FAC FAQ

Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions, additions and corrections.

Who is this FAQ for?

For those that are wondering what this is or for those that have dabbled in FAC but were not aware it was a thing.

What is a fantasy album construction (FAC)?

FACs are simulations of lost, unreleased or imagined albums using available recordings that have been officially or unofficialy released. The results of this are new albums that allow us to imagine what might have been, could have been or in the opinion of the constructor, should have been.

Why make FACs?

Mostly for fun. While I cannot speak for others, for me each project is different. Sometimes it's to see how an album might have sounded had it been released in it's intended form, other times it's to rescue a group of related songs that may be scattered across many different albums whether they were placed on another album or included as bonus tracks or box sets.

What are the different types of FACs?

[I based these category names on the names given to the different types of film fan edits]

Album Fix: An album fix consists of trying to make an album better by replacing one or more songs on the album using either alternate versions or entirely different songs that may have been recorded at the time of the album but did not make it to the final version. Sometimes these tracks are used as B sides to singles or show up as bonus tracks on a remastered edition of an album.

Sometimes albums are changed at the last minute before being pressed. Other times an artist intended an album to be a double album and the record company insisted on cutting the album down to a single disc.

Lost Album: A lost album is an album that was almost released but at the last minute wasn't. These can include albums pulled by the  artist or the label. Examples would be Neil Young's Homegrown or 1982 by The Small Faces.

Extended/Bonus Tracks: Sometimes an artist or label never get around to releasing deluxe versions of albums. In these cases fans will gather as much material related to an album and put together their own deluxe version.

Alternate Timeline: Alternate timelines usually consist of changing one or more things about an artists career and seeing how that would change the shape or content of that artist's output. Usually initiated by a simple question such as "What if The Beatles never broke up?" or "What if Syd Barrett was not fired from Pink Floyd?".

Discography Fix: Some artists have very little control over their albums and as a result the label makes some very questionable decisions that affect how the artist's albums are presented. This could be a mish-mash of tracks from different sessions or in the case of early 60s groups where overseas versions of their albums differed from their original versions released at home.

Mix Tape: Mix tapes date back to at least the late 70s, most likely earlier. A mix tape is a collection of songs gathered around a central theme or mood such as songs you listened to in high school or songs for when you work out.

How do you make your constuctions?

There are many tools available. Some constructors choose to make simple playlists either on their own computers or on sites like Spotify. Some gather the tracks together and zip them up after doing some fixing of the tags. Still others go all the way and edit tracks to create a unique package. Most will also create a backstory and cover art to complete the illusion of an official release. I've addressed my own process both here and on my other blog.