One song away....

[Halmyre]

One of the first ones I though of.
Also, The Crunge on Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy.

Question- was the SONG "Houses of the Holy" recorded during the HOTH sessions, or was it just an afterthought song on Physical Grafitti? Otherwise, I couldn't understand why it simply wasn't the title track.

Houses of the Holy does come from the session for the album, as does The Rover, Black Country Woman and Walter's Walk. All four of those tracks were rejected in favour of D'Yer Mak'Er.

[JJ88]

^'Walter's Walk' has always struck me as an 'out-fake'...Plant's vocals on that were clearly recorded later IMHO. I think it's a studio jam with overdubbed vocals more than a 'song'. 'D'Yer Maker' isn't great but I can tolerate it, and I don't find it a total embarrassment, as I do 'The Crunge'. 'The Cringe' would have been more appropriate.

'Revelation' unfortunately takes up a whole side of Da Capo, so it's a pretty big 'one song away', but the first side is pure perfection. Every song a gem.

Its a dark album and I feel like the little positivity should come from the title track. When it was released people theorized that Made Again was from the perspective of the boyfriend - it was too unbelievable the girl felt Made Again.

Some have also theorised that it's a post-suicide song, from the girl in the afterlife.

'Paper Lies' is the dud on Brave for me. Doesn't really fit conceptually and I don't like it, in fact I seldom if ever like Marillion in 'rocker' mode (see also 'Deserve', 'Most Toys', 'Hooks In You').

[Trane]

Gong - Angel's Egg, "Givin' My Luv To You"
HP Lovecraft - s/t, "The Time Machine"

That Gong track is a total ruiner

I've usually found the one Dave Lambert song per Strawbs album to be the weak item. That said, on Burning for You, I thought the Lambert song "Heartbreaker" is that album's best cut.

Yup, but then again, Strawbs never even came close to make the "perfect album bar one awful track"




Seamus, San Tropez, and the closing part of Fearless from Meddle
Do You Close Your Eyes - Rising

[Socrates]

Seamus, San Tropez, and the closing part of Fearless from Meddle

You're not a Man U fan, by any chance?

[JKL2000]

Some have also theorised that Made Again is a post-suicide song, from the girl in the afterlife.

'Paper Lies' is the dud on Brave for me. Doesn't really fit conceptually and I don't like it, in fact I seldom if ever like Marillion in 'rocker' mode (see also 'Deserve', 'Most Toys', 'Hooks In You').

That explanation for Made Again is actually more convincing.

I think Paper Lies is ok, but agree it doesn't really fit on the album. I'd say about half of Marillion's rockers work for me, the rest not.

[mogrooves]

Groundhogs - Hogwash, "Mr. Hooker, Sir John"
Gong - Angel's Egg, "Givin' My Luv To You"
Cream - Disraeli Gears, "Mother's Lament"
ELP - s/t, "Lucky Man"
Steve Miller - Children of the Future, "Key To the Highway"
HP Lovecraft - s/t, "The Time Machine"

and...

GG - Acquiring the Taste, "Plain Truth"

[saucyjackstl]

I forgot about "The Hospital Song" on the first 10CC album. The whole CD & it's brother Sheet Music is silly, but silly in a good way, but Hospital Song cross the line from silly to annoying.

[JJ88]

I find 'I Wanna Rule The World' a considerable black mark on How Dare You as well. It's too fussy, over-arranged and clever-clever...too many ideas.

[Progbear]

I find 'I Wanna Rule The World' a considerable black mark on How Dare You as well. It's too fussy, over-arranged and clever-clever...too many ideas.

I forgot about that one. The screaming bit in the middle makes me lunge for the SKIP button.

And that fake child voice at the end...just...UGH!

Mind you, that album also has “Head Room” () and “Rock & Roll Lullabye” (yawn).

[progeezer]

Oh BOY was that ever a disappointment to come across at 18 when I was just beginning to know them. I had immersed myself entirely in the magic and mystery of F.C. that very spring, coming to terms with the potential genius of Lee just little by little, and went tracking with two buddies of mine in July of that year after a family crisis in which my upcoming brother-in-Law got swept away by the sea after a boating accident. So there we are, 18 year olds and prematurely drunk in a monster London record store, money and all - and the guy behind the counter runs side B of Da Capo over the speakers. I remember thinking that the thing sounded like the raunchy rubbish basement blues group WE were playing in at the time. And later getting to know how Lee had already written some of the greater tunes that would later appear on Out Here and Four Sail but left them out due to collective considerations...

Side A is pretty fab, though.

Great post, SS. Even after all this time, I'm so sorry about your future brother-in-law's tragedy. I blew off both Four Sail & Out Here 40 plus years ago after a couple of listens. I remember liking "Singing Cowboy" & "Robert M", but not much more than that. I must have missed Echols, Forssi, Stuart & Cantrelli too much back then. Side A of Da Capo is as brilliant as side B is absurdly shitty.

Siden jeg er en stor fan av Norge spesielt , og du er en av mindretallet her som jeg synes har mye forløsende sosial verdi , vil jeg lytte til dem igjen etter en veldig lang pause . (Blame google translate if this is f****d up)

[Trane]

You're not a Man U fan, by any chance?

I always preferred the City, especially because of Kompany and now De Bruyne as well

[JJ88]

I forgot about that one. The screaming bit in the middle makes me lunge for the SKIP button.

And that fake child voice at the end...just...UGH!

Mind you, that album also has “Head Room” () and “Rock & Roll Lullabye” (yawn).

Yes, those and 'Iceberg' are not great, now you come to mention it. The high points are so high- 'How Dare You', 'Lazy Ways', 'I'm Mandy Fly Me', 'Art For Arts Sake', 'Don't Hang Up'- that one can see past those. But 'I Wanna Rule The World' is the biggest turkey for me. I think you can hear the schism in the band on that album...they felt much more unified on the first three.

RE; Four Sail. Worth having for 'August' alone. It's not so baroque as the previous albums, more Hendrix/Cream-style, but that is a great track.

[Lopez]

For years I used to think the song "Elijah" on the first Spirit album was the one song that ruined an otherwise perfect album. Over the past 10 years or so, I've come to appreciate that song, particularly after hearing alternate and live versions of it. I read that when the band was living together in Topanga Canyon in the late 60s, they would start each day jamming to "Elijah" just to see where things went and sometimes new songs came out of the improvisations.

[Halmyre]

^'Walter's Walk' has always struck me as an 'out-fake'...Plant's vocals on that were clearly recorded later IMHO. I think it's a studio jam with overdubbed vocals more than a 'song'. 'D'Yer Maker' isn't great but I can tolerate it, and I don't find it a total embarrassment, as I do 'The Crunge'. 'The Cringe' would have been more appropriate.

I can take or leave The Crunge, but D'Yer' Mak'er is a great steaming pile of poo served with a urine jus and a side order of poo salad dressed with jizz. In fact, I'm having that inscribed on my gravestone when I cop it.

[Rarebird]

Todd Rundgren - Initiation "A treatise on cosmic fire"

[simon moon]

I was having a conversation about albums I have enjoyed over the years that have that one song that brings them down.

Outlandos d'Amour - By My Girl Sally (when I had vinyl I never played that side of the album)
Garaj Mahal - Mondo Garaj : Poodle Factory (kills the whole CD for me)
Revolution #9 - I can honestly say I have never listened to this on purpose, annoys the hell out of me


Any other albums where one song ruins your experience?

Sorry, but I can't even begin to relate to the idea of one song ruining an entire album of otherwise good material.

In fact, I actually have the opposite approach.

I rate albums and artists highly based on their best material, not downgrade them because of their worst.

Their are plenty of albums in my collection that I consider brilliant, despite having one of two songs I don't listen to.

I mean, seriously, Tarkus has the song "Are You Ready Eddie"! Modern convenience makes it way too easy to hit the 'skip' button on bad songs.

[Rarebird]

Sorry, but I can't even begin to relate to the idea of one song ruining an entire album of otherwise good material.

In fact, I actually have the opposite approach.

I rate albums and artists highly based on their best material, not downgrade them because of their worst.

Their are plenty of albums in my collection that I consider brilliant, despite having one of two songs I don't listen to.

I mean, seriously, Tarkus has the song "Are You Ready Eddie"! Modern convenience makes it way too easy to hit the 'skip' button.

If that song takes half of the album, like the Todd Rundgren one, I mentioned.

[Progbear]

Yes, those and 'Iceberg' are not great, now you come to mention it. The high points are so high- 'How Dare You', 'Lazy Ways', 'I'm Mandy Fly Me', 'Art For Arts Sake', 'Don't Hang Up'- that one can see past those.

I’d agree there. They definitely went out on a high, “Don’t Hang Up” might be their best song, with one of Kevin Godley’s finest and most affecting vocal performances. I’m getting chills just thinking about it.

But 'I Wanna Rule The World' is the biggest turkey for me.

I’d say “Head Room” is worse by a hair, since it’s just four minutes of them going “tee-hee! Get it?” [elbows you in the ribs]. IWRTW at least doesn’t start out as awful as it ends up. And as creepy as the lyrical subject matter of “Iceberg” is, it’s at least musically interesting (and how many other songs did Kevin and Graham collaborate on, anyway?). Which is more than can be said for “Rock & Roll Lullabye,” which is probably the least memorable song by this edition of the band.

I think you can hear the schism in the band on that album...they felt much more unified on the first three.

Emphasis on felt. Apparently, they were always weak bonds holding the two pairs together. I think that The Original Soundtrack, as much of a classic as it is, was the beginning of the end. It seems that much of the reason “I’m Not in Love” sounds like it does is due to the intrusion of Lol Creme, who didn’t even write it. Also, if Kev and Lol had their way, “Une nuit à Paris” would have taken up an entire side of vinyl, but Graham and Eric pronounced it “boring,” and demanded they edit it down.

[pb2015]

and...

GG - Acquiring the Taste, "Plain Truth"

I like that song. "Wreck" is the one that bugs me from that record.

[Trane]

For years I used to think the song "Elijah" on the first Spirit album was the one song that ruined an otherwise perfect album. Over the past 10 years or so, I've come to appreciate that song, particularly after hearing alternate and live versions of it. I read that when the band was living together in Topanga Canyon in the late 60s, they would start each day jamming to "Elijah" just to see where things went and sometimes new songs came out of the improvisations.

I know what you mean, though Elijah was only half a vinyl side, compared to other solo-filled tracks like Love('s Revelation track on Da Capo, 8MH (Golden Earring) or VF's Break Song on Near The Beginning lengthy tracks.

On top of it, indeed, the better version is the alternate one, present on the remastered albums...

[saucyjackstl]

Sorry, but I can't even begin to relate to the idea of one song ruining an entire album of otherwise good material.

In fact, I actually have the opposite approach.

I rate albums and artists highly based on their best material, not downgrade them because of their worst.

Their are plenty of albums in my collection that I consider brilliant, despite having one of two songs I don't listen to.

I mean, seriously, Tarkus has the song "Are You Ready Eddie"! Modern convenience makes it way too easy to hit the 'skip' button on bad songs.

If I have to leave my chair to move the needle (in the old days of album) or press skip (in the CD days) then I am more likely not to put that CD on. If I don't listen to any songs, because I don't want to hear one of the tracks, then it ruins that album. I get in the digital age you simply don't put that song on your iPOD, but when talking about choosing to listen to something, the above songs have made me not put the album (or CD) on at all.

[Trane]

If I have to leave my chair to move the needle (in the old days of album) or press skip (in the CD days) then I am more likely not to put that CD on.

I kind of agree but then again, this never stopped from listening to SEBTP and Rainbow Rising or even ITLOG&P (Love To Love You)... Fortunately, all three had the bad track placed at the end of the album side (or at the start (Dreamer from Crime OT Century).
This meant getting up sooner and lifting the stylus away instead of waiting for it to return to point zero... it was actually more of a bother with the CD, where I had to keep the remote control close to me

If I don't listen to any songs, because I don't want to hear one of the tracks, then it ruins that album.

I wouldn't go that far, because there are plenty of albums with one clunker, and if I were to follow your train of thoughts, I'd have never listened to plenty of otherwise great album

[pb2015]

I know what you mean, though Elijah was only half a vinyl side, compared to other solo-filled tracks like Love('s Revelation track on Da Capo, 8MH (Golden Earring) or VF's Break Song on Near The Beginning lengthy tracks.

On top of it, indeed, the better version is the alternate one, present on the remastered albums...

Spirit were good improvisers while some of the other rock bands who released cuts like that weren't. I like the master take of "Elijah" but the alternate one is less experimental and perhaps from some points of view more successful.

[Digital_Man]

Led Zeppelin- III Hats of to Harper

Definitely the weakest link on the album. There must be a better way to pay tribute to the guy than this. I also don't really care much for "since I've been loving you" but that's still a bit better than HotH which I think is total dreck and I'm someone who's pretty tolerant of a lot of music many people don't like.

[JKL2000]

Led Zeppelin- III Hats of to Harper

Definitely the weakest link on the album. There must be a better way to pay tribute to the guy than this.

Wait, do you mean Roy Harper or Booker T. Washington?