(You probably need to read my comment along with the one I had just left on the Efterklang album. I forget that the same person doesn’t necessarily read and respond to the comments in the same order I write them, especially as the reviews on here aren’t all written by the same person.)

About the forward thing - as you say, this was probably just an afterthought, so there must still be a set of songs which were originally written and designed to play forwards, and if they were in fact any good, I’d like to hear them. I’m not sure I’ll be interested in hearing the record backwards more than once or twice (do you intend to keep listening to it that way?), but I will give it a go, and I’d love to be convinced that this is something other than a silly gimmick.

As for influencing others, I await with interest for the first album released sideways.

I should say, I did not come about the decision of the number rating lightly. In fact, I almost didn’t give this one a number rating, since I really just wanted the review to speak for itself. I certainly realize that my assessment of the album does not seem to be the popular one - and I can definitely see how one could come about the opinion that this was simply a naive and stupid mistake. I still stand by my review, and the rating. Additionally, I don’t think there’s much inflation to my ratings - check my other posts for this.

Regarding whether I have played the album “forwards”; yes, I have heard a couple of the tracks that way. However, it’s really not something I’m all that interested in. As I see it, there was an artistic intention in releasing the album backwards, and I really don’t feel a pull to “correct” that. I would say that, part of the fun of the album, is to not do that. I you would like to hear it that way, however, there are plenty of programs which can re-reverse the album for you, or you can always search for the tracks in their original form.

Thank you for taking the time to read / comment, and thanks for enjoying the site!

~David