Songs that are brilliant at the start but rubbish at the end

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I was listening to Plan B by Dexy's Midnight Runners last night, see, and I decided (about ten years after I probably first heard it, I reckon) that it was the best thing in the entire universe (I do this two or three times a week). But after listening to it a few times more I realised that I only really liked the first three minutes, and after this point it seems to sort of lose its momentum a bit and splutter out. So, right: any other examples of songs that start brilliantly but don't quite manage to sustain it for the duration (I avoid the term 'classic' because it connotes too much Received Opinion filthiness in my mind)?

― Ferg (Ferg), Monday, 16 December 2002 19:10 (twenty-three years ago)

_SECOND TOUGHEST IN THE INFANTS_ TO THREAD!!!!!!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 16 December 2002 19:47 (twenty-three years ago)

All of the My Computer album.

Some of the Deerhoof album (though I really truly love it).

"Pony" by Ginuwine, a classic song, has 2 mins of crap tacked on the end for no apparent reason.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 16 December 2002 20:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Death IN Vegas ft Iggy Pop 'Aisha' - all that gurgling and snorting towards the end is annoying (or brilliant, undecided)

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 16 December 2002 20:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Cocteau Twins : "50 50 Clown".

The start has a wicked rhythm and set of chords, but then they go away and what replaces them just blands out.

― phil jones (interstar), Monday, 16 December 2002 20:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Sonic Yoof "Candle" -- beautiful opening that degenerates into probably the weakest song on Daydream Nation.

― Aaron A., Monday, 16 December 2002 20:53 (twenty-three years ago)

dude you're insane.

― hstencil, Monday, 16 December 2002 21:02 (twenty-three years ago)

so what's your least favorite track on that album? DN one of my favorites of all time, so I like all the songs, but "Candle" is probably the least great.

― Aaron A., Monday, 16 December 2002 21:15 (twenty-three years ago)

"Candle" might be my favourite song on that album. "Eric's Trip" may be the worst.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 16 December 2002 21:18 (twenty-three years ago)

I like Eric's Trip over Candle, but neither touch Silver Rocket, Total Trash, Teenage Riot or the final trilogy for me.

― Aaron A., Monday, 16 December 2002 21:19 (twenty-three years ago)

[/hijack]

― Aaron A., Monday, 16 December 2002 21:20 (twenty-three years ago)

XTC, "Melt the Guns" (the worst offender among many "great songs spoiled by stupid arranging/production ideas" that XTC released around this time).

― Paul in Santa Cruz, Monday, 16 December 2002 21:23 (twenty-three years ago)

I haven't ranked all the songs on that album, as I don't listen to music that way ("Hey, this '88 Don Russ Lee Renaldo card is worth more than your '99 Topps Jim O'Rourke"). I like "Candle" a lot as a song, probably no more or less than anything else on that album, and you haven't exactly explained exactly how it "degenerates" from the opening (which I find particularly strange considering how the opening riff is repeated a few times over the course of the song).

― hstencil, Monday, 16 December 2002 21:24 (twenty-three years ago)

well it's just so hard to explain in objective terms!

― Aaron A., Monday, 16 December 2002 21:26 (twenty-three years ago)

the gurgling and snorting at the end of DiV's "Aisha" is classic!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 16 December 2002 21:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Try subjective terms, then. "This beautiful opening part is so great I don't wanna hear it again later in the song" or something.

― hstencil, Monday, 16 December 2002 21:39 (twenty-three years ago)

The first 30 seconds of Babylon Zoo's Spaceman were great.

― stevo (stevo), Monday, 16 December 2002 22:21 (twenty-three years ago)

'bullfrog green' - boo radleys.

― piscesboy, Monday, 16 December 2002 22:54 (twenty-three years ago)

"Lunatic and Fire-Pistol" by Julian Cope, off World Shut Your Mouth (the album). There's NO NEED for introducing DRUMS at the end of such pastoral loveliness.

― OleM (OleM), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 07:27 (twenty-three years ago)

A lot of the songs on S-K's "One Beat" dribble off at the end. Even the songs I adore like "Oh" and "Step Aside." The bonus CD track "Lions And Tigers," my favorite thing they've done this year, ends with Corin pointlessly whimpering. It's like they're too great to just stop a song after 2 minutes 30 secs anymore.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 16:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Everything ever recorded by Band of Susans.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:08 (twenty-three years ago)

The Hollies, "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress", or: an astounding guitar intro spoiled.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Thursday, 19 December 2002 01:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Smashing Pumpkins - "To Sheila".. the chorus totally rapes the rest of the song

― Curtis Stephens, Thursday, 19 December 2002 01:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Nick Cave, "Tupelo" quickly wallows in its own repetition.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Thursday, 19 December 2002 01:23 (twenty-three years ago)

"i melt with you" starts off with a bassline that makes you think the song will rule the world and then goes nowhere at all.

i don't know where to start with anyone who doesn't see the flawless and timeless beauty of "eric's trip". "candle" too, but "eric's trip"--come on.

― dan (dan), Thursday, 19 December 2002 01:27 (twenty-three years ago)

This isn't original, but there's always ELP's "Lucky Man" because of that scatter-shot keyboard business at the end.

― Kim (Kim), Thursday, 19 December 2002 01:59 (twenty-three years ago)

That's the only not-bad thing about the song!

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Thursday, 19 December 2002 02:02 (twenty-three years ago)

That and the pimptastic "ladies by the score" line.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Thursday, 19 December 2002 05:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Genesis, "Get 'Em Out By Friday"

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 19 December 2002 05:06 (twenty-three years ago)

eight years pass...

INSPIRED BY THIS SONG:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBTzuqcgGcc

To not be disillusioned, stop at the thirty second mark.

― Keep on the good work! (R Baez), Thursday, 3 February 2011 17:28 (fifteen years ago)

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