Constructing an album
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Forum Name: Music and Musicians Exchange
Forum Description: Talk with and get feedback from other musicians on the site
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=24383
Printed Date: November 30 2024 at 09:02
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Topic: Constructing an album
Posted By: SirPsycho388
Subject: Constructing an album
Date Posted: June 07 2006 at 00:31
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I was wondering if I could get some feedback from the people here on PA. My band is just finishing up recording our first full length album and I'm having trouble making a track order. Our sound is pretty much hard rock w/ some prog tendencies, kinda like a Deep Purple.
What do you think you'd do with these songs as far as ordering them for an album:
- catchy rock song, an obvious opener (4 1/2 min)
- heaviest rock song, complex middle section (5 1/2 min)
- jammy rock song, bit of a reggae middle jam (5 min)
- catchy pop/rock song (4 min)
- bass driven funk/reggae rock song w/ slow chill middle section (7 min)
- jammy rock song, influence of Allman Bros, harmonica solo in middle (5 1/2 min)
- drum driven rock song, chorus is like Rush [Signals, GUP] (4 1/2 min)
- mini epic, building Floydian intro, Tool-like heavy section w/ some complex instrumentals (7 min)
- Epic, 70s Rush-like intro/verses w/ Pearl Jam rock choruses, and chill slide guitar middle sections followed by climactic heavy section (10 min)
How would you order these songs based on these descriptions?
This also makes me think about how most bands choose the track order for their albums and what kind of patterns they follow... what do you think? ------------- Strangers passing in the street by chance two separate glances meet and I am you and what I see is me. And do I take you by the hand and lead you through the land and help me understand the best I can |
Replies:
Posted By: The Letter M
Date Posted: June 07 2006 at 01:22
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Always start with a song that catches your listener. If it's hard and heavy, tone down a bit with the next song, something softer and/or slower, maybe a bit mellow. Try to alternate songs between hard and soft, riff-fest and ballad, and if you have songs that feature certain band members, spread those out across the album. Don't put a keyboard-lead song following a guitar-solo song.
I'd say, save the epic for last if it sounds good that way. End with a strong finale, but preceed it with a softer song (i.e. "Wait For Sleep" before "Learning To Live", or "Horizon's" to "Supper's Ready", and something similar, "Mood For A Day" to "Heart Of The Sunrise"). In short, this would be my suggestion of an order: 1 - catchy rock song, an obvious opener (4 1/2 min) 2 - jammy rock song, influence of Allman Bros, harmonica solo in middle (5 1/2 min) 3 - bass driven funk/reggae rock song w/ slow chill middle section (7 min) 4 - catchy pop/rock song (4 min) 5 - heaviest rock song, complex middle section (5 1/2 min) 6 - drum driven rock song, chorus is like Rush [Signals, GUP] (4 1/2 min) 7 - mini epic, building Floydian intro, Tool-like heavy section w/ some complex instrumentals (7 min) 8 - jammy rock song, bit of a reggae middle jam (5 min) 9 - Epic, 70s Rush-like intro/verses w/ Pearl Jam rock choruses, and chill slide guitar middle sections followed by climactic heavy section (10 min) Hope this was helpful and good luck with your band! -Marc. ------------- I know what I like and I like what I know. I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose free will. If I die tomorrow, I`d be alright because I believe that after we`re gone, the spirit carries on. |
Posted By: imoeng
Date Posted: June 07 2006 at 03:01
yep i think thats cool... thats perfect, ive been thinking for about 10 minutes and i could change anything... good ------------- http://img360.imageshack.us/my.php?image=spmiw7.jpg"> 
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The Letter M wrote:Posted By: SirPsycho388
Date Posted: June 08 2006 at 01:45
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Thanks alot guys, i'll seriously take that into consideration
------------- Strangers passing in the street by chance two separate glances meet and I am you and what I see is me. And do I take you by the hand and lead you through the land and help me understand the best I can |
Posted By: BePinkTheater
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 19:22
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Flow is very important to an album. You want the endings and beginings to have a nice sound together. Map out the highs and lows of songs, and hold the songs together and make sure the up and down line is pretty consist with the amount of down time and uptime (If that made sense to you...Almost like a line graph of intesity ...kinda)
Or you could get creative and decide to do something more unorthadox, where you have (for example) a very intense first half of the album, song after song is heavy, then you bring it down towards the end, and end with that epic (which should bring it back up emotionaly and intesity wise).
You have to play around with it, and listen to it in different ways... see which way is best. ------------- I can strangle a canary in a tin can and it would be really original, but that wouldn't save it from sounding like utter sh*t. -Stone Beard |
Posted By: kingofbizzare
Date Posted: June 19 2006 at 11:54
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I'd try putting the tracks in different orders and listening to it to see how well they flow. You probably only have to listen to the last 30 seconds of one song and the first 30 seconds of the next song, assuming you know the songs well (which you should, you recorded them). Try changing a few songs around every once in a while to see how you like it. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/kingofbizzare/?chartstyle=asimpleblue5"> 
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Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: July 02 2006 at 15:55
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- catchy rock song, an obvious opener (4 1/2 min) 1
- heaviest rock song, complex middle section (5 1/2 min) 2
- jammy rock song, bit of a reggae middle jam (5 min) 3
- catchy pop/rock song (4 min) 4
- bass driven funk/reggae rock song w/ slow chill middle section (7 min) 5
- jammy rock song, influence of Allman Bros, harmonica solo in middle (5 1/2 min) 6
- drum driven rock song, chorus is like Rush [Signals, GUP] (4 1/2 min) 7
- mini epic, building Floydian intro, Tool-like heavy section w/ some complex instrumentals (7 min) 8
- Epic, 70s Rush-like intro/verses w/ Pearl Jam rock choruses, and chill slide guitar middle sections followed by climactic heavy section (10 min) 9
Well, although I should listen to the songs really, ... First track - 1 (if it opens nicely) Second track - (I normally think that the second track shoudnt be that hard)...I´d put maybe number 4 Third track - number 8, deffinitly...a mini epic is a great number three song(...) Fourth - number 5... Fifth - number 2...after a chill lets bring the big guns! Sixth - number...7 could work Seventh - Number...3 Eighth - Number 6?...mmm well I think, although two jammy songs together??? Ninth - Of course number 9!!! The longest song at the end!!! ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: Kim Ankara
Date Posted: April 22 2007 at 07:59
The 30 second rule might work or it might not, but I usually listen to the songs all the way through as different feels in a song make the results different, e.g. I was listening to "Barracudda" by itself one day and it felt a lot slower because the CD I copied it onto had a slower song preceding it.  |
Posted By: jmcdaniel_ee
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 13:52
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I guess this thread's being revived. I'm having to do this now, so here's what I did: cut up an index card and write the names of each song on them, that way you can freely move them around (this actually makes a big difference). The first song will set the tone for the album--this choice is the most important. Sometimes it's good to leave it a little mysterious or at least seem like it leaves questions unanswered, because it makes the listener curious as to what's coming next. Part of this delimna is actually the important task of determining the flow. I think it's up to you how you would like it to flow. Some great albums end with a bang, other with a mellow outtro. |
Posted By: randyhiatt
Date Posted: June 06 2007 at 16:23
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I would look at each piece as if it were part of one big song and order it in a way that musically satisfies as well a rythmically flows. watch the key changes, outro's/intro's need to blend well, the gaps between need to be timed properly for the mood etc.
Best trk first always. and the longest need not be at the end, in fact I'd never do that.
I think an album needs to be heard as an entire piece rather then single trks even if all you have is single trks, make it feel like a concept piece. ------------- Randy |