It's two ... two ... two songs in one!
June 26, 2017 12:07 PM Subscribe
I would like more examples of rock songs that have a significant shift partway through and which could be considered two separate songs.
My go-to examples are Rocket Queen by GnR and Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand.
The lyrics might continue on the same theme but the music itself has a significant shift and unlike a bridge or chorus it does not return to what the song was before. Basically if you weren't paying attention you would have a good chance of thinking the album had moved on to the next track is what I'm getting at here.
If you have any examples of songs like this - in the rock or metal genres only - I'd like to hear them.
My go-to examples are Rocket Queen by GnR and Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand.
The lyrics might continue on the same theme but the music itself has a significant shift and unlike a bridge or chorus it does not return to what the song was before. Basically if you weren't paying attention you would have a good chance of thinking the album had moved on to the next track is what I'm getting at here.
If you have any examples of songs like this - in the rock or metal genres only - I'd like to hear them.
No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature by the Guess Who? They kind of return to the first part at the end but they are very different sounding.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:10 PM on June 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:10 PM on June 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" transitioning to a cover of ''Where Did Our Love Go."
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:11 PM on June 26, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:11 PM on June 26, 2017 [7 favorites]
Wings' Band on the Run has not just two parts, but three!
posted by lovableiago at 12:13 PM on June 26, 2017 [16 favorites]
posted by lovableiago at 12:13 PM on June 26, 2017 [16 favorites]
"The Decline" by NoFX, it's at least 5 songs in one.
posted by nobeagle at 12:14 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by nobeagle at 12:14 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Radiohead's Paranoid Android has three distinct sections. It was actually written as three different songs that the band smashed together in the recording studio. They were inspired (probably like many of the artists on this list) by the Beatle's Happiness is a Warm Gun.
posted by muddgirl at 12:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by muddgirl at 12:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [10 favorites]
Bohemian Rhapsody seems to be a definitive example of this type of shift. But is sorta does return to the slow theme... hmm. Maybe not.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 12:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 12:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
Bohemian Rhapsody, no?
Also by Wings, "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey"
posted by holborne at 12:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
Also by Wings, "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey"
posted by holborne at 12:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
A Day in the Life and Happiness is a Warm Gun both do this.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:18 PM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:18 PM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
The Beatles' A Day in a Life. It does come back to the original but the middle part "woke up... got out of bed..." is a completely different song.
posted by bondcliff at 12:19 PM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 12:19 PM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meatloaf
Diamons on the Soles of Her Shoes
by Paul Simon - Not sure this counts
Badge by Cream (really George Harrison)
posted by teabag at 12:21 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Diamons on the Soles of Her Shoes
by Paul Simon - Not sure this counts
Badge by Cream (really George Harrison)
posted by teabag at 12:21 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Billy Joel's Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
posted by Neeuq Nus at 12:22 PM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by Neeuq Nus at 12:22 PM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
The Grateful Dead do a fair bit of this. Specifically, Half-Step Mississippi Uptown Toodeloo and Help's on the Way/Slipknot/Franklin's Tower.
posted by gnutron at 12:24 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by gnutron at 12:24 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
I immediately thought of Stairway to Heaven, which for some reason was the chosen final song at all my middle school dances but presented the very thorny issue of being half a slow dance song and half a headbanging song.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:34 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:34 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Arcade Fire - Wake Up. Gets weirdly disco at around 3:50.
posted by corvine at 12:35 PM on June 26, 2017
posted by corvine at 12:35 PM on June 26, 2017
Led Zeppelin's version of Bring it on Home.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:36 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:36 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Green Day's "Homecoming" from the "American Idiot" album.
I would disagree with Billy Joel as the end of the song goes back to referring to the 1st part (bottle of red, bottle of white).
posted by alchemist at 12:39 PM on June 26, 2017
I would disagree with Billy Joel as the end of the song goes back to referring to the 1st part (bottle of red, bottle of white).
posted by alchemist at 12:39 PM on June 26, 2017
U2 - Zooropa. Transition is from 3:45-4:00. Underestimated song too.
posted by swordfishtrombones at 12:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by swordfishtrombones at 12:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
Maximum the Hormone
(It's titled マキシマム ザ ホルモン "え・い・り・あ・ん", but I don' t know what that means. It's the "Stop Winny" song.)
posted by ernielundquist at 12:44 PM on June 26, 2017
(It's titled マキシマム ザ ホルモン "え・い・り・あ・ん", but I don' t know what that means. It's the "Stop Winny" song.)
posted by ernielundquist at 12:44 PM on June 26, 2017
Of Montreal's Lysergic Bliss switches gears about 3/4 of the way through.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 12:52 PM on June 26, 2017
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 12:52 PM on June 26, 2017
I can't believe nobody has mentioned Freebird yet?! Also Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain".
posted by pazazygeek at 12:53 PM on June 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by pazazygeek at 12:53 PM on June 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
The Raspberries Go All The Way is, according to a friend (who once told me about the whole story and then proved it to me via article and stuff which I cannot for the life of me find right now argh), two songs smooshed together because they needed to round out the album.
posted by cooker girl at 12:57 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by cooker girl at 12:57 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
The Who have a couple of "mini opera" songs structured this way with as many as five or six "songs" condensed into one:
-A Quick One While He's Away
-Rael
-Wire and Glass
posted by DiscountDeity at 1:01 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
-A Quick One While He's Away
-Rael
-Wire and Glass
posted by DiscountDeity at 1:01 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper always psychs me out because of that break that sounds like a completely different song.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 1:01 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by rabbitrabbit at 1:01 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Journey's Feeling That Way and Anytime are two separate songs but they Feeling That Way segues into Anytime on the album and most radio stations play them together.
posted by dawkins_7 at 1:07 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by dawkins_7 at 1:07 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
The Fifth Dimension's Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:11 PM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:11 PM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Elton John & Bernie Taupin
posted by ottereroticist at 1:12 PM on June 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by ottereroticist at 1:12 PM on June 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
Queen's "We Will Rock You/We are the Champions." It was always played as one song on the radio; was never sure if it was one song or two.
posted by Riverine at 1:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Riverine at 1:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
Jay-Z feat. Kanye West, N*ggas in Paris (sorry, not googling to find that one at work!)
Elvis Costello, I Want You
posted by praemunire at 1:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Elvis Costello, I Want You
posted by praemunire at 1:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Come Sail Away, by Styx. Great song.
posted by backwards compatible at 1:19 PM on June 26, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by backwards compatible at 1:19 PM on June 26, 2017 [7 favorites]
Speaking of Elvis Costello, Man Out Of Time begins and ends with a sort of framing by what seems like a very different song.
posted by thelonius at 1:21 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 1:21 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
"Up in Arms" by the Foo Fighters has two parts. They're the same lyrics and chord progression, but played differently. The first time through is a slow, mellow tempo, and the second time is a fast, pop-punky rocker. If you're not listening closely, you'd think a new song had started.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:25 PM on June 26, 2017
posted by kevinbelt at 1:25 PM on June 26, 2017
Franz Ferdinand's Lucid Dreams. Starts as a regular indie rock, ends up in acid house-ish grounds. They used to close their gigs with it, and easy to see why.
posted by lmfsilva at 1:27 PM on June 26, 2017
posted by lmfsilva at 1:27 PM on June 26, 2017
Dancin' by Olivia Newton-John and The Tubes from Xanadu
posted by blue_wardrobe at 1:31 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by blue_wardrobe at 1:31 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Perhaps what you're asking for: Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid"
Also, in the 60s there were a few instances of two song "medleys." At the moment, I can think of The Beatles' "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!" and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels' "Devil With a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly" and "C.C. Rider/Jenny Take a Ride." Possibly of note: in these particular cases, these are all covers, and the latter song of each pair is a Little Richard tune.
posted by kimota at 2:37 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also, in the 60s there were a few instances of two song "medleys." At the moment, I can think of The Beatles' "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!" and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels' "Devil With a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly" and "C.C. Rider/Jenny Take a Ride." Possibly of note: in these particular cases, these are all covers, and the latter song of each pair is a Little Richard tune.
posted by kimota at 2:37 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also, I seem to recall Lionel Richie saying that he was inspired by Paul and John's mashing together two separate, unfinished songs to make "A Day In the Life" when he composed "Say You Say Me." (I can't recall if he tried to make the middle section sound like a separate song or if it actually was.)
posted by kimota at 2:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by kimota at 2:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Dunno how broadly you're defining "rock," but two that come to my mind are "Iron Bound / Fancy Poultry" by Suzanne Vega, and "Dimming of the Day / Dargai" by Richard and Linda Thompson.
posted by Perodicticus potto at 2:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Perodicticus potto at 2:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
"Phototropic" by Kyuss.
posted by Eumachia L F at 2:51 PM on June 26, 2017
posted by Eumachia L F at 2:51 PM on June 26, 2017
I just remembered Genesis' "Dodo/Lurker." I wouldn't be surprised to find out that 70s-era Genesis had several songs like that.
posted by kimota at 2:51 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by kimota at 2:51 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Yeah Supper's Ready is like a seven layer song sandwich
posted by prize bull octorok at 2:54 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by prize bull octorok at 2:54 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Genesis: Fly On A Windshield, from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway – a dreamy first half, heavy second half... which for extra value segues into an extraordinary sort of talking jazz-blues, Broadway Melody Of 1974.
posted by MinPin at 2:54 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by MinPin at 2:54 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen by Santana.
Can't You Hear Me Knocking by the Rolling Stones.
posted by Bruce H. at 2:55 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Can't You Hear Me Knocking by the Rolling Stones.
posted by Bruce H. at 2:55 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
MTV Get Off the Air - Dead Kennedys
Miserable Lie - The Smiths
Baby Let's Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don't Tie Me Down - Todd Rundgren
posted by kewb at 2:55 PM on June 26, 2017
Miserable Lie - The Smiths
Baby Let's Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don't Tie Me Down - Todd Rundgren
posted by kewb at 2:55 PM on June 26, 2017
The version of Sweet Jane on Rock'n'Roll Animal has a rather extended instrumental intro that might be considered a separate song.
posted by Bruce H. at 3:04 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Bruce H. at 3:04 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Only on my mind because I just saw Peter Cetera in concert: Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away, by Chicago
posted by Clustercuss at 3:05 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Clustercuss at 3:05 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Tears For Fears, Head Over Heels/Broken
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:15 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:15 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
"November Rain" by GnR and "Live and Let Die" by Wings - surprised nobody has mentioned them yet.
posted by Seeking Direction at 3:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Seeking Direction at 3:16 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Billy Joel, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Edit: whoops dammit
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:45 PM on June 26, 2017
Edit: whoops dammit
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:45 PM on June 26, 2017
Give Thrash by Emery a listen. It starts of really, really heavy, with a few softer sing parts mixed in, then at the 3:00 mark it suddenly turns into something way, way different.
I really dig it.
posted by tacodave at 4:34 PM on June 26, 2017
I really dig it.
posted by tacodave at 4:34 PM on June 26, 2017
Peace Frog/Blue Sunday by the Doors segues abruptly from apocalyptic to crooning in a manner very reminiscent of Karma Police.
Also by the Doors, The Soft Parade is several songs, in radically different moods, linked together.
Love's You Set the Scene is a diptych in music.
posted by ROTFL at 5:00 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also by the Doors, The Soft Parade is several songs, in radically different moods, linked together.
Love's You Set the Scene is a diptych in music.
posted by ROTFL at 5:00 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Karn Evil #9 by ELP.
posted by billsaysthis at 5:36 PM on June 26, 2017
posted by billsaysthis at 5:36 PM on June 26, 2017
You and Me Song - The Wannadies
The Sounds of Science - Beastie Boys
posted by trialex at 5:55 PM on June 26, 2017
The Sounds of Science - Beastie Boys
posted by trialex at 5:55 PM on June 26, 2017
I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away the Ending - New Radicals
Suite for 20 G - James Taylor
Clear as the Driven Snow - Doobie Brothers
posted by alphanerd at 6:15 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Suite for 20 G - James Taylor
Clear as the Driven Snow - Doobie Brothers
posted by alphanerd at 6:15 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
MTV (Makes me want to smoke crack) - Beck — ramshackle anti-folk turns into smooth lounge mid-way through
posted by scruss at 6:30 PM on June 26, 2017
posted by scruss at 6:30 PM on June 26, 2017
Came for Styx, got it.
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:55 PM on June 26, 2017
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:55 PM on June 26, 2017
Stevie Wright, "Evie", Parts One, Two and Three.
posted by quinndexter at 8:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by quinndexter at 8:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
"Daddy's Tune" by Jackson Browne
"Palisades Park" by Counting Crows
posted by NoraCharles at 10:16 PM on June 26, 2017
"Palisades Park" by Counting Crows
posted by NoraCharles at 10:16 PM on June 26, 2017
This Beat Goes on/Switching to Glide the Kings
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
I have a friend who loves these and calls them "explosion songs". My contribution is Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.
posted by emd3737 at 2:02 AM on June 27, 2017
posted by emd3737 at 2:02 AM on June 27, 2017
quinndexter: Stevie Wright, "Evie", Parts One, Two and Three.
A must-hear eleven minutes and eleven seconds of awesome Australian (shut up NZ) 70s rock. The first 4 minutes are hard rock fun, the next 3 minutes is the orchestral love song; the last 4 minutes are rocky grief. Fantastic song.
posted by Thella at 2:47 AM on June 27, 2017
A must-hear eleven minutes and eleven seconds of awesome Australian (shut up NZ) 70s rock. The first 4 minutes are hard rock fun, the next 3 minutes is the orchestral love song; the last 4 minutes are rocky grief. Fantastic song.
posted by Thella at 2:47 AM on June 27, 2017
Want to blow someone's mind? Play them "Feelin' Groovy" by Jim's Big Ego. It starts as a cover of "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" by Simon & Garfunkel, then suddenly swerves into a cover of Slick Rick's "La Di Da Di." Just when you've gotten used to that, it brings in a couple of lines from Jim's Big Ego's own "I Should Be With You," and finally turns back into "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" for the big finish.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:56 AM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:56 AM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Just popping in to say: hi! It's always weird to me when an Ask catches fire like this one. Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions. I think I have a long listening list ahead of me.
posted by komara at 10:07 AM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by komara at 10:07 AM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
False Prophets - Banana Split Republic. Mid-1980's US hardcore. Goes through 4 changes. The lyrics are still relevant for today as well.
posted by Zack_Replica at 12:05 PM on June 27, 2017
posted by Zack_Replica at 12:05 PM on June 27, 2017
Mother Love Bone's Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns
posted by togdon at 1:36 PM on June 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by togdon at 1:36 PM on June 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
At first I thought @Pax meant "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature," which would be another example, but then I remembered that "American Woman" has an intro not wholly unlike Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out."
posted by kimota at 2:26 PM on June 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by kimota at 2:26 PM on June 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also, Bowie's Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)
posted by droplet at 4:53 AM on June 29, 2017
posted by droplet at 4:53 AM on June 29, 2017
Yes, Starship Trooper (THREE songs in one!)
Genesis, Domino
Orbital, The Box
Green Day, Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams
posted by DrAstroZoom at 1:12 PM on June 29, 2017
Genesis, Domino
Orbital, The Box
Green Day, Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams
posted by DrAstroZoom at 1:12 PM on June 29, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dismas at 12:10 PM on June 26, 2017 [10 favorites]