How many songs are you putting on your CD album?

  • Thread starter Thread starter miroslav
  • Start date Start date
Yeah I had an overwhelming surplus of songs to choose from for my current project, so it was pretty easy picking and choosing enough songs to put together what I feel is a very solid and cohesive album as opposed to just a collection of singles that take up space.
 
Greg_L said:
Yeah I had an overwhelming surplus of songs to choose from for my current project, so it was pretty easy picking and choosing enough songs to put together what I feel is a very solid and cohesive album as opposed to just a collection of singles that take up space.
Click to expand...
I personally think that's the way to go.
 
I grew up listening to records and tapes so 40-45 minutes seems like the right length for an album. It should fit on one side of a 90 minute tape. And I'm always conscious of where the switch to "Side 2" would be when I think about the running order.
 
Greg_L said:
just a collection of singles that take up space.
Click to expand...

Counter to that, the "a collection of singles" vibe is exactly what I'm going for on my next album. There's only about 3 instances of songs that flow into each other. The rest will be separated by "banter."
I read a review of RHCP's Stadium Arcadium that described it that way and suggested that listeners could re-order the songs to create the album that they really wanted to listen to. Seems a sensible paradigm for the current music climate.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
Counter to that, the "a collection of singles" vibe is exactly what I'm going for on my next album. There's only about 3 instances of songs that flow into each other. The rest will be separated by "banter."
I read a review of RHCP's Stadium Arcadium that described it that way and suggested that listeners could re-order the songs to create the album that they really wanted to listen to. Seems a sensible paradigm for the current music climate.
Click to expand...

Yeah but having heard your songs I don't think of your stuff as a collection of singles. You had a clear cut idea and concept to your album and that's what you did. The songs all sound the same (in a good way) in the sense that they sound like they belong together.
 
warartistrecord said:
My generation is probably O.K. with that since we all seem to have ADD :laughings:
Click to expand...

it's true, that's why i prefer the EP, especially since all of my material is free download (no 'value' issues as with pay albums). 15-20 minutes is about perfect for me - it keeps me from adding filler tracks, each EP can have it's own mini-vibe, and listeners can mix and match EPs into longer playlists.
 
I'm fixated on the idea of song-to-song flow to the point where I sometimes write a song specifically to occupy a certain part of an album. I'll think "The first song on Side 2 should sound like this." Of my "solo" home recorded stuff I currently have enough stuff for about 2 albums, but the only album that's conceptually complete is the one that I want to be the second album, and the one I feel should be first is only 3/4 complete and my remaining songs don't fit into either album, so I still have to write stuff for a certain section of my first album. The weird remaining songs will maybe go on a hypothetical double album I haven't thought much about yet. Then I'm thinking of doing a fake live album with rearrangements of my "hits", overdubbed crowd noises and Japanese teenagers screaming my name. I know it's pretty psychotic.
 
fat_fleet said:
I'm fixated on the idea of song-to-song flow to the point where I sometimes write a song specifically to occupy a certain part of an album.
Click to expand...

I've done that. I've written 3 songs recently knowing exactly where I want them to go on their respective albums. In a way it helps because now I can think to myself, okay I know where this album is headed and where it's been so I can tailor the rest of the songs to fit cohesively.

I think I might be part of the last album generation. I've always respected and appreciated the idea of an album. I'm not a singles guy. I like albums.
 
I like Greg's appreciation of the "album" as a format. I'm a good bit older than him, so it's easy for me to share that sentiment. Whether it was the two sided albums of my youth, or the CD's I buy today, I very much appreciate the flow of the songs (and BTW--that's a great formula, Greg. I've copied and pasted it for future use in the unlikely event that I release a whole CD).

In terms of what I like to listen to (and thus, what I'd like to put out someday), I'm cool with 10 songs, but 12 is fairly common as well. In my genres though, a couple/few extended length tunes aren't uncommon, so I also usually see 48-60 minutes of music.

Not the end all, be all--just what I'm used to, and likely what I'd do if I ever get to it.
 
Personally I think the amount of time is as important as the number. Some albums are great but I never can sit through the whole thing. Rather than giving a number of songs, I would say 40 minutes of music is a good length. Right now my band is working on an album with 9 songs. All of which are at least three minutes but most are over 4 minutes. I think its going to be about 44 minutes total.
 
JG96 said:
Personally I think the amount of time is as important as the number. Some albums are great but I never can sit through the whole thing. Rather than giving a number of songs, I would say 40 minutes of music is a good length. Right now my band is working on an album with 9 songs. All of which are at least three minutes but most are over 4 minutes. I think its going to be about 44 minutes total.
Click to expand...

I agree--time is more important than quantity. If there's a 30 minute opus in there, I'm cool with fewer songs! But my threshold for time is higher than yours. Assuming I'm grooving on the music, I like an hour!
 
WhiteStrat said:
(and BTW--that's a great formula, Greg. I've copied and pasted it for future use in the unlikely event that I release a whole CD).
Click to expand...

Haha awesome. I didn't think anyone but me would think it was a good idea. I'm a genius! :D
 
WhiteStrat said:
I agree--time is more important than quantity. If there's a 30 minute opus in there, I'm cool with fewer songs! But my threshold for time is higher than yours. Assuming I'm grooving on the music, I like an hour!
Click to expand...

I wrote a prog-punk masterpiece a few years back that clocks in at 9:37. That's a lifetime for my kind of music. It's the last song on my album coming out shortly. It was written with the idea of closing the album, and really where else could I put it? It has to be last.
 
Growing up listening to LPs & then cassettes really has cemented the 45 minute mark in my head. I remember when Elvis Costello put out Get happy the New Wave world went berko because it was a tad over 45 mins. Nick Lowe put a statement on the cover regarding groove width, preceived decline in quality toward the centre etc and assured evryone that it'd be fine - most were sceptical. Iwas sceptical because I knew, from reading the UK reviews that it was a very UP album in terms of rhythm and was afraid the stylus would jump etc. I was wrong it is a great LP and sounded superb on vinyl.

I have around a dozen songs for a theoretical album and they come in at about 45. The quality of the songs was determined on sonics rather than songwriting which is wrong I know but I only had those songs that were the better quality audio mastered.
I'm a miser and have almost decided to fill out some of the rest of the nominal 80 mins of a CD with a couple of my quick'n'daggy vids in whatever is the most commonly played format.

Sequencing is probably the hardest part for me since I have a bundle of songs that comprise a suite amongst the rest and there's also a stylistic/sonic development chronologically that my mind insist should, logically, be followed. I'm resisting though and am drawn to Greg's manifesto. I fear I probably lack the objectivity to make that sort of decision. Interesting that Ido used the ME to sequqnce. I know they've often done this in the dim dark. How did it go for you Ido? I mean. I've heard the album and it works very well - based on excellent songs - but how was it for you to at least partially abdicate responsibility?
 
I've been quite happy with the song orders that Jan made for me. There's a nice flow to the songs. I never felt any need to change them around. The opinion from an experienced 3rd party was welcome. I appreciated the help as I had no experience.
 
Greg_L said:
Yeah but having heard your songs I don't think of your stuff as a collection of singles. You had a clear cut idea and concept to your album and that's what you did. The songs all sound the same (in a good way) in the sense that they sound like they belong together.
Click to expand...

I guess it's the difference between having songs in the context of an album that would work as singles and just releasing singles.

I like albums, and I grew up on them. But now that MP3s are big, I find I have to actually work a little to listen to most albums straight through.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top