What makes an album?

So before I actually start ranting, here's a little intro to this. I am most definitely pretentious. I am a middle class 17 year old on the internet trying to think critically about music, and failing at it so damn much. However, I'm not trying to impress anyone, I just like listening and thinking and talking a lot about music. So following that, I've a shitload of opinions so let's get this shebang going.

This topic was prompted by my dad who, though is a nice and intelligent person, can be a complete fuck-knuckle sometimes. He argued that to make a good album, you need to put weaker tracks at the beginning of an album and end with your best song. For evidence, "The Bends"-Radiohead (Fucking good album, don't try and argue now), ending on what I'd describe as the most beautiful Radiohead song to date, "Street Spirit (Fade Out). Ok, ending the album on that song was a good idea and yes, the opening song "Planet Telex" isn't exactly the best on the album. But there's a reason those two songs were put there. They were the best songs on the album to open and close the album. And that in my mind is what changes a collection of songs into an album; song placement. Put some actual thought into your song order and actually give your listener a smooth and enjoyable experience.

And yes, I get that flow is important too but it's not that hard to create, because you're keeping the same style/using the same instruments, and these similarities create flow. So unless you're desperately unimaginative and decide to stick a piano ballad next to a 20 minute prog rock epic, you've got flow hands down. So how do you get your audience to want to listen all the way through. Well, apart from making good music, invite your audience in and then leave them on a high note. Let's look at some examples...

How bout we try the greatest indie rock record ever first? How does "Funeral" start? With a light piano a catchy guitar riff, slowing bringing you into the album, which then builds into a gushing and pounding song by the end. How does it end? With loud violins, drums and guitar slowly softening to a single violin line before becoming nothing. Now, in my opinion neither song is the best on the album (that honour goes to "Wake Up"), but they open and close the album perfectly, whereas "Wake Up" would feel clunky in either position. Convinced? Cause I've got more...

Let's try last year's most acclaimed album. Bon Iver, Bon Iver, good album, good album. Its opener, "Perth" goes from one guitar to a whole menagerie of instruments at the end;its one giant crescendo mark. Its closer, "Beth/Rest" slowly gets louder until a minute from the end, then it dies out along with the album. It works. But I've got one more.

Let's do the most acclaimed album of all time, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Starting with the title track, at first all you can hear is the muttering of people and the tuning of instruments. Then, BAM, killer riff with awesome drums, that's the way to start an album. And how does it end, you may ask? "A Day In The Life", with its flurry of strings, horns and cymbals and then a final blast on a trumpet and a long held piano chord. Sex.

Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a bunch of songs put together on a cd, because you just described a mixtape, and I love mixtapes, but there's something special about a carefully crafted album which to me make it that much more enjoyable. Enough of my opinions, go out and listens to some albums.

Cook