Bruce Dickinson

That's interesting that side B continues with track 7 instead of starting over with 1 or in some cases, the tracks aren't numbered at all. I've never seen side B continue the numbers like that though.

I suspect it might be because by 1997 the main format was CD's and they've just copied the track listing from that.

What's intersting to note is that the cassette is the same running order as the CD, I believe the LP has a different running order, Omega I think is earlier on the album on the LP.
 
I believe the LP has a different running order, Omega I think is earlier on the album on the LP.
As an owner of the LP, I can confirm this. Here’s the tracklist:

SIDE A:
1. Freak
2. Toltec 7 Arrival
3. Starchildren
4. Taking The Queen

SIDE B:
1. Darkside Of Aquarius
2. Omega

SIDE C:
1. Man Of Sorrows
2. Accident Of Birth
3. The Magician

SIDE D:
1. Welcome To The Pit
2. Road To Hell
3. Arc Of Space

It’s a dumb decision, even though I understand why they’d put the two longest tracks on one side. Doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the album much though, luckily.

I have the new double LP version from the Soloworks box, and if I recall Metal Archives correctly, the swap was also present in the original ‘97 vinyl pressing, but it was a single record then.
 
A side of vinyl can originally store roughly a bit over 20 minutes (apparently increased to a bit under 30 under certain conditions). AOB is sequenced the way it is to retain maximum sound quality, where every side clocks in around 12 minutes. The further in you go (aka the longer each side is) to the middle, the less space is there to store the information, the more distortion occurs when it plays back (also known as IGD, inner groove distortion). IGD can be reduced until it's pretty much inaudible by using a pickup with good tracking ability as well as most importantly, very carefully align the pickup correctly to maintain the highest possible level of correct reproduction of the grooves.
 
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Yeah I'm just wondering why the cassette kept the CD running order, since the LP's is balanced for two sides of 6 tracks
 
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