Remove one song from an almost perfect album to make it a perfect album

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"Dreams" from Fleetwood Mac's Rumours

Shouldn't it be "Songbird"? That's the dud one for me.

JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:00 (nineteen years ago) link

automatic for the people minus everybody hurts is quite perfect in my memory, right?

alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:07 (nineteen years ago) link

ehh - i like "sloop john b" there. not every song that sticks out as different on an album is bad - some albums benefit from homogeneity (loveless), but i dont think every album should be like that.

BTW, yknow what another good homogenous album is that ive never seen mentioned here? cass mccombs's A. a friend of mine pointed out that listening to the whole thing makes him feel totally drunk, and i agree.

peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:07 (nineteen years ago) link

"Closed Groove" - the last song from Stiff Little Fingers' Immflammable Material. Get rid of this clunky attempt at new wave-y robot rock and you have a record that absolutely lives up to its name.

Bren, Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:08 (nineteen years ago) link

Nashville Skyline - "Lay Lady Lay"

Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:10 (nineteen years ago) link

Nashville Skyline - "Girl From the North Country"

peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:13 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh, every hair of "Optimistic" straight out of Kid A.

Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:35 (nineteen years ago) link

And no "Go to Sleep" or even "Sail to the Moon" on Hail to the Thief. That album needs strings, as beautiful as it is.

Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:36 (nineteen years ago) link

automatic for the people minus everybody hurts is quite perfect in my memory, right?
I'd rather remove "Man on the Moon" to make that album perfect- my guess is that the removal of Everybody Hurts is only because it was so overplayed at the time. The rest of that album maintains a somber mood, broken up only by "Moon".
When I got my first CD burner (a 2x speed model), I re-burned Automatic to remove Man on the Moon and instead replaced it with New Orleans Intrumental No. 2, the B side from the Man on the Moon single.
==
Also worth removing is just about every skit from albums- it's even worse when the skits are tacked on the beginning or end of the song, ala Lauryn Hill's Miseducation. At least when they are given their own track numbers, they can be skipped on CD players and deleted off Ipods, etc. The first skits I can remember marring an otherwise awesome album? ATCQ's Midnight Marauders- although looking back, that woman's voice is a lot more soothing than most of the skits I've heard since.

mclaugh (mclaugh), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:46 (nineteen years ago) link

hah. let's just get rid of this little bit here that wakes me up just before i totaly fall asleep before the last song fineshes.

danh (danh), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:50 (nineteen years ago) link

"Something The Boy Said"

bahtology, Wednesday, 11 August 2004 21:37 (nineteen years ago) link

This is easy--come on lady, "Kiss That Frog". Sheesh, Pete.

John 2, Thursday, 12 August 2004 02:00 (nineteen years ago) link

re Nashville Skyline: You'd think Johnny Cash and Dylan would have been a little better together, but you're so right, Peter.

I would submit "Within You Without You" from Sgt. Pepper to this unglorious list.

jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 12 August 2004 02:27 (nineteen years ago) link

'We All Fall' from The Stooges' S/T album.

Why do we need a John Cale wank piece in the middle of a rockin' album?

Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 12 August 2004 02:29 (nineteen years ago) link

I was going to cite "We All Fall" too, actually.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 August 2004 02:30 (nineteen years ago) link

Take "Not Me" off of It'll End in Tears by This Mortal Coil and you'd have divine perfection.

I went into greater depth about that here...

In Praise of....It'll End in Tears by This Mortal Coil

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 August 2004 02:32 (nineteen years ago) link

Sloop John B out
Murder Mystery in, After Hours out (no one needs to hear Mo do a Ringo)

wtin, Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:44 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm Your Man by Leonard Cohen - get rid of "Jazz Police"!

Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:46 (nineteen years ago) link

Run My Way Runway - The Boo Radleys from Giant Steps.

This isn't a bad song at all but it's the only song on this stupendous double album that smacks, just ever so faintly, of filler. It was perfect already but removing this song would push it over the top into transcendence, probably.

holojames (holojames), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:13 (nineteen years ago) link

get your hands off my "after hours"! also, keep "murder mystery".

peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:35 (nineteen years ago) link

XTC

White Music - All Along The Watchtower
Go2 - My Weapon
Drums & Wires - That Is The Way
Black Sea - Sgt Rock
English Settlement - Melt The Guns
Mummer - Wonderland
Big Express - Shake You Donkey Up (replace it with Red Brick Dream)
Skylarking - Dear God/Mermaid Smiled
Oranges & Lemons - Pink Thing
Nonsuch - Wardance
Apple Venus - Fruit Nut
Wasp Star - Standing In For Joe

mzui, Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:58 (nineteen years ago) link

"Bruce Lee" off _Beaucoup Fish_ plz

VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 12 August 2004 14:03 (nineteen years ago) link

Go2 - My Weapon

Gah! Blasphemy! I love "My Weapon"!

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:01 (nineteen years ago) link

Alex, have you heard the other two Barry Andrews penned songs that were left off Go 2? I think both are on the box set. They are much, much better. Odd that.

mzui, Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:32 (nineteen years ago) link

"We All Fall" is a great idea. I wish I had left it off when I dubbed the tape I listen to in my car, because I'm always fast-forwarding through it anyway.

morris pavilion (samjeff), Thursday, 12 August 2004 16:02 (nineteen years ago) link

'pitch the baby' from cocteau twins - heaven or las vegas

Mil (Mil), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:09 (nineteen years ago) link

"Poor Boy" (uuuuuuggggggghhhhhh) from Nick Drake's Bryter Layter

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:14 (nineteen years ago) link

The "rap" section from "Shy" on Peter Murphy's Dust

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:15 (nineteen years ago) link

"Spaceboy" from Siamese Dream

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:15 (nineteen years ago) link

Roland from "Turn On the Bright Lights"

jed_ (jed), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:32 (nineteen years ago) link

i Love Spaceboy though.

jed_ (jed), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:32 (nineteen years ago) link

"Fx" -- Vol.4
"The Baby Song" -- Flip Your Wig
"What's Become of the Baby" -- Aoxomoxoa
"We Will Fall" -- The Stooges

Don't know if these deletions would make the record perfect, but I generally hit the skip button when they come up.

Earl Nash (earlnash), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:13 (nineteen years ago) link

respect off ready to die
one time 4 your mind off illmatic

... and i still cant decide which one is better

artiste, Friday, 13 August 2004 00:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I used to hate "Within You, Without You" as well until I heard Jay Farrar sing it.

Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:27 (nineteen years ago) link

"A Shocking Lack Therof" offa dEUS' In a Bar Under the Sea
"In Her Blood" offa the new Converge album (boooooring)

Simon H., Friday, 13 August 2004 00:43 (nineteen years ago) link

("Within You Without You" is the best song on _Sgt Pepper's..._)

VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 13 August 2004 01:01 (nineteen years ago) link

best song on Sgt.Pepper's... is "Lovely Rita", actually.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 14:36 (nineteen years ago) link

The cover of "Kingdom Come" from David Bowie's "Scary Monsters."

I'm pleased that no one has wanted to axe Girlfriend In A Coma yet.

Atnevon (Atnevon), Friday, 13 August 2004 23:22 (nineteen years ago) link

"Girlfriend in a Coma" is brilliant!!!

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 23:35 (nineteen years ago) link

"'We All Fall' from The Stooges' S/T album.
Why do we need a John Cale wank piece in the middle of a rockin' album?"

Heresy! And it's called "We Will Fall." This song is pure evil. Play it at -8 sometime and get back to me.

Also, delete "Old Man" from Love's Forever Changes and make me a happy camper.

Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Saturday, 14 August 2004 01:41 (nineteen years ago) link

Frankly Mr Shankley from The Queen is Dead, the whole album covers Englishness from high drama to low camp. Frankly is just bullying though, and even the insults are well crafted.

Moz slagging other people off = rubbish, Moz slagging himself off = grebt.

Smart He Man Goblin, Saturday, 14 August 2004 03:47 (nineteen years ago) link

murder mystery and jazz police: the best two songs, ever.

RJG (RJG), Saturday, 14 August 2004 03:51 (nineteen years ago) link

("Within You Without You" is the best song on Sgt. Peppers...)

Perhaps to the hundred million folks in India, but I've got my problems with it.

Yes, it's nice thoughts and all
Yes, it's quaisi-authentic musically
But what, just what, does it represent in the Sgt. Pepper context?

Let's just say that when I get to hell that'll be the appropriate log-in music.

jim wentworth (wench), Saturday, 14 August 2004 04:05 (nineteen years ago) link

...and certainly no offense intended, Dan. We just seem to be opposites here, or else you're pulling my fucking leg... :')

jim wentworth (wench), Saturday, 14 August 2004 04:29 (nineteen years ago) link

(Fangirl response! Yet again!)

I really can't stand "Rio". I mean, REALLYREALLYREALLY can't stand "Rio". But the damn album's NAMED Rio and doesn't really work with any other title, so... crap. Maybe if they substituted "Rio Pt. 2", featuring a lengthy keyboard-centric instrumental, the album would be a LOT better than it already is.

More recently, I think The Wedding Album would've been #2 in my list of favorite albums of all time had "Shotgun" and "UMF" been replaced by "Fallen Angel" and "Time for Temptation", two b-sides from that era. No, wait -- had that happened, it would've been my FAVORITE album overall. Hm. I think I sense a CD burning project. ;)

Many Coloured Halo (Dee the Lurker), Saturday, 14 August 2004 05:24 (nineteen years ago) link

if only t. moore had left mr. ranaldo this note - "remove 'panty lies' from waching machine before kim gets home"

6335, Saturday, 14 August 2004 06:04 (nineteen years ago) link

*apologies in advance*

6335, Saturday, 14 August 2004 06:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Please remove Then She Kissed Me from Kiss' Love Gun (what were they thinking??)

Roger in Mokum (Roger T), Saturday, 14 August 2004 06:35 (nineteen years ago) link

Remove four or five minutes from "This Corrosion" to make Floodland a perfect album.

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 14 August 2004 16:24 (nineteen years ago) link

oh Dee you're the best
person in the world but dude
"Rio" is da JAMM

Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Saturday, 14 August 2004 16:27 (nineteen years ago) link

Blasphemers

bumbling my way toward the light or wahtever (hardcore dilettante), Wednesday, 19 July 2017 02:11 (six years ago) link

one year passes...

Ornette's Town Hall 1962 is pretty much perfect (and the equal of any of his Atlantic LPs) if you lose "Dedication to Poets and Writers"

Paul Ponzi, Wednesday, 10 October 2018 01:12 (five years ago) link

Take Shot With His Own Gun off Elvis Costello Trust.

kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 10 October 2018 01:49 (five years ago) link

four years pass...

take "single file" off the elliott smith s/t. it's not awful by any means but it doesn't live up to the rest of the album

spellbound dogfighter (milo), Wednesday, 16 August 2023 13:31 (eight months ago) link

"Wendell Gee" from Fables

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, August 22, 2016 2:37 PM (six years ago)

WTF(?!)

You have been verified with your voice (morrisp), Wednesday, 16 August 2023 14:42 (eight months ago) link

“Deeper Understanding” should have been omitted from The Sensual World

“Stay Away” from Nevermind (even though I really like the guitar melting with Cobain’s voice on the refrain; “Even in His Youth” should have taken its place)

beamish13, Wednesday, 16 August 2023 23:57 (eight months ago) link

Not sure I'd delete any tracks from Rumors, but I'd absolutely close it with "Silver Springs."

immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Thursday, 17 August 2023 00:02 (eight months ago) link

Yes to Stay Away. Even in His Youth would have been better.

kornrulez6969, Thursday, 17 August 2023 01:14 (eight months ago) link

“Stay Away” from Nevermind

illegal opinion

budo jeru, Thursday, 17 August 2023 01:24 (eight months ago) link

“My Little Problem” from All Shook Down is corny AF. It wouldn’t be a Replacements album without something self-consciously anti-earnest, but I don’t like this one.

Chuck_Tatum, Thursday, 17 August 2023 08:47 (eight months ago) link

Going the other way, I kind of love notorious perfection-interruptor “Student Demonstration Time”. Anyone else?

Chuck_Tatum, Thursday, 17 August 2023 08:53 (eight months ago) link

"Box 25/4 Lid" from The Soft Machine, (apart from the 90s CD which also has Volume Two, then it functions as an intermission between LPs)

the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 17 August 2023 09:49 (eight months ago) link

I still skip 'The New Stone Age' from Architecture & Morality, I don't really dislike the song, it just sounds so terrible, the horrible, out-of-tune guitars mostly.

It does have a brilliant outro though, so I will skip/rewind and listen to that bit.

MaresNest, Thursday, 17 August 2023 12:54 (eight months ago) link


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