Albums that have great "bookends"

[YDload]

I'm asking about albums where the best songs are at the beginning or end, and the tracks in the middle are (comparatively) weaker.

I wanted to make this thread for a while because I've noticed that every Replacements album I have (three from Let It Be to Pleased to Meet Me) seems to follow this pattern.

Best songs on Let It Be (out of 11): 1, 2, 3, 10, 11 (Unsatisfied at 7 could be considered a highlight but I'm pushing it aside to make my case stronger)

Best songs on Tim (out of 11): 1, 7, 9, 10, 11

Best songs on Pleased to Meet Me (out of 11): 1, 2, 10, 11

amazing. share yours or bitch at me for what songs i said were good/not as good.

[asdf]

Radiohead - Hail To The Thief is always the first album to come to mind for this. 2+2=5 and A Wolf At The Door are so very good, and without them I think the album is very weak.

[sexymuffin]

a wolf at the door is one of the best radiohead tracks to date

why don't people cover like good radiohead songs instead of ok computer over and over again

[YDload]

i was hoping this would be the one non-band-specific thread that WOULDN'T have any mention of OK Computer, but fate has stricken me again

[asdf]

Oops.

[sexymuffin]

i was hoping this would be the one non-band-specific thread that WOULDN'T have any mention of OK Computer, but fate has stricken me again

too bad dude but you know what life moves on

i'm personally looking forward to the direction this is going even though i have nothing to contribute because i don't listen to music

[Apocalyptic Raids]

Daft Punk - Human After All: 1, 3, 8 and 9

Portishead - Dummy: 1, 2, 8 and 11. (though the tracks in the middle are really good too)

Slayer - Reign In Blood: 1, 2 and 10

[Matt?]

i was hoping this would be the one non-band-specific thread that WOULDN'T have any mention of OK Computer, but fate has stricken me again

probably should stop posting in alt/indie or else that is indeed fate.


i feel like siamese dream is like this. when i used to listen to it i would skip to the song after disarm.

edit: and i mean obviously cherub rock rules

[Sound Boy]

why don't people cover like good radiohead songs instead of ok computer over and over again

i've heard quite a few covers from the Bends album and of course "creep" from pablo honey. more then i've heard from OK

[mozartv]

Husker Du - Zen Arcade

The beggining is good, the middle gets kind of boring, and the end just tears *** all over the place.

Tracks 1, 2, and 3 sum up how the beggining sounds. Then things get kind of bland starting at Hare Krsna. Then around Masochism World things get real good.

[Kyle]

Atdi - Vaya is kinda like this.

[AKid2]

^ i agree

[xmuffincakes]

Deloused in the Comatorium is kinda like that, the first two songs are good, then it gets sorta boring until Cicatriz ESP.

[Zebra]

Even though I don't like the album all that much Source Tags and Codes springs to mind. The first two tracks are awesome, and the title track is an awesome closer.

In the Court of the Crimson King is another album that has a kickass opener and closer but the songs in the middle are just weak.

[YDload]

Even though I don't like the album all that much Source Tags and Codes springs to mind. The first two tracks are awesome, and the title track is an awesome closer.

i know what you mean. even though its one of my favorite albums ever, i gotta admit that Another Morning Stoner and the title track are the highlights.

but i DO enjoy How Near How Far and Heart in the Hand... which are right in the middle v:)v

[EightMilesHigh]

Daler Mehndi - Tunak Tunak Tun

The opening track, Tunak Tunak Tun, is probably my favorite bhangra song ever, and La la Dum is a great closer.

[Sound Boy]

Weezer - Blue Album

[dyln]

doolittle
armed forces
feels
daydream nation

etc,

[Otherside]

Soft Bulletin, even though I love the album.

[28if]

Agree with Armed Forces.

Also Adore by the Pumpkins. To shelia, Ava Adore, Perfect are great openers, also ending with Behold the Nightmare, For Martha, and Blank Page is just incredible. Not that the rest isn't good, just not up to par with the bookends.

[Kyle]

I'd sort of agree with Adore. I mean it's one of my favorite albums in it's entirity, but it's best moments are To Shiela and For Martha.

[thepo]

feels



But Purple Bottle and Banshee Beat are tracks 4 and 6.

I don't understand.

[PECOAE]

Love - Forever Changes

Best Tracks --> 1, 4, 7, 10

Though the rest is pretty good too.

[Idiot Martyr]

Deloused in the Comatorium is kinda like that, the first two songs are good, then it gets sorta boring until Cicatriz ESP.

Really? I think Eria Tarka and Drunskhip are great too.

[Time]

Heatmiser-Mic City Sons 2 and 12

[Eliminator]

boris - pink

[Zorg]

Bumping an old thread. But I've been listening to Souvlaki by Slow Dive, and I noticed that it had great "bookends". Especially considering Dagger and Allison are the two best songs on the album, in my opinion.

[Krash100]

In keeping with Zorg's shoegaze spirit, Ride's Today Forever begings with my favorite track from them "Unfamiliar" and closes with the EP's climax, "Today".

Also The Verve's Urban Hymns. It starts of with "Bittersweet Symphony" and ends with the guitar freakout "Come On".

[AndreTheHyena]

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps

[metalicajaymz]

simon and garfunkel

[Aeaon]

For Permission To Land, I love Black Shuck and Holding My Own because of the way they open and close the album. They fit so perfectly that way.

[talk show host]

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' Nocturama is basically crap apart from the first and last tracks.

[Jeffers]

Ben Kweller- Sha Sha

I like the whole album but comparatively the middle songs are weaker.