Sequencing a record is like getting on the train after dressing in the dark and trying to rearrange your layers to make the most presentable combination before you get to work. Is there a number of tracks that scares you? How long are your favorite albums? Two of us say sever at 10 or 11 and leave the listener wishing for repeat to be hit, and the other half is tormented by cutting loved songs, and wants to pile them all in.
119 Comments :
if you love the tracks, throw them all on!
The fans will love every minute of it and surely press repeat no matter what the length is!
I agree with anonymous.
With any other band I'd say 11-12. But however, the gap between these albums and the expectation that's run up to its release makes me want more, more and more.
You could throw in a bonus CD with the The Oregon Trail...
I'd say pile them all in. You can't have too many songs on a record if they're all good, which I suspect.
Otherwise, 13 is my lucky number. 13 is always good.
Wow the 1st comment says it all.
But the length of an album is not important especially if its by a great band like yours.
If there are too many tracks make a two disc cd that would be great.
Never limit the amount of music you put on a cd.
I'd say 45 is the limit =]
the more the merrier.
I agree with everyone. With a unique and amazing band like the matches no matter how many songs you put on the cd the fans are always going to be left wanting more.
you want each track to stand on its own as well as contribute to the whole. I think that can get lost to some degree when you are in excess of 13-15 tracks.
of course this is all a matter of opinion, but for example look at the difference between californication and stadium arcadium by rhcp. dont you think californication having fewer tracks gave the album more of an identity, making it more succesfull, enjoyable than a massive 2 disc album?
but also the other extreme sucks too. weezer put 10 tracks each on the blue album and pinkerton. who doesnt want more tracks on those albums?
I agree with Louie, when it comes to a good album twelve is never enough and fourteen seems excessive.
Thirteen is golden.
If you're asking for fans' opinions, the majority of the answers is going to run along the lines of "More, more! I'm still not satisfied!"
That being said, leaving two or three out make finding B-sides all the more fun.
I understand that bands want to put out the best songs of the bunch they write, so they cut out the ones that just aren't the quality they want, but i have never understood why we've started subjecting ourselves to this absurd limit of 10 or so songs. How many bands used to put out double albums, even triple albums because they had enough good material? why don't we continue that now. If you are proud enough as an artist to say: "I wrote this song and I want you to hear it!" put it on the damn cd so we can and stop buying into this track limit nonsense.
Love you Shawn.
Lucky 13.
i just put it on shuffle. id like a cd with about 13 songs like mc lars song
but if it was a band i really like 23 songs is awesome (yes it has happened.
Anonymous just set the record for best anonymous post ever.
put 'em all on! if you guys love them, we'll love them.
is there such a thing as too much of the Matches?
I just want to point out to Chris that MC Lars had 12 on Radio Pet Fencing and 14 on The Graduate... never 13.
Anyways-
I say put out a normal cd. 14 tracks cause E. Von Dahl had 12 (counting that scribble =^]) and Decomposer had 13, so this one should have 14. =^] Make it a pattern.
THEN you can put out another cd with the rest of the songs... plus things like demos and a DVD of you guys... like The Used does.
And you put that one out like a year after this one that way when we're all no longer getting our fix on the new cd... BAM! You say "don't forget me!" and we buy the new CD/DVD set and get a WHOLE new fix and because it has a DVD with it, we'll be satisfied until the next new album comes.
It's just a thought though...
Leave a ten minute gap at the end of the last track then add another 5 songs after that?
Actually, I really quite despise "hidden bonus tracks"; B-sides for the win, they're a gem for collectors in the future.
Well, I must say, Say Anything's albums tickle my fancy and they are both double disks (though the songs are on the shorter side). I think around 13 because 13 is lucky and any more, songs might get lost, any less would feel like you went to a bakery but were only allowed to smell everything. That would be a tragedy. Plus you could still do b-sides...I love rooting around for those things!
87 is my lucky number, so... :)
But seriously, I think 13 tracks would be great because 14 seems like too much and 12 is divisible by too many numbers. Or something.
Fans will always be wanting more as long as you write songs the way you do, so I wouldn't be worried too much about having too many tracks.
I just checked some of my favorite albums, and they have, 12, 13, 13, 13, 13, 14, 12, 13, etc.
As for the scary part, I feel like 16 or 17 is pushing it usually, although there are exceptions.
- Marieeee
I forgot to mention that I agree with Anonymous' comment about the rhcp albums. The last thing you want to do is lose the identity of the album.
An album being too long is really never a concern of mine.
(unless of course, the enitre thing is horribley written, or sounds the same, something I dont think you have to worry about in the slightest)
However,
I have complained about albums being too short.
10-11 songs is not short, its not long either.
Its a happy little medium.
But, if you like what you have, and are confident in those tracks,
why not throw them all on?
I don't believe in that silly saying you hear all too often in CD reviews;
"Too much of a good thing."
You can't really go wrong.
I have faith in you!
And judging by all these positive comments you've recieved thus far, I'm willing to bet everyone else feels the same way.
All, please. Please. I'll be hitting repeat no matter how many you manage to cram on the disc.
I think around 12-13 songs is probably a good limit for an album. Any more than that and it's hard to digest. Albums are like eating a meal, too much and you end up feeling sick and stuffed and too little and you still need more. If you have a bunch of extra songs for the album I suggest you release them separately maybe. The Used recently released an album and had about 9 extra songs they didn't release with it that they eventually have released over time to their fans. It's kind of like having the really good cd, and then after you've listened to it a million times having one new song every once in a while to keep that excitement alive. It's a nice treat for the fans and I know I've enjoyed it.
In any case, you can bet we'd all be out there to buy anything you guys put in stores for us to get whether the cd be 50 songs long or 3. Everyone I know that's your fan is in love with you guys. haha
BTW: I just want to give thanks to the band for coming around to Dallas on a friday. The time before warped it was in the middle of the week and I couldn't go. But now I can and I'm happy to say I'll bring a troop of The Matches converts with me. :D
I say 13 or 14
I say 13 or 14
*cough*
hidden tracks.
13-14 is perfect. A lot of my favorite albums have 12.
A lot of it depends on the length of the songs of course. I could be happy with 8 songs if there were a few 6-8 minute ones sprinkled in the mix.
I'd say pile 'em.
The Matches are incapable of making a mediocre song. It isn't a question of quality, it is a question of how much you love the songs and if you feel like sharing them with us. After all you are the ones with the talent, you are the ones making the album (:
no matter how many tracks you put on the album, you're going to make us itch for more.
I'll agree if you really love the tracks, why limit yourself? But, I might be biased since I'll never be scared for more of that...
13 seems pretty good for the record in all aspects though. With 10 or 11, time seems cut too short.
♥ V
Bring it on. I can take it.
Hello? Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness? Nothing gets better. Sorry for The Locals pun...
Nothing wrong with more of what you love! Bring it!
10 or 11 long songs seems great.
If they're any shorter than 4 minutes though, which I'm assuming they are, I agree with anyone who said that 13 is the magic number.
Don't be too safe! Enjoy! If there's a song that you can't stand not to have on the record after you finish tracking but that didn't quite make the cut, there's always b-sides!
The Beatles-The White Album
The Who-Tommy
The Clash-London Calling
Bob Dylan- Blonde on Blonde
George Harrison- All things must pass
Outkast-Speakerboxxx/the love below
Anything under 10 is not an album, it's a tease.
Anything over 20 is strictly presumtuous, unless it's TMBG.
Somewhere around 15 should appease the masses...
Instead of a number, I'm giving a time limit: an hour. However many songs fit into that time frame is peachy. In my opinion (or my ADD), no song needs to be over 4 minutes.
Also, I dislike B Sides. Personally, I want an album that comes with lyrics, the name of whomever played whatever random instrument that was thrown in, etc. I don't want to track down a compilation, or buy a song off the internet. Then again, that's just one person's opinion.
Shawn, which group do you fall? Are you wanting to stop at 10 or 11 or wanting to pile it all on?
There's no doubt that b-sides can be annoying, I think for me, I just sometimes like to get another new song after the cd's come out and I've listened to it over and over. Again, just an opinion.
all or nothin' bebe
Everything in moderation. I think if you only put a few of the songs you love the most, the ones that you have put your heart into, and the ones that steal the hearts of everyone that listens to them. I would rather listen to a few wonderful songs, then many good or just ok songs. There are so many bands out there that are just ok, The Matches is not one of them
I'm interested in all of these songs now. And what side are you on in this little debate?
10 songs.
Pile em all in, One of my favorite albums nas like 24 songs on it.
i don't think i've ever listened to a great album and not been left wanting more, whether it has 10 or 20 songs on it.
leave them on, the more for fans to devour, the better.
I'm quite sure that I'll still hit repeat more times than I would care to count if the album contained 50 tracks.
...or b-sides. As long as we get to hear them at some point, all is fantastic.
i say place them all on the record or give us a few 7" vinyls that have the tacks that didnt make it.
Oh I say put them all on. Every single one. There are many albums with 14 or more tracks with each song as good as the last. Take Rancid's Indestructable for example. Plus more matches songs on the one cd?? whats not to love?
I say 13. At first I was thinking I want it all! but then I realized I can not remember the last time I listened to stadium arcadium all the way through. I think 13 but then give us the rest in a few months...
(please)
mmmmm all good suggestions. i say put them all on! and those who say fans will press repeat no matter how many songs you put on there are completely correct. i still find myself holding back from becoming an obsessive listener with both albums on a daily basis... yay, number #3!!!!!!!!!
*i'm so proud of you guys!
put them all on!!!!
Don't limit yourself by some unwritten law of track numbers.
I think you guys will know it's complete when it actually is.
12-15 is average, but I wouldn't consider The Matches your average band.
I personally would love to hear them all.
I'm sure I won't be disappointed anyway.
Good luck, and I'm really excited to hear it!
If you're looking to increase your fanbase, go with a number somewhere in the 11-13 range. However, if your goal for this album is to tickle the fancy of already captivated fans, then a higher quantity of songs seems more appropriate.
You know the old adage...quality over quantity.
But that's all up to you guys and involves plenty of other factors beyond a simple number.
My opinion is to go with 13, but that's just my opinion and it's based simply on principle and may not be the proper solution to this particular case.
Good luck coming up with the perfect combination and culmination of songs. Hope you guys can agree on something soon and please be sure to let us all know the result when the issue is resolved.
I'd say your good as long as your 15 or under maybe 16 is permissible. I'll just say that the 27 track new Say Anything album scares the fuck out of me and has not been put onto my itunes as a result.
I resent paying upwards of fifteen dollars for a cd that only has eleven songs.
and prime numbers are beautiful.
So, thirteen would be magical.
Your albums are always on repeat, so that's not really an issue (as so many have said before me...)
I'm sure you guys will come up with a perfect tracklisting no matter what you decide (14 sounds nice?) but if I can fit the album twice into the bus ride on the way to school, I may be a tad disappointed. Only in the most superficial of ways, though.
"the other half is tormented by cutting loved songs, and wants to pile them all in. "
i say go with that other half please!!!!!!!!!!!
i vote 110% for that.
im guessing justin is int hat half.
i say you shouldn't worry about the number of songs or the amount of time, it's just a number it doesn't really say a lot about your album. The Beatles released Abbey Road which has 17 songs and is only 47 minuets long. And the whole album has a bunch of different time lengths for the songs. So what I am trying to say is don't worry about the number and just put the songs on that you guys think will be the best for what you are trying to say and best represent you as an artist.
Well honestly, as most of us I'm sure are already HUGE fans of your band, what did you think we were gonna say?
'Oh, just put in 10 songs. That's cool.'
But I agree with whoever said that if you're looking to expand your fan base, less is more.
I vote for 13.
Um if you cut us short. I might hold a grudge. So you better give em all to us. Or we may riot. At least I might and I dont care to get arrested anytime soon so we could avoid that all together if you don't hold back.
Layers are in. Put them all on.
A number of tracks that scares me? In this case. A number that could be more but isn't. We want them all. Please don't sever
i must say some of my favourite records have been as long as 15-16 songs and its a treat to listen to those last few and realize that their your favourites and you keep repeating the record so that you can hear those last few again and again. they are like the last present on christmas morning or the last 10 minutes of your favourite tv show. they always are full of surprises and are always great
and it all depends on the length of the songs, if you make 2-3 minute songs more is better, but if the songs are longer less is key.
Of course my first response was, the more the better, always. But i do agree that too many tracks might be a little overwhelming. So im thinking 13 is a solid number, provided we actually get to hear all the tracks at some point. You boys are tricky, ive spent more time then id care to admit looking for some of your music.
p.s im guaranteed to wear out my ipod no matter how many tracks are on it
10 or 11 is to Short. I Prefer a larger amount of tracks. It Increases The Amount Of Time You Can Just Sit And Listen to a record. If There are not enough tracks you could end up bored with it sooner. I Would Say 13 - 17 is a good number without going overboard.
The number of tracks is irrelevent. As long as most of the songs have a different feel from each other, which your guys cd's usually do. Sometimes with some cd's I get bored after about 8 or 9 songs that all sound alike. However that said, when I first got decomposer I didnt take it out of my cd player in my car for weeks, it was just on repeat.
I do prefer not 13, I find it an unlucky number, and nobody wants bad luck. I'm not even all that superstitious.
Who cares what everyone or anyone else did, you don't want to be everyone else anyway and thats what people like about you. Go with your gut...if you can't trust it, who can you trust.
I vote 12. It's not too much, but if there is any else I's think you would leave fans a little upset. We all want as much of you as we can get!
wow...I can't spell.
else=less
Pile them all in, please!
pile them all in!
do it! do it!
cutting off at ten songs is kind of like getting that blueberry pie sample at costco and then having your hand slapped when you stealthily try to take 5 more.
to tell you the truth i think you should pull a say anything and just give us everything you have. id have give you a cookie if you did that.
the more the merrier.
pile 'em high.
numbers
don't
really
exist
anyway.
the world needs as much good music as it can get its hands on.
you never know whose life that one cut song could have saved.
whoa sorry, that was adderall induced.
i can see my heartbeat.
you are a rarity.
give us everything you've got.
please?
C'mon people, you say you don't want to be overwhelmed? Sonce when have The MAtches NOT wowed you? Big numbers don't scare me, I can count to 93.
decisions, decisions
so many fates!
I hope you can find the right pattern
I'm sure you guys will.
=]
should our opinioins really matter?
shouldn't the decision lay souly on the opinions of the writter?
will there be unreleased tracks?
questions i would be greatful if awnsered.
i guese i'll find out on the release date, if not barely sooner.
You must be more confused than ever after all these different opinions. I say get a blank cd. Put all the songs on shuffle and then see how many you can fit on and put them in that order
:)
I think you should do what seems most comfortable. If it all flows together and makes sense then yeah add on the other tracks. But if they are so out there and don't fit in the CDs artistic flow then I say hold off on it. It may be great with all the songs or it could be a case of less is more. Follow your artistic intuition.
So everyone in the comments have probably made your decision a whole lot simpler now.
/sarcasm
I would go with As many as I could hold in my head forever.
The more I hear you, thhe mor eI love you.
I want you to pile them on.
Please, though, don't go with the cliche 13. More owuld be perferable, but I could settle for less, just to hear you guys.
I would say 12 is expected, but 13 is always nice.
I would like to change my opinion on this matter. I said 13 tracks, but...
I love all of your songs. When I listen to one of them and try to imagine what it would be like if it was left off of the album and I never heard it, it kind of makes me sick. So I want them all. Every last one of them.
I, for one, would love to be on that train.... watching you decide how to rearrange yourself.......I think that would be very entertaining in itself.
~bernadette
I love all of your songs. When I listen to one of them and try to imagine what it would be like if it was left off of the album and I never heard it, it kind of makes me sick. So I want them all. Every last one of them.
Yeah, I'd have to say I agree. I don't know where I'd be without some myself. You never know who's life you're saving...
17's a lucky number?
^21's even luckier, I hear.
Chuck em all in and get that album out there already!
One way or another, people will get their hands on the ones that didnt make it on the album anyway, so may as well cut out the middle man.
Good to hear you'll be in my country next year as well ;)
All for 21 songs say: "AYE"
AYE!s
THE EARLY NOVEMBER DID THE SAME THING WANTING TO CUT TRACKS TO MAKE IT SHORTER, BUT INSTEAD THEY DECIDED TO THROW EVERYTHING IN AND CAME OUT WITH A THREE RECORD ALBUM. ITS A GREAT RECORD AND I LOVE EACH ONE. BESIDES NONE OF YOUR SONGS SOUND THE SAME SO IT WON'T SOUND LIKE A REALLY LONG SONG, BUT A LONG ALBUM OF DIFFERENT SONGS. YOU SHOULD PUT AS MANY SONGS AS YOU CAN ON THIS ALBUM, YOU NEVER KNOW YOU MIGHT MAKE MORE FANS FROM IT. ALSO I LOVE THE ALBUM SPREAD IN ALTPRESS, AND THE RESPONSE AS WELL.
i love cds when they're a little longer, but not too long. after a while, it's definitely like "...is this over yet?"
hahah even though, i'm sure i wouldn't be like that with anything y'all do. i mean, i've listened to decomposer about 10 times back to back. no joke.
SO.... more than 10, but less than 15. :) i'd say 13 is a nice happy medium.
I say 14 tracks is good. Not too much, but just enough. Makes most happy (well at least me). I can't stand those three disc sets. I don't have the time to sit down and listen to three whole CDs. People have lives. Two whole discs is a bit much but slightly more tolerable. The problem is if a band doesn't arrange it properly the songs just drag on and lose meaning. I say stick with one CD. I don't even think that that was an issue among you guys but...
Aye!
pile em all in, definetly.
otherwise whats the point of you guys keep holding back?
youre just gonna realease another record with those songs, why not vomit your greatness all over your fans all at once?
Greatness vomit is always nice.
Pfft, the choice is obvious: pile them all on, and the listener is STILL going to want to press repeat.
10 or 11 is i think, too short i think 14 or 15 is a good #. anything above that and you tend to get songs that aren't exactly up to par. but if you only have 10 good ones dont shove in mediocre stuff just to make it look good. but im sure you know that
The only reason I'm saying that I'd be happy with anything above 13, is because I have never heard a song that I didn't like by you guys. There are like...3 songs. Out of EVERYTHING that I'm not absolutely in love with.
Usually I'd say less is more, BUT, this is an exception. More is more! Through them all in.
I second the "more is more"
And the "vomiting greatness"
DO it.
I would not care if you guys threw two hundred tracks into the new CD! Well, that's a lie, I would. Considering it would take me the better part of a week or two to listen to them, if I just listened to the whole CD straight through without leaving my stereo.
Aside from that rambling, I think 13 is a lovely number of tracks. I just went through about 6 of my CDs and looked at the backs; they all have 11 tracks. Which, in my opinion, is not enough. Especially not for The Matches.
On a side note, I think the first sentence of your blog post would make a very nice example of an "epic simile". May I use it for English class?
:]
Popular topic, huh? I'd say put at least 13.
even if you guys put all the songs you can possibly fit onto one album, i'd still be pushing the repeat button. <3 don't cut any of your pretty songs.. no one wants to see that happen :)
I say 103 like the post number 103 haha just kidding of course!
No really put all the tracks you guys can put on a cd we all will love it no matter what!!
Didn't Say Anything just release a 2-disk album? But I don't like them. Put all the music you want on it, as long as it's all good (which is a given for you guys).
I'm late on this.. but in the infamous words of Britney Spears... "Gimme More"
Say Anything released a two disc with the first album too. I think it's just their own little gimmick. They're okay though. Not the worst I've ever heard.
I want all of the songs!
Longer cds make me a lot less homicidal on the hour bus ride from school
everybody puts 10-15. u guys r the matches. ure better than that. be different. go against the flow. pile em all on.
"what you dont measure is infinite"
(freely translated from swedish)
-Thomas DiLeva on penis size but I think it applies on a general level first and foremost, even here.
You can always release B-Sides later on, or you could pull a Say Anything and give your loyal fans 27 songs full of eargasmic happiness.
Great show Friday
if you could just put everything you've ever done on it, that would be cool. like, i wouldn't even be mad. it's time.
Put all of them in! Or you could release one CD, and then a few months later release the second one, like Part 1 and Part 2. As long as I get a new Matches CD I am happy.
dude, what happened? your blog used to be so interesting to read, always updated. Not anymore. Maybe you're busy. I find reading the blogs of the people on here more interesting, no offense.
Great show Saturday.
I do appreciate a terribly long record, honestly. The fact is that if you're not sure if the others fit in well, or if you don't like certain parts of the songs then just don't do it.
When you're gut tells you no, then just say no.
Sequencing is no fun. That's why they invented Apple Loops for audio engineers like myself. =]
i would always press repeat with your albums, no matter how many tracks.
13. fo sho.
I wants them all!!! My favorite CDs are usually 12-14ish. That's a good length, I think.
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