Making A New Album?

ubw rookie Joined: Sep 06, 2004 Posts: 76

Hey, You guys. I have been recording alot of great new songs lately. however, i am still debuting on rather or not to make it for a new album. I am very curious in knowing more about what you all do to prepare for an album. What gives you the ideas for putting the album together. I really want to do this entire CD differently. What do you guys suggest? One thing i want to exude is alot more personality. I never really like getting too personal in my music, but do you think this would be better to do?

http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/music/bands/16/

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:20 pm

I'll tell you this: When you feel confident enough to declare each and every one of your songs a possible hit, then you know you are ready to make an album. Oh, and having enough songs prepared (at least a dozen) is a good thing to have too. If you've got those two, start yourself up whenever you're ready! That's the best advice I can give you.

Later! - Kevin

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:31 pm

Ok, no album but a couple of hundred demos...but I treat them all the same. I gotta build a coherent story from the tracks..it just can't be...well, that was good...that was good......It's gotta be about who I am.

As for getting personal, I think now, as I always have, the more personal you get the more an audience could relate, and respect ya. Many may disagree, but if the songs you do ain't personal, I think they could sound empty, acted emotions instead of the real deal.

My two pennies worth
Wink

ubw rookie Joined: Sep 06, 2004 Posts: 76

I like the concept of being able to declare every song a hit. That is really good. Also being able to do a story line for your album. Do you think all albums should go in story format. I mean i end up writing about so many different things now a days and i don't know if that pattern will work. I can show emotions in a song about something i can't relate too, i think i am gonna try to touch some personal territory and see what kind of explosives i can get. Thanks for the input. How many tracks should a good R&B album have?

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 5:16 pm

I was brought up on the lines of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, so it's engraved in me that there should be a storyline, or at least a basic theme.
As for how many tracks? As many as it takes to get your points across..the average for any album these days is 12-16..I prefer to go with the old format of 10 if I ever went as far as an album.

ubw rookie Joined: Sep 06, 2004 Posts: 76

yeah because with 10 tracks if they are really good. it would seem so much more rememorable and not too far out. Maybe 11 won't be bad. If it is 10 good songs then i am finished..lol. well almost. I am doing a few more tracks. but that is good. 10 solid tracks you can't go wrong with that. i think too many songs can kill an album sometimes. do you think all the music should have different feels

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 11:11 pm

I've always liked the albums that are a complete thought... The songs on the album sortof walking you on a journey from A to B to C. That only seems to work for certain introspective styles though.

As to the recording, if I had a bunch of tunes for an album and had the bandmates - I'd want to try and record as much of the basic tracks simultaneously as I could. the less individual overdubs the better. There's a vibe from all the musicians playing together that comes through.

- Now I do like multing gtr parts, adding in lots of layers, but have had best results with alot of folks recording simultaneously for the basic tracks.

smili

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 11:31 pm

Should the music have different feels?
If you're talking about the tracks on the album they should bleed into one another nicely without suddenly jumping from soft melodic to brain bashing noise. I always take a couple of fave albums as examples and listen to how each song blends with the previous and next song.

ubw rookie Joined: Sep 06, 2004 Posts: 76

another thing i noticed is that i always try to take the uptempo tracks and mix them with the slow tracks. like one uptempo and then a slow track or have a mid track in between. Is that a prefered method or is it better to have a full jam session and then do some ballads? what works for you guys. as far as concepts are concerned, is it better to make the concpt after the material or material first?

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 12:24 pm

Hmmm...I always try to have a hook track at the starts, then gradually slow down then speed up for the end....Kinda...downhill-uphill-downhill...(D>U>D) . A fulla fast track album would be a party album, and it's ok if that's what you're going for. I've heard albums that are all mid-tempo and nearly fell asleep...you need that diversity of speed.

How you arrannge that speed is up to you and what kinda album you're trying to make.

ubw rookie Joined: Sep 06, 2004 Posts: 76

yeah i feel ya on that one. I have a great deal of growth going on here so i don't want to keep it on fast, mid, or just slow. it has to be varitey. but i just got a tip that i should do a full fledge Jazz song. I am gearing up for that. I think it would be something different. Can't wait. But as far as the concept go, i am getting lost so far i am writing about Love, Sex, Party, and Believing in yourself. which basically constitutes life. and there is no journey greater than life so i was thinking about "No Greater Journey" or "No Journey Greater' I don't know but i want something catchy and different. I don't know where this is heading..

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 1:37 pm

Try to stick to something simple...here's a few:

One Path

Common Destiny

Connected

Livin' Highways

Just some suggestions.

Wink

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 11:01 pm

I tend to like more of an arc - more fast songs together and a couple slow songs together, then pick it back up - although the contrast from heavy and hard followed by a very laid back tune can sometimes work very well in places. When I was doing final mixes on a buddy's CD I just happened to put the albums heaviest tune followed by one of the album's lightest tune - and to this day I still hear that soft organ fade in right after the abrupt ending to the heavy rock tune. - even though that's not the final order of how he put them on the CD.

Also, I've always liked an acoustic tune, or laid back tune as the last tune on an album
- Matchbox 20 had a very cool acoustic tune called "hang" to end out their debut album "Yourself or someone like you" that when I heard it I said I'd love to end one of my albums that way.
- Sheryl Crow's "Tuesday Night Music Club" is another one I think of that finishes up on a fine tune called "I shall believe" that ends in the same way.

I personally put on an album and let it play all the way through - so the entire flow of the album is important to me. Alot of albums are not designed that way, and alot of music is not listened to that way. As far as a concept album - again it's hard t pull off and might not be applicable to all styles - but the flow of the music is more important to me than the actual words/song content. Some albums just don't groove when all the pieces are together - the transitions from song to song need better care imho.

smili

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 11:07 pm

i agree you must have at least a dozen potential hits in order to make an album. i never buy a cd unless i know that i will love every track, like u2 or moby, hardly any duds in the bunch. i wont put out my stuff until i have a full on chubby for every song on the cd Laughing

the concept album thing is good but you have to have so much more to start with in order to get there

ubw rookie Joined: Sep 06, 2004 Posts: 76

I agree, i really like ending the album on a smooth note. Like it's over and you can relax now. It leaves a good feeling to the audience i think. I think order of songs have alot to do with how that album is recieved. What do you think?

Making A New Album?

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