Double (Two Thumbs) Down

My sister recently attended a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert and came away less than impressed. This should surprise no one, since the playlist was heavy on songs from the band's double-album 'Stadium Arcadium.' (Yes that score is out of 10)

But that got me thinking ~ what has become of the double album anyway? There was a time when a band put out two LP's of music because they really had something worth sharing. Think Pink Floyd's 'The Wall', Led Zeppelin's 'Physical Graffiti', Smashing Pumpkins' 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness', Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome'

It seems the double album has become home of the under-edited greatest hits, the issue of choice for a a bloated live recording, or a way to cleverly package two solo albums under one roof.

And let's not even get in to Bone Thugs and Harmony's two-fisted 1997 release 'The Art of War' ~ a sure sign the double-album has jumped the shark.