Help A Guy: Does Length Really Matter?
 

Just wondering which songs you think go on too long, and which ones are too short.

For me, I think Lindsey's I'm So Afraid (live), Not That Funny (live), and GYOW are too long, but Without A Leg To Stand On and Doesn't Anything Last would be even better with more.

I like the length of most Stevie songs, but I get irritated by the endless endings of the Practical Magic Crystal & RAL's Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You. It's Only Love is fine, but I wouldn't mind it if it were a bit longer.

For Christine, I'd love it if Homeward Bound, All Over Again, and Honey Hi were longer. Love Shines and Skies The Limit go on too long for my taste.

Hotel California is a good song that goes on toooo long. Same with Hey Jude. I wish Eleanor Rigby were longer.

- Jake

Okay, your thread title is really wierd! I thought you were talking about something else.

Anyways, I would say that length matters in concert. I almost got bored during the endless Standback drum solo and Edge guitar solo. On the albums, I'm not really bothered by it.

Width, its all about width and the motion of the ocean LOL

Christine's I'd Rather Go Blind is way too short!!! Honey Hi is pretty short too.

I was kidding.
Oy, youth. :rolleyes: ;)

- Jake

Well...
 

if the music can keep my attention then I dont mind excessive lengthy songs, Look at Dream Theater's "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" set, The shortest track clocks in at 6:46 while the title track (Which is the whole of disc #2) clocks in at 42:04 in length (The title track of DT's "Octavarium" clocks in at 24:00 :nod: I'm glad DT's songs are lengthy, No chance of hearing 'em played on the blandness which is radio) much longer than any Fleetwood Mac/Eagles/Beatles/etc music...

Mainly just depends on what type of music you like or if you a person who can enjoy the musical instrumentation moreso than the lyrical content (Which fits me to a "T")

I am more a progressive metal fan than a fan of the "jam-band" genre dominated by the Grateful Dead & Phish.

That was the gist of Elaine Boosler's act when I saw her years ago.

- Jake

This thread title made me giggle like a catholic schoolgirl in sex ed.

Anyways, Sara is waaaaaaaaaay too long. What happened to two and a half minute songs? I miss you, punk rock! :{

I used to think so as well but now I love it. Amazing that the album edit seems almost too long, but the cleaning lady (longer) version is just right. Guess it's that I love the additional lyrics and all the oooh-aaah harmonies at the end.

- Jake

I don't know it but generally I need lyrics, not being a musician myself.

- Jake

Keep it in your pants, Brittney. :cool: :lol:

- Jake

I'll add that American Pie is too long. Even the radio edit version.

- Jake

Sisters of the Moon -- too much intro.

Any version of it is too long for me. I hate that song!

To each his own. I love it. :blob2:

- Jake

Ahem. To each HER own, please. :mad:

I do too, but not equally. Madonna's took talent to make such a bad song unbearable in a way that was novel and trite at the same time.

- Jake

I love the Madonna version.

I almost typed that, and then thought, hey, who'll care? Sorry.

- Jake

The intro to In the Back of My Mind is unbearably long! It is pretty cool, but I don't have time to sit there and listen to two minutes of an alien invasion.

I was joshin' ya, dear. English geeks care. :lol:

True...
 

if you are musically inclined you tend to want to listen to longer musical compositions...Whereas if not you tend to listen to shorter more focused songs.

I like short songs as long as they catch my attention, Don't wanna hear a rehash of something that is similar to something that has already been done before :nod:

*sigh* You young kids these days. ;)

I thought so too but it was great when it opened the Mask show I saw. After the weird & long into went on building suspense, just before the real vocals started the mask walls flipped up & the band was revealed. The crowd went crazy when the spotlights focused on Chris & Stevie for their successive vocals. Great way to introduce each member.

- Jake

And so did the womyn at my college.
And I care, too.
Hey, at least I didn't write To each their own. :distress:

- Jake

"Without a Leg..." is really short... as is "Still of The Night"

Any Skynyrd song is Hell!

Very good. :)

Yeah I was about to start discussing the size of....er...nevermind.

If you change the length of the song, such as So Afraid and GYOW, then you've heavily altered it. I dont think I'm So Afraid would be what it is without that 3 minute solo at the end. Besides, Lindsey is just so good at it, it's intrigues me every time I watch him. I would agree about Not That Funny...but remember when you're at the shows and in that environment, the length of those songs is good for theatrics. It doesnt translate as well to a stereo-mixed CD.

Say You Will is too long. With what she has to work with, it shouldn't be more than two and a half minutes. After that, it gets ridiculously cloying.

The Practical Magic version of Crystal is putrid. Six minutes of that should be mass-marketed in pill form as a cure for insomnia.

Not That Funny live is fun for awhile, but after so long, you just want him to get off already and stop his orgasmic moaning.

Free Bird is toooooooooooo long. A second of that sucker is too long, but the one they put on record is pure torture. I imagine having my testicles poked at with a soldering tool would be more pleasant than listening to that thing in it's entirety. The vocal on that song drives me mad, too.

The Ledge is short and sweet, and I like that, but I wouldn't mind if it was longer.

Emmylou Harris' Little Bird is too damned short. Another minute would be great.

As much as I love Bowie's song Sunday, it drives me bonkers that it ends as soon as it kicks into gear. The live versions are great because they go on for a bit longer.

^ I agree with everything Diss just posted :shocked: ^




Except the Free Bird stuff. I love Free Bird.

Yeah, like you need to imagine. ;)

I know most posters agree about SYW, but I think it's fine.

Come, on the other hand... (And not one comment about my phrasing, thank you.)

- Jake

I get that, & I'd be all for it.

- Jake

Another one that is agonizingly long is Hollywood on the Time album. It pains me.

- Jake

On the other hand "These Strange Times" should be a lot longer than it is, in order to include more verses about every member of FM. ;)

Listen, nobody likes a wise-ass lizard person. ;)

- Jake

Blasphemer!! I can't get enough of John's bass!
The end of Come goes on way to long. But I think that about most guitar solos. Oh, so, add the end of ISA from the Dance, too.

Jeez, after "Oh Well", that's the best two minutes of Fleetwood Mac's career. :shrug:


The live versions of the Allman Bros Band's "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed", "Whipping Post", Fleetwood Mac's "Rattlesnake Shake", Blind Faith's "Do What You Like", Cream's "Spoonful" can never be deemed "too long".

Yet, Skynyrd's "Free Bird" is "too long" at the first chord change.

:nod: :xoxo:

- Jake

That's the most appalling thing I've ever heard... :eek: :blob2: :lol:


ISA Dance Version is perfect....
:nod:

kisses? for me?

Yes, I figured I'd hear from you, or other super guitar heads, on that one. Sorry, I'm sure it's brill and all, it just gets old for me. And jake's kiss outweighs your appallation. :laugh: Maybe in the far future, when I get really good on guitar ( :rolleyes: ) I'll change my mind. But probably not.