Double Album Listening Challenge

[The Lonious Monk]

So, I've decided to give a serious listen to a bunch of "classic" double albums. I've said before that I don't think there are any real 5/5 double albums because all of them could be better if condensed into single albums. I'm going to listen to a few with clear ears to see if I still feel the same way.

My first was:

This was a good album for sure, not as good as Ready to Die IMO, but a good follow-up. That said, there were a lot of tracks that I just plain didn't like. I still think it would have been a much stronger album if condensed. I think something like this would have been perfect:

LAD Intro
Somebody's Gotta Die
Hypnotize
Kick in the Door
Last Day
What's Beef
Mo Money Mo Problems
Niggas Bleed
I Got a Story to Tell
Notorious Thugs
Miss U
Ten Crack Commandments
Sky's the Limit
My Downfall
Long Kiss Goodnight
You're Nobody

That album would have been as good as R2D. So what do ya'll think? Do you think LAD is a classic as is or how would you modify it to be classic?

The next one I'm listening to is Blueprint.

 

[5 Grand]

The only thing I didn't like about Life after Death is that skit about shitting on the girl's stomach.

Take away that skit and you have a flawless album.

 

[Chi-Town B]

This had about 7-8 tracks I don't listen to and most of them are on disk 2.

 

[mryounggun]

So, I've decided to give a serious listen to a bunch of "classic" double albums. I've said before that I don't think there are any real 5/5 double albums because all of them could be better if condensed into single albums. I'm going to listen to a few with clear ears to see if I still feel the same way.

I'm with you, in that I don't think there are ANY classic albums. But to use the bolded as an argument against 5/5 albums is just a bad argument and silly. It suggests that there aren't different levels of 5/5 albums. Just like when you get an A in school, that shit could've been a 93%...or 100%. It's still an A. An album can be a 5/5, and still benefit from some changes.

But yeah, I'd challenge anyone that there are any true classic double albums. LAD included.

 

[BRIAN B.]

s/o to 8Ball

but this the greatest double LP most of yall never heard

 

[God_Body]

Game's Doc 2+2.5 is the GOAT double album.

 

[5 Grand]

I did a series a few months ago where I polled every double album. The question was, Is this album a 5 mic classic. The only album that was close to unanimous was Wu Tang Forever. LAD was voted 10-4 5 mic classic and I think All Eyes On Me was 9-9.


You can search in my posts and look for "Is This Album A 5 Mic Classic (part 1, 2, 3,4 5, etc.)"

 

[The Lonious Monk]

I'm with you, in that I don't think there are ANY classic albums. But to use the bolded as an argument against 5/5 albums is just a bad argument and silly. It suggests that there aren't different levels of 5/5 albums. Just like when you get an A in school, that shit could've been a 93%...or 100%. It's still an A. An album can be a 5/5, and still benefit from some changes.

But yeah, I'd challenge anyone that there are any true classic double albums. LAD included.

You're misunderstanding the point. It's not simply that double albums could be changed. It's that double albums because of their length inevitably have a lot of fluff that bring down the album as a whole. It's a lot easier to come up with 15 strong songs than it is with 25. Look at my Biggie list, if you think all of those are 4 or 5 star songs, then what happens to that album when you start putting in a few 3 star songs? The album's score will go down. That shouldn't be a crazy concept.

 

[mryounggun]

You're misunderstanding the point. It's not simply that double albums could be changed. It's that double albums because of their length inevitably have a lot of fluff that bring down the album as a whole. It's a lot easier to come up with 15 strong songs than it is with 25. Look at my Biggie list, if you think all of those are 4 or 5 star songs, then what happens to that album when you start putting in a few 3 star songs? The album's score will go down. That shouldn't be a crazy concept.

Oh I agree with ALL of that. I don't think you're understanding my point. But we are on the same side of the actual argument that you're making, so this ain't the hill I wanna die on.

Fuck that shit.

Be blessed *nods*

 

[Disanthrope]

Game's Doc 2+2.5 is the GOAT double album.

The Anderson paak joints on there are immaculate

 

[BDBIID]

LAD > Ready to die

 

[Hiram]

LAD is a classic as is to me. That album shits on a lot of nigga's whole rap catalogues out here. Granted, I could do without Another & Nasty Boy, but that whole 1st disc was flawless imo, and the album still a classic to me nevertheless.

 

[5 Grand]

I think it's time for a Life After Death vs All Eyes On Me poll

 

[mryounggun]

I think it's time for a Life After Death vs All Eyes On Me poll

LAD...

 

[konceptjones]

The only thing I didn't like about Life after Death is that skit about shitting on the girl's stomach.

Take away that skit and you have a flawless album.

Bruh... I had that tape playing in the keys/drum machines/recording area at work when it came out. My manager came in the room to ask me a question and right as he came in that skit came on.

Dude cried real ass tears when Biggie said "... She's just wildin' out, so after I shits on the bitch right..."

Mind you, my manager was a 40-something year old white Jazz musician and recording engineer and he found that shit to be hilarious. Dude called ALL the other employees in and had me run it back. The two cashier chicks, the other manager, and the drums cat all turning beet red laughing their asses off.

 

[mryounggun]

Bruh... I had that tape playing in the keys/drum machines/recording area at work when it came out. My manager came in the room to ask me a question and right as he came in that skit came on.

Dude cried real ass tears when Biggie said "... She's just wildin' out, so after I shits on the bitch right..."

Mind you, my manager was a 40-something year old white Jazz musician and recording engineer and he found that shit to be hilarious. Dude called ALL the other employees in and had me run it back. The two cashier chicks, the other manager, and the drums cat all turning beet red laughing their asses off.

Nigga's comedic timing was on point *shrugs*

 

[5 Grand]

Bruh... I had that tape playing in the keys/drum machines/recording area at work when it came out. My manager came in the room to ask me a question and right as he came in that skit came on.

Dude cried real ass tears when Biggie said "... She's just wildin' out, so after I shits on the bitch right..."

Mind you, my manager was a 40-something year old white Jazz musician and recording engineer and he found that shit to be hilarious. Dude called ALL the other employees in and had me run it back. The two cashier chicks, the other manager, and the drums cat all turning beet red laughing their asses off.

Well I feel the same way about every Hip Hop skit that's ever been on an album.

A skit might be funny the first time you hear it (Where's my killer tape) but after you've heard the skit over and over again it fucks up the flow of the album. You find yourself holding your hand on the skip button just to get past the skit to where the song starts.

A good example is Liquid Swords by GZA. It's the first song on the album and the title track so it's understandable that there might be a skit or a long intro, but this intro is waaaaaay too long. You can't even put it on a playlist. You have to go on Audacity and cut off the first minute and a half of the intro just to get to the actual song. And mind you, I'm a Wu Tang stan and Liquid Swords would be on a Wu Tang Greatest Hits compilation if it were up to me. But you'd have to chop off the intro.