5 Tips for Sequencing Your Album The LP is, in some respects, a lost art form. There is a universal rationale for sequencing any audio program, especially the full length release. A lot of people just call it a CD, which isn’t all together off-base. When setting the order for a 35 to 50 minute audio program, there are five specific things I keep in mind. Identify the opening and closing track. The first song and last song on an album serve as bookends. These two songs should frame the collection, highlighting major themes and sounds. Alternately, these tracks can be different from the rest of the album. Basically, you want to set the stage well and allow your listener to leave in a satisfying way. Remarkable example: Pink Floyd’s Animals has one split song that serves as the opening and closing track. To manage the length of the album, think in terms of sides. Sure, the cassette and the LP are basically things of the past, but what still works, and always will work, from their formatting is that you had to flip them over half way through. Program a side one and a side two to your record. If you have a 12 song album, think about what songs would work well as the end of a cassette and the beginning of side 2. For longer projects, consider three or four “sides” to the recording. Remarkable example: Extreme’s III Sides to Every Story has three distinct sides. Don’t front load the project. You might be tempted to put all the best songs on the first half of the album and leave the lesser songs for later. A better course of action is to make a list of the five best songs and spread them out throughout the program. This will allow the album to breathe, ebb, and flow. Remarkable example: R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People is not only a perfectly sequenced album, but also features the band’s best three songs of their career at the end. Put your single second or third but never first. An album is not a single with several additional songs attached to it. Never place your single, or standout song, first on an album. Offer a song or two as an opener before getting into the main event. Second or third is a good location for the project’s featured track. Remarkable example: Sugar by Tonic features the hit song “You Wanted More” directly after the album opener “Future Says Run.” Consider variations in tempo, key, and vibe when determining the position of other songs. Three ballads in a row will turn off a new listener, just as not varying the key or vibe of a song will. In pre-production, make note of the key, tempo, and feel of each song. Know which one’s you can’t pair together. Using a capo or drop tuning in the early stages can pay later dividends. Remarkable example: Metallica’s Master of Puppets is excellently sequenced when you consider that most of the album is in the key of Em.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 15:11:58 +0000
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