(I'm also working a brief little paper on function and design. This idea is sort of an aside to that paper.)
It seems ridiculous for bands to have to find names for CDs and tracks. It is assumed that the meaning of the song is not dependent on the track name. Musicians shouldn't have to take on additional responsibilities beyond Additionally, it seems ridiculous for listeners to have to remember track names in addition to album names. Ridiculous.
For this band, their first CD should be named "A." Their next CD should be named "B." So on, and so forth, until the twenty-sixth album is named "Z." Then, their twenty-seventh album should be "AA."
On each CD, each track should be named numerically, with a placeholder "0" for the first nine tracks.
For example, the band's second CD would have this tracklisting:
Ellipsis. B.
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
If the band hits it big and has a huge discography, the time saved using this scheme could be enormous. We all know this scenario:
Me:
"I love Norwegian Wood. Amazing song. Sounds almost Indian, like Ravi Shankar or something."
Random person who doesn't know the Beatles very well:
"Oh. Hrm. Isn't that a Beatles song?"
Random person has absolutely NO IDEA where to find Norwegian Wood. He or she probably has no idea that its on Rubber Soul. Now say that the Beatles had used my numerical system:
Me:
"I love F02. Amazing song. Sounds almost Indian, like Ravi Shankar or something."
Random Person:
"Oh. Hrm. Isn't that a Beatles song?"
But now, Random person knows what CD the song is on, and also where exactly on the CD it is on. He doesn't have to remember that Norwegian Wood is the second track on Rubber soul. More functional information is conveyed through communication than before.
Here are a couple of quick drafts of the cover and back of the first album for a band called Ellipsis. Helvetica Neue (Neue Die Neue Haas Grotesk! A post about this to come.) is used for the both cover and back, at 36 pt for the first line, 120 for the cover's second line, and 60 for the back's second line. More to come.
1 comment:
I think your argument for functionalism barely obscures the elitism of it.
It requires that people listen to music by album.
You: I like The Beatles's F02.
Someone Else: When did that come out again?
Y: 1965.
SE: I don't quite remember the song... uh, what did it sound like?
Y: *gets frustrated* Here, let me just play it for you!
I think it'd be more effective if you had just said the song name, because song names are often connected to the chorus of the song, in which case the other person would've been able to recall it pretty quickly.
I often opt to just hum/sing a line and if they don't know it, I'm reasonably sure they have no idea of the song I'm talking about.
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