BLASPHEMY? Changing the track order to suit your own tastes

[hank]

Being such a newbie to this whole SR experience, I found having to acquaint myself with so much new stuff at once was kinda hard. Until, that is, I realized what could make me want to listen to the classics even more often: optimizing the track orders according to my own perversions.
You know, pushing some of my fave songs forward all the while making sure a certain other kind of album flow remained. That's a whole science onto itself, for sure.

You need proof? For instance with SS, a song like Kyogenshou felt - for me - like just a tad too ordinary to kick off such a classic. Also, I just couldn't make myself wait until mid-album for such a jaw-dropping sequence as Yame - Identity - Tsumi - Stoicism... so that's what I decided to begin my SS with.

Just try it -- the album feels EVEN better:
1. yame
2. identity
3. tsumi
4. stoicism
5. gips
6. honnou
7. kyogenshou
8. yokushitsu
9. benkai
10. sakana
11. tsuki
12. byoshou
13. izonshou


Next I felt I needed to work a bit on (gulp, dare I even suggest it) KSK because of a certain personal problem. You see, I had a hard time accepting that right after a brilliant, slightly radioheadesque opener the second song would sound even more like Radiohead. Not the ideal way to start a supposedly revolutionary and totally idiosyncratic masterpiece, in my book. Plus I definitely wanted to hear Torikoshikurou earlier.

So here's how I feel even more excited about it all:
1. shuukyou
2. meisai
3. torikoshi
4. okonomide
5. ishiki
6. poltergeist
7. kuki
8. doppelganger
9. odaijini
10. yattsuke
11. souretsu


And finally, you know what helped me realize that the underrated SG was actually on a par with those universally accepted classics? Yes, switching the track order.
While I do like a whole lot of hiphop, I'd prefer if a SR album didn't start with rapping -- especially if there was a natural-born behemoth of an album-opener like Mayakashi just waiting to be granted that privilege. Just listen to that intro! I also wanted to push the highly satisfying pair of Karisome - Tsugou forward a bit (as Karisome was NOT a tired old song for myself):

1. mayakashi
2. karisome
3. tsugou
4. 0 chiten
5. hayari
6. roudousha
7. mittei
8. shun
9. togatta
10. irokoizata
11. bonsai
12. yokyou
13. marusadi


So there you have it. Feel free to thrash my scientific experiments but hopefully not without actually trying out the results for yourself. Even at worst, you could still experience a mildly amusing, fresh new angle to your favourite albums...

[justriiingo]

Glad you found something that worked for you. Seems like you've put the catchiest tunes in the beginning of the list. Though I don't know why you would want to keep listening to rest of SG after mayakashi...

Anyway.

[ShadyNook]

its no more blasphemous than making your own mix tape.

the symmetry thing, i dont give any regard to it. if a song's original title didnt fit into symmetry, Ringo or someone in the band could just change the song title off the top of their head. its merely a design aesthetic.

[so_cold]

Nooo, these albums are sacred rituals. You can't change the order. Akane is meant to break the rock mood the first four songs of MM put you into, and you're just not listening to the album if you don't instinctively flinch for the volume down button when Koko de Kiss Shite starts. (But then how else is she meant to sing that first line, she's making rock n roll...) And that's when shuffling MM is a lesser crime than shuffling SS or KZK, because MM is more of this world while SS and KZK are there to take you on a journey.

Plus her putting a male MC at the start of SG is one of the boldest moves on the album.

I don't have them any more following having to do a system restore on my computer, but I had a playlist of demos + Mayonaka + Ringo no Uta: she could have made a modern day Pet Sounds if she put that out as a release. That there's a certain overall emotional "sound" that doesn't make it to the studio era that is all hers.

I also had a best-of the new songs from HF/Expo/AT/SG which I actually enjoyed more than Kyoiku or Adult, but felt like it was wanting for some big tunes (Gamble couldn't count because it's actually an oldie). What is played during the "sports" skit in Electric Mole works as a good "freshening up" playlist, I listen to that and I'm reminded why she is or was my favourite pop musician.

Plus Kyougenshou grows on you!