Rambling about my album... It's not bragging if I explain why I'm right... Right?
I realize that I am a dinosaur in this regard, and I definitely reside in the minority (both as an injun and for the following reason), but I still regularly sit down and listen to albums; fucking start to fucking finish. Not necessarily just with my vinyl LP's or on special occasions, but a good chunk of my music listening occurs this way. To be sure, my Asperger's undoubtedly plays a role in that (we're finishers! That's what she said... sometimes) but it doesn't tell the whole story. There's just something indescribably beautiful that happens when an artist creates a world that exists as a much larger realm than the sum of the 10, give or take, individual worlds he or she has created. I love the feeling of being overwhelmed with the majesty of a start to finish album listen. Some people say the end of an album should make you want to flip it over (or rewind it or press play again or double click it again or tell Siri or Google or whatever robot voice to "fire that fucking shit up again muthafucker! Let's kick it!") and listen again. Billy Joel certainly doesn't, as BILLY JOEL ALWAYS SAVES HIS WORST FOR LAST. Or maybe that's a brilliant fucking move. End on a low note to make people want to flip the album back over so they can listen to something great again before returning to the non-music-listening portion of their lives. I too feel the opposite. When I get to the end of an album I want to feel satisfied, exhausted and full of wonder (Hmm, sounds like the way you feel after... you know what I mean...)(sorry to inject again, but I'm talking about sex, coitus, knockin' boots, takin' the old log to the beaver, going for a ride on the old baloney pony... can't remember the rest)(sorry, me again, you guys got that, right? Grumpy Old Men reference?)(wait, that's what hipsters love to do: hit you over the head with the explanation of the joke)(hipsters suck...)(wait, I could edit mine out, but then that would ruin the verite style of writing I use. This is a choice, man. Deal with it. Sometimes it works like poetry and sometimes you get... What the fuck am I rambling about?)(wait, I don't think verite relates to writing. I think that's more of a stream-of-consciousness-type thing)(shit, doing it again. Sorry, on with the show...), the way I do after hearing "Jungleland" or "Motion Picture Soundtrack" or "Here Comes a Regular" or "Roisin Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend" or "Fillmore Jive" or "Styrofoam Boots/It's All Nice on Ice, Alright" or "Buckets of Rain" or "The Beat Goes On." OK, so that last one was a joke, everyone knows Britney's masterpiece "...Baby One More Time" should have just fucking ended with "E-Mail My Heart," the best song on the album; and yes, that was back when there was still a fucking hyphen in that word... Good times... Remember ICQ? And nervously typing non-sequiturs or obscure references, usually Metallica lyrics from "Ride the Lightning" or why Half-Life was the best computer game ever (still not sure why this form of communication never got me any... Well, any kisses, I was goddamn 10 or 11 at the time you weirdos!), to some girl who lived three or four blocks over and was someone you could just go shoot hoops, rollerblade and flirt with in real life? No? Just me? Good times... I wonder what happened to Amy? Good lookin' gal... Sorry, off topic again.
Anyways, the reason I bring all that up, rambling as it may seem, is to say that is something I strive for when putting together an album. You can hear it in my first record "Burn What You Can, Bury the Rest..." and I believe you can hear it in my upcoming album "In My Youth, I'm Getting Old..." Putting an album together is so much more complex than picking your favorite 10 songs and slapping them together. The overall sound, the instrumentation, the performances, the flow, the dynamics; and even if you get all that set, you still need to nail the tracklist. I always think of the tracklist like a baseball lineup, only if your pitcher was one of your best hitters. You need something to start off strong and get a "hit" as often as possible. The second song has to keep the inning going and move the record forward. The third is one of your highest average hitters. This is where you want to score your first run of the record. The fourth needs to bring the power, and the fifth is more like a 4 1/2, not as big a swing but still needs to close Side A strong. I like my sixth to get things moving again with seven and eight bringing their own talents to the table. Nine closes it out, hard. (I'm also partial to Bruce Springsteen's "corner" theory. The first and last song of side A and the first and last song of side B need to be your top songs, your cornerstones, if you will, and then you fill in the rest)
I missed a couple of those on the first album (especially the whole starting off with a "hit." I opted for the slow burn into the album, which worked since the song was so amazingly well-written, thanks Jon! But I'm not sure that's what I'd do if I was making that record again today) but nailed the rest of the feel, flow, rising and falling action, etc., etc. With the new album "In My Youth, I'm Getting Old...," I really dialed the track order in. I went over countless (well, like 10; sitting with each one for a week or so before moving on) variations until I found it. And, since it eventually will be released on vinyl, you also have to take that into account. You have to make sure the sides are fairly evenly separated and neither side runs too long. All of which is to say that I'm extremely proud of this soon-to-be-released album. Recorded live to tape, in one warehouse room, warts and all but with the energy of four guys who've played countless shows together, can feel where I'd like to take a song, even live in the moment and can even fucking breathe with the same musical nuance. It's definitely one of those sum is greater than the parts type deals and that's why it was recorded that way. It isn't the easiest way to make a record (tape warbles or malfunctions, one guy misses a note and you start over, etc.) but it was the right fucking way for these songs.
TAKE A LISTEN TO THIS SNEAK PREVIEW: "SOME GIRLS (STILL LOVE ROCK N' ROLL)"
And hear for yourself if I'm just talking a bunch of shit, or I'm speaking the truth. After a few bourbons, a bunch of shit or the truth start to sound the same... At least to me.
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