Does a track's placement on vinyl matter to you?

Thomas D and Jack Thomas · Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:42 am

I'm just curious how relevant track placement is for vinyl these days. With the vinyl medium slowly losing its grip, its it still relevant for you?

For instance, when you shop for vinyl do you generally listen to all tracks on the record or do you just listen to the A1/B1 and skip if nothing gets you going?

There are some records which have amazing B2 tracks but rarely see play. I think it could be due to a number of reasons, such as better choices on the A1-B1 track positions or maybe just cause people don't give it as much attention since it's a "B2." Rarely ever do you see A2 or B2 tracks in top 10 charts.

I hope this mentality doesn't exist anymore but I'm interested in hearing your opinions.

Hegel · Post by **Hegel** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:31 am

i think it's more important on internet - when i listen to records online, i usually follow the tracklist, and i think we all do...In that case the placement is the key, when i hate A1 - A2 or sometimes A1 only, i don't give a chance to the B side. If the first tracks are ugly to me or don't show any interest at all i just skip the record.
For instance when i'm on a neotrance record i don't need more than 2sec to figure out that the guy that made the first track can't be possibly responsible for a track that i would like...When the record is produced by a single person/group of course, a remix on the b side can be a surprise.

Last week i bought online the "Jacula EP" by the Donk Boys, i didn't like very much the A1 in the first place but i found it really interesting and i felt the following tracks deserved to be heard, and i was convinced by the whole work !

In a shop it s often hard to determine wich side is A...In my case i don't give a crap about weither or not it's the A side.

Sneaky · Post by **Sneaky** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:42 am

I think Hegel summed it up pretty good.

sorgenkind · Post by **sorgenkind** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:13 am

when you approach to the center of the disk you loose bootom end definition

Zinthek · Post by **Zinthek** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:12 pm

Playing an a1 is just a lot easier then a2, a3 etc.
Not that I would let this interfere in my choice of tracks.

juhokusti · Post by **juhokusti** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:15 pm

I don´t necessarely understand what the question was but to me the b-sides are of equal importance. A lot of times I´ve bought records that I play the b-side from it not caring about the a-side so much. To me, vinyl isn´t losing it´s importance at all. That´s the only format I play besides a rare friend´s new track on a cdr. yet.

antonio_pt · Post by **antonio_pt** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:31 pm

I definitely care about track placement in a record but mainly relating to audio quality. These days, if a track I like very much is pressed as the second or third track on either of the sides, I prefer buying a .wav file that will keep its quality forever and won't be subject to distortion or loss in sound quality as the track progresses towards its end, instead of going for a vinyl record that will eventually get nicked, scratched or dirty.

As to the classic importance of the A-side track, I don't really care much. I often go for the b-sides anyway

cyhl · Post by **cyhl** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:01 pm

what was the label who recently released a record and advertised it as a "double A side" record... I'd found this pretty funny (in a good way) and smart!!!! wasn't it vakant? maybe the tolga fidan one?