Good Songs on Bad Albums
January 19, 2004 5:13 PM Subscribe
What are some good songs that are on bad albums? I am using iTunes to buy songs from albums not worth buying. Any suggestions?
Hm. I disagree, adam; "Money Changes Everything" is good, but so is the entire album. Seriously. But then, that's music from my formative years...
posted by jdroth at 5:38 PM on January 19, 2004
posted by jdroth at 5:38 PM on January 19, 2004
"Devil Went Down to Georgia." I remember the album being pretty unmemorable, save for those four minutes of pure lyrical genius.
posted by kaibutsu at 5:50 PM on January 19, 2004
posted by kaibutsu at 5:50 PM on January 19, 2004
Ian Brown [from the Stone Roses] song F.E.A.R. off the otherwise kinda rubbish album Music of the Spheres.
posted by meech at 6:18 PM on January 19, 2004
posted by meech at 6:18 PM on January 19, 2004
adrober, tune in to your local classic rock station - about a third of what you hear will be exactly what you're looking for.
posted by ashbury at 7:53 PM on January 19, 2004
posted by ashbury at 7:53 PM on January 19, 2004
I'd participate, but y'all would just laugh me right off the site.
posted by keswick at 8:27 PM on January 19, 2004
posted by keswick at 8:27 PM on January 19, 2004
tATu's "Not Gonna Get Us" (although "All The Things She Said" is good, too). Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi." "Tropicalia" is the best thing on Beck's Mutations. Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl." Missy Elliott's "Wake Up." Gomez's "Shot Shot" (brassy folky rock voom!)
Oh - now that I've thought of it, I absolutely, more-than-anything recommend Jude's "I Do," from King of Yesterday. It's a pretty crappy record, but "I Do" is one of the saddest, most lovely-tragic songs I've ever heard. (Be sure to find the 4:50 version, not the remix.)
On questions like this bands that make great singles tend to be > bands that make great albums.
posted by Marquis at 8:46 PM on January 19, 2004
Oh - now that I've thought of it, I absolutely, more-than-anything recommend Jude's "I Do," from King of Yesterday. It's a pretty crappy record, but "I Do" is one of the saddest, most lovely-tragic songs I've ever heard. (Be sure to find the 4:50 version, not the remix.)
On questions like this bands that make great singles tend to be > bands that make great albums.
posted by Marquis at 8:46 PM on January 19, 2004
Marquis - 'I Do' was not on King of Yesterday, it was on No One's Really Beautiful which is a great CD. (Now I have the TATU song in my head. Not cool.)
Adrober - 'Miss Fat Booty' from Mos Def's Black on Both Sides. The rest is mediocre, but that song mentions Sade not once, but twice.
posted by amandaudoff at 10:06 PM on January 19, 2004
Adrober - 'Miss Fat Booty' from Mos Def's Black on Both Sides. The rest is mediocre, but that song mentions Sade not once, but twice.
posted by amandaudoff at 10:06 PM on January 19, 2004
Funny, amandaudoff, "I Do" is indeed on my copy of KoY, but I don't remember if it's the crappy remix or the version I fell in love with, and I can't be bothered to put it on right now. Er. Which I suppose is a complicated way of saying that I'm astonishingly apathetic. And tired. Or Both.
posted by Marquis at 10:44 PM on January 19, 2004
posted by Marquis at 10:44 PM on January 19, 2004
I stand corrected....somewhat. 'I Do' is on both discs. I know the version on NORB is not remixed...I love that song and I never owned KOY. Good suggestion, at any rate.
posted by amandaudoff at 10:51 PM on January 19, 2004
posted by amandaudoff at 10:51 PM on January 19, 2004
"Shine" from David Gray's "A Century Ends."
"Walls (Circus)" from Tom Petty's soundtrack to "She's the One."
"Loser Makes Good" from Everclear's "World of Noise."
"Mother F***ing Asshole" from Martha Wainwright's cd of same name.
I have a whole bunch of crappy albums at home, e.g., "Melt with You" was the only reason to buy Modern English's "After the Snow."
posted by onlyconnect at 11:07 PM on January 19, 2004
"Walls (Circus)" from Tom Petty's soundtrack to "She's the One."
"Loser Makes Good" from Everclear's "World of Noise."
"Mother F***ing Asshole" from Martha Wainwright's cd of same name.
I have a whole bunch of crappy albums at home, e.g., "Melt with You" was the only reason to buy Modern English's "After the Snow."
posted by onlyconnect at 11:07 PM on January 19, 2004
Whoa, dead right on that David Gray song, onlyconnect.
posted by Marquis at 11:13 PM on January 19, 2004
posted by Marquis at 11:13 PM on January 19, 2004
How about Tasmin Archer's "Sleeping Satellites" off of whatever album that was on or from her "greatest hits" CD. As if there were many hits.
posted by edlundart at 12:35 AM on January 20, 2004
posted by edlundart at 12:35 AM on January 20, 2004
OK, just my opinon of course - going by the quite unscientific method of looking at a few of my ratings on iTunes sorted by album:
The Delgados' "Make Your Move" from The Great Eastern
Juno Reactor's "Komit" from Bible of Dreams
Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home" from Blind Faith (I know it's considered a classic album, but this is really the only song I like on it.)
Sheryl Crow's cover of "Sweet Child o' Mine" from the Big Daddy Soundtrack
Moby's "Evening Rain" from the Daredevil Soundtrack
Assemblage 23's "Purgatory" from Contempt
Paul Oakenfold's "Starry Eyed Surprise" (a classic in trance) from Bunkka
Project Pitchfork's "Fear" from Daimonion
The Propellerheads' "Echo and Bounce" from Decksanddrumsandrockandroll
Curve's "Gift" from Gift
Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" from Grace
Metrics "Grow Up and Blow Away" from Grow Up and Blow Away
Apoptygma Berzerk's "Suffer in Silence" from Harmonizer
Queen of Japan's "Like It Rough" from Headrush
Soulstice's "Fall into You" from Illusion
Peter Godwin's "Images of Heaven" from Images of Heaven
Einstürzende Neubauten's "Sabrina" from Silence is Sexy
The Future Sound of London's "We Have Explosive (Pt. 2)" from We Have Explosive
posted by sixdifferentways at 1:14 AM on January 20, 2004
The Delgados' "Make Your Move" from The Great Eastern
Juno Reactor's "Komit" from Bible of Dreams
Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home" from Blind Faith (I know it's considered a classic album, but this is really the only song I like on it.)
Sheryl Crow's cover of "Sweet Child o' Mine" from the Big Daddy Soundtrack
Moby's "Evening Rain" from the Daredevil Soundtrack
Assemblage 23's "Purgatory" from Contempt
Paul Oakenfold's "Starry Eyed Surprise" (a classic in trance) from Bunkka
Project Pitchfork's "Fear" from Daimonion
The Propellerheads' "Echo and Bounce" from Decksanddrumsandrockandroll
Curve's "Gift" from Gift
Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" from Grace
Metrics "Grow Up and Blow Away" from Grow Up and Blow Away
Apoptygma Berzerk's "Suffer in Silence" from Harmonizer
Queen of Japan's "Like It Rough" from Headrush
Soulstice's "Fall into You" from Illusion
Peter Godwin's "Images of Heaven" from Images of Heaven
Einstürzende Neubauten's "Sabrina" from Silence is Sexy
The Future Sound of London's "We Have Explosive (Pt. 2)" from We Have Explosive
posted by sixdifferentways at 1:14 AM on January 20, 2004
"Constantly Waiting" by Pauline Taylor.
posted by swordfishtrombones at 4:36 AM on January 20, 2004
posted by swordfishtrombones at 4:36 AM on January 20, 2004
Flaming Lips' "Fight Test" from Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
posted by Optamystic at 4:51 AM on January 20, 2004
posted by Optamystic at 4:51 AM on January 20, 2004
Definitely "Blues Music" on G-Love and Special Sauce's eponymous
posted by bifter at 6:03 AM on January 20, 2004
posted by bifter at 6:03 AM on January 20, 2004
"three strange days" off school of fish's album is the only listenable track on the whole album. but it doesn't end cleanly, so i hope that the buy-by-the-track version has built in a fade-out.
posted by crush-onastick at 8:22 AM on January 20, 2004
posted by crush-onastick at 8:22 AM on January 20, 2004
Speaking of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, I think it might contain one of the worst songs ever, but it's an excellent album. Sort of a reverse of what you were asking for :)
If you have iTunes installed, behold: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2.
posted by jragon at 8:49 AM on January 20, 2004
If you have iTunes installed, behold: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2.
posted by jragon at 8:49 AM on January 20, 2004
Response by poster: Jragon, that's really funny beacuse I actually really love that song. No one else does. I just think it's amazingly strange, and I love that ear-piercing scream that occurs halfway through. I can't really explain it though.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions!
And just to share some of my own discoveries:
- Meatloaf's "A Kiss is a Terrible Thing To Waste"
- Tom Waits's "Shiver Me Timbers" and "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You" (though they are on good albums; but I have more Tom Waits albums than I can handle).
- Bruce Springsteen's "Rosalita"
posted by adrober at 12:23 PM on January 20, 2004
Thanks everyone for your suggestions!
And just to share some of my own discoveries:
- Meatloaf's "A Kiss is a Terrible Thing To Waste"
- Tom Waits's "Shiver Me Timbers" and "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You" (though they are on good albums; but I have more Tom Waits albums than I can handle).
- Bruce Springsteen's "Rosalita"
posted by adrober at 12:23 PM on January 20, 2004
Actually, the whole "Grace" album by Jeff Buckley is astounding. Don't limit yourself to just buying "Last Goodbye" unless you get "Lover, you should've come over", "Hallelujah", and "Dream Brother" at the *very* least.
My vote goes for Orbit, "Bicycle Song" and "Medicine", off of Libido Speedway. The rest of the songs on that CD blew goat choad.
posted by SpecialK at 12:23 PM on January 20, 2004
My vote goes for Orbit, "Bicycle Song" and "Medicine", off of Libido Speedway. The rest of the songs on that CD blew goat choad.
posted by SpecialK at 12:23 PM on January 20, 2004
"Home By the Sea", part one and two. The best song from Collins-era Genesis, and one of the best Genesis songs, period... but it's also on one of the weakest albums they ever released.
posted by vorfeed at 1:40 PM on January 20, 2004
posted by vorfeed at 1:40 PM on January 20, 2004
"Africa" from Toto IV
"My Poor Generation" from Moxy Fruvous's Thornhill
posted by boltman at 1:55 PM on January 20, 2004
"My Poor Generation" from Moxy Fruvous's Thornhill
posted by boltman at 1:55 PM on January 20, 2004
'Brides of Neptune' from Forever by Cracker.
And I dislike most of Frank Black's Black Letter Days apart from the first track, one of two covers of Tom Waits' 'Black Rider'.
I've no idea if these are on itunes or not, though.
posted by misteraitch at 2:46 PM on January 20, 2004
And I dislike most of Frank Black's Black Letter Days apart from the first track, one of two covers of Tom Waits' 'Black Rider'.
I've no idea if these are on itunes or not, though.
posted by misteraitch at 2:46 PM on January 20, 2004
"The Pod" from Hum's You'd Prefer an Astronaut is the only song on that album that I can sit through more than once a year. Many of my friends disagree with me, but it's the only one that can hold my attention.
posted by Ufez Jones at 4:02 PM on January 20, 2004
posted by Ufez Jones at 4:02 PM on January 20, 2004
Sidestepper - In the Beats We Trust
Roots Manuva - Witness (1 Hope)
posted by inpHilltr8r at 7:36 PM on January 20, 2004
Roots Manuva - Witness (1 Hope)
posted by inpHilltr8r at 7:36 PM on January 20, 2004
The Propellerheads' "Echo and Bounce" from Decksanddrumsandrockandroll
I have that album and there's no song by that name. My favorites are "Take California", "Bang On!", "Bigger" and "Spybreak".
posted by mmoncur at 10:26 PM on January 20, 2004
I have that album and there's no song by that name. My favorites are "Take California", "Bang On!", "Bigger" and "Spybreak".
posted by mmoncur at 10:26 PM on January 20, 2004
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by adamgreenfield at 5:17 PM on January 19, 2004