The time element is commonly used to move a storyline along. And often it is a ticking clock that serves this purpose well. Because music – by definition – moves along those ticks that transform it into some sort of mathematical equation.1) And that usually makes for a crisp and effective record overall.
The runtime of an album is another matter. Its length can easily turn into some sort of bloatware from hell. A gummy thing that is difficult to define because the term ‘too long’ is flexible. And it definitely is in the eyes of the beholder.
