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Do Young Artists Care About Album Sequencing?

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Melody Bot, Feb 10, 2017.

  1. Melody Bot

    Your friendly little forum bot. Staff Member

    This article has been imported from chorus.fm for discussion. All of the forum rules still apply.

    I saw Mike Herrera of MxPx post this question on Twitter last night, and I am curious what people think:


    Do young artists (median age 20) care about album sequencing? Song order.

    I’ve talked about it before, but sequencing and the entire album experience are two of the things I love most about music. Listening to an entire work of art put together with care and precision, or seeing feeling like the flow is messed up if something is out-of-whack, has always fascinated me. The streaming/single based world makes me feel like an outlier sometimes.

     
    JRGComedy likes this.
  2. disambigujason

    Trusted Supporter

    over the past few years i've become much more of a full album listener than i used to be, but sequencing usually isn't a big factor for me unless something feels really out of place. that said, when i think about things i've written i worry about sequencing a lot more than i thought i would.
     
  3. I think sequencing is a huge deal. There are some albums that never "clicked" for me until I listened to them on shuffle because the original track listing hindered my ability to enjoy the songs.

    Meanwhile, I have a 7-song EP that I'll be releasing later this year, and it's horrifyingly daunting to realize that a 7-song track album has 5,040 different track listing possibilities. :verysad:
     
  4. Steve_JustAGuy

    Trusted

    I can't think of an album that has been ruined for me by sequencing.
     
  5. suicidesaints

    Trusted Prestigious

    I don't think anything's been ruined to me by sequencing, but I definitely feel like certain albums have been enhanced because of it.
     
  6. Junction183

    Newbie

    If younger artists don't care about album sequencing I would point them in direction of Clarity by Jimmy Eat World and they'll start caring.
     
  7. paperlung

    there's no place like my room Supporter

    Only time sequencing really bothers me is when a song that is an obvious album closer is not the last song. When artists nail this, it really pulls it together for me (Q&A Cartel, any Fall Out Boy album, Play Crack the Sky, etc).
     
    Luroda, SPine and Chase Tremaine like this.
  8. parkerxcore

    Somebody's gonna miss us Supporter

    I'm a full album listener. I enjoy when a full album keeps me tuned in, and has a great closer. Not a fan when the first 4 songs are great, and the rest of the album falls short.
     
  9. Funny, I actually don't think I like Clarity's opening track as an opening track, even though I like it a lot as a song.
     
  10. Ben Lee

    I drink coffee and dad my kids Supporter

    Writing/recording an album right now (29 years old) and I really focus on the opener and the closer the most. I'll switch things around as I feel like it need to, but I have no method for that. Just a feeling.
     
  11. disambigujason

    Trusted Supporter

    when listening to the new AFI i'm always half surprised theres more after Feed From The Floor, that song couldve been an awesome closer, especially since the actual closer sucks.
     
  12. Thank you for mentioning FOB! Their albums are seriously so well sequenced, especially the four pre-hiatus albums. It seem as if track sequencing is an art form in itself for them. Other artists should study in-depth the order of the songs and the transitions on FUTCT. I've actually told people before that they don't understand who FOB is if they've never listened to one of FOB's albums front-to-back.
     
    Bryan Diem likes this.
  13. FTank

    Prestigious Prestigious

    Clarity is one of JEW's weakest sequencing jobs, I think, they usually nail it
     
  14. The big one that comes to mind for me is Cruel to be Young by Jonezetta. I really disliked that album for a while, especially the first few songs, until one day when I gave the album a chance on shuffle. All the songs opened up to me in a new way that has caused me to love the album ever since.

    Also, oddly, there were multiple albums that came out in 2016 of which I hated the first two tracks (which would usually be a deal breaker for me) but then loved the rest of the album.
     
    Lucas27 likes this.
  15. Yeah, the transition from "Pain" into "Drugs or Me" is one of my favorite moments in JEW's entire discog. What do you think of IG's sequencing?
     
  16. FTank

    Prestigious Prestigious

    Do you mean IB? I really like it, up there with their best sequencing jobs. Only sorta weird part to me is Pass the Baby into Get Right, but that makes sense if I think of it as side A into side B.

    But yeah, I think that record has an impeccable sense of two different sides, each being perfectly sequenced.
     
    Chase Tremaine likes this.
  17. I just realized what I wrote. Blues doesn't start with a G...
     
  18. FTank

    Prestigious Prestigious

    Haha, no worries.
     
  19. Steve_JustAGuy

    Trusted

    I will give you that, if the first track (or two) don't grab me right away, my chances of enjoying the album decrease tremendously.
     
    Chase Tremaine likes this.
  20. ComedownMachine

    Prestigious Supporter

    I pretty much exclusively listen to full albums in order so yeah album sequencing is pretty important. If there's a band where I like a few songs but the album as a whole is a mess, I rarely will listen
     
  21. sawhney[rusted]2

    I'll write you into all of my songs Supporter

    All of my favorite albums are 100% contingent on their sequencing.
     
  22. paperlung

    there's no place like my room Supporter

    It's so true. West coast smoker was my favorite FOB song for the longest time. It just ends FAD perfectly. I have the argument with my friends all the time about how well put together their albums are.
     
  23. Former Planets

    Aaaachem!

    I do interval workouts to Lawrence Arms "The Greatest Story Ever Told" to this day because it goes mid-tempo 3-minute song to intense 90-second song back and forth for the majority of the record. its a great listen without the exercise too, though.
     
  24. Kiana

    Goddamn, man child Prestigious

    Depends on the album tbh. Some albums are more important to me to listen to in sequence and others I can chop up in playlists and play on shuffle
     
    Luroda likes this.
  25. Jose

    weightless in the valley

    I waver between West Coast Smoker and Coffee's For Closers being the best closer for the album but I do love FAD either way
     
    Bryan Diem likes this.