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DEATH_OF_THE_ALBUM
Albums are a dead art form: Sun June 22, 2003
they were killed by CDs. Revision: Tue June 8, 2004
It used to be the artist had
to think carefully about what
was going to go on the album,
and where it was going to go:
A two sided LP is
necessarily divided
into two "movements" of Which typically means
20 to 30 minutes each, 5 to 6 cuts, given
so there are two 4 or 5 minutes each.
separate beginnings,
and two conclusions.
The first track on side B was famously
the "sweet spot" to put an intended hit.
All of this is lost in the CD
versions of LPs that we're
used to listening to now: the
CD just plays straight
through what was originally
the gap between side A and B.
And then after the original
finale (the close of side B),
there are a bunch of
typically very minor "bonus"
tracks tacked on that spoil
the effect.
And as for music newly being
released on CD, the problem
is no longer "which piece And, structuring the flow
should I choose to put on of that music from track to track
this album", but "how am I would be nearly pointless.
going to fill up so much People don't listen to the CDs
space?". that way. 70 minutes is pushing
the attention span limits badly.
It's rare for me to
listen to a CD that TRACKSIX
seems like it's padded
with actively bad tracks But maybe I don't
listen to bad CDs.
But it *is* really common
to have a CD that seems a
little samey, that gets a
little boring before the
end.
More often than not, I toss
five CDs in the carousel and
play them on "shuffle".
Sorry about your great work
of art there, but I would've
fallen asleep before the end
anyway.
With an LP, the music stops
if you don't proactively
keep it going.
With today's tech it tends to
keep spewing at you, after Yes, there are great
you've stopped paying things about shuffle
attention to it. play and carousel
changers.
Obvious point: But something really
Nothing stops has been lost with
you from the gain.
listening with
a stop watch,
and manually UNINTENDED
interrupting
the recordings.
But that misses
the point.
A technological improvement
that removes a restriction
can be a step backward Often we worry
*because* it removes the too much about
restriction. "side-effects"
when the main
The whole system effect is the
has to include problem.
a human in the
loop, if not all
of humanity.
And that means you
can (will?) have
perverse effects.
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