Is it an album or an EP... what's in a name?

motnikrap

Bit of a silly question maybe but I wonder if I'm missing anything.

My band is in the process of finishing up what we always said was an EP of four songs.

Because we're a doom band the runtime of the EP is around 45 minutes, and because it has turned out better than we expected there are now noises being made about calling it an album instead.

I'm a bit on the fence about the suggestion.  From a writing perspective, I personally want an album to have some degree of coherence and flow that I don't really expect from an EP, especially for doom where vibe is such an important elementof the overall thing.  When planning the EP we didn't think too much about what the record as a whole was saying, we just chose our collective favourite tracks by voting and then sequenced them for best flow, so I have some reservations about calling it an album, even if practically nobody else is ever likey to care!

However, is there some element I'm missing here? Would there be a benefit to putting out an album rather than an EP in terms of stuff like Spotify profile, eg?

Thoughts and suggestions welcome :-)

Sporky

Spotify lists EPs and singles together, and albums separately, so some difference, but I'm not sure it makes a difference.

It's album length, but 4 tracks says EP to me.

Probably no help at all, sorry.

axisus

I've never liked EPs. For me an album is a thing of substance, but an EP is a lesser beast. I never liked it when my fave bands would release EPs then the songs were never on an album. 

I have albums with sides in the 16-18 minute region.

drofluf

Sporky said:

Spotify lists EPs and singles together, and albums separately, so some difference, but I'm not sure it makes a difference.

It's album length, but 4 tracks says EP to me.

Probably no help at all, sorry.

You’ve clearly never heard of prog

DiscoStu

4 tracks makes it an EP.
45 minutes makes it an album, as EPs are classed at 25-30 minutes.

And then there's Reign In Blood with a runtime of 28.55...

GoFish

Reign in Blood is beyond question an album. Please Please Me is around 32 mins. 45 is approaching the llimit for a record. 

Doom like Prog could have a 4 track album. The coherence is an issue, but many albums don't have that. 

90s kids will remember some cd singles with 8 tracks on. 

Suggestion: Put some bridging bits in and make it a 2 track, 2 side single. A and B. For bonus points name it xxxx (act one) and xxxx (act 2).

Sporky

It was easier when an EP had at least 4 tracks but ran at 45rpm, and an album ran at 33rpm.

Not that I actually miss vinyl, just that it made things clear.

theatreanchor

Call it an LP. Most bloggers and sites won't review EPs. You're over album length. Believe me, it's the best way. 

DiscoStu

I think in this instance, Godspeed You! Black Emperor are a perfect example. 

They have a number of albums with only 4 tracks, the shortest total runtime of these is 40:23, the longest 87:21.
Their debut F# A# only had 2 tracks but with a combined runtime of 38:22 it was classed as an album. 
Another 2 track release, Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada, was classed as an EP as it was 28:36.

It seems to come down to runtime rather than track numbers. Under or over 30 minutes.


EDIT: but again we have Reign In Blood at 28:55 

motnikrap

Thanks for your thoughts.

I think genre-context is important, in terms of doom generally IME a four track album is by no means unusual, so it wouldn't stand out as odd I don't think.

The point about bloggers and ezines not wanting to review an EP is well made and is the sort of thing that could make a difference*

* Realistically we're discussing the difference between: "We released our record and noone noticed or cared", and "We released our record and ALMOST noone noticed or cared", but I'd sooner the latter than the former of course :-D

Chuffola

If total tracks is the determinator, does that make Thick as a Brick a single? What about Tubular Bells?

In my view 45 mins is an album without question. 

stickyfiddle

Album, no doubt. 

LP is literally "Long Play" because it was the format for when you have more than 22-ish minutes of music

Pink Floyd's Animals and Wish You Were Here both have 5, and one on Animals is only 1.5 mins. Noone's arguing that those are EPs

JAYJO

I would think your recordings on vinyl would be lp size 

digitalkettle

Organise them into numbered/named 'suite' parts in full prog style...feels more album-like!

• Pro: better play stats (?)
• Con: more names to think of

maharg101

Concept album

RocknRollDave

Call it an LP officially but an EP when talking about it with friends. It can be an EP to you but an LP in the places where that might make a difference …but you’ll always know it’s really an EP.

As for the fact that, for you it’s 4 tracks that don’t belong together in terms of having the cohesion of an album, there are two ways of looking at it.
There are albums like The Holy Bible by Manic Street Preachers that have a very identifiable musical and lyrical theme running through it, which helps to make it what it is. Like a singular statement.
Then you have, say, Jazz by Queen, which a right old mix of styles that have nothing linking them except that they’re on the same album, and that works as a collection of ‘Look at all the different things we can do’ kind of thing.

 I wouldn’t say either was better, but the former feels more like a piece of considered art, maybe, the latter more just a band doing its various things but…neither is the ‘right’ way.

Supportact

Not sure if it's still the case but it used to be that Bandcamp didn't have an option for 'EP' so everything with multiple tracks was automatically called an album. I'd probably say it's an album anyway based on the total running time. I doubt anyone will argue with you. 

motnikrap

Ha, I like the idea of different names for different contexts! :-D

I think any lack of cohesion is more of an issue in my head than anyone else's tbh, it just feels like a bit of an opportunity missed.

roberty

Album deffo

Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz album is one continuous piece of music that fades out at the end of side 1 and back in again at the start of side 2. Probably the best bit if I'm honest