Although occasionally dragging, I found TBOS very good and definitely more fresh and inspired sounding than TFF; therefore I have a lot of faith for Album 17, especially when you look at how inspired and energetic the band looks and sounds on stage now. While I don't expect that the trend with longer songs to end, I don't think they'll end up with double album this time either. I'd say that 9 songs, mainly longer stuff but with some quality 5-minute-songs thrown into the mix would be quite a perfect package.
Dear Santa...
Studio album 17
1. The Opener (2+)5min (Smith/Harris/Dickinson)
I could see it having more or less separate intro of some sort, similar to previous two album openers, but perhaps not to quite the same extent.
2. "Ghost of the Navigator/These Colours Don't Run/El Dorado" 6min (Gers/Harris/Dickinson)
While not quite as rocking follow-up to the opener as Rainmaker and Speed of Light were, I guess it will be something relatively catchy and easy to remember nonetheless. Maybe another war song?
3. "Tears of a Clown" 5min (Smith/Harris)
A mid-tempo rocker of some sort. Memorable solos, catchy chorus.
4. "Shadows of the Valley" 7-8min (Gers/Harris)
Another presumably very good collaboration between Steve and Janick.
5. "Death or Glory/The Alchemist/Sun and Steel" 4-5min (Smith/Dickinson)
Something good, rocking and while not necessarily anything you'd die to see live it should work perfectly right after something epic as what you'd expect the GersHarris song to be. Of course, it could turn out to be a "modern classic" too!
6. "The Man Who Would be King/The Man of Sorrows" 7min (Murray/Harris)
You should see this one coming. Definitely something rather different and possibly an absolute gem. Something that will possibly need a handful of listens to get into.
7. "The Red and the Black/For the Greater Good of God" 9-10min (Harris)
There must be one, you know.
8. An odd one 7min (Dickinson)
Something rather different. Could be another Bruce-only-creation. Presumably very interesting and fresh, even if the concept or arrangement is not taken as far as you might expect if this was a Bruce's solo album. Then again, EOTC did happen, so you never know!
9. "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate/When the Wild Wind Blows/Empire of the Clouds" 8min (?)
Traditional album closer with something very distinctive in it. Not quite something like Ancient Mariner or The Book of Souls etc. (TBOS wasn't a closer, but you know, epic and all that) but something with a little bit of similar elements and melancholic atmosphere of the mentioned three album closers.
Around
63 minutes. Realistically there would be ten songs and some of them would end up being longer, but I think this would be pretty much a perfect mixture of song types they've came up with recently.
) will be perfect !
