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Bit OT: Songs That Are Too Long


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Love 'em or hate 'em, there are many tunes out there--often from the 70's--that are WAY too long. Maybe we enjoyed them back in the day but now, not so much. Sometimes people run out of the room screaming after just a few opening notes. Perhaps shorter versions would be more appreciated.

 

Anyway, here are a few that come to mind:

 

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

[video:youtube]://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WUdlaLWSVM

 

 

[video:youtube]://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_MjCqQoLLA

 

 

Feel free to list your "favorites."

 

 

When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray.
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I think a lot of it depends on what's going on within that time. Some of the progressive rock songs build and have enough changes to keep it interesting - almost like multiple songs. The ones I think are too long are the ones that are repetitive. The example I gave (American Pie) is one of those, since the verses and chorus just keep going on and on without anything else other than slowing it down in the beginning and end.

 

Dan

 

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Love 'em or hate 'em, there are many tunes out there--often from the 70's--that are WAY too long. Maybe we enjoyed them back in the day but now, not so much. Sometimes people run out of the room screaming after just a few opening notes. Perhaps shorter versions would be more appreciated.

 

Anyway, here are a few that come to mind:

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WUdlaLWSVM

[video:youtube]://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_MjCqQoLLA

 

Feel free to list your "favorites."

 

 

"we" didn't think they were too long back in the 60/70's . This is how Yes wrote many songs. We can analyze 'why ' Starship is 9 minutes. Its straightforward to identify the 'sections' and structure.

 

So I respectfully disagree with your premise. The ' classic ' songs should not be abbreviated. This is why they are classic. I doubt that Anderson/Howe would re-write the length of Starship for todays shifting purpose.

 

Our "perspective ' may have changed on song length . For todays studio recordings.

 

Its not the original song. Its todays perspective and possibly lack of time or

whatever.

 

I can assert, from my current experience, its best to keep todays songs under 5 minutes, ideally under 4 minutes.

 

I accept the under 5minute/4 minute adjustment for todays music aimed at todays listener, who is in a time compressed digital world.

 

I am on the side of keeping classic [ from prior decades] songs as is. Same with numerous orchestra/symphonic recordings.

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

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My vote: Any of the long songs on Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life"... particularly the coda's... they go on forever and ever.

 

Yeah, I agree about keeping the long songs legacy of the early 70s as is. No need to create short versions of these (and that has already been done for the HITS... short version of Roundabout for AM radio back in the day, for instance). This is what makes it classic and sets it apart from other musical eras.

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In a world where 3:05 was the limit, the longer form of 33 rpm discs opened the gates for creativity.

 

A valid point.

 

I respectfully disagree with your premise. The ' classic ' songs should not be abbreviated. This is why they are classic. I doubt that Anderson/Howe would re-write the length of Starship for todays shifting purpose.

 

Actually, I should have said songs that are too long and repetitive.

 

I enjoy listening to most other long Yes songs... like the Close to the Edge album.

 

 

When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray.
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Tiny Dancer (staying in the 70s)... Elton's most gorgeous song bloated out to ridiculous length (over six minutes) by two (!) double repeats of the chorus. Maybe he thought "count the headlights on the highway" was so profound it required mentioning four times or something :rolleyes:

 

Edit: This is my favorite Elton John song, and I've done it for years - both in bands and solo. One trip through the chorus after each bridge and we're good! :cool:

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Or it's all part of the attention deficit everyone today is suffering. I was reading in this modern world of too many radio stations and streams many radio station are shortening songs because they discovered listener are growing bored fast and changing stations. IMO it's a bad side effect of this digital age.

 

 

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Or it's all part of the attention deficit everyone today is suffering. I was reading in this modern world of too many radio stations and streams many radio station are shortening songs because they discovered listener are growing bored fast and changing stations. IMO it's a bad side effect of this digital age.

 

 

That AD could be a defense mechanism to ' media bombardment' . IOW, media sources are swamping listeners constantly with ' news', advertising, music , noise, etc etc.

 

The mind creates a filter at the absorption tipping point. Or a defense mechanism.

 

Technology has enabled the speed and volume influx of the above.

 

New music is somewhat of a casualty to this constant media saturation.

 

So no wonder, folks have short interest.

 

My wife sits thru local and national news- her interest in staying informed.

 

On the other hand, I 'tune out ' this TV presentation.

 

I selectively read the news that is pertinent or fact based. For example, I tune into the US stock market for a 1 minute update.

 

We can personally manage what we need to know. Or hear.

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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As much as I love Stevie, I never sit through all of "Isn't She Lovely." Not only is the repetition tedious, but as a very deliberate non-parent, I find the "sounds of giving the kid a bath" part just repulsive.

 

The best description I've ever heard of "Hey Jude" called it a great three-minute pop song, followed by roughly eighteen minutes of superfluous na-na-nas.

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And no one's mentioned "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"?

 

No kidding!

 

Not only long, but monotonous and repetitive and one of the stranger subjects for a pop hit.

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I will never have any problem with long songs that have varied material and go places. I will immediately take issue with monotonous folk epics that just have verse after verse of the same material with no variation.

 

Quite a few of the songs we're talking about have some fluff in the first half. Freebird and Starship Trooper (which I think are actually kinda similar), both have slow, meandering first-halves, but what really sticks to the ribs is the instrumental jam endings. I could listen to Freebird or Starship Trooper's jams all day long, they really hit the ceiling, but the first haves (especially Freebird) are just dull, could have some fat removed.

 

Yes songs that are too long? Hahaha, that's a question for the ages. Being a huge Yes head, I can still relate that a few just take their sweet time driving home. Gates of Dillerium is probably the biggest offender, but quite a bit of the middle tracks on Tales from Topographic Oceans (even being one of my favorite albums) could have benefitted from a little time on the chopping block. Even Close to the Edge probably could have lost about 1min from the first half somewhere (but the second half is perfect). The only Yes epic that is absolutely perfect as it is is Awaken, I can't see a minute being struck from that gem. "Revealing Science of God" is probably up there too, I can't imagine it being shortened.

Puck Funk! :)

 

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Or it's all part of the attention deficit everyone today is suffering. I was reading in this modern world of too many radio stations and streams many radio station are shortening songs because they discovered listener are growing bored fast and changing stations. IMO it's a bad side effect of this digital age.

 

 

That AD could be a defense mechanism to ' media bombardment' . IOW, media sources are swamping listeners constantly with ' news', advertising, music , noise, etc etc.

 

The mind creates a filter at the absorption tipping point. Or a defense mechanism.

 

Technology has enabled the speed and volume influx of the above.

 

New music is somewhat of a casualty to this constant media saturation.

 

So no wonder, folks have short interest.

 

My wife sits thru local and national news- her interest in staying informed.

 

On the other hand, I 'tune out ' this TV presentation.

 

I selectively read the news that is pertinent or fact based. For example, I tune into the US stock market for a 1 minute update.

 

We can personally manage what we need to know. Or hear.

tl;dr :whistle::)

I would like to apologize to anyone I have not yet offended. Please be patient and I will get to you shortly.
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My nomination would be Dream Theater's The Astonishing...The entire album. A 34 song, 2 hour and 11 minute concept album. AYFKM? How in the world are you supposed to digest this record? They played this entire album on tour?

 

I always liked Starship Trooper...maybe just a tad long. I certainly don't think it should be longer! But I'm surprised that among Yes songs that that would be the one that would be too long!

 

You want me to start this song too slow or too fast?

 

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The best description I've ever heard of "Hey Jude" called it a great three-minute pop song, followed by roughly eighteen minutes of superfluous na-na-nas.

 

History:

 

Hey Jude was the Beatles longest single, running 7:11, and at the time was the longest song ever released as a single. It was the first long song to get a lot of airplay, as radio stations still preferred short ones so they could play more of them. When this became a hit, stations learned that listeners would stick around if they liked the song, which paved the way for more long songs.

 

This song hit #1 in at least 12 countries and by the end of 1968 had sold more than 5 million copies. It eventually sold over 10 million copies in the United States, becoming the fourth-biggest selling Beatles single there.

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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