[PREV - DEATH_OF_THE_ALBUM]    [TOP]

TRACKSIX

                                              November 15, 2005


Usually number 6 is the best track.

You don't think muscians can possibly ignore
the issue, do you?  When the Sixth Slot looms,
they know that they're making that choice.             When stuck for time,
                                                       I look through the
                                                       "A-file" for CDs with
                                                       green covers, and
                                                       play track number six
                                                       off of them.


Everyone knows that the "sweet spot" used to
be B1 (first track, second side), but now
that our second sides have been taken from
us, the artist has no choice but to put their
best shot at the big time in the first slot.

Consequently, track one is usually weak:
bouncey/poppy.  It's grabby, but irritating
after more than a few listens.

Track two then must be either their *second
best* shot, or alternately it could be *the
apology*, where they demonstrate that they
don't always sound that trite.

The following tracks then need to be
*representative*, they need to show you
what the band Really Sounds Like.
Essentially, it's advertisements for
their live shows.

But a horrible problem creeps in: CDs
are TOO DAMN LONG.  Very few bands can
handle cranking out 70 minutes of really
good stuff.  So they repeat themselves:
they put out many variations of the same
kind of track, and they become acutely
conscious of how *samey* it all sounds.
They absolutely *have* to do something
different at *some* point.

          And that point is Track Six.

--------
[NEXT - NEUTRAL]