Shorter Tracks, But More Freedom

One thing that I am noticing about albums is that tracks that used to be diverse in tempo or style and longer in duration are getting much shorter and more distinct.   As a result, movie soundtracks are generally having quite a few more tracks that run less time individually.

I'm not sure how I feel about this.  On one hand, it allows for more freedom, especially with the Mp3 generation, where we can select tracks more specifically based on our moods and get instant gratification from hearing what we want right away. The IPod world we live in has changed much of our music listening experience, even outside the realm of film score, where we now can listen to mixes or shuffle tons of Mp3s instead of feeling inclined to listen to an entire album from one artist. I'm not saying everyone does this, but with massive amounts of music available in a compact, organized format, people are as likely as ever to hit shuffle or have more control over what they listen to.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for the old school tracks that have a longer duration and the deeper experience you get from losing yourself in the process of listening.  The longer listening experience can make a person feel very cinematic in their appreciation, from the potential variance in the track's pacing to building suspense or even teasing the listener.  Longer tracks provide more of a listening journey and if you have the time to listen to a longer track in its entirety, it can move you in the same way a powerful scene in a film does.  It allows for a greater level of complexity, simply because more can be included on the track and the orchestra's endurance or variance alone can be impressive elements.  

Despite the shorter playing times of individual tracks in general, many composers still have songs bleed into each other in a seamless fashion and thus maintain the best of both worlds.  It's great to be able to isolate a particular piece of music within a track, without having to fast forward to specific part or rewind to repeat it.  At the same time, with the overlapping of shorter tracks, one could feasibly listen to larger pieces of score without interruptions or abrupt switching between songs.  

I do wonder, though, if the current trend of shorter tracks is just a means of letting listeners have greater control of what they want to listen to when, or if it reflects the style of composition that composers/movie directors are preferring.  Especially with fast paced films such as action/adventure flicks, there may be a need for quick bursts of music, rather than long selections.  The music is always at least a partial slave to celluloid and the director's agenda and this too may account for the trend.  

How do you feel about this?  Do you prefer longer tracks and the procession of the musical/cinematic experience or do you like shorter tracks that get right to the mood/pace you enjoy or that suits you? Do you prefer a balance between the two styles  provided by short distinct tracks that overlap or blend into one another sequentially?  What are your thoughts?