Hi folks Martin from London delurking. Forgive me if I'm repeating what others have said, I've just skimmed though the latest digest (583).
It was fun the first time I came across a hidden track on a CD, but it's a bit old-hat these days, I think. And you know when there is one coming, as the CD counter is still going. I'm a mastering engineer, and I worked out on my hard-disc editor a while back, how to write a CD-R so that there is a hidden track at the beginning of a CD. (i.e. If you scan BACKWARDS from the start of the first track, you find another track before it). However, this definitely does not conform to the official specification, so I can't get such a master through the manufacturing process. Pity. That would be really hidden, as you could only come across the track by complete accident, and there is nothing telling you something's up on the CD player display. Lama said - > One thing I like about vinyl is that > some bands let you take a breath between tracks, as if..... (dare I say it?) > as if there were human beings actually creating music in a room instead of > sounds being extruded from a machine as "tracks". Actually, there isn't any reason why you can't have any gap you like between tracks on a CD. On classical recordings they will very often leave very long gaps between movements or different pieces on the CD. When I'm mastering, I pay attention to the pauses, as it can make a great difference to the feel of an album. If two consecutive songs are very different in mood, say slow ballad going into up tempo workout, you can put in a long pause to allow time for the listener to relax a moment, or a very short pause can be a 'wake-up call' and kick-start the album again. My copy of 'Blue' (the Gold Disc CD), has a very long pause between the title track and California. If memory serves me right, this was where the side break was on the original vinyl album. I love this pause on the CD though, as Blue is such a sweet, sad tune, I need the 10 seconds or so to be able to be ready for California. Another similar example is on Yes' 'Close To The Edge' album. There is a long pause between 'To Be Over' and 'Siberian Khatru',which lets me sigh at the delicious delicacy of the end of the first track before the snap-to-attention of the guitar that starts the second. The recieved wisdom these days is that if your music is louder than everyone elses, then people will like yours more. Witness the blasting compression slapped onto every pop radio station. Apparently if you are channel hopping on your radio, you will stop on the station that is loudest, rather than on the one that is playing something you like. (Similarly, if an advertising voice-over is SHOUTING at you, you will be more likely to buy the product.) Not the way it works for me, nevertheless, that's how the stations see it. Another little gem from the same stable of thought is that if you put a long a pause between two tracks on a CD, the listener will take it out and put on another one. (As if the listener isn't capable of doing that during a song.) While I'm having a rant, how about this?.. My attention span on any one album is usually about 50 minutes or so. CDs can contain nearly 80 minutes of music. Most CD albums these days are at least 70 minutes, but quite often contain a good many 'filler' tracks. I'd prefer it (and I'm sure the artists would too), if they just included the good tracks, and if that meant you end up eith a 45 minute album, all well and good. So. What I want for Christmas is.... Shorter albums, longer pauses, and no more 'hidden' tracks please! Martin. > > Bob Muller asked, > >>What do y'all think: Hidden tracks, thumbs up or down?
