When I was working in Smash Compact Disc on St. Mark's Place, Gary the owner would man the stereo system the entire time he was present. For six hours of your 12 hour shift, you were at the mercy of his musical taste. Sometimes this meant listening to the same CD over and over and over again because he was trying to sell it. That wasn't too bad, if you liked the CD. But the week he ordered 30 copies of a 2 CD Jonathan King compilation because he assumed everyone loved "Everyone's Gone To The Moon" and "Johnny Reggae" as much as he did, was absolute torture.
He also liked to play Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" record quite often, and every single time, would skip "Cecilia," because he hated it. "It ruins the album!" I happen to love "Cecilia" and think there are at least three others off that album worth skipping.
Which brings me to today's question?
What record do you love, save for one speed bump?
I thought about this after the comments about R.E.M. on yesterday's post.
"Automatic For The People" is my second favorite after "Life's Rich Pageant." But I think "Everybody Hurts" is god awful. As a matter of fact, it would rank very high on my list of worst songs by anybody. What others find powerful and emotional, to my ears sounds like the exact opposite. Michael Stipe is not a soul singer and he proves it in spades on this track. He's emoting and it hurts.
Aside from that speed bump, "Automatic For The People' is pretty damn great.
70 comments:
Although I do not listen to Synchronicity by The Police often, I almost always skip Mother.
The Velvet Underground - S/t plays as a superb folk-rock album with The Murder Mystery removed.
Roxy Music's Country Life is better as an EP, skipping Bitter-Sweet, Triptych, and Casanova.
XTC - English Settlement plays just fine without Leisure, but what I'd really like to do is what producer Hugh Padgham should have done: edit Melt The Guns, All Of A Sudden (It's Too Late), Senses Working Overtime, Jason And The Argonauts, and No Thugs In Our House which all drag on and on.
- Paul in DK
Mother is a terrible song and a poor fit with the rest of the album.
- Paul in DK
Purely subjective (and many will disagree): But I never found "Night" anywhere near as good as the other tracks on "Born to Run." A couple of the outtakes that later surfaced are more interesting.
For me it's every Ringo track on the Beatles albums. I bought those albums on the day they came out I'm 75. When I got home to find they had given space to a second rate singer when they could have given us another Lennon-McCartney song made me mad. When I got cds it was so nice to skip those tracks. He may be a fun guy but I felt it was wrong.
I d love "What Goes On."
There are the obvious ones: "Revolution 9", "The Day We Fall In Love" on More of the Monkees, etc, but I'll go with the last track on the Bangles' All Over the Place: "More Than Meets The Eye". Yes, it's supposed to be a showcase of their vocals, but after a stellar set of harmony-laden garage-influence power pop, this dirge closes the album in an awful way.
Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle.
"Wild Billy's Circus Song"
A very good track but it just doesn't fit in with the feel of the rest of the album. Sounds more like a track meant for the first album.
Captain Al
What, no "Yellow Submarine"?
Captain Al
I always thought "Yellow Submarine" was a throwaway on a brilliant album. But John & Paul sound like they are having so much fun, it made me love the song.
David Bowie has two that really stick out for me. First up is "Fill Your Heart" on "Hunky Dory". And then on "Ziggy Stardust" he goes and includes "It Ain't Easy". What are those two doing there?
Am I the only one in the world who has always loved and been fascinated by "Revolution 9"?
I agree, re: "It Ain't Easy." But I am more baffled by how many people covered that song. It's not that good!
It's always amused me that Bowie and Tiny Tim have it in common!
Agreed about Leisure
Too many to list; but the first one to come to mind is.... Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, from Blonde on Blonde. It sounds like it was recorded at the wrong speed, like one of my old cassettes when it was time to throw them away. And it is, what, 2 hours long? Although it seems longer.
Haha. Good thing about "Sad Eyed Lady" is that it's not in the middle of a side. If you're playing the vinyl, you can just ignore that side.
Man on the Corner from Abacab
The Wrong Child from Out of Time
“Octopus’ Garden”, anyone? Although the production is so brilliant….😎
On an early Blonde on Blonde CD release, Sad Eyed Lady was edited. And that pissed me off...
The Overload off Reman in Light is one for me. Luckily, it’s at the end of an otherwise excellent album.
Re: The Beatles
I almost always take off "Help" and "Rubber Soul" before "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" & "Run For Your Life" play.
Sweet Black Angel on Exile.
Palakaloo "Am I the only one in the world who has always loved and been fascinated by 'Revolution 9'?"
Yes you are. :-)
I love More Than Meets The Eye.
When we were kids, my brother and I hated the instrumentals on (the US version) of Help! Now I never skip them.
I might skip Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands, though.
revelation...side long jam throwaway on loves 2nd LP da capo..more's the pity as side one is as good as anything they ever did
cheers
"Roxanne" on 'Outlandos d'Amour' TCK
I agree with Mother on Synchronicity although I do find it interesting in the way that Revolution 9 is interesting but kills the flow. Along the same lines as Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, I find Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts on Blood on the Tracks tedious. If it was half as long it would probably be ok. BAD on This is Big Audio Dynamite I would drop. I don't hate it but Great Escape always felt like a speed bump on Ridiculous by Squeeze to me. Sweet Black Angel, Man on the Corner, and Octopus's Garden I would leave right where they are!
Never was a fan of "I'm A Cadillac/El Comino Dolo Roso" from the otherwise great "Mott" L.P.
"Fill Your Heart" was the B side to "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" so zillions of people heard it by Tiny Tim well before Bowie released "Hunky Dory". It must have seemed a weird choice way back then.
"Exile" is perfect to me. The rare double album I don't feel the need to edit. And "Sweet Black Angel" is a Top 5.
At least get rid of the "El Camino" half.
What's wrong with Jonathan King?
There's nothing wrong with Jonathan King. For 10cc & Genesis alone, he is a legend. But from a retail POV, it was a mistake. And no one needs to hear a novelty tune by anybody, more than once a day.
I love the Ringo songs, and George's guitar solo on Octopus' Garden's one of my fave guitar solos, period. But then, I also like Within You Without You and Revolution #9, which even many Beatles fans eschew. But I never, ever liked The Long And Winding Road, so it's not like them boys was perfect.
C in California
Ha! I read this comment after replying to the previous comment, so, NO, Shriner, you are NOT the only one who digs Revolution #9!
C in California
I looooove Long John Baldry's version from his same-titled album, which is one of my all-time favorite albums! But!!! It has a stinker on it, to answer your query of the day, in Mr. Rubin. So, there's some kismet going on here!
C in California
You guys are KILLIN' ME!!!! (see above reply to comment)
C in California
What's wrong with Jonathan King? You mean, ASIDE from sexually abusing teenagers? (Though in fairness, I think his trial and conviction came after the time Sal was working at Smash, so that wouldn't have been the reason for customers' lack of interest.)
I loved Revolution 9 when I was 13. These days, not so much. It's still better than Wild Honey Pie, though - that's one I will always skip.
I'm sure I've mentioned it here before (as have others), but Mind Gardens nearly ruins the Byrds' Younger Than Yesterday.
Nothing wrong with Everyone’s Gone To The Moon, but if I had to hear that over and over, I’ll take the Bobby Womack version on his Minit record My Prescription!!! Because BOB has always been my favorite Bob record, Sad Eyed Lady is a favorite. If I’m not in the mood then I don’t turn that record over.
Comparing the mono & stereo mixes of "Revolution 9" is a fun exercise. "The Day We Fall In Love" should be listed in the Geneva Convention.
Hats Off To (Roy) Harper from Led Zeppelin III. I've warmed up to it a little over the years, but I wish they would have chosen one of the other blues tracks that have surfaced from those sessions.
Randy
Wasn't The Wrong Child on Green?
I assume with Jonathan F King... nothing. With the other Jonathan King, apart from being a convicted child sex predator...
Do anything you wanna do on the Hot Rods' Life on the line LP which ruins an otherwise great power pop/pub rock album.
J from Europe.
down vote me to hell, but Sloop John B from Pet Sounds just sticks out like a sore thumb, and not in a good way.
I was unaware of Jonathan King 's sexual abuse conviction.
Oh god yeah. What the fuck was Crosby thinking with that piece of dreck?
On the Run from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon does nothing for me. I don’t skip it since all the songs lead directly into each other, but I don’t enjoy it.
Over here in the UK he's viewed as a very problematic, dodgy individual.
'Jamaica Jerk Off' from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road for me.
And it may be sacrilege to some, but I cannot stand 'E-Bow the Letter' from REM's otherwise excellent New Adventures in Hi-Fi.
Yes, sorry, Green is correct
When I listen to Physical Graffiti, i do so in one of three ways: Disc One, Disc Two or the whole album. When it's the first, I always skip "In My Time of Dying." When I listen to it the second way, it's "Black Country Woman" and the third way I'm simply tired of it all and dump "Sick Again." Weird, I guess...
Agree with Jamaica Jerk Off but I also have to ditch Sweet Painted Ladies, which is just too stupid today.
Johathan King’s version for ‘It only takes a minute’ it’s great stuff. Better than the original.
Roy
55 comments and counting! We have a winner in audience participation today!
Righteous comment.
I can respect your take. But I was obsessed with it because I would play the song over and over (no lyric sheet in my cd/cassette) trying to make out the final mumbled words. It was a revelation when I finally found out he was singing "All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop." Awesome and an unintended easter egg to his greatest album!
I like the song, but at times it has tried my patience. Bombshelter Slim: ha! That's like the old joke about two little old ladies who hated their meal at a restaurant. "The food was terrible!" "And the portions were so small!"
You're in good company w Sloop John B, but I've never questioned it until everyone here took it for granted as sticking out like a sore thumb. Guess I'm just a sucker for a sing-along.
Very fun comments. But I'm a stickler. I just never edit albums or listen to just one side or just side three, not even if I plan to go back and listen to sides one and two and four. Synchronicity includes "Mother" so I just listen to "Mother" when it comes up. No fast forwarding, no skipping. If I want to skip multiple songs, I simply don't want to play the album. To me it would be like reading part of a novel or skipping chapters. Either I'll listen/watch/read what they made or I won't. The only example that springs to mind is a movie: I like Saving Private Ryan but I hate the modern day bookends. They're a cheat, tricking us into thinking we know who lives and who dies AND they're badly staged, baldly written and unnecessarily tell us what we already know. The movie would be infinitely better if those were just cut off. But if I watch it, I watch it. Maybe it has to do with not making mix tapes as a kid or mostly buying albums on CD where you didn't need to flip the disc and consider, "do I really want to listen to side two?" Or I'm too timid to question the artist. It's their choice and I live with it.
Maybe part of the answer is technology. In my day (such a lovely phrase) I would not dream of touching the tone arm on my record player. I might scratch the lp. So I listened to Ringo. When I got the cds and a remote control it was goodbye. (I also used to get up to turn the cd over! for a while.)
"(I also used to get up to turn the cd over! for a while.)" Hahahaha! That's awesome.
The King of all pieces of crap, Revolution 9….always was and always will be vomitous.
AL
From the “Pep in the Cat Live at Wetson’s” album….the song that goes “beep dot dot ba doom ba dot”…..skipper……sorry memory is a commodity these days so that’s the best ID I can muster.
AL
Funny, I just listed to "Automatic for the People", which could, on some days, be described as my favorite album ever. I just think it's one of the most beautiful set of songs ever collected. But I ALSO have a problematic relationship with "Everybody Hurts"- I disagree that it's awful. It's uncomfortable to listen to because of its earnestness and naked emotion. And 98 times out of 100 I don't wanna hear this one when I listen to the album. But EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE it's EXACTLY the song I need. So I defend its existence. It was also a smash hit. So there's that. But I generally agree that it's the speed bump for me
Country Honk off of Let it Bleed. Every other song on this album is top notch. This one....meh.
I'd take "Honk" over "Midnight Rambler."
Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief was released in 2003 with 14 tracks and a runtime of 57 mins. In 2008, Thom Yorke suggested an alternative album consisting of 10 of the 14 tracks resequenced for better flow. Revised runtime of 39 mins.
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/radiohead-hail-to-the-thief-thom-yorke-edit/pl.u-EdAVaNWIjeX4k
Sometimes even the artist knows they can create an improved listening experience. :)
Wow, J! Do Anything You Wanna Do is (for me) a power pop classic. Lyrically it meant a lot to me when I was a teenager. Decades later, it still gives me chills. Do you find it to be overdone, with the layers of jangling guitars and the handclaps and the earnestness of it all?
Post a Comment