Great albums with terrible last songs

Sunset is by far my least favorite song on Stranded by Roxy Music, not sure if I would call it a bad song though.

The first one I thought of when I saw the thread title was 'Engineers' from Gary Numan's The Pleasure Principle which isn't terrible, but unremarkable in comparison to the previous 9 tracks. I don't think Numan ever played it live either, at the time or since.

'(Exchange)' from Mezzanine is one I could do without.

what no it's a lovely balm after group four

Electric Warrior would be better ending with Life's a Gas rather than Rip Off

Exchange isn't terrible, it's just pointless, especially coming after Group Four.

Massive Attack never quite worked out closing tracks in general, although I do like Hymn of the Big Wheel.

Um... no, indeed, that one isn't great. I do notice more of a contrast with Bike in regards to the rest of the album though (Stethoscope is also shorter and sounds more like a filler to me). And I definitely wouldn't rank it alongside all those tracks that truly stand out to me. Do you?

Probably not, nonetheless I find the idea that it doesn't fit on an album that ranges from The Gnome to Interstellar Overdrive an odd one. Also Take Thy Stethoscope is longer, isn't it?

I may be crazy for nominating Bike, but Sunset has always been one of my favourite Roxy Music songs & part of why Stranded is my favourite album of theirs.
I also think Lady Grinning Soul is amazing.

I would have preferred a track that evokes 'Exchange's mood without being a half-assed reprise.

The first one I thought of when I saw the thread title was 'Engineers' from Gary Numan's The Pleasure Principle which isn't terrible, but unremarkable in comparison to the previous 9 tracks. I don't think Numan ever played it live either, at the time or since.

he's done TPP live so I'm sure he's played it a few times. for me the record is basically one tune in 10 parts. if we're doing Numan I'd rather mention "Zero Bars" - such an odd, wanky closer after the relatively brilliant "Jo the Waiter"

Probably not, nonetheless I find the idea that it doesn't fit on an album that ranges from The Gnome to Interstellar Overdrive an odd one. Also Take Thy Stethoscope is longer, isn't it?

Bike's longer (not by much), it is true that there's a lot of variation and weirdness on that album which is part of why it's such a wonderful record.

As for 'Bike', I hated it at first but I was still wrapping my mind around Barrett-era Floyd at the time. Can't imagine the album without it at this point, thanks to the tape loop in particular.

Could be that I still haven't listened to it enough.

Since we're all here, that thing at the end of "We're Only In It For the Money".

No one metioned Rubber Soul yet?

thomas dolby - the flat earth

the whole album is this gorgeous, beautifully produced atmospheric wonder.
then they put hyperactive on at the end as there was the need for a radio hit.

The inclusion of "Nothing Like You" on Miles Davis' Sorcerer is pretty baffling. It's five years older than everything else on the record, not even needed as filler (the album would be 38 minutes without it), and comes from a session Miles hated so much (with "that silly-ass singer Bob Dorough") that he refused to work with Teo Macero for years afterward.

Downtown on the first B-52's album is an obvious one for me. The album is still a classic despite this one misfire.

Closing tracks that overstay their welcome:
* Zen Arcade - Reoccurring Dreams
* The College Dropout - Last Call
* They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top - This Dust Makes That Mud

come on, last call is fantastic. i could listen to that loop for hours.

No one metioned Rubber Soul yet?

― chap, Tuesday, April 10, 2018 8:51 AM (thirty-six minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Run For Your Life is a good enough rocker, tho obviously not up to the standard of the rest of the album. I think Dizzy Miss Lizzie is my Beatles pick for this category.

"and this day" on hex enduction hour.

There are worse tracks on it for other reasons, but nothing bores the shit out of me like 'Going Home' at the end of Aftermath

* Zen Arcade - Reoccurring Dreams

This is a highlight -- maybe the highlight -- of Zen Arcade for me. I always wished they released more stuff like this.

Co-sign "And This Day".

Run For Your Life is a good enough rocker, tho obviously not up to the standard of the rest of the album. I think Dizzy Miss Lizzie is my Beatles pick for this category

Tempted to go for "Her Majesty" here but I'm not sure whether it counts as the closing track on the album, being more of a hidden track which isn't what this thread is about.

* Zen Arcade - Reoccurring Dreams

This is a highlight -- maybe the highlight -- of Zen Arcade for me. I always wished they released more stuff like this.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, April 10, 2018 10:31 AM (eighteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I would love Reoccurring Dreams as a 4 minute song, but as it stands, I'm pretty sick of it by the 23rd reprise of that riff, and would like the album better if it wasn't on there.

'Reoccurring Dreams' is the only song I care about on Zen Arcade.

Closing tracks that overstay their welcome:
* Zen Arcade - Reoccurring Dreams
* The College Dropout - Last Call
* They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top - This Dust Makes That Mud

― enochroot, Tuesday, April 10, 2018 7:24 AM (thirty-five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

sure but they're all awesome? and one of them is a loop ffs

I always assumed the purpose of “And This Day” was to run out the album length to the (titular) hour...

Thriller, "The Lady in My Life."

I like And This Day. It's not, like, a great song, but as aimless jams go it's OK.

There are worse tracks on it for other reasons, but nothing bores the shit out of me like 'Going Home' at the end of Aftermath

― i'm surprised to see your screwface at the door (NickB), Tuesday, April 10, 2018 2:30 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

'Goin' Home' is in the middle of the LP.

last track on the US version

And maybe the quintessential example, Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s excellent, overlooked album Broken Arrow ends with a pointless cover of Baby What You Want Me To Do that sounds like it was recorded on a Walkman from the back of a tiny club.

― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, April 10, 2018 6:06 AM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

good pick, it really is an underrated album but i think this cover version kind of makes it feel cheap and tossed off (the *album* cover, which looks like a Xerox of a nice piece of art, doesn't do any favors either.)

I really can't think of many good examples of this. I mean, Mercury Rev's Boces probably didn't have to end with Girlfren, but equally why not - at least it's completely bonkers

I also think of “And This Day” along the same lines as the Gaffney song at the end of Sebadoh III – sort of a closing endurance test, to leave the listener bruised & battered. Punk rock, man...

yeah like Fodderstompf

Somebody feel like convincing me "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party" on "Ummagumma" is not a load of old pony?

"Ummagumma" not really a great album though tbf.

kornrulez, The category is "Great albums with terrible last songs." You may not like "Oddfellows Local 151" but is it terrible?

I kinda like it. It's not my favorite song on that album, but in no way is it album-ruiningly terrible.

Ummagumma ends with a mindblowing Saucerful Of Secrets and the studio album is a lie made up to scare children

I kinda like it. It's not my favorite song on that album, but in no way is it album-ruiningly terrible.

― like hell, but with more ketchup (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, April 10, 2018 9:30 AM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

personally i love doomy r.e.m. a la "oddfellows" "old man kensey" and "i remember california"

oddfellows is one of my favourites on document, would definitely rather hear that than any of the hits these days

'Me In Honey' isn't terrible, but it's a very nothingy way to end a very good album.

Welcome to Sky Valley

Oddfellows is decent. Verses better than chorus.

xp isn't that last track technically a hidden track?

The Beach Boys 'Today'

― PaulTMA, Tuesday, April 10, 2018 5:40 AM (ten hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

xp yeah but still, I wish this had never existed

M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, "Outro" is the moment when it finally hits the schlock it's been skirting for the whole album

I also think "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" sucks