Sunday 7 December 2008

Proposed Song Order - Mike

So since now we've got a first preliminary mix of all the songs, I bashed out a steamy load of proposed album order. Feedback is tasty.

1. Tell Me Ma
2. Boys Who Left The Band
3. Curse The London City Gent
4. Auld Triangle
5. Weigh Anchor
6. Cumberland Crew
7. Last Blackwall
8. Old Boys State
9. Steve The Twat
10. Sideways Up The Rubber Sprocket
11. Old Jack
12. Drunken Sailor

This was especially difficult because we have three songs that start with variations on "old" which couldn't be grouped together, and a difficult choice for the first song. I've always been against putting Tell Me Ma first, but I think it is genuinly the best choice out of the songs we have.

I've also tried to listen as much as possible to which songs "feel" like early or late songs, with the middle being the hardest to judge.

I'm giving it a listen as we speak, so I'll definately change it later.

- Mike

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Damn, the end of Auld Triangle definately doesn't go into Weigh Anchor. This shall have to be resolved.

Anonymous said...

Hey Mike, as you do your listening, have a think about what difference it might make for Steve to have an audible click/count in at the beginning - I feel it really needs it but that might change how it fits in an album list.

Anonymous said...

Ok more comments now, listening to album in that order as I write:

firstly I don't think the acoustic start of tell me ma is strong enough musically for the album opener at the moment, that could easily change with mixing/opportunities for us to maaaaaaaybe do a little more recording though. the electric bit is rollocking good though...

I like having boys as an early track - so what about starting with it? strong intro, and I like mike's interjection at 0:18 as the first 'words' on the album after the yelling..? It might go on a little long the same for a first track though.

I really like the good mix of fast slow fast slow fast on your list, and how it starts noisier for longer, and it's good not to fritter the most dramatic tracks at beginning and end, but I'd be tempted to put either blackwall or weigh anchor in the first three, as a showpiece near the beginning, what do you think?

Triangle goes well after gent.

Weigh anchor is good after the long end on triangle, I thought? goes quiet at the end of triangle and then the drum stomps on in before the sound opens up. no?

Not sure about crew after weigh anchor, but that could be just cos the vocal intro sounds a bit oddly mixed at the moment - might this be better after triangle's empty finish?

The drums in crew are veeery similar in style to blackwall, which might mean they should be a bit more split up?

Is state a bit sudden (wall of noise stylee), after the rather final sounding noise mike makes at the end of blackwall? similarly it's a very sharp end before the rather laid back steve - a click in might help bridge the gap, but maybe that one should be amongst more noisy tracks?

last three seem good enough, Sailor has some issues at the moment (tho not too serious I don't think, and i suppose most of them do - i can't listen to the last verse of crew!) but I think this'll be an exciting track, I love it as a finisher.

Not sure how much use all that is, I think I might be only proposing a bit of a shuffle of the first half.

Anonymous said...

Tell Me Ma should be first. I'm pretty hell-bent on that.

I can see Crew following Triangle. that sounds right.

I would have no quarrel with one of Blackwall or Weigh Anchor being as early as track 3, but at the same time, I don't think it's much to worry bout having "a showpiece" early on. That's what demos are for.

I agree that Steve should have some sort of count in.

That's my thoughts thus far.