to Gimme Shelter (which includes Paint It Black and the albums Aftermath, Between The Buttons and Beggar´s Banquet). This is my opinion, anyway.
I agree, the Beatles' white album and Stones' Exile on Main Street are overrated, not "peak". But some people view spotty quantity as "better" than consistent quality. To be fair, Robert stated he does NOT think the white album is the Beatles at their best, just that some others feel that way.
@@andrewfurst5711 That´s right, he just pointed out the current common notion about these records. Thanks for the reply - glad I´m not the only one :)
10) Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan
9) Exile On Main Street - Rolling Stones
8) Heaven And Earth - Kamasi Washington
7) Warehouse: Songs & Stories - Husker Du
6) The Wall - Pink Floyd
5) The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - Genesis
4) Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
3) The White Album - Beatles
2) Exile In Guyville - Liz Phair
1) Quadrophenia - The Who
Blonde on blonde a being last is egregious ☠️
@@christopherhidalgo6696 I prefer. “Bringing It All Back Home,” “Highway 61 Revisited” and “Blood On The Tracks.” For me, it was a toss up between "Blonde On Blonde" and "Electric Ladyland."
Not Billy Joel's fault. Blame Sony and Phillips for inventing the CD, their goal was to put digital playback of Beethoven's 9th symphony on one continuous disc. The Mothers' Freak Out was released a week after Blonde On Blonde(therefore, virtually simultaneously as things didn't change as fast as they do today back then), so a lot of your telling of history sounds more like opinion than fact. However, in your favor, Double Nickels is absolutely wonderful.
@@BillsBoxOfSound You're right. I just sort of joke the Joel. Thanks for watching.
No Frank Zappa in the top ten? I’m in the wrong room.
I find almost all his best records are single albums.
But Freak Out I think predates Blonde in Blonde
@@opaljk4835
Blonde on Blonde came out June 20 1966 Freakout! 6/27/1966 so 7 days apart so technically it’s the second double album
Must not be a Zappa fan
@@philbouchard8366 I remember reading the VU & Nico record pushed the release date of Freak Out, so maybe that’s what I was confusing it with. But yeah, I’m more of a Only In It For The Money, Lumpy Gravy, Grand Wazoo fan than anything. He never put out a double record better than Trout Mask Replica
Broadly agree with you, but The Rolling Stones example doesn't really work imo, as alot of their 80s albums were poor, before the CD era. I agree that the record companies really took advantage of customers during the CDs era, but as a 90s kid, I grew up listening to CDs and still buy 'em. And they are alot cheaper now, especially if you shop around. Plus, the CD era allowed bands to make longer albums that still were of high quality throughout, eg. Achtung Baby, OK Computer, New Adventures In Hifi, Reveal, Siamese Dream, Ten, Love and Theft, Modern Times, Mezzanine... Btw, 2 other great doubles I would mention are The Basement Tapes and Wilco's Being There. Thanks, Stuart.
WHAT?!!!! I dig The Minutmen but your No.1 should had been Stevie Wonder's "Songs In The Key Of Life". That album was a main event when it was released back in 1976.
Don’t forget Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
So HAPPY SST and Husker Du and the Minutemen got some double album love from RRC!
@@chipdalby5925 Dream light years!
OMG, it's @chipdalby5925!!!!!
@@trott The power of Billy Joel. Bringing people together!
aside from choosing double nickels over zen arcade, this entire video is spot on. job well done. and Tales from Topographic Oceans just to be a prog snob.
The greatest double albums
Beatles White Album
Zeppelin Physical Graffiti
Hendrix Electric Ladyland
Kiss Alive and Alive 2
Deep Purple Made in Japan
Peter Frampton will show you the way ......to a double album.
Hurray for the Minutemen! But there's a few I'd like to add to this list - Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life (2 records + a 4-song 45! - man was he on a roll). Also Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and ELO Out of the Blue. Not a bad song on any of those IMHO. Cheers Robert!
@@TheVinylGuide Thank you. I must admit, I have never heard Brick Road. The day will come.
@@RobertsRecordCorner no worries! DM me your address and I will send you a copy! cheers - Nate
Fantastic video, unfortunately frank zappas mothers of inventions album 'Freak Out' was the first Rock n roll double album, not Bob dylans blonde on blonde
I completely agree. I think a great artist should only make one double album in their career. Otherwise, they are just making long boring albums with lots of filler.
Wot ? No 'Tales from Topographic Oceans'? How very un-affirmative of you!
It makes me wonder how people seed their pot these days.... I know Sonic drive- in stopped bringing window trays to the car soon after the double album went away.
Jesus Christ Superstar ? fleetwood mac -tusk ? not even mentioned ?
Very much agree with this, the capacity of the cd was great to accumulate music but ruined the concept and construction of the album as we had come to know and love. The double album used to be special - even the lesser tracks contributed in their own way. Spot on with the Use Your Illusion I&II. Bloated, take the best of both discs and whittle it down to 45 minutes and you got a very good follow up to Appetite, as it is - I never listened to either disc in one sitting, I'd get bored half way through every time. Minus points for not mentioning Zappa's Freak Out released a mere 7 days later after Dylan's Blonde On Blonde.
Of course now with streaming and large capacity hard drives, the 1960'70's idea of albums and running times is completely blown to smithereens
@@MrMaxtaurus Thank you for the comments! I need to revisit Zappa's FO. Been a while.
My top 10 would be much different... songs in the key of life... for starters...the long albums was for a reason u didn't mention...consumers knew disc could held up to 80 minutes and wanted more for their buck...and the artists gave it to them
You cant just skip over prog rock brother
Which ones do you have in mind? I'm always surprised that Rush didn't make a double album. My favorite prog tends to be King Crimson and Rush, all single LPs!
Magma.
Soft Machine - Third
Actually, The Mothers of Invention's 'Freak Out' (not only a 2-record set but the first album put out by the group) only one week after Dylan's 'Blonde on Blonde'.
Personally, most of your "acclaimed" examples are my least favorite albums by Dylan, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. 'Blonde on Blonde' could have easily for a better listening if you edited out half of the tracks, including his so annoying take of 'Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands'. I first got The Beatles' 'White Album' when it first came out. By the time side 4 was put on the turntable I was practically falling asleep. And The Rolling Stones' 'Exile on Main Street'? Again, half the record is just a bunch of distorted crap. For each of these albums, I have made my own 1-disc version... and my pleasure in hearing them again is more than doubled.
@@Slotnikoff often make one-record versions of double albums too. I think my/our attention spans are conditioned on the 40-minute record. To me, it's perfect. I do like BoB quite a bit, but it isn't my favorite Dylan album. Exile wears out by Soul Survivor too but I love it all. Thanks for the comment!
Primal Scream - Screamadelica.
Wait a minute here. At around the 7:45 mark, you state "the lack of a time limit in the CD technology" which is FLAT OUT WRONG. When CDs were first produced, there most certainly was a time limit--approximately 70 minutes at most. Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" album suffered because the DOUBLE-ALBUM VINYL release ran a total of 74 minutes and 2 seconds. Unfortunately, the first CD version of that album had to trim Stevie Nicks' "Sara" from its original vinyl run-time of 6 minutes and 22 seconds to a mere 4 minutes and 39 seconds (basically, you were getting the 7" 45-rpm single version that played on your CD). By the end of the 1980s, the technology had largely improved so that a standard CD could hold 74 minutes and before 2000, you could actually get CDs that had 80 minutes of music.
@@josephwest124 Thank you. Yes, you're right. I meant no (relative) time limits as compared to artists going in to record 40-44 minutes of new music. They didn't have to think about the time restraint relatively speaking. Sort of like going from 4-track studios to 16- or 32-track. Thanks for watching so closely!
Some CD copies of original double albums would drop a song because of time constraints 78 minutes but later CDs could hold more time
No Frank Zappas Freak out or Joe’s Garage? What about Woodstock soundtrack? What about Prince Sign of the Times? What about Bob Dylan’s the basement tapes? What about Beastie Boys Pauls Boutique?
All good choices. Pauls Boutique is 53:00. I'm not sure that qualifies? I would have it in there if so. Good point about Basement Tapes. On many days that would be in there. Thanks for watching!
Nice video, personally my favorite double album is Raise your skinny fists like antennas to heaven by God speed you black emperor. Not entirely sure if it is a db but it's around the 1:20:00 mark so I'd assume it to be so. Also, Death Grip's The Powers that B (a db) is industrial hip-hop at its best. Check it out if you want something very interesting :)
I do not know this. I will listen!
It's not his best album, but Springsteen's _The River_ basically comports with your point about what the double album represents for an artist. And although others have mentioned it, the omission of Songs in the Key of Life is noteworthy.
@@stephenbrain3620 I really thought about Songs, but I like the other ten more. Thanks for watching!
While there is some reference to only studio albums, surely no discussion of double albums can be complete without mentioning Deep Purple's Made in Japan from '72. Two records were absolutely essential for that great work.
I probably could have put in live albums, but thought it'd be simpler to just look at it when bands were making that many songs from scratch. A lot of people would have Allman Brothers in there for live albums too.
This repeatedly misses the point and gets things wrong - The Cure's Disintegration was a single album on vinyl etc.
Doors Live - Like nothing else.
Pink Floyd: Umma Gumma. Half live, half studio. Soft Machine: Third.
Love the Soft Machine ‘Third’ album - it would have to be the first double album of one song each side
Chicago had 4 double studio albums, none of which made your list. :( Yes's Tales from Topographic Oceans is flawed to me, more because of the song length rather than album length, a lot of padding and a thuddy sound compared to the 2 superior single ables before and after it. So I prefer Genesis' Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. What about Joni Mitchell's Don Juan Reckless Daughter?
1979 - Fleetwood Mac Tusk!
Hey, Billy didn't start the fire...
Typically my favorite album of an artist is there double album
It often works that way for me too
That Minutemen clip - was that Keith Moon piloting that plane?!
@@robertfrazer8161 Ronald Reagan!
KISS ALIVE! is the greatest.
But you're doing "Studio" albums, so maybe that doesn't count.
Jesus Christ Superstar is the one I have consistently listened to for the last 30 years.
I guess you could say that doesn't count because it's not really a band making a record.
So I guess my favorite studio double album by a band would be Fleetwood Mac's Tusk.
Love the video and the click bait. Hardly Billy Joel’s fault for being awesome. Blame Sony. But that would get fewer clicks.
@@andrewmarkusmusic Well yes... I can't help but poke fun at the Joel. I remember getting Glass Houses on 8 track as a kid. Thanks for watching
Pink Floyd The Wall not in your top ten? Pffft!
Its mid
Ha! I've had some moments with the Wall, but typically have found it a bit of a chore for me (I'm less fond of concept albums usually). I prefer every other 1970s album tbh. But fair enough. It is the highest-selling one.
What about All Thibgs Must Pass......albeit a triple
I’m sorry but Little Miss Strange is a great song
Good video. On my list there is Captain Beefheart: Trout Mask Replica (1969) and Megas, who has two: Drög að sjálfsmorði (1979) and Hættuleg hljómsveit & glæpakvendið Stella (1990). Can´t remember another musician with two double albums.
Have to listen to Minutemen, never heard of them.
I thought about the Captain. I don't know the album well though. My history with it is not long!
Oh Dylan has more than one double album, as do the Kinks. Let's see, The Cure Kiss Me and Disintegration are both doubles. This is an interesting topic. I'm sure I'm missing some. Thanks for watching!
I'm curious: what's with the Quebec flag?
@@bitte12pouce Ha! It is purely random. In a temporary place and I happened to have it and needed something on the wall. Plus Quebec!
Minutemen Jackass opening music!
I cant stand Sonic Youth. It's a personal failing I guess.
Tusk
You quickly breathe in during speaking, I would cut that from your videos.
Lifelong Beatles fan with many similar friends. I don’t know anyone who believes “The Beatles” 1968 white album is their best album.
Well, you don't know me, but I do.
I've found a fair amount do. It used to be mine because I like so much of it. In particular those little nervy John songs. I prefer a couple others at this point though
@@pkmcburroughs Me too.
It’s my favorite. I love the variety.
It may not be their best, but it’s many fan's personal favorite because of the variety and The Beatles were at their most free wheeling.
Game Theory "Lolita Nation" or gtfo.
Also, I love the Beatles but the White Album is half crap and should have been a single album.