The Long and Winding CD

I was thrilled to read Robert Hilburn’s article on the ego-laden lengthy CDs of today (“Time Is Not on the Side of Long Albums,” May 21). I find it sad that I am more apt to buy a CD if it is less than 60 minutes, truly believing in quality versus quantity. And is it a coincidence that two of the best CD releases in 2000, Neil Young’s “Silver and Gold” and Steely Dan’s long-awaited “Two Against Nature,” are 100% good music coming in around the 50-minute mark?

I can only hope the trend toward creative editing by the artist does become an essential part of the CD product, or I am going to be really sorry I sold my turntable at a garage sale!

ANGELA MAILLOUX

Santa Monica

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I can just imagine Hilburn, whose absurd pet peeve is “excessive” CD running times, plying his trade in an earlier era: “These newfangled vinyl LP records are obviously far too lengthy, compared to the ideal shorter playing times of those classic wax cylinders we all know and love.”

Any record exec foolish enough to take Hilburn’s complaint seriously should consider these three things: (1) In the real world, where people actually have to pay for music, we like getting more for our money; (2) Songs deleted from track lists to fit Hilburn’s short attention span could be ones that an artist’s paying fans (who might not share an A&R; guy’s idea of what should get the ax) would enjoy owning; (3) With MP3 and Napster so “freely” available, offering more value for your absurdly overpriced product is a very good idea.

JAMES DAWSON

Tarzana

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Hilburn’s piece seems like it gives a message to artists to stop producing music, to stop making art. Instead of pleading that pop musicians should make shorter albums, why not do the reverse? Make the long albums! If the standard for creating a recording was higher, don’t you think it would eliminate a lot of the unfortunate accidents that some people put onto tape?

LEE AZZARELLO

Malibu

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Enjoyed Hilburn’s article on “bloated” CD length. However, in the future, when he writes about classic albums from the rock era, he really should include “Pet Sounds,” an important work of endless musical invention and inspiration.

And FYI, it clocks in at 36:25.

DAVID LEAF

Santa Monica

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Leaf co-produced “The Pet Sounds Sessions,” which received a Grammy nomination in 1999 for best historical recording.

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Hilburn makes a compelling case for the benefits of the time restraints that the old LP format imposed upon artists but inadvertently celebrates another aspect of the CD format.

Does anyone think that, in noting the exact running time of a number of classic albums, as well as some newer recordings, Hilburn sat down with his LPs and a stopwatch? Of course not--he simply placed the CDs into the player and was given the exact running time. You can’t do that with an album!

DAVE SCHMERLER

Westminster

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I really enjoyed reading Hilburn’s “less is more” article. Sure, why should artists/labels include 70-plus minutes’ worth of music on a CD and charge us $15.99 when they can issue CDs with only 36 minutes of music and still charge us $15.99?

LOU COHAN

Cypress