The first album is perfection in itself. From start to finish. No song needs additional editing.
Totally agree with you mb97
The last thing I would have wanted is an LP full of 3.20 minute pop/rock songs which would have been awfully mundane & very much like many other bands were doing at the time.
I guess it's for this reason then that DD are my band and for eg Spandau were not.
To create such an album would be easy & I imagine boring for a band like DD to make.
The highs and lows, or momentum "full on" then momentum "laid back", are exactly the interest which makes it for me!
Considering the likes of Roxy Music were one of DDs main influences it's obvious (& not rocket science) then that this would be the case.
Like, if one has a listen to "Stranded" or "For Your Pleasure" LPs and it's not hard to see the varied song elements which IMO & DDs (including whoever else thinks the debut LP is immaculate) create points of interest and allows one to "travel" places with the feel of the music.
Not so long ago SLB said that RM/BF taught DD how to "feel" music & not only hear it.
DD are "art school" by trade/make n creation & thank god that that desire has never left them and this does mean there's NO NEED for bass, guitar or keyboard lessons whatsoever coz if they did the DD albums would loose their "art school" edge.
One doesn't need a Uni music degree to create an interesting LP eg DD or Rio for that matter
When I listen to "the universe alone" I believe that a fully trained (by the book) musician/s could never create something like that, same goes for "Nightboat" IMO
Of Course it's the job of the producer to highlight certain music reading techniques (eg bring something different to the fore based on their past experience/training) otherwise why would they want to work & invest with a producer less qualified, with similar experience or with exactly the same experience & credentials as them.
Isn't creating an LP an experiment ?
Think about it !
Finally over the years DD have shown me the importance and relevance of album track closers being unlike an album opener, I've noticed over the years that this has usually always been the case eg The Chauffeur, Still Breathing, BTR, TSS, etc eg a mid tempo type track with or without vocals.
With that said I therefore considering DD have always done this I find TelAviv the perfect closing track for their debut & there's something in it being an instrumental track too.