Album Tracks Vs. Single Tracks?

I would like to add one more thing about my entry.. that was now two entries ago... yaknow, when I mentioned Msn conversations?

I forgot to say, that if you do have msn, you should definitely add me! I love to have a good ol' chat! Maybe we could rant together. lolol. 

On the topic of rants. Today's rant, is one of those things, that I've always found to be something I can rant about for a while. lol. 

Today, I was listening to an album I have not heard until now by one of my favourite artists - who shall remain nameless. I quite like all the singles on this album, but listening to the other tracks, to be honest.. my reaction was something like "What.. IS THIS?" This is unusual for this particular artist, as normaly their album tracks could all be singles, they are of equal value and quality to eachother. This was not the case with this album. 

Now I know that this happens a lot with artists and bands. They seem to make quality singles, and then you buy their album and you just can't understand why their album tracks are so plain compared to their singles. You sit there, annoyed and disapointed, wanting your 20 bucks back.

I wonder if this is a mantality that is in the recording industry - honestly, I have no idea. But, is it that people feel that they have "album worthy" tracks and "single worthy" tracks? 

I know that if I was a recording artist (which I'd love to be by the way.) I would want to make sure that every song on my album, was good enough that they could all be singles. 

I find it even more frustrating and disapointing, when an artist I really like, has album tracks that I think really aren't worth spending money on. Especially when I know that particular artists is so much more talented than some of their songs seem to suggest. 

I hate it when I'm listening to a song and thinking "This is missing.. something..." 

I've noticed a lot of pop music these days has no layering (is that the right word? I dont' know.).. I feel like rythems in a song should be built up gradually. Imagine it like.. lasagne. The lasagne being the song at the end and the layers being each beat or instrument you add, to build the song. You have to build up the layers properly, on by one, for the lasagne to work. 

Some songs these days sound too flat to me. I don't mean flat in pitch.. there's no body in them, it's like they're missing layers in their lasagne rescipe. 

It's like - if we return to the lasagne analogy once more - they finish cooking the lasagne take it out to the table, and the customer is sitting there stairing at their plate thinking "Is that it?" 

(Then again, some songs are just plain bad, they're missing everything including actual talent.)

Too many people these days (consumers and producers of music) seem to be worried about singles and not albums. Music downloads seem to have made people forget about albums. 

What's it matter when you can just download the singles of the songs you want? 

If people are only downloading/buying singles, does it matter if the album tracks aren't as good? Guess we can just though some half-assed crap in there.

I'm not saying that every album track that isn't as good as an arist/bands singles is a half-assed song just thrown in there. But there just doesn't seem to be much perfection in the music industry a lot of the time. It's like they can't get it quite right so they just settle for second best.

I mean sure, some people - alot of people, are just in the music industry to make a quick buck. But to me, music is a form of expression and art. Each piece of music you create should have a part of you in it.

I don't mean you have to be some kind of musical-mulit-instrumental-genius either. Some artists create music with emotion in it, and they don't even play any of the instruments. It doesn't mean the music doesn't come from them. 

People seem to get annoyed a lot with artists who don't write their own songs. I don't think that's a problem, as long as you still put emotion into the song when you sing it.

Elton John and Elvis Presley didn't write all their own songs. Hell, Michael Jackson didn't even write all of his own songs. But no one can tell me they didn't put their own emotion into their songs when they sang them. 

It doesn't even have to be the same emotions as the person who wrote the song was feeling. Everyone realtes to music in a different way, and I think it should be open for the interpretation of others.

I mean, haven't you ever listened to a song that you could relate to how you were feeling at the time, even though the song wans't about whatever you were upset/happy/whatever about?

Or a song that has triggered emotions in you made you laugh/cry/smile even though whatever the song is about may not be something you can directly relate to? 

If you haven't, you should listen closer to some of the music you like,you're missing out. 

Then again, all the music you have may be the kind that doesn't involve a lot of this emotion stuff. Which is fine, I have some of that music too, I'm not going to lie. Not all music has to be deeply emotional and meaningful, that sounds rather depressing really... but I think, no matter what kind of song it is, they should still have your everything in them, all your effort should go into making each one as amazing as the other, a part of you in each song. Whethere it's the sad, happy, funky, freaky, loving, heartbroken or any other amazing amount of sides to you it could be. Just none of this half-assed "album track" stuff. 

xoxo