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Double album

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"Double disc" redirects here. For other uses, seeDouble disk (disambiguation).
A double album oncompact disc

Adouble album(ordouble record) is anaudioalbumthat spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically eitherrecordsorcompact disc.A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording is longer than the capacity of the medium. Recording artists often think of double albums as being a single piece artistically; however, there are exceptions, such asJohn Lennon'sSome Time in New York City(which consisted of one studio record and onelive albumpackaged together) andOutKast'sSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below(effectively twosolo albums,one by each member of the duo). Since the advent of the compact disc, albums are sometimes released with a bonus disc featuring additional material as a supplement to the main album, with live tracks, studioout-takes,cut songs, or older unreleased material. One innovation was the inclusion of aDVDof related material with a compact disc, such as video related to the album orDVD-Audioversions of the same recordings. Some such discs were also released on a two-sided format calledDualDisc.

Depending on the media used, some releases were double albums in one format and single albums in another. For example, agramophone record(vinyl LP) consisting of two discs of less than 80 minutes in total could be fit onto a single standard-lengthcompact disc(CD). Other times, track order could vary between two different media by rearranging the tracks in one medium, or a more efficient use of space could be made; for example, reducing a double album in LP format to a singlecassette tape.

The same principles apply to thetriple album,which comprises three units. Packages with more units than three are often referred to as abox set.

History

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Cover forThe Beatles(1968), colloquially known asThe White Album,one of the best-selling double albums of all time

1948 to the early 1970s: long-play records

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The introduction of the long-play orLP recordin 1948 allowed longer tracks or a greater number of tracks per record, with approximately 22 minutes of music per side, for a total of 44 minutes.[1]Despite this, recordings of entire classical or operatic pieces were often too long for one LP disc, thus albums of two or more discs were made. As they were costly to make and sell, double albums and multi-record releases were largely limited to long works such as classical music and, later, to live recordings and compilations. One of the first live double albums, and one of the earliest double albums featuring non-classical music, wasThe Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz ConcertbyBenny Goodman,a concert recording released in 1950 onColumbia Records.Studio recordingsof operas have been released as double, triple, quadruple and quintuple albums since the 1950s.[2]

As record costs reduced over time and greater thought was given to the album as an artistic piece, double albums became more common. One of the first examples consisting of new studio recordings is 1956'sElla Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book.[3]Bob Dylan'sBlonde on Blonde,released on June 20, 1966, is widely considered to be one of the first double albums in popular music with complete original recordings by the artist. It was followed just a week later bythe Mothers of Invention's debut albumFreak Out!,which was released on June 27, 1966.[4]

In the years following, original double albums from pop and rock artists became more common, and were often released at the height of the artists' careers. Notable examples includeJimi Hendrix'sElectric Ladylandfrom October 1968,The Beatles'eponymous 1968 album,Elton John'sGoodbye Yellow Brick Roadfrom 1973, andLed Zeppelin'sPhysical Graffitifrom 1975. Additionally, the rise ofprogressive rockat the time, which often involves complex and long tracks akin to classical music, andconcept albumsoften made a second disc necessary. Notable examples includeYes's 4-trackTales From Topographic Oceansfrom 1973 andGenesis'sThe Lamb Lies Down on Broadwayfrom 1974. The best-selling double album of all time isPink Floyd'sThe Wall,from 1979 with over 30 million copies (60 million units) sold worldwide.[5]

Late 1970s–1990s: compact cassette tapes and CDs

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In the latter half of the 1970s, as technology advanced, thePhilipscorporation'scompact cassette tapebegan to supersede LPs as the dominant pre-recorded music format. The tapes allowed for a much longer 30 to 45 minutes per side, for a total of 60 to 90 minutes total, doubling the length available for music storage. In 1982, Philips introduced thecompact disc,with a continuous length of 74 minutes (later developed to have 80 minutes). Artists could put far more on one unit, rarely exceeding the runtime available on a cassette tape or CD, and double albums became uncommon. The extra space also allowed many earlier double albums to be reissued on a single disc:Blonde on Blonde,for instance, was reissued on a single cassette[6]and a single CD.[7]

Despite the greater length, there were some issues with the length and track order of albums, both reissues and new releases.The Beatles,originally released as a double LP, remained split across two units for both its cassette[8]and CD[9]reissues, with the tracks in a different order on the pair of cassettes to ensure equal tape length. Meanwhile, 1988'sHe's the DJ, I'm the RapperbyDJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Princewas released on both vinyl and cassette. At 85 minutes, the vinyl record was released as a double album, making it the first double vinyl LP release byhip hopartists, while its single CD release was truncated by 13 minutes. Other albums originally issued as double LPs, such asFleetwood Mac'sTusk(1979),Prince's1999(1982), andThe Minutemen'sDouble Nickels on the Dime(1984) were likewise shortened for their 74-minute CD release, though both were later reissued in their entirety when 80-minute CDs were available.

While not as common since the advent of these formats, particularly for studio albums, double albums continued to be released, particularly for live recordings, classical music, soundtracks, compilations, reissues of double-LP albums that still exceeded the 80-minute CD limit, and a number of popular studio albums were released as double albums on these formats at this time, such asthe Smashing Pumpkins'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness(1995) andMichael Jackson'sHIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I(1995) which sold over 20 million copies (40 million units) worldwide.[10]The following year,Tupac Shakurbecame the first rapper to sell a double album globally withAll Eyez on Me,becoming his best selling album by the time he died in 1996.

Sequencing

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See also:Record changer § Automatic sequencing

With regard torecords,most double album sets are organized by manual sequencing, where the order of sides played are laid much as they are on a single LP; Side one and two are organized back-to-back on the first disc, as are three and four on the second disc and so on. However, some releases up to the 1970s are optimized for automatic sequencing. On a double album, this would have had sides one and four on one disc and sides two and three on the other. This sequencing, used previously in multi-disc albums in the78rpmera, let the listener play through the entire double album and only need to flip over the records once, compared to manual sequencing where the listener would have to change the side or record three times. The use of automatic sequencing gradually declined during the 1970s as automaticrecord changersfell out of favor. High quality manual turntables became more affordable and are often preferred because they cause less record wear.

After a company decided on manual or automatic sequence, production of that title generally stayed in the same configuration indefinitely. Notable examples of albums using automatic sequence include the 1968Reprise Recordsrelease,Electric Ladyland,byThe Jimi Hendrix Experiencewhich was still sold in automatic sequence well into the late 1980s. Other common examples includeFrampton Comes Alive!byPeter Frampton,Songs in the Key of LifebyStevie Wonder,TommyandQuadropheniabyThe Who,andBad GirlsbyDonna Summer.

Sesquialbum

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There are only a few examples of a sesquialbum (i.e. one and a half records).

Johnny Winterreleased what would be the first three-sided rock album,Second Winter,on two 12-inch discs, with the flip side of the second disc being blank. A 1976 live concert recording byKeith Jarrettand his quartet, released asEyes of the HeartbyECM Recordsin 1979,Joe Jackson's 1986 releaseBig World,andPavement'sWowee Zoweeare other examples of this.

In 1975, jazz artistRahsaan Roland KirkreleasedThe Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Colorwhich apparently had only three sides, but on closer inspection, there were a small number of grooves pressed on side four with a few short "hidden" conversation snippets; the CD reissue includes all of them.

In 1982,Todd Rundgrenand his band released the self-titled albumUtopiafeaturing one full LP of 10 songs, and a second 12-inch disc with five bonus tracks, the same lineup on each side.

TheMonty PythonalbumMatching Tie and Handkerchiefwas originally issued with two concentric grooves with different programs on the second side, but this was done for comedic rather than practical reasons. The 2019 vinyl issue ofMonty Python Sings (again)comprises two discs, with the flip side of the second disc featuring exclusive Monty Python 50th Anniversary artwork.

The Stranglers,Elvis CostelloandThe Clash(amongst other 1970s/80s acts) would sometimes release early pressings of their albums with extra material on a 45 RPMsingle.The Sunlandic TwinsbyOf Montrealfeatures a third side officially called a "bonusEP",essentially offering an alternate definition of an EP, a single33+1⁄3RPM side instead of a two-sided 45 RPM record.

The 1992Julian CopealbumJehovahkillcontained three sides, or "phases", with a laser-etched fourth side which was unplayable, which also occurred with Norwegian bandMotorpsycho's vinyl releases ofMotorpsycho presents The International Tussler SocietyandHeavy Metal Fruit,andExcepter's 2014 album Familiar (the third side, with only one track, being shorter).

Seattle bandAlice in Chainsreleased their first two EPs,Jar of Flies,andSapon two vinyl discs in 1994, with three sides on vinyl, while the fourth side contained a laser etching of the Alice in Chains logo. The vinyl pressing of theMy Chemical RomancealbumThe Black Paradealso has three sides worth of content, with side four being a laser etching of a portion of the limited edition album art.

Genesis'Three Sides Live,Kiss'Alive II,Donna Summer'sLive and More,and the Moody Blues'Caught Live Plus 5are examples of double albums with three sides of live recordings (i.e. one and a half albums) and one side of studio recordings.

The vinyl reissues of two albums byThe Tragically Hip,Trouble at the HenhouseandMusic @ Work,are on two discs, but the fourth side is blank. In the 2010s and 2020s, as more digital era albums from the 1990s and 2000s were issued on vinyl, often for the first time, blank sides became more common and often included etchings into the fourth side, such as the reissues ofEarthlingbyDavid Bowie(previously released on 1LP in 1997),AlicebyTom Waitsand soundtrack albums such asThe CrowandSchool of Rock.

Simultaneous releases

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Some performers have released two or more distinct but related albums simultaneously (or near-simultaneously) which could be seen together as a double album.Moby Grape'sWow/Grape Jam(released in 1968) is an example. Others include:

Triple album

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Among the first successfultriple albums(ortriple records) wereWoodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More,released August 15, 1970, andGeorge Harrison'sAll Things Must Pass,released November 27, 1970. A triple album may be live, such asThe Band'sThe Last Waltz(1978) andLed Zeppelin'sHow the West Was Won(2003); or a compilation of an artist's work, such asStevie Wonder's retrospective anthologyLooking Back.Yes's live albumYessongswas made a triple album owing to its inclusion of many of the band's longer compositions. With the longer time available on compact disc, many albums that spanned three vinyl discs are able to fit on two compact discs (an example beingNine Inch Nails'The Fragile).

Triple albums are released across genres, includingpunkwithThe Clash'sSandinista!;alternative rockwithPearl Jam's11/6/00 – Seattle, Washington;and mainstream pop withPrince'sEmancipation.

Frank Sinatra'sTrilogy: Past Present Futurewas originally released as a three LP set in 1980. Compact disc pressings of the album combine the triple vinyl set onto two CDs, with "Past" and "Present" taking up the first disc.

The first triple hip-hop album wasAmerican HungerbyNew York Cityrap artistMF Grimmwhich was released in 2006. It contains 20 songs on each disc.

American hip hop artistLupe Fiasco's canceled third studio album releaseLupENDwould have been a triple album, composed of discs titled "Everywhere", "Nowhere", and "Down Here".Joanna Newsom's 2010 albumHave One on Meis a triple album; due to the unusual length of the songs, there are only six tracks on each disc.

Escalator over the Hill,Carla Bley's jazz opera (lyrics byPaul Haines), was originally released in 1971 as a triple album in a box which also contained a booklet with lyrics, photos and profiles of the musicians.

The Great Concert of Charles MingusbyCharles Minguswas recorded in 1964 and released in 1971.

The Weeknd's compilation albumTrilogywas released as a triple album in 2012, comprising his critically acclaimed 2011 mixtapesHouse of Balloons,Thursday,andEchoes of Silence.

The Knife's 2013 albumShaking the Habitualis spread across three LPs and two CDs, being an hour and forty minutes in length. (Although a single-disc edit exists omitting the 19 minute track, "Old Dreams Waiting To Be Realized" ).

Swallow the Sun's 2015 albumSongs from the North I, II & IIIis divided intoGloom,BeautyandDespair.In total, each disc contains no more than 8 tracks and no less than 40 minutes.

In April 2021,Eric Churchreleased a triple album set,Heart & Soul.Each albumHeart,&,andSoul,was released separately, with&being avinyl-exclusive release.[14]

Christina Aguilera's Spanish-language ninth studio album,Aguilera(2022), was separated into three parts:La Fuerza,La Tormenta,andLa Luz.Each part received its own independent release as a separate project, before being included as separate discs in the album's digital version.[15]Physical versions of the album include all the parts in one disc.[16]

Box set

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Main article:Box set

When albums exceed the triple album format they are generally referred to as box sets. Normally, albums consisting of four or more discs are compilations or live recordings, such asIn a Word: Yes (1969–)andChicago at Carnegie Hall,respectively.

Studio albums with more than three discs are very rare. Notable examples include:

See also

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References

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  1. ^"12 Inch Records | Standard Vinyl | Vinyl Record Pressing CANADA USA".standardvinyl.Retrieved2020-08-10.
  2. ^"Wagner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, The Philharmonia Orchestra – Tristan And Isolde (Complete) (1952, Vinyl)".Discogs.Retrieved22 December2021.
  3. ^Jerry, Bungle (2011-11-26)."Better as a Single:" Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Songbook "by Ella Fitzgerald".Better as a Single.Retrieved2020-08-10.
  4. ^"Freak Out! (1966)".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-10-09.Retrieved2015-11-13.
  5. ^"Pink Floyd's The Wall: The secrets behind 1980's best selling album".loudersound.3 September 2018.Retrieved13 February2022.
  6. ^"Bob Dylan – Blonde On Blonde".Discogs.1986.Retrieved2020-08-10.
  7. ^"Bob Dylan – Blonde On Blonde".Discogs.Retrieved2020-08-10.
  8. ^"The Beatles – The Beatles".Discogs.1976.Retrieved2020-08-10.
  9. ^"The Beatles – The Beatles".Discogs.1987.Retrieved2020-08-10.
  10. ^• 20 million:http://content.time /time/interactive/0,31813,1908637,00.htmlArchivedOctober 16, 2015, at theWayback Machine
    • 20 million:https://books.google /books?id=mBRjfsqXvbsC&pg=PA25ArchivedMay 21, 2016, at theWayback Machine
  11. ^Reynolds, Simon (July 2001)."Walking on Thin Ice".The Wire.Archived fromthe originalon February 4, 2012.RetrievedJune 10,2012.
  12. ^Magic Records
  13. ^DJMagicMike
  14. ^Hudak, Joseph (January 21, 2021)."Eric Church Is Releasing Three New Albums".Rolling Stone.RetrievedMarch 4,2021.
  15. ^"Aguilera — Christina Aguilera".Archivedfrom the original on October 15, 2022.RetrievedOctober 15,2022– via Spotify.
  16. ^"Christina Aguilera - AGUILERA".Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2022.RetrievedOctober 15,2022– viaAmazonUS.
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