Whatever Happened to Interludes?

It’s been a long while since I've posted, but something has' been bothering me that I'd love to share. So the other day, I began listening to some early 90s music, and watching some old videos on YouTube. This inspired me so much that I went on Amazon.ca and ordered 112's debut CD. The anticipation for the arrival of the CD was almost too much to bear, but the CD eventually came in the mail and I was excited!! As I’m going through the song list on the back, it struck me that this CD has something that my newer CDs lack: INTERLUDES!!!

These mini-songs as I like to call them were a smooth segway into full length songs. I remember hearing a 112 interlude off their Part III album that I didn't want to end!! CDs of back in the day had intros, outros and everything in between. You got 20 solid good songs, to get that now, you’d have to combine two CDs.

CDs of today, R&B mainly, have become shorter and shorter. But it seems that everything of today is becoming shorter and more compact. Anything that can be done in the shortest frame of time is what wins. It seems that music is reflecting this trend. CDs with less than 15 songs, and no interludes to boot are what is in, prime example, Ne-Yo's latest CD, Year of the Gentleman, total of 12 songs. Lloyd, Lessons in Love, total song count: 12, also. Keisha Cole, Just Like You, song total: 15. I'm not advocating that I listen to every single R&B CD that comes out, and none have any interludes. I'm saying for the ones I do listen to and for the artist that I do love, I feel like I'm being cheated out. Back then when all I could afford was to buy the tape, I got my money’s worth. Today I get get a ten song CD for $20, I'm paying $2 a song, to me that’s deff no steal of a deal!

So why is it that the CDs of today, interludes are no longer included? Have artist just gotten lazy? Or are they taking up to much studio time and have to cut back on cost, thus they've decided to cut out my beloved mini songs? Whatever the reason, I just hope they bring them back!