"Similar" albums grouped as one [#10321]

[MeeMeeMee]

I have multiple copies of The Beatles' albums (for the sake of this discussion, let's consider just one such album: Please Please Me) - the mono and stereo remastered versions. I like browsing my music in the "Show Art with Details" view.

The problem is, when I browse the beatles' albums, those two albums are grouped together as one album with 28 tracks, instead of 2 with 14 tracks each, although they are physically located in two different locations. It's difficult to play just one album.

Both albums have identical artist and album title. I'd like to keep it that way, if possible. I don't want to "trash" those tags with details relating to different releases of the same album. I'm using the comment tag instead. I added the tracks of the respective albums a unique comment string: "The Beatles in Mono" and "The Beatles Stereo Box Set"
and I'm using the following Art View (in Playback Rules):
Line One: $if(<Album>,<Album Artist>,<Artist>)
Line Two: $if(<Album>,$if(<Year>,[<Year>],[????]) <Album> $if(<Comment>,{<Comment>}),$if($viewmode=3,$if($groupcount=1,<Title>)))

So that the text that should appear next to each album, in the Summary column, is different/unique.
Unfortunately, that's not enough.

Any suggestions?

[Brandon as Guest]

I have both albums as well. Although you mention that you want to keep the same album titles, all I did was add Stereo Remastered (in parentheses) to the album title and MM now counts them as 2 separate albums. I don't know how else to accomplish what it is you want to do and I don't think MM will split the two just on the comments alone. Perhaps changing the date of the remastered version might do it?

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

Brandon

[Otello]

Short reply:

put something different in the album artist field; i.e.: "Beatles Mono" "Beatles Stereo"

Long reply:

The problem is: AFAIK, sorting by Summary albums are grouped for <album>/<artist album>; other fields like date or conductor are not taken in account.
It is possible to configure the rule for album grouping, or the rule is hardcoded?

By the way, I have a similar problem with classic music, (which I organized for <Composer>/<Album>, while actually I put the composition in the album field) if I have more than one execution for the same composition.

It works if:
- the performer is in the artist filed (i.e. a piano sonata)
- the performer has only one performance

it doesn't work if:
- the perfomer is in the conductor filed (i.e. a symphony) and there's nothing making the difference in the album artist field.
- the perforrmer has more than one performance for that composition.

for instance:
- the execution of Brahms 4th symphony by Bernstein and Kleiber are grouped, because the conductor field is not taken in account and I have "Wiener Philharmoniker" in both artist fleld...
- I have 3 different executions by S.Richter of Beethoven Sonata Op.111 and they are grouped.

I repaet, the only workaround i've found is putting something different in the album artist filed, for instance adding the year of the recording after the artist name.
I'd be very happy to know I'm missing something and I'm wrong.

[MeeMeeMee]

I'm glad to see I'm not alone (but I am sorry others are having trouble).
Yes, Otello, you pretty much summed it up in your question. I was hoping that the "Art View" controlled grouping but unfortunately it isn't.

In my case, the artist (and album artist), release date, original release date and label are identical.
Funny thing I noticed just now. If you sort by path, it groups these albums correctly, but their order is out of whack. I set up the Art View text in such a way that I get the albums sorted by date.

I can't win this one, can I?

[Lowlander]

Have you tried sorting on the Summary column? In your example where you've added comment it might work.

PS. the Summary column seems to not sort (http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=8945), Summary (Art View) does.

[Lowlander]

Ok, that doesn't work, which is kinda logical. Album is defined as same Album and Album Artist value and the Art with Details view is designed around grouping all tracks on the Album together.

[Otello]

Lowlander: yes, I do sort by Summary and I also tryed to put the date at the beginnig of the second line of the Summary, hoping to get different executions NOT grouped, but it doen't work...

Can you confirm the grouping rule is hardcoded?
Should I fill a request in the wish list for a configurable grouping rule?

[Lowlander]

I've filed a bug for 2 issues when sorting in Art with Details: http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=8946

Bug 1 may prevent the following from working. Sort on Album then hold Ctrl key down and Sort on Comment, then release Ctrl key.

[MeeMeeMee]

Have you tried sorting on the Summary column? In your example where you've added comment it might work.

PS. the Summary column seems to not sort (http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=8945), Summary (Art View) does.

In my case, when I sort by Summary it does not work, although the summary of those similar albums is dissimilar (I added the comment thing).
All the tracks are grouped, and the Summary reads:

Code: Select all

The Beatles
[1963] Please Please Me {The Beatles in Mono}

Strangely, when I sort by path, Those two albums are grouped separately and have the correct, distinct Summarys:

Code: Select all

The Beatles
[1963] Please Please Me {The Beatles in Mono}

and

Code: Select all

The Beatles
[1963] Please Please Me {The Beatles Stereo Box Set}

[Lowlander]

In my case, when I sort by Summary it does not work

That is described in bug 2.

[MeeMeeMee]

Fixed in build 1465. Thank you for the quick response.
You rock!

[Sr_Velasco]

Hi all,

I got the same issue in version 4.0.7.1511.

I got 2 albums with the same name (Momentum) BUT from different artists (Joshua Redman and Neal Morse) and MediaMonkey mixed all the tracks in every album.

My device is an iPod Classic 160 GB under Windows 7 x64.

Any suggestion?

Thanks in advance.

[rovingcowboy]

I'm thinking now why cant the group tag be used to group them ?

[nohitter151]

I'm thinking now why cant the group tag be used to group them ?

Because most people don't use that tag that way.

[rovingcowboy]

it says group so what other way is there? i don't remember there being anyother topic thread on that tag? might have been but i'm not remembering off hand?