Short-ish iconic studio albums 70s - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Rush's Permanent Waves is so short! Only 6 songs and only 35:35!

richardh wrote:

LAM-SGC wrote:

This thread has taken an interesting turn, but I realise I haven't explained myself properly. So let me do it by way of comparison
Yes - Fragile - about 41 mins
Yet their iconic CTTE only about 37.
Same as DP Machine Head, short in comparison to albums close to it by release.
Neil Young's iconic Harvest 37 mins but On The Beach almost 40 mins.

My point was that it seems that so many iconic albums were shorter than albums of the same period by that artist. And maybe that shortness by 3,4 or 5,6 minutes had something to do with these albums becoming iconic. I don't know, just a germinating theory.

I think you are onto something

Brain Salad Surgery is not generally considered 'Iconic' and that perhaps because it has too many tracks. If has been kept to just 2 tracks (or 4 if you count KE9 as 3 tracks) then it would have been better..

Side One would then have been

1) Toccata (7 minutes)

2) Karn Evil 1st Impression (13 minutes)

Side Two

3) Karn Evil 9 2nd Impression (7 minutes)

4) Karn Evil 9 3rd Impression (9 minutes)

I would have added the song Brain Salad Surgery (recorded at the same sessions) at the end to even out the sides . Would have been so much better and potentially a top 20 album on PA at least.

As a side note I would also be tempted to 'integrate' Toccata into Karn Evil 9 and put it between 1st Impression and Second Impression ( which then becomes 3rd impression).

Interesting proposal

Tangerine Dream's epic, if unofficial, mid-'70s trilogy; the next album is shorter than the previous one. Every one of these albums rightly enjoys classic status with TD fans.

Phaedra (1974) – 36:14

Rubycon (1975) – 34:53

Stratosfear (1976) – 34:39

eBay

LAM-SGC wrote:

Another example of what I mean is Red, imo the best KC album, but also if I'm not mistaken (and I might well be ;) ) the shortest KC studio album of the 70s, just a few seconds under 40 minutes.

Here, here!

"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno

Uomo di Pezza by Le Orme is short, but when I listen to it with closed eyes - it seems to lasts much longer, but yes it fits many Italian albums, for example on Storia di Un Minuto this "minute" takes something about 34 minutes.

+ again Brasilian Modulo 1000 has 32 minutes of psych doom prog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWKf3wxxDZU

Edited by HarryAngel746 - February 18 2020 at 11:51

Hercules wrote:

Grave New World is only about 36 minutes, but packs more styles and more genius than most double albums.

Love that record!

"Into every rain, a little life must fall." ~Tom Rapp

Grave New World is only about 36 minutes, but packs more styles and more genius than most double albums.

A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.

I think a lot of the releases today that are over 70 minutes have a lot of filler. Also, bands had less time to record in the studio in the 70's. They were limited by what the record company would pay for studio time, where now everyone can record on a laptop at home. And musicians/bands back then released an album a year, on average. Compare that
With Tool who release an album every ten years.

Edited by Grumpyprogfan - February 18 2020 at 07:57

As urban myth suggests, the 80 min CD format was fixed by the sony corporations head honcho wanting his favourite peice of music fitting on one disc. The beethoven? Piece came in at just over 79 minutes...wonder if more could have been possible?

chopper wrote:

Mortte wrote:

Genesis: Selling England by the Pound: 53:50

some people would say they could have shaved a few minutes off by removing "More Fool Me" and making it even more iconic.

I'm one of those people.

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021