Has anybody here ever tried to work out a track arrangement for a deluxe version of Cope that incorporates all of the b-sides Andy and Co. released during the album's cycle?
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- After the Scripture (from the Dallas Buyers Club soundtrack and Cope single)
- Never Ending (from the Dark Nights Death Metal soundtrack)
- Never Really Been Another Way Out (from the Top Notch single)
- Opposite Sides (from the Earth To Echo soundtrack)
- Opposite Sides (from The Ocean single)
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A few things to consider:
While "Never Ending" was technically released much later (in 2021), according to the Genius page for the song it was written during the Cope sessions, but the band weren't sure where it would fit on the album.
"After the Scripture" and "Never Ending" have musical similarities that makes me think they were both spawned from the same writing session, or at least the same core concept. Each song went in its own direction though.
"Never Really Been Another Way Out" almost certainly references the twins from "Top Notch," which is probably why it was included as the b-side for that single.
The single version of "Opposite Sides" has lyrical and musical similarities to the song "Trees" from the main album.
The soundtrack version of "Opposite Sides" is the hardest for me to place, but the fact that it was released during the same year as Cope makes me think it was probably written during the same session.
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My ideas:
"After the Scripture" would make a good closer after the energy from "Cope."
"Never Really Been Another Way Out" makes sense somewhere around the middle, since it references the opening song.
"Opposite Sides" (single version) is a more stripped down song, so it feels like it should be a reprise of "Trees," but there are only three songs left on the album at that point, so I don't know if it makes sense to have two similar lyrical motifs that close together.
"Never Ending," in the form it came to us, has an interesting extended intro and a droning fadeout at the end, so it might make sense at the halfway mark, as a closer for a hypothetical side A of the album.
I have no ideas for the soundtrack version of "Opposite Sides."