Is this the ultimate 70's double album face off?  

Which do you prefer?   Tough choice or easy decision?  (NOTE: this may not be an apples to apples choice in your eyes).  

Was there a more preferable double album from the 70's for you?  

Also, name a few of your (other) favorite double albums.   Any era.   Please exclude compilations / bests.    Honorable mentions can go to Nuggets, however. 

Does live count?

How bout triple albums?

I can think of ONE quadruple, but that may be pushing it.

The Beatles White Album is my pick. Not a 70s album though.

Most of my favorite double albums are live LPs.

The Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore is the definitive double album from the 70's.

Honorable Mention : 

Eat a Peach,  ABB again.  (mostly live left over stuff from the Fillmore Shows)

One More From the Road:  Lynyrd Skynryd (live from Atlanta).

Clapton had a live album recorded in Japan, with Albert Lee on second guitar, that I loved and am pretty sure was from the 70's.

If I had to pick from just YG's two,  Stones every time.  But I always thought Exile was a tad overrated.   Certainly not as good as the two they did that preceded it.  (Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed).

Edit: Ack, how did I forget this one:   London Calling.  That's your definitive double from the 70's, knocking ABB down a notch.  It barely squeaked in,  released very late in Dec 79.  Most probably consider it a 1980 album, but nope.

 

 

In response to GreginMeffa's comment:

Sure, go with live, if it's a double and it's top tier for you.    

Opinions / feedback  on live double albums will be a two-fer b/c we haven't discussed live albums in a while and it's always interesting to see opinions on them.  

 

NOTE: Would be nice to see which album you prefer as per the OP.  Slim is the only person to have weighed in so far.   (thanks, Slim).     

Heh...that's like choosing one kid over another. (jk)

Two of my favorites from that era and possibly from either band.  Sprawling, ambitious, messy (even unfocused) double albums are one of my favorite rock music archetypes.  There's something quite rock n' roll to me about just throwing it all out there in one shot, even if they don't necessarily fit together.  

In that spirit of decadence, I just can't select one.  Both are flawless to me in their ramshackle glory.  Exile captures that whiskey-soaked hedonism of the blooze and dirty soul while living as the biggest rock band in the world.  And Graffiti totally glorifies the 70s hard rock excesses while still serving their legacy of one of the elite, most influential touring bands of their time.

From memory, I can't think of a single track on either that I dislike (even as so many are barely played on radio).  And even the familiars - Kashmir, Tumbling Dice, Happy - still don't get boring.  They still feel like products of two groups who were at the top of their game (and perhaps never quite saw that level again).

Take "Ten Years Gone".  Such a gorgeous, slow burn of a rock song tailor made for the 'heavy-light' dynamic Zep was famous for.  Likewise, "Sweet Virginia" and "Loving Cup" are inspired paeans to red lights, late nights and smoky rooms.

Even the 'extra' tracks are loaded with character: The Wanton Song, Ventilator Blues, Trampled Under Foot, Rip This Joint, Night Flight, Just Wanna See His Face, Custard Pie...I could keep going all day....

As for the best of the 70s, for me they would be right up there, but the competition would be tough.  I'll post my double love later....

 

P.S.  I think 'double' and 'double live' should be separate categories, but that's just me.

 

Sandanista.. The Clash..

1) Quadrophenia

2) Physical Graffiti

3) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

 As far as a 1970's double album goes,I think "Frampton Comes Alive" was probably the most popular of the decade.That doesn't necessarily mean it was the best,just the most popular.

 A couple of my personal favorite double albums from the 1970's would be Derek and the Dominos "Layla and other assorted love songs" and Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band "Live Bullet".But there were a lot of great multi album sets from the 70's,so it's pretty tough to narrow it down to 1 or 2 favorites for me.

Combine soxnut's list with Mr. Mojo's and I'm set.

In response to MattyScornD's comment:

They should be separate, granted.   Greg raised a good point I hadn't thought about.  

So yeah, if you all have one or some of each, please list them separately.

The list(s) should only be for double albums you think are exceptional.   

And the LZ / RS choice was supposed to be tough -- although, it won't necessarily be tough for everyone.  

Studio should be separated from live, IMHO.

As for the two albums mentioned, I would choose Physical Graffiti, but that's just my taste. Another classic double album from the 70's has to be Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. In my opinion, Elton's last and greatest album. This album has everything you can possibly ask for.

Favorite double album from the 70's has to be Quadrophenia. Favorite triple album - All Things Must Pass - George Harrison

Some notable multi-album sets not already mentioned which are live are:

Chicagpo - Live at Carnegie Hall (4 record set)

Leon Russell Live (3 record set)

Yessongs (3 record set) - Yes

Welcome Back My Friends (to the show that never ends) - ELP

Live! Bootleg - Aerosmith

Live Killers - Queen

All The World's a Stage - Rush

Roxy & Elsewhere - Frank Zappa and the Mothers

Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous

Honorable Mention although I don't want to mention them is KISS alive. No one knows for sure if this is a pure live album or not, but it certainly became one of the most influential live albums of all-time. Not sure why.

 

In response to yogafriend's comment:

Zilla will have seen this coming then.

Deep Purple Made in Japan

As far as the OP goes, Physical Graffitti.  Exile isn't even my favorite Stones record.

But wait, Hot Rocks!  Ah, but thats a greatest hits thingy

 

In response to Hfxsoxnut's comment:

Quadro.

Nice catch

Physical Grafitti...my choice. ELO - Out of the Blue, George Harrison - All Things Must Pass, Ian Hunter - The Ballad of Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople, Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Pink Floyd - The Wall ('79)......

Exile ever ceases to surprise me. When I was far far younger and had mainly listened to '63-66 stones, I didn't like it.

Now, what can I say? Definitely one of their very best - and of the best double albums (this being the thread...) overall. I don't really want to say better/worse than Beggar's Banquet or Let it Bleed. The three strike me as more or less the same quality. Of course my preferences are always shifting so who knows in a few years...

 

Physical graffiti is, of course, another great one.

I got Quadrophenia and Yellow Brick Road for Christmas in 1973...on 8 track tapes.  It was a mind-blower to get 2 amazing double albums at the same time.  

Of course, three have been mentioned that I should have thought of ...London Calling, Layla and The Wall. I'll add Emerson , Lake and Palmer's , 'Works Vol. 1' and I don't recall that anyone mentioned 'Tommy.'

When we start talking about live albums, the list is just too long and starts , as Greg said , with Made In Japan.

In response to ZILLAGOD's comment:

Nice Avi mate.  I didn't know he had passed.  Requiem Aeternam Pacem, Maestro Lee.

Never really listened to either album. What Matty praises them for is just the kind of thing I don't like: sprawling and messy. I am only really familiar with the "hits" Kashmir and Tumbling Dice and I prefer the latter. Other than that, can't really comment on them. These are two bands I'm not into all that much. I have zero Led Zep and only two Stones Hot Rocks in my CD collection.

I would pick two already mentioned as favorite "70's" double albums, Layla and London Calling, which were released at opposite ends of the full 70's spectrum and represent two very different kinds of rock music.

Great choices so far....The Wall and London Calling would make my 70s list.

I have to add:

Pink Floyd - Ummagumma

Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life

Miles Davis - Bit**es Brew

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything 

Soft Machine - Third

 

 

In response to GreginMeffa's comment:

 

In response to ZILLAGOD's comment:

 

Of course, three have been mentioned that I should have thought of ...London Calling, Layla and The Wall. I'll add Emerson , Lake and Palmer's , 'Works Vol. 1' and I don't recall that anyone mentioned 'Tommy.'

When we start talking about live albums, the list is just too long and starts , as Greg said , with Made In Japan.

 

Nice Avi mate.  I didn't know he had passed.  Requiem Aeternam Pacem, Maestro Lee.

 

 

 

My fascination with great guitarists has led me from Chuck Berry to Joe Satriani. My favorites are Robin Trower , Ritchie Blackmore, Santana and Eric Clapton. I never learned to play , just never really found the time....I have patience for drawing and painting ( I can pick up a pen or pencil and draw a sketch anytime , anywhere ...some people even think my doodling is good , including the Prov. Journal , who actually paid me for three political cartoons back in the 90s)...but  creating music has always seemed so hard to me....this is possibly why I love listening to music so much.

Alvin Lee is the guitarist I always wanted to be. The guy is so cool. He is famous, yet not famous. One of the greatest, yet not as popular as Jeff Beck,Santana, Clapton, Hendrix or even Trower. He was one of the highlights of Woodstock. He fronted one of the ultimate British Blues bands before going on to a stellar ( if "under the radar") solo career.

Many Rock stars have died ( expectedly or unexpectedly) ...but the loss of Alvin Lee has saddened me because I always saw him as a guy that would live forever....to me he was kind of a bigger than life presence. It really was so unexpected to hear about this.

One album I haven't seen mentioned yet is Neil Young's "Live Rust".Great,great album.

Live - Europe 72, Grateful Dead

Studio- American Beauty, Grafeful Dead, Madman Across the Water, Elton John, Regatta De Blanc, Police