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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "Michael Bennett" <mrhonorama@hotmail.com> |
| Subject | Re: Does Size Matter? |
| Date | Tue, 16 Dec 2003 23:42:14 -0600 |
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To clarify --
1. 'Arbitrary' means, essentially, to select at random. For purposes of a
poll of the best albums, disqualifying EPs is far from random, it is
grounded in sober reality. As I noted in my original post to your original
comment, the very fact that you refer to EPs as EPs (and hence, LPs as LPs)
indicates that they are distinctive. Now, whether a record is an EP or LP
-- that designation may be arbitrary -- but the parameters of an album are
pretty well established, and most serious music fans know the difference.
2. My other response in my original post may not have been clear -- it's
clearly not an absolute that a great EP is easier to make than a great album
-- but theoretically it is. Likewise, theoretically, a various artists
compilation of super high quality should be easier to make than a mega cool
album. Yet neither happens too often -- I think because often, with both
EPs and various artists comps, the tracks are on the EP or the comp because
it's an odd or end. The artist is saving the best tracks for a single or an
LP. Nevertheless, when your throwing to together four or six tracks (or
so), it's just not the same thing as a full album.
Mike Bennett
Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com
>From: Stewart Mason <flamingo@theworld.com>
>Reply-To: audities@smoe.org
>To: <audities@smoe.org>
>Subject: Re: Does Size Matter?
>Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 00:21:06 -0500
>
>At 09:14 PM 12/16/2003 -0600, Jim Kosmicki wrote:
> >Now that I've finally found my copy, the King Radio disc is clearly
> >labeled an EP, so I guess it's a moot point, but in my mind EPs are more
> >like an extended single, not something that some bands might release as
> >a complete disc. Brendan Benson's "Metarie," for example.
> >
> >After all, 3 minute singles and 10 tracks per album makes for a lot of
> >great 30 minutes or less pop albums over the years.
>
>This is why I find the "no EPs" rule to be kind of arbitrary. Mike's
>argument last time I brought this up was something along the lines of "It's
>a lot easier to make a great EP than a great album," which only makes me
>wonder why there aren't more great EPs. Based on what I hear most of the
>time, I would say the argument is more like "It's easier to take a killer
>20-minute EP and pad it out into a mediocre 40-minute album."
>
>S
>
>
>
>
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