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Post by wecantgetanybetter on Jun 2, 2021 11:12:01 GMT -5
I was thinking about Lay It Down Clown, which I like, but a lot of people say what's it doing between two great songs, Bastards of Young and Left of the Dial? And then I thought, what is Left of the Dial doing on Side Two, Track Three of the LP? Did they not know it was a great song, probably better than Hold My Life at Side One, Track One? So I looked up the other songs at Side Two, Track Three of their studio albums:
More Cigarettes
Go
Lovelines
Gary's Got a Boner
Left of the Dial
Shootin' Dirty Pool
I'll Be You
Attitude
Of those, only Go and I'll Be You are really standout tracks, in my opinion. And I'll Be You was their top-charting single ever. So maybe they weren't burying Left of the Dial. Oh well, the art and science of sequencing vinyl LPs is probably pretty esoteric at this point anyway. End of post.
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Post by anarkissed on Jun 2, 2021 12:49:43 GMT -5
Oh well, the art and science of sequencing vinyl LPs is probably pretty esoteric at this point anyway. End of post. It was a real art. Perhaps it will make a comeback with the renewed interest in vinyl. I always liked when albums would have two songs placed with no or a deliberate segue between two tracks, such that radio (at least, old AOR FM radio) would eventually just always play the two together, like ZZ Top's "Waitin' for the Bus"/"Jesus Just Left Chicago", or Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker"/"Living Loving Man"... |
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Post by ClamsCasino on Jun 2, 2021 16:01:58 GMT -5
Every Replacements album is a masterclass in track sequencing. They knew exactly what they were doing.
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who?
Star Scout
Posts: 346
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Post by who? on Jun 3, 2021 7:06:07 GMT -5
I was thinking about Lay It Down Clown, which I like, but a lot of people say what's it doing between two great songs, Bastards of Young and Left of the Dial? And then I thought, what is Left of the Dial doing on Side Two, Track Three of the LP? Did they not know it was a great song, probably better than Hold My Life at Side One, Track One? So I looked up the other songs at Side Two, Track Three of their studio albums: More Cigarettes Go Lovelines Gary's Got a Boner Left of the Dial Shootin' Dirty Pool I'll Be You Attitude Of those, only Go and I'll Be You are really standout tracks, in my opinion. And I'll Be You was their top-charting single ever. So maybe they weren't burying Left of the Dial. Oh well, the art and science of sequencing vinyl LPs is probably pretty esoteric at this point anyway. End of post. Dylan played More Cigarettes on his Theme Time Radio Hour show, so there's that. |
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Post by velvetgefiltefish on Jun 9, 2021 12:42:39 GMT -5
I have noticed that, during what is usually considered their peak trio of albums, the Replacements tended to put the majority of their greatest songs on side two of their albums, and the very last song was always one of the very best on the album.
Of course, everyone has a slightly different list of what constitute the band's greatest songs, so individual fan's mileage may vary. But to try to remain semi-objective, let's look at the songs that made their "greatest hits" comp Do You Know Who I Think I Was?
Let It Be:
Side 1: I Will Dare
Side 2: Unsatisfied, Answering Machine
Tim:
Side 1: Kiss Me on the Bus
Side 2: Bastards of Young, Left of the Dial, Here Comes a Regular
Pleased to Meet Me:
Side 1: Alex Chilton
Side 2: Skyway, Can't Hardly Wait
That's 7 side two songs and 3 side one songs. I'm pretty sure the vast majority of bands would have the opposite case: i.e. the majority of their "greatest hits" would come from side ones rather than side twos.
To be fair, with the two records that came before and the two that came after the trio above, there was a pretty even distribution of great songs between the first and second sides.
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Jer
Beagle Scout
Posts: 1,182
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Post by Jer on Jun 9, 2021 19:55:14 GMT -5
Sequencing is so important. Some approach it as a science with tempos and keys of subsequent tracks. I approach it with a focus on momentum and spacing out the good stuff. I like to start as strong as possible, then build up, go down, and build up again. How one song sounds coming out of another is really important, but with vinyl, there's also a need to keep the two sides at a certain length - so song length is a factor too. You don't want one side at 23 minutes and the other at 17 - it makes mastering a bitch and could affect overall volume. So you're in this constant process of moving songs around to get them in groups of roughly the same collective length while juggling flow.
The process starts while demoing, and then during recording, arranging the rough mixes in a certain order to get the feel, swapping this for that, leaving this one out. Maybe that one won't make the record - better as a B-side or for later use. That one would be a good opener. By the time a decision needs to be made, you're often so sick of the material and the recording/mixing process that it's difficult to look at it objectively.
It's tempting to put all the good stuff at the top because you know it's gonna reach the most ears, but if it's all filler at the end, you'll lose the listener before the record is over. Maybe with "Left of the Dial" they knew they needed something strong late in the game. The last song is important, and with a tune like "Regular" or "The Last" it just makes a lot of sense, but it's the songs before that, late on the record, that are the toughest.
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Post by raccoon on Jun 9, 2021 20:59:01 GMT -5
Sequencing is so important. Some approach it as a science with tempos and keys of subsequent tracks. I approach it with a focus on momentum and spacing out the good stuff. I like to start as strong as possible, then build up, go down, and build up again. How one song sounds coming out of another is really important, but with vinyl, there's also a need to keep the two sides at a certain length - so song length is a factor too. You don't want one side at 23 minutes and the other at 17 - it makes mastering a bitch and could affect overall volume. So you're in this constant process of moving songs around to get them in groups of roughly the same collective length while juggling flow. The process starts while demoing, and then during recording, arranging the rough mixes in a certain order to get the feel, swapping this for that, leaving this one out. Maybe that one won't make the record - better as a B-side or for later use. That one would be a good opener. By the time a decision needs to be made, you're often so sick of the material and the recording/mixing process that it's difficult to look at it objectively. It's tempting to put all the good stuff at the top because you know it's gonna reach the most ears, but if it's all filler at the end, you'll lose the listener before the record is over. Maybe with "Left of the Dial" they knew they needed something strong late in the game. The last song is important, and with a tune like "Regular" or "The Last" it just makes a lot of sense, but it's the songs before that, late on the record, that are the toughest. Best sequenced album ever? I'm thinking Dark Side of the Moon. Too bad The Mats never covered them. That shit would have been hilarious. I hear a mangled version of 'Us and Them' in my head... |
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Jer
Beagle Scout
Posts: 1,182
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Post by Jer on Jun 10, 2021 19:09:56 GMT -5
Best sequenced album ever? I'm thinking Dark Side of the Moon. So hard to say and so subjective. Great albums are all sequenced well. Sgt. Pepper, Rumours, Quadrophenia... |
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Post by brianlux on Jun 16, 2021 1:17:56 GMT -5
All the 'Mats and PW albums are permanently burned into the synapses in my brain, so any other sequencing would- to me- just sound wrong. No complaints on any of those albums. Not a stinker in the bunch! Well, maybe Stink, haha!
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Post by raccoon on Jun 17, 2021 15:31:39 GMT -5
All the 'Mats and PW albums are permanently burned into the synapses in my brain, so any other sequencing would- to me- just sound wrong. No complaints on any of those albums. Not a stinker in the bunch! Well, maybe Stink, haha! Well...I could have done without two different versions of 'Crackle and Drag' on the same record. It didn't work for Dylan (Planet Waves) and it didn't work for Paul.  I'm with you, though. The running order of the tracks is stuck in my hand. Even more so since I have never 'sampled' my music through streaming and singles. 'I.O.U.' simply HAD to lead off PTMM. |
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Post by rich1 on Jun 21, 2021 22:03:43 GMT -5
I’m going to have to quibble with I’ll Be You as the third track of side on Don’t Tell a Soul… according to reports and reviews Dead Man’s Pop is the more accurate track listing. That would make Asking Me Lies the third track on the 2nd side. Is this song as strong as I’ll Be You? No, but it is so much better on Dead Man’s Pop… as is every other track… along with the albums sequencing. DTAS is now irrelevant in my book…
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Post by raccoon on Jun 22, 2021 9:20:55 GMT -5
I’m going to have to quibble with I’ll Be You as the third track of side on Don’t Tell a Soul… according to reports and reviews Dead Man’s Pop is the more accurate track listing. That would make Asking Me Lies the third track on the 2nd side. Is this song as strong as I’ll Be You? No, but it is so much better on Dead Man’s Pop… as is every other track… along with the albums sequencing. DTAS is now irrelevant in my book… Whoa! Let's pump the brakes a bit. Irrelevant? Surely, you jest, Shirley |
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Post by rich1 on Jun 22, 2021 22:38:11 GMT -5
Shirley, by Laverne… I’m not jesting. I’ve always seen DTAS as the anchor in the Mat’s canon…some decent songs sunk by overblown production and by the reigning in their humor and chaos.
Dead Man’s Pop corrects all of these errors and rights the ship. The original takes on Talent Show and They’re Blind…alone changed everything for me.
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