So do you honestly think ALL songs on a CD are great??

[origami]

I've made about 90 songs in the year and a half I've been making music and about 10 collaborations with my vocals, and I love them all.

I mean, I admit some are better than others, and some may be bad, but all are made from the inside and they mean a lot to me, so when I listen to them I'm always excited by them.

[wrench45us]

i do a new tune every 2 - 4 weeks, depending.

imo, my average quality seems to be improving. sometimes i'll hit a run of 2 goods ones in a row, but usually things work out to 1 in 4 or in 1 in 5 (i think) are pretty good.

the real problem is when a tune really rises above my average and then i may as well waste the next few cause nothing measures for a while after that

re CD collection: it's rare that a whole CD holds up, but every once in a while an 'artist' manages a very impressive sustained creative period. often by collaboration with a new producer or bandmates.

many times i find 1st albums are fresh and great -- but then the band usually has all that history prior to that to come up with those tunes. it's the second or third effort that proves a band

for some reason electronic one man bands or two man collaborations tend to get better on 2nd efforts. I suspect they suddenly get access to a truckload of shiny, inspiring new toys.

[radiant.city]

Historically I tend like all my songs until I've written the next one.

There have been exceptions here and there, and one or two of which I can truthfully say I have no idea where they came from. That Fripp quote in the sig just above this post certainly applies.

It's an occupational hazard of being a songwriter or a composer-- each song can be a learning experience, and once you've learned something you tend to want to apply it more attentively in the next piece, or see how far you can bend it before it breaks.

[Sleek Month]

Well, I like most of my stuff quite a lot, but then I would, wouldn't I? I'm making it for me.

If there's something I don't like about one of my songs, I change it out for something I do. Why would anyone do differently?

...as for my CD collection, the "Perfect Album" is my holy grail. Very few bands have the consistency to produce a good solid album.

I find that, for me, the instance of those albums gets less toward now and greater towards the '70's...

I was looking at a chart from the mid '70's the other day, and fully half of the albums on there were undeniable classics...nowadays we're lucky if we get one per year!

I mean, on this one week's album chart was prime Floyd, T.Rex, Bowie, Deep Purple, Sabbath, Rod Stewart, Rolling Stones and lots more.

Look at the billboard top 50 now. I guarantee that hardly any of those albums will even be remembered in 30 years, much less admired.

That being said...

Jellyfish-Spilt Milk
Brendan Benson-One Mississippi (Lapalco is great, too, but less consistent)
Seemingly anything produced by Chris Thomas (The first Pretenders album, The Pistol's Never mind the bollocks, Pulp's Different Class)
Black Sabbath-Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Volume 4, Sabotage, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Aerosmith-Toys in the Attic, Rocks, Aerosmith.
Sweet-Desolation Boulevard
Green Day-Dookie!
Rancid-...and out come the wolves
Rod Stewart-Every Picture Tells a Story
The Who-Who's Next, Live at Leeds (original)...and for me Quadrophenia.
The Beatles-Abbey Road, Revolver
ACDC-Pretty much everything up to and including Back In Black
Judas Priest-British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance
Blur-Blur, Parklife
Oasis-Morning Glory and Definitely Maybe.
The Crystal Method-Vegas
Refused-The Shape of punk to come
Cheap Trick-Heaven Tonight
Ozzy-Diary of a Madman, Blizzard of Ozz
Motley Crue-Too Fast For Love
Metallica-Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets!!!!

...and too many more, dammit...but there's some.

Hmmm...I must be in a metal mood today

-S.

[The O'Neil Twins]

Pretty soon I'll be releasing some tracks. Just to give you an idea of what to expect: it'll be like stuffing piles of dog shit in your ears

[bluedad]

Oh this has shifted to our own personal tracks.
quite a few of my tunes give me great discomfort to listen to. but, then again, many of them I do love. listening, I relive the process of creating them and it gives me quite a rush. I need to quite listening and do more.

[Armadillo]

Oh this has shifted to our own personal tracks.
quite a few of my tunes give me great discomfort to listen to. but, then again, many of them I do love. listening, I relive the process of creating them and it gives me quite a rush. I need to quite listening and do more.

Well, I noticed that as well. Wasn't my intention, as most people love their own tunes or are too proud to admit they don't

So the headline is now about songs on a commercial CD...

[Borogove]

Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
Pop Will Eat Itself - This Is The Day, This Is The Hour, This Is This

[CskaTorpedo]

Guess I'll jump on the bandwagon of people masturbating about what's considered good or not.

I tend to think that most band's first albums are the best for one simple fact.

Before the release a CD they have about 10 or so years to write material. Most contracts stipulate that a second album should be written in no less than a year (perhaps less in some cases). Usually if a band lasts 3 or 4 albums I think that some of their later work can be as good as their early work, because they have had time to get used to that workflow/create real music (and not just the next big hit to keep them on the positive side of their advance)

Anyway, to disagree a bit more with wrench45us but I don't think "electronic musicians" really get better on their 2nd album, and if they do it's not because of equipment. All the top of the line gear will not make a bad musician better, even with a million kajillion blagrillion dollars, a tone deaf man still can't sing... Though he CAN afford lessons, and an artist is more likely to be driven if he see's the light at the end of the tunnel.

I just want to cite one example before I go to see if anyone agrees with me;

N.E.R.D.'s first album; poorly played instruments, weak lyrics, and gimmick hooks and power chords.

N.E.R.D.'s second album; someone took some lessons, frank zappa would have been proud of some of the experimental chord progressions and mutations of jazz blended with rock. (well maybe not, since it's still kinda gimmicky music).

*this is just my personal opinion on the music feel free to disagree*

An example of better equipment? Or study/practice?

EDIT: As for my own music, I tend to work on a track till it sounds as good as I can make it with my current level of profincency. Then move on. In one year I did about 16 tracks, of those 3 made it to this year (didn't get tossed in the rejects folder), and two more have been completed this month. I am certain that I will do about 10-15 tracks this year, probably 6-8 of them will see independant record release. (even if it's on my own label)

[Guckli]

Pink Floyd - 'Dark Side of The Moon'
Bob Marley & The Wailers - 'Uprising'
Pet Shop Boys - 'Very'
UB40 - 'Present Arms'
Probably more, especially in the roots/reggae/dub dept, but I forget...

Funny thing about (what one personally considers) filler material: I'd rip an album and corresponding singles from the same period and put together a cdr that feels more "right" to me, not just sticking the extra tracks at the end, but trying to get a good flow.
Works especially well for Depeche Mode albums; I often prefer the obvious filler and B-sides to the single hits anyway . Actually I got the idea after having automatically skipped the first track on 'Songs of Faith and Devotion' for a few years, then I got my first cdr...

As for my own material probably a tenth ever gets out in some way or the other. A tenth of what I have finished==given up on improving but believe in anyway... Got boxes full of discs and tapes (I'm that old) with stuff I'd rather forget about (yes, I keep every take, every mix, every half-assed mastering attempt, everything...)

[VitaminD]

this is excluding various artist compliations right?


I'd say, sure, there are a couple I really like all the way through.. or at least 9 out of 10 songs.

FSOL - Dead Cities
and
Boards of Canada - Music has the right to children

are two I can think of off the top of my head.. as far as pop/rock/rap/etc then yeah.. the more commercialized the album the more likely I see that I'm not going to find an entire album of songs I'll enjoy..

Its not an inferioriry situation where I feel I'm too good for commercialized albums.. I just tend to get the sense that a lot of them are slapped together really fast "people are forgetting you, so you have X months to write another album" and then it goes to some producer 'ehh these are all good but theres no hit here' blah blah etc

though I dont know what I'm talking about..

As far as my music? I'm never pleased with it.. thus why I rarely/never finish any songs on my own..

I have tons and tons of ~1/8 to 1/2 completed songs on my hard drive. I just get to a point and either cant figure out where to go from there or realize I can do better, abandon, and start another... repeat process.

[VitaminD]

I tend to think that most band's first albums are the best for one simple fact.

Before the release a CD they have about 10 or so years to write material. Most contracts stipulate that a second album should be written in no less than a year (perhaps less in some cases). Usually if a band lasts 3 or 4 albums I think that some of their later work can be as good as their early work, because they have had time to get used to that workflow/create real music (and not just the next big hit to keep them on the positive side of their advance)

bingo!

[BONES]

I own between 700 and 800 CD's and I would have to say that more than half of them are dud-free. Sure, I have favourite tracks but I could count on the fingers of my hands how many albums contain tracks that I would skip when playing. OTOH, I could easily list 100 albums where every track is good. Here is a start [just one album from each artist, one artist for each letter of the alphabet]:
The Associates - The Affectionate Punch
Buzzcocks - Another Music in a Different Kitchen
The Cure - Pornography
Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here
Fischer Z - Word Salad
Gang of Four - Shrinkwrapped
Human League - Reproduction
Icon of Coil - The Soul is in the Software
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Killing Joke - Killing Joke
Luxuria - Beast Box
Magazine - Real Life
New Model Army - Thunder and Consolation
Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party
Public Image Ltd - album
Riptides - Resurface
Stranglers - Rattus Norvegicus
Talk Talk - It's My Life
Ultravox - Systems of Romance
Vibrators - V2
Wall of Voodoo - Dark Continent
XTC - White Music
Yello - Stella
Zero Defects - Non Recyclable

And that's just going through my Rock stuff [off the top of my head], except for Icon of Coil and Zero Defects - the only artists I own for those letters, leaving out the Goth and Industrial collections. I don't own any "Q" albums.

[Squonk]

Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo

Oooh, I love that album. Haven't played it in years.

I always find when I buy an album that I tend to buy it for one or two songs that I like, and that I skip the rest, but as time goes on I tend to get bored of the songs I like and listen to the others which then become favourites. It's almost like I like all of the album at different times, but never the whole album at one time... uh, I think.

[BONES]

I tend to think that most band's first albums are the best for one simple fact.
Before the release a CD they have about 10 or so years to write material. Most contracts stipulate that a second album should be written in no less than a year (perhaps less in some cases). Usually if a band lasts 3 or 4 albums I think that some of their later work can be as good as their early work, because they have had time to get used to that workflow/create real music (and not just the next big hit to keep them on the positive side of their advance)

For us, we only used about half of the possible tracks from our 8 years of gestation so most of the rest are going onto the next one. We deliberately didn't use the ten best, instead opting for a better flow from track to track. Given the improvement in our production technique and teh couple of newer songs, I expect the new album to be even better than the first.
I can also think of plenty of bands who take an album or two to get going. Cabaret Voltaire is one that comes to mind.