Reprises: Excessive or Excellent?
A list where I decide whether a reprise on an album felt like padding or made the album better. |
| 1 |  | Pink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon
First track: "Breathe"
Reprises: part of "Time" and "Any Color You Like"
EXCELLENT: Both reprises are unique enough from the original track to provide something that adds to the album. The reprise on "Time" is also fairly brief so it doesn't overstay its welcome. "Any Colour You Like" turns the track into a total jam and differentiates it enough to not feel gratuitous. "Breathe" is pretty much the official theme of Dark Side because of this.
*Shoutout to the 2 versions of "Pigs on the Wing" and both Shine On's for working really well on their albums as well. All 3 Another Bricks in the Wall are good as well, but I find The Wall, in general, to be bloated so I hardly listen to them. Also, the reprise of "In the Flesh" is better than the initial "In the Flesh?" |
| 2 |  | Sublime
Sublime
First track: "What I Got"
Reprise:"What I Got [Reprise]"
EXCESSIVE: The original "What I Got" is awesome and helps to set the album's tone. Not only is the reprise longer, but it has none of that catchy hip hop influence and trades it for something tamer. The album is already 58 minutes, it didn't need two versions of the same song if the 2nd isn't going to add anything interesting.
*Shoutout to the "Pool Sharks" on Robbin the Hood for being exact opposites and working despite being on a very flawed album. |
| 3 |  | The Mothers of Invention
We're Only in It for the Money
First track: "What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?"
Reprise: "What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body? [Reprise]"
EXCELLENT: This reprise takes the first song and breaks it down as it descends into chaos. Both versions are so brief and hammer in recurring messages of the album that it's hard to fault it. "Lonely Little Girl" contains part of the first "What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?" as well briefly and it's awesome there too.
*Shoutout to "Sofa No. 1" and "Sofa No. 2" for working really well too. The first is instrumental and in the first half, the second is closes the album and takes that track and gives it awesome lyrics. Oh and all 7 King Kongs (including the prelude) from Uncle Meat for being awesome variants on a great theme. |
| 4 |  | Massive Attack
Mezzanine
First track: "Exchange"
Reprise: "(Exchange)"
EXCELLENT: Much like "Sofa No. 1" and "Sofa No. 2," the first "Exchange" is an instrumental that could easily stand on its own, but it is made even better by its lyrical reprise. Horace Andy's delivery really makes it feel like the album is gracefully fading out too. |
| 5 |  | David Bowie
Diamond Dogs
First track: "Sweet Thing"
Reprise: "Sweet Thing [Reprise]"
EXCESSIVE: I love the first "Sweet Thing." In fact, it's my favorite song on Diamond dogs, but "Candidate" and "Sweet Thing [Reprise]" kind of take "Sweet Thing" and beats you over the head with it.
*Shoutout to "It's No Game (No. 1)" and "It's No Game (No. 2)" for complementing each other with different verses that carry a similar thing and for bookending the album instead of being right next to each other. |
| 6 |  | Soundgarden
Louder Than Love
First track: "Full on Kevin's Mom"
Reprise: "Full On [Reprise]"
EXCESSIVE: I love Soundgarden, but Louder Than Love has always been my least favorite LP of theirs (even less than their comeback King Animal) and shit like this doesn't help. Not only is "Full on Kevin's Mom" the worst song on the album, but it gets a reprise at the end for some reason. Maybe if "Ugly Truth" or "Gun" were to have gotten a reprise instead, it would've made sense, but the song about the time your friend fucked your other friend's mom? Why? It's lame as hell. |
| 7 |  | Ween
The Mollusk
First track: "I'm Dancing in the Show Tonight"
Reprise: part of "She Wanted to Leave"
EXCELLENT: You know me, the guy with the Boognish profile pic and avi, so maybe I'm biased. The first track sets up their wacky sense of humor for the listener perfectly with its psychedelic and orchestral music and anxious lyrics about dancing. The reprise adds to this perfectly well. After the emotional ballad closer of "She Wanted to Leave" ends, a simple, slowed down piano and keyboard duo play the tune to "Dancing in the Show Tonight" signifying that the "show" aka The Mollusk, has ended.
*Shoutout to "The Stallion Pt. 1" and "The Stallion Pt. 2" for only being related lyrically and title wise. The similarities end there and both are godsends. |
| 8 |  | Erykah Badu
Baduizm
First track: "Certainly"
Reprise: "Certainly (Flipped It)"
EXCESSIVE: This is the song that inspired the list honestly since I just checked this album yesterday. "Certainly" is an amazing track and contains memorable bass, vocals, and lyrics. But "Certainly (Flipped It)" trades the bass for some sample that's not nearly as good, has nearly the same lyrics, and is a minute longer. Much like with the Sublime album: this album is 58 minutes and this reprise didn't add anything necessary.
*Shoutout to "Rimshot (Intro)" and "Rimshot (Outro)" for bookending the album pleasantly though. |
| 9 |  | The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
First track: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
Reprise: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Reprise]"
EXCELLENT: For one of the first thematic rock albums in history, a reprise actually makes a lot of sense and this one is brief and reminds the listeners of the album's theme in case it may have slipped their mind. Not my favorite, but it certainly feels necessary.
*Shoutout to "Carry That Weight" for its brief reprise of "You Never Give Me Your Money." It's great. |
| 10 |  | Coil
Love's Secret Domain
First track: "Teenage Lightning 1"
Reprises: "Teenage Lightning 2" and "Lorca Not Orca"
EXCESSIVE: "Teenage Lightning 2" was actually the only one of the original vinyl, but the CD edition is a necessary thing to hear since it adds the wonderful track "Things Happen." With that said "Teenage Lightning 1" is just "Teenage Lightning 2" with less content, so it feels so unnecessary. "Lorca not Orca" brings back the vocals from "Teenage Lightning 2" again, but with flamenco guitar yet again, for what seems like absolutely no reason.
*Negative shoutout to "Where Even the Darkness Is Something to See" for being a CD version track that serves as an unnecessary precursor to "Further Back and Faster." Okay, so "Things Happen" is the only reason to even bother with the CD version over the vinyl version. Great. |
| 11 |  | Crass
The Feeding of the 5000
First track: "Do They Owe Us a Living?"
Reprise: "Well? ... Do They?"
EXCESSIVE: I get that the working class deserving more from their bosses is an important message that Crass wants to get across, and "Do They Owe Us a Living?" is awesome, aggressive, and catchy. However, "Well? ... Do They?" is slightly less aggressive, and different in no other discernable way. It's almost like an outtake version of the track they slapped on last minute. |
| 12 |  | Yes
Fragile
First track: "We Have Heaven"
Reprise: part of "Heart of the Sunrise"
EXCELLENT: The first "We Haven Heaven" is a short prog track that's jolly and carefree. It lightens an album containing three long heavy hitters and two 3-minute serious tracks. In fact, the other three *under 3 minute* tracks also serve this purpose. "We Have Heaven" also ends with a door slam sound. The end of the longest and most serious track, "Heart of the Sunrise," is followed by a door opening sound that turns into the reprise of "We Heaven." Due to both context and briefness, this feels both welcome and appropriate. |
| 13 |  | Primus
Sailing the Seas of Cheese
First track: "Here Come the Bastards"
Reprise: "Los Bastardos"
EXCESSIVE: This actually applies to all Primus reprises. All of them just don't work for some reason. They're usually brief though and "Los Bastardos" is the longest one, so I guess it's the one I have the biggest gripe with.
*Shoutout to "To Defy the Laws of Tradition," "De Anza Jig" and "Last Salmon Man" for ruling and negative shoutout to "To Defy" "Captain Shiner" and "Salmon Men" for being unnecessary reprises. Pork Chop's Little Ditty I" is fine and so I'm kinda neutral on it having a reprise. |
| 14 |  | Butthole Surfers
Pioughd
First track: "Lonesome Bulldog"
Reprises: "Lonesome Bulldog II" "Lonesome Bulldog III" and "Lonesome Bulldog IV"
EXCESSIVE: The first one sucked, so why the hell does it have 3 reprises? Is this Gibby Haynes trolling us? Could he troll us with good music?
*Shoutout to both "Graveyards" on Locust Abortion Technician for being awesome, dirty, and not to similar to one another. |
| 15 |  | D'Angelo
Black Messiah
First track: "Back to the Future (Part I)"
Reprise: "Back to the Future (Part II)"
EXCELLENT: Both versions of "Back to the Future" aren't really my favorites on the album, but somehow the title and lyrics really call for a reprise more so than any other track on the album. The reprise works really well too, especially the breakdown section at the end. |
| 16 |  | Hiatus Kaiyote
Choose Your Weapon
First track: "Creations Part One"
Reprise: "Creations Part Two"
EXCESSIVE: The only *under two minute* track that I really care about on here is the opener "Choose Your Weapon." The rest just feel like unneeded transitionary tracks for an album that would still be 65 minutes even without them. I guess they add atmosphere? Not that Choose Your Weapon would lack atmosphere without them. |
| 17 |  | Dr. John
The Sun, Moon and Herbs
First song: "Familiar Reality [Opening]"
Reprise: "Familiar Reality [Reprise]"
EXCESSIVE: Half of "Familiar Reality [Reprise]" is just Dr. John's mumbling. Sure it goes for a different tempo once the singers come in, but it's oddly boring, which is sucks because "Familiar Reality [Opening]" is awesome. |
| 18 |  | Lovage
Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By
First song: "Pit Stop (Take Me Home)"
Reprise: part of "Archie & Veronica"
EXCELLENT: It seems to be a recurring thing that any time a reprise is attached to another song, that's it's going to be good. They're typically brief, simplified, and are mainly there to remind you of the theme or overall tone of the album you just heard. This is no exception for the reprise at the end of "Archie & Veronica" as it's only a minute of the intro music to "Pit Stop (Take Me Home)." |
| 19 |  | LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
First track: "Yeah [Crass Version]"
Reprise: Yeah [Pretentious Version]"
EXCELLENT: Look, I may strongly prefer the Crass version of "Yeah" to the Pretentious one (Murphy's name for it, not mine,) but both bring such different things that calling one excessive would feel off. One's more of a rocker and the other is a dance track. Similar ideas taken in completely different directions. |
| 20 |  | The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Electric Ladyland
First track: "Voodoo Chile"
Reprise: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"
EXCELLENT: Pretty sure both of these are unique jams beloved by all Hendrix fans, including myself. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" might have been included to pad side 4, since it'd be too short without it, but if this is what padding always sounded like, no one would complain. |
| 21 |  | Wilco
Summerteeth
First track: "A Shot in the Arm"
Reprise: "A Shot in the Arm [Alternate Version]"
EXCESSIVE: Wow, a good song that's slightly mixed differently, what a great hidden track! No, but seriously is there a single soul who prefers A Shot in the Arm [Alternate Version]" to the first one? Also, "Candyfloss" is already there as a hidden track and rules.
*Negative shoutout to to "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" and "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)" from Being There for being both not my thing at all. The sleigh bells in "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)" feel extra weird and Christmassy. |
| 22 |  | PJ Harvey
Rid of Me
First song: "Man-Size Sextet"
Reprise: "Man-Size"
EXCELLENT: The first one is a chamber pop song and the second is gritty indie rock, but they have the same lyrics. They're so different, it's difficult to fault either for co-existing. They might be better further from one another on the tracklist though. |
| 23 |  | Gentle Giant
The Power and the Glory
First song: "Proclamation"
Reprise: "Valedictory"
EXCELLENT: This might be one of the most necessary reprises on the entire list. The entire album tells a story of a tyrannical ruler (introduced in "Proclamation") being thwarted and replaced by a revolutionary. The revolutionary eventually gets tempted by the power and glory of his status and the song "Valedictory" shows that he has become the enemy ruler that he was trying to replace. |
| 24 |  | Black Moth Super Rainbow
Start A People
First Song: "I Am the Alphabet"
Reprise: "I Am the Alphabet"
EXCESSIVE: This album's very all over the place in terms of quality, but with all of its short experiments, a repeat song just feels like unnecessary. The shorter version is better too. Good thing the longer one is still under 3 minutes. |
| 25 |  | Tom Waits
Franks Wild Years
First Song: "Innocent When You Dream (Barroom)"
Reprise: "Innocent When You Dream (78)"
EXCELLENT: Another concept album. "Innocent When You Dream (Barroom)" shows the character Frank when he was young and his ambitions to be a famous singer, whereas "Innocent When You Dream (78)" is a reflection of the crazy life he lived. Both versions paint a picture of where Frank is in his life in the story and while I don't consider either an album highlight, they have their appropriate place on the album.
*Shout out to "Straight to the Top (Rhumba)" and "Straight to the Top (Vegas)" from the same album for the same reasons. |
| 26 |  | Nine Inch Nails
The Fragile
First song: "The Great Below"
Reprise: "Underneath It All"
EXCESSIVE: The music on "Underneath It All" is cool, but the lyrics and vocals are so boring as they try to recreate the intensity of the much better "The Great Below."
*Shoutout to "La Mer" and "Into the Void" for sharing similar music, yet being interesting in entirely unique ways. Also, both are album highlights. I guess there's an excellent and an excessive duo from The Fragile. |
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