Music Fade, Still Used? Options

[KRAN]

I was just listening to the radio. Doors song had a fade at the end (I don't know what song it was). I'm talking like a full obvious fade of the music and the vocals, not just a fade out of the last chord in a song. AB used one in on the most recent record (coming out January 10th). I hadn't thought of it much before that, but it seems to be something that is not used too often anymore. Or maybe I just don't notice it...is it cliche?...it seemed a little weird when we used it in the studio, but overall it felt right.

[swid]

I was just listening to the radio. Doors song had a fade at the end (I don't know what song it was). I'm talking like a full obvious fade of the music and the vocals, not just a fade out of the last chord in a song. AB used one in on the most recent record (coming out January 10th). I hadn't thought of it much before that, but it seems to be something that is not used too often anymore. Or maybe I just don't notice it...is it cliche?...it seemed a little weird when we used it in the studio, but overall it felt right.

I think a lot of people consider it a cliche or a copout these days, so it's fallen out of favor, by and large. Another thing to consider is I imagine there are technical difficulties with using super bricked mastering of a faded track (not sure about that, though).

[KRAN]

I think a lot of people consider it a cliche or a copout these days, so it's fallen out of favor, by and large. Another thing to consider is I imagine there are technical difficulties with using super bricked mastering of a faded track (not sure about that, though).

HA! That's sort of how I felt...like a cop out. Like "Can't we write a fucking ending to the song"...but then after I heard the fade, I realized it actually fits and was better than the ending we had. Also, the fact that we were in the studio and had the luxury of the fade was nice to take advantage of, since I feel like being in the studio is a good time to do things you may not normally consider. Fortunately, we have an actual ending that we can play live.

Anyways, I love the fade-in in the song "Don't Step on the Grass, Sam" by Steppenwolf.

[sellmememories]

Still cool in my book...as well as crossfading between tracks.

[swid]

Still cool in my book...as well as crossfading between tracks.

Tough to get away with that in the mp3 age, though.

[The Undude]

radio statiosn rarely play the fades through... but a fade can be a good way to end.

[DeadManShake]

And I feel like it is good to use when the song's a little jammy anyway, like rather than cutting it at the 3 minute mark, you selected the best section of a twenty minute jam and fade out gracefully. Thinking Stones type records here, where eveybody's playing their ass off but not making you sit through a half hour guitar workout either.

Although even as I write that I'm thinking of how aweseome the end of that Wilco song is where the mic is open all the way up until they close the top of the piano and walk out of the room.

This post has been edited by DeadManShake: Dec 17 2008, 04:26 PM

[TEX]

check it out:

http://www.thenoiseboard.com/index.php?showtopic=197504

[KRAN]

radio statiosn rarely play the fades through... but a fade can be a good way to end.

Good point, and I was thinking that, but it really seems like the whole fade thing got lost in the last couple of decades, regardless. Radio stations barely play beginning and ends of songs. I've just been listening to WZLX at work (because they are the only radio station at work that doesn't play X-mas songs), and a lot of the classics I have noticed have the fade.

check it out:

http://www.thenoiseboard.com/index.php?showtopic=197504

Cool. Never saw this last month.

I actually attempted to get them to buy the 'fake' ending on the record, where it fades out then back in, but they were not buying it. In hindsight, good move.

[Rock Knight]

I like when songs fade all but one of the instruments, and then end.

[drumdad]

On some of our stuff we try to do live fade-outs. When it works, its really cool.

[not a lefty]

I forget what song it is, but The Clash did a complete fade out and then came back into the song, and ended it there. Everything except a center guitar track fades slowly out, and then slowly back in. Maybe "police and thieves". i like it. i'm looking for it now...

[compare]

And I feel like it is good to use when the song's a little jammy anyway, like rather than cutting it at the 3 minute mark, you selected the best section of a twenty minute jam and fade out gracefully. Thinking Stones type records here, where eveybody's playing their ass off but not making you sit through a half hour guitar workout either.

Yeah--I love songs where the band is just rockin' out toward the end, full-throttle, and it sounds as if they're riding off into the distance. Certainly doesn't sound like a cop-out to me. Doesn't work on every song, but when it works, it works. And there are even some songs that end properly which I think would've sounded better with a fade. I think it's pointless to avoid a fade-out, if it's what sounds good for the song.

Nowadays, it seems there's the opposite trend--a lot of songs where the music just stops abruptly, or the band sort of falls apart at the end, and you hear laughter or studio chatter from band members or something like that.

[niffrotite]

I forget what song it is, but The Clash did a complete fade out and then came back into the song, and ended it there. Everything except a center guitar track fades slowly out, and then slowly back in. Maybe "police and thieves". i like it. i'm looking for it now...

love this. I can't think of the song you're talking about but I've heard that on a few things, fade while one instrument keeps going & then fade all of them back in. It's really cool with a good guitar riff or a killer drum beat.

[DeadManShake]

Doesn't Safe European Home have something like that?

[DeadManShake]

Yeah everything fades out around the 3:00 mark but a stabbing reggae guitar and vocal, then the drums and the rest of the band comes back in for like the last 15 seconds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_6UTZb-_vI

Always thought that was a neat little trick, works for this song anyway.

This post has been edited by DeadManShake: Dec 19 2008, 12:03 PM

[TEX]

Well, that's a creative, written fade ... which are usually pretty cool.

I just hate songs that fade due to no real ending.

[SeamusOShite]

Black Market Medallions did a fade in on Bad Night Out on Scene Of The Crime 2.
I don't know if Cauztik redid the fade in when Stray Bullets redid the song later.

[Mister Shhh]

Third track on Dead To Me's Cuban Ballerina fades out.

This post has been edited by Mister Shhh: Dec 19 2008, 02:16 PM

[teenbillybaby]

On some of our stuff we try to do live fade-outs. When it works, its really cool.

Fade outs are ok with me. Stones albums are full of 'em.

A live fadeout is fun.