Filler-free double albums: are there any?

Plus it's funny. All the songs that get mentioned as possible filler on GYBR, a lot of people like.

 

The answer is none because there can never be any objective consensus on this forum. But, I'll bite and say KISS ALIVE! even though the concepts and goals of studio albums versus live ones are totally different. And the OP didn't specify studio only, so...

 

I'm with you on English Settlement. It may be the XTC album that took me the longest to get into, but once it got under my skin, I enjoyed every second of it. As far as O&L goes, Miniature Sun and Garden of Earthly Delights aren't exactly filler, but if they had to trim it down to a single LP, those would be the first two to get the ax.

S/A? was my first thought of an answer. For me, the only track that comes close to being filler is I Went To The Mirror. In some aspects, side 4 is my favorite part of the whole album.

 

Right : you could even add all the b sides published at the time (snow in summer / babbles, fear of ghosts, 2 late for instance) then you have one more side of pop perfection bliss)

 

Is Wildflowers really a double?

 

Arguably this one could be (3) double LPs with no filler....?

 

Pink Floyd - The Wall
The Who - Quadrophenia
The Clash - London Calling
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans

I don’t see instrumental links that serve the mood as fillers and also think ‘filler’ isn’t a negative term in itself. I love many classic albums that contain songs that probably would’ve been relegated to b-sides if it were for a single album. The band Tool: every one of their albums are basically doubles with seas of filler, but they’re all classics, imo.

One oddity should be mentioned: Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life.
On the surface of things it’s filler-free, even if you include the bonus 12’, but some of the songs are padded out too much (looking at you, Love’s In Need Of Love Today, Joy Inside My Tears, As and Another Star!). The aforementioned Yes-album could be considered as this as well, but the songs are too cleverly constructed.

 

Excluding Classical, Jazz, compilations and live albums

The Go - Fiesta
Earth 2 - Special Low Frequency Version
Hüsker Dü - Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Sonic Youth - Washing Machine
Sonic Youth - Goodbye 20th Century
Boris - Smile
Keiji Haino + Sumac - American Dollar Bill - Keep Facing Sideways, You're Too Hideous To Look At Face On
The Legendary Pink Dots - Pages Of Aquarius
Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt
The Mothers Of Invention - Uncle Meat
The Beatles - The Beatles
Public Image Ltd. - Second Edition
Hawkwind - Space Ritual
Circus Devils - Sgt. Disco
Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde
Scott Walker - The Drift
Can - Tago Mago
Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Mushroom - Foxy Music
The Fall - Sub-Lingual Tablet
Spiritualized - Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Extended Revelation For The Psychic Weaklings Of The Western Civilization
Sigur Rós - ( )

 

What's funny is that the vinyl is actually missing the one song on that album that I'd consider filler ("Moved"), for space reasons.

 

Plant’s voice gives away that the middle part isn’t mid 70’s.

 

Prince 1999

 

Ah, another one like Songs In The Key Of Life on which there’s no filler, but many songs are stretched out too much (a trait of His Royal Badness in general, if you ask me). But just my opinion, ofcourse...

 

You spelled "The Beatles" wrong.

 

(I'm using 55 min as my general cut-off. Some 2LP releases, like Madvillainy, fall well short of that so not counting them)

Clash - London Calling (65 min)
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (94 min)
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly (78 min) EDIT last track could be considered filler
Dinosaur Jr. - Farm (61 min)
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories (74 min)

There's probably more, but these came to mind immediately.

 

Has to be disqualified though, because it was released on vinyl as an hour-plus single album.

 

In reply to the OP, I believe the artists who released the albums should be consulted regarding the filler material question.

The albums in question were considered as complete finished projects when released, and exist officially in such form.

Therefore, it seems to me, there is no such thing as "filler" as far as a necessity to satisfy a need for a length of time, number of songs, or some such criteria in order to complete a project. The stakes are too high financially, and for everyone involved's professional reputation to play with a purposeless addition to a yearlong or more investment.

Everyone's, and I do mean everyone's, personal taste is another conversation entirely. I believe every moment on every album that's been released has been purposeful. I don't enjoy every moment equally of those albums I have heard over my lifetime, yet every moment of creation is essential to the project.

Kinda like squeezing all the brothers together to snap a photo - They may not all like each other, but they ARE all brothers, imperfect as they are. And, THAT photo, IS the collection of all those brothers at that second when the camera clicks. To my thinking, any art that's released, (music, movies, books, photos, etc.), is the same concept. It is what it is-like it or not, it exists in that form.

Of course, Your Mileage WILL Vary...

GT

 

Beautiful post. And said far better than me.

 

"Filler" is a useless concept - as is "Deep Cuts." Both of these only exist in the imagination.

 

The dubs and the experiments are exactly what makes the album work for me. Career Opportunities as sung by kids makes the message that much more to-the-point and the Tymon Dogg song I also think makes complete sense. I played it at work again last week and stand by my opinion that it’s one of the best major statements by a band ever.
Amazing, life-affirming stuff!

 

It most certainly is as the CD is almost 80min. I've had the original vinyl for years now.

 

THX for your kind post.....

 

Definitely. I'm sure it's already been mentioned, but another filler-free double LP with Ian Gillan is Deep Purple/Made in Japan.

 

yep bu t the objection was (I suppose) that the alsum is son of the CD age, so the double LP is a consequence of that, not the starting point.
Semantics. But I love tem

 

Well done that man - did not expect Going, Going to get a single mention let alone on the first page of the thread! A magnificent double album.