Longest albums?
 

I was listening to the Clash's Sandinista! earlier today and was just thinking that its way longer than it should be. It clocks in at about 2 hours and 25 minutes and listening to it in its enitrety seems like an eternity, although there are some very good songs in there...

...anyyways, I was just wondering what some of the longest albums out there are. Not compilations, box sets, or anything like that. And no classical symphonies or long-ass experimental pieces. Just regular studio albums that have been released on CD or LP.

smashing pumpkins mellon cllie
...
thats all i got right now.

Yeah, Mellon Collie is about 2 hours long. A good album, and the only other one I could really think of, even though its still a lot shorter than Sandinista!
I know there are probably some longer ones out there.

most of my double albums from the 60s/70s (tommy, blonde on blonde, exile on main st, physical grafiti) run from about 1hr to 1:30.

Flaming Lips - Zaireeka.

If taken separately I mean. Or even when you think about it together and how long it is and such.

leave it to this clown, whatever his name is now, to make a 3hr record.....

mellon collie could have been longer, the Aeroplane Flies High Box Set contains like 30 b sides off the album...

nin the fragile is a pretty long record

it isn't nearly as long as those, but its got a triple vinyl. (i supppose as to not deteriorate the quality closer to the middle?) Frances the Mute- The Mars Volta

earth 2 is quite a long one as well.

Outkast's- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (if you count it) is all together 2 and a bit hours.

Daydream Nation is pretty long.

Countless jazz albums.

All Things Must Pass by George Harrison is a long one, 2 hours and 6 minutes. the last side is just a few jams with friends, but it's an album nonetheless.

Merzbow - Day of Seals is a bit of a marathon. I've only listened to the whole thing in one sitting once.

Wagner's Ring Cycle has got to be up there.

SYR 4...

Godspeed You Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O is pretty long to (around 75 minutes...)

The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

(to Savage) hey, thats 4 operas, not an album! no fair, i'm reporting you! *tongue out, nahnahnahnah-booooboo.

Silver Mount Zion's Horses in the Sky is a long one, as with any other ASMZ release... or Constellation records release, as Fox points out with godspeed.

I see it as one over-arching thing, but OK.

I'll nominate Soliloquy For Lilith by Nurse With Wound.



As for Godspeed, all their releases are actually EPs. They only seem to take up an inordinate length of time.

Oh....
Not that this is a favorite or anything, but Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes is goddamn long. I think this was 4 LPs in its original release.

Edit:
Never mind. It was 2 LPs. I checked.81 minutes, 3 seconds.

that one is 4 CDs isn't it?

Fushitsusha - I Saw It! That Which Before I Could Only Sense. the title track is 90mins long, and i think the whole album clocks in at about 2 hours.

The first 2 Fushitsusha albums are also quite, but I can't rememer exactly how long off the top of my head. But they are both double CDs.

that Ring Cycle (depending on how the conductor paces it) is around 15 hours.. wow. thats one..multiple.. long opera.

As for godspeed, what the hell do you mean? because they are only 5 songs long? well listen here, BUDDY! 5 songs totalling at 75 minutes is not an EP! OKAY! Yes albums (Close to the Edge, for example) have THREE SONGS. so tbpbppbpbbbbbbppbpptbttbtbtpt!

It was a joke.
A comment on their arguably tedious formula.
I myself have included 20+ minute pieces on many of my own releases.
I likes it long.

Yep, 4 CDs, so it arguably breaks the "no box set" rule, but it is 4 CDs of original material.

I think that's acceptable.
Soliloquy For Lilith comes in a box too, but I think the original poster was talking about collections like Nick Drake's "Fruit Tree" and the like.

I'm pretty sure that the CD version of Double Live is nearly two full 80 minute CDs, so around 2 hours 40 minutes. The first one is a good deal shorter, though. Unless I have it backwards.