Best Swan Songs

[Obscured]

Pink Floyd - High Hopes

I was thinking "Two Suns In The Sunset" from the final Waters Floyd, The Final Cut. Love that tune. So pre DSOTM 70-71 era Pink Floyd.

[ronmac]

Let it go, JKL. Release the bee from your bonnet.

Letitgo, Ronnie boy.

Don't read too much into things.

Relax, Joe.

I think someone else needs to follow their own advice.

[davis]

The Doors - Riders on the Storm. the last song on their last album with JM. for me, it's a musical synopsis of their career.

[JIF]

The Doors - Riders on the Storm. the last song on their last album with JM. for me, it's a musical synopsis of their career.

I think that it's appropriate that this was the last song recorded with Jim, as it reminds me of funeral music.

[JKL2000]

I was referring to JKL arguing with people on what is considered the swan songs of Pink Floyd, The Band, and The Beatles. However, from that last response, I would say that someone pissed in your Corn Flakes. Jeez, try to help some people. Letitgo, Ronnie boy.

The Band?

[GuitarGeek]

The Wall could be a swan song, as it is the last Floyd album with Rick Wright until MLOR (sic).

Actually, Rick is only just barely on The Wall. From what I gather, most of the keyboards on that album were played by Ezrin and a couple session players. If I remember correctly the one really big thing that Rick did play was the synth solo on Run Like Hell.

[Brian Griffin]

Tony LaRussa

The fucker won arguably the greatest World Series of all time before riding off into the setting sun

BG

[Kim Olesen]

What about "Free as a Bird" though?

That would have to be REAL LOVE which was finished about a year later.

[JKL2000]

That would have to be REAL LOVE which was finished about a year later.

Ok, that was The Beatles' swan song.

[ronmac]

Ok, that was The Beatles' swan song.

Nope. Same argument. I'm inclined to think that Kim would agree.

Once again, a swan song is a final gesture. Just because the Threetles added overdubs to a solo John Lennon demo doesn't change its meaning.

[jkelman]

Jericho, High on the Hog, Jubilation

But not the full original lineup. Great records, but I still prefer with Robbie Robertson.

[Gruno]

I was referring to JKL arguing with people on what is considered the swan songs of Pink Floyd, The Band, and The Beatles. However, from that last response, I would say that someone pissed in your Corn Flakes. Jeez, try to help some people. Letitgo, Ronnie boy.

As mentioned already, JIF seems to be the one who is uptight. Say something opposing and he tells that person to relax.

[Gruno]

A-ha made a fantastic swan song album in 2009. They released it and did their farewell tour. They will record/tour separately. This was the final song on their album:

Start The Simulator

Start the simulator
Controllers, listen up
What's your status, Guidance?
Let's take it from the top
Coming up on docking
The beginnings of a tear
Clearing the tower
We take the air

Start the simulator
Give your tanks a stir
The bright ejecta blanket
All is still a blur
Switch to Omni Bravo
B bus under volt
Roll right to zero
Steady as she goes

We're going to fly so high
Into the rendered sky
We're going to be all right
Inside the endless night

Start the simulator
I.S.O. valves are gray
EDS to manual
Translation looks okay
Save it for the splash-down
Things you want undone
You're in command now
Your home away from home

You're in control now
Now you're on your own

[Lou]

The Wind at My Back - The last Spock's song with Neal Morse.

[klothos]

A-ha made a fantastic swan song album in 2009.

A-Ha just made some fantastic music - period. Its too bad that 90s Grunge and 00s Power Pop/Punk couldnt keep them afloat in the US markets because the albums they put out in those decades were phenomenal

[jake]

Best Swans song in my opinion:

[markowitz]

How about It's All Over Now by Nektar as Roye Albrighton's final gesture to fans and band mates? Did he know he was leaving when this song was written or was it a coincidence? It was the last song on the last album with the classic lineup.

[ronmac]

How about It's All Over Now by Nektar as Roye Albrighton's final gesture to fans and band mates? Did he know he was leaving when this song was written or was it a coincidence? It was the last song on the last album with the classic lineup.

Very good choice.

[Kim Olesen]

Well, I think you're splitting hairs. And, I suspect you do, as well.

The song was written as a John Lennon song seven years after they broke up. The overdubs were 15 years after his death. He had no involvement as a Beatle. So it wasn't a Beatles song to him, if you really want to split the hair even further.

And "swan song" doesn't mean the last song, anyway. It's about the gesture of a final statement.

Well the album says it's a Beatles song. They are all 4 on it. To me that counts as a beatle track. A very late (and pretty good) swan song.

I understand the sentiment that a swan song CAN BE a deliberate statement, but Ringo has always said that there was nothing deliberate over Abbey Road as a swan song. In his words "we didn't sit down and say ok, last take, last song". And there was extensive work going into the Let It Be album afterwards. I Me Mine was recorded afresh by the threetles. And John offered Cold Turkey to the Beatles as a potential single, which means, if i'm not messing up the chronology, that John still had hope for the Beatles after Abbey Road was finished.

[Dave (in MA)]

My first thought was that I have never listened to a swan sing. They are probably pretty good!

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/t...er_swan/sounds

[Lieto]

I'd have to say XTC: The Wheel and the Maypole. While I think they are technically on hiatus, Wasp Star is the last XTC album, and this closing track is quite possibly their best song (in a LONG line of incredible songs). It's just amazing.

[GuitarGeek]

I'd have to say XTC: The Wheel and the Maypole. While I think they are technically on hiatus, Wasp Star is the last XTC album, and this closing track is quite possibly their best song (in a LONG line of incredible songs). It's just amazing.

They might be technically "on hiatus", but I remember reading an article on Andy Partridge a few years ago, I believe he had a solo album out at the time. Anyway, when asked about the future of XTC, he said that Colin Moulding "isn't even interested in listening to music, never mind playing it", which I guess was his way of saying that there was no XTC for the foreseeable future.

[No Pride]

I'd have to say XTC: The Wheel and the Maypole. While I think they are technically on hiatus, Wasp Star is the last XTC album, and this closing track is quite possibly their best song (in a LONG line of incredible songs). It's just amazing.

I know Kerry Kompost loves that tune too, but I don't. I consider it to be two tunes plastered together. I love the first one, but the second one, not so much. I guess part of the reason is that every time Andy sings "Maypole," it sounds like a jingle for this oatmeal cereal called "Maypo" that was popular when I was a kid. (shrug)

They might be technically "on hiatus", but I remember reading an article on Andy Partridge a few years ago, I believe he had a solo album out at the time. Anyway, when asked about the future of XTC, he said that Colin Moulding "isn't even interested in listening to music, never mind playing it", which I guess was his way of saying that there was no XTC for the foreseeable future.

Yeah, they're done, sadly. I suppose it's possible Andy and Collin (and Dave, if we're really lucky) will want to reunite someday, but right now, Andy doesn't even have Collin's phone number or street address.