There are few more abused phrases than ‘all killer no filler’. Too often it means four great singles, a couple of album tracks that aren’t too bad, and…well. So your nominations for albums without a single duff track. Not one. Here’s the rules:
Post the album title and track listing.
Post the weakest track on the album (so no posting Love Spreads from the Second Coming).
Discuss.
Here’s mine: Exodus by Bob Marley. Tracks:
“Natural Mystic” 3:28
“So Much Things to Say” 3:08
“Guiltiness”
“The Heathen” 2:32
“Exodus” 7:40
“Jamming” 3:31
“Waiting in Vain” 4:16
“Turn Your Lights Down Low” 3:39
“Three Little Birds” 3:00
“One Love/People Get Ready
Weakest track: hit single and ear-worm botherer Three Little Birds which only has a nice ska shuffle-groove and a fat organ hook. Hardly Territorial Pissings is it? The first four are all great rastafarian-themed tracks, and I’m guessing you know the listing from 5 onwards.
Heaven Up Here
Show Of Strength – 4:50
With A Hip- 3:15
Over The Wall- 5:59
It Was A Pleasure- 3:15
A Promise – 4:08
Heaven Up Here – 3:44
The Disease- 2:28
All My Colours- 4:06
No Dark Things- 4:27
Turquoise Days- 3:52
All I Want- 4:17
Weakest track: The Disease
The Nightfly – Donald Fagen
“I.G.Y.” – 6:03
“Green Flower Street” – 3:42
“Ruby Baby” (Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, arranged by Donald Fagen) – 5:38
“Maxine” – 3:50
“New Frontier” – 6:23
“The Nightfly” – 5:45
“The Goodbye Look” – 4:47
“Walk Between Raindrops” – 2:38
I concur Vincent. Just about perfect. I know that somewhere I saw videos of Mel Torme covering both The Goodbye Look and Walk Between The Raindrops. Utter splendiosity.
(that’s a word, ain’t it?)
Correct.
There are no filler tracks on this masterpiece!
Ibidem.
I was 19 when I first saw David Sylvian perform Ghosts on telly. I thought it was bonkers but fab. I bought Tin Drum a few days later. Its cool sleeve photo was plastered all over the record shop. It sounded quite weird, but good. A bit New Romantic and very 80s. Listening to it now, it has aged extremely well. Its Oriental pop vibe works magnificently and sounds utterly unique. Both Mick Karn’s bass playing and Steve Jansen’s drumming are highly individual and impressive.
As for the weakest track, I’m gonna cheat and nominate Life without Buildings. It didn’t make the cut for the original album, but was used as a b-side of the Art Of Parties single and eventually appeared on the 2004 reissue.
1. The Art of Parties
2. Talking Drum
3. Ghosts
4. Canton
5. Still Life in Mobile Homes
6. Visions of China
7. Sons of Pioneers
8. Cantonese Boy
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=japan+life+without+buildings
yep that is good all the way through. Even Canton, the obligatory instrumental – almost always the weakest track on any album, has lots of good stuff going on.
Pixies – Doolittle
1.”Debaser”
2.”Tame”
3.”Wave of Mutilation”
4.”I Bleed”
5.”Here Comes Your Man”
6.”Dead”
7.”Monkey Gone to Heaven” –
8.”Mr. Grieves”
9.”Crackity Jones”
10.”La La Love You”
11.”No. 13 Baby”
12.”There Goes My Gun”
13.”Hey”
14.”Silver” (Francis/Deal)
15.”Gouge Away” – 2:45
Weakest track – I Bleed
I was too 19, and this smashed me round the chops and has never left me.
I Wanna Be Adored
She Bangs The Drum
Waterfall
Don’t Stop
Bye Bye Badman
Elizabeth My Dear
Sugar Spun Sister
Made of Stone
Shoot You Down
This Is The One
I Am The Resurrection
Weakest track probably Shoot You Down
Argument for Where Angels Play replacing that one but neither here nor there really.
Also Appetite For Destruction. No fat on that baby either
Sorry Mr Dog but Don’t Stop is appallingly awful. Waterfall played backwards with random bollocks on top? The very epitome of “filler.”
Noooooo!
They could’ve shoved Elephant Stone on there as they did on the US release if they didn’t have confidence in the song.
Don’t Stop needed to be on there – Waterfall doesn’t sound the same without Don’t Stop following.
For us of a certain age, that was the first time backward masking and taping, with new guitar lines over the top, that level of inventiveness (though now appreciate The Pretty Things, The Beatles etc) got there first. It’s an interesting track and better than their earlier attempts at the same with Simone and Full Fathom Five.
I’m with the multiple canine on this one. It might not be up to much as a stand alone track, but within the context of the debut album it’s part of the ballsy swagger of a band who knew they were good enough to be able to take risks and get away with it.
I think this is exactly the kind of album I had in mind – stunning standout tracks, at the top of best track ever lists but is there really no filler in this album? Shoot You Down and Don’t Stop are both significantly below the standard set by the rest of the album.
I really like Don’t Stop – in fact, I’d say it’s one of my favourite Roses tracks, along with the equally marvellous Full Fathom Five. Dig those backwards guitars!
Elizabeth my Dear is the weakest thing on the first Roses album.
Yep I’m with you. My favourite album, still.
Van der Graaf Generator – Still Life
1. Pilgrims
2. Still Life
3. La Rossa
4. My Room
5. Childlike Faith (in childhood’s end)
Weakest track: there isn’t one…..
La Rossa is EPIC!
There are other VdGG albums which could also fit this category (and I totally agree on Still Life):
Van der Graaf Generator – Godbluff
1. Undercover Man
2. Scorched Earth
3. Arrow
4. Sleepwalkers
No weakest track – it’s like a nightmare with no escape from start to finish. Intense doesn’t begin to cover it…
Van der Graaf Generator – Pawn Hearts
1. Lemmings
2. Man-Erg
3. A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers
Again, no weakest track – terrifyingly strange throughout, yet it makes my heart sing from the first note to the last.
New Boots And Panties!! — Ian Dury And The Blockheads (1977)
Side one
“Wake Up and Make Love with Me” – 4:23
“Sweet Gene Vincent” – 3:33
“I’m Partial to Your Abracadabra” – 3:13
“My Old Man” (Dury, Steve Nugent) – 3:40
“Billericay Dickie” (Dury, Nugent) – 4:17
Side two
“Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” – 3:04
“Clevor Trever” – 4:53
“If I Was With a Woman” – 3:24
“Blockheads” – 3:30
“Plaistow Patricia” (Dury, Nugent) – 4:13
“Blackmail Man” (Dury, Nugent) – 2:14
Weakest track? Gaaah… Ok , probably “I’m Partial To Your Abracadabra”?
Here’s Macca’s version
No, they saved the weakest track until last. Blackmail Man lets the whole thing down. Still one of my all time favourite albums though.
Really? I love Blackmail Man. There are no duds on NB&P tbh
Never Mind The Bollocks – Sex Pistols (1977)
Holidays in the Sun – 3:22
Bodies – 3:03
No Feelings – 2:53
Liar – 2:41
God Save the Queen – 3:20
Problems – 4:11
Seventeen – 2:02
Anarchy in the U.K. – 3:32
Submission – 4:12
Pretty Vacant – 3:18
New York – 3:07
EMI – 3:10
Weakest track: Liar.
New York has the whiff of filler about it as well I would say
Liar the weakest track? Hell no. Lydon’s best vocal on the album.
Not keen on New York – bit of an in-joke, like Janie Jones.
Don’t expect anyone to agree…….
10000 Maniacs: In My Tribe
What’s The Matter Here
Hey Jack Kerouac
Like The Weather
Cherry Tree
The Painted Desert
Don’t Talk
Peace Train
Gun Shy
My Sister Rose
A Campfire Song
City Of Angels
Verdi Cries
Weakest track: The Painted Desert
Ha ha – that’s my favourite!
In my tribe – got to be one of the most played albums in my collection. Gun shy is the greatest vocal Natalie ever sang and she has sung a few.
I nominate Reign In Blood by Slayer. If you like this type of thing it is undeniably perfect.
Angel of Death
Piece by Piece
Necrophobic
Altar of Sacrifice
Jesus Saves
Criminally Insane
Reborn
Epidemic
Postmortem
Raining Blood
As for weakest track, Reborn probably.
Good call Ganglesprocket. I played it today and would agree with you on Reborn
While we’re on a metal theme, how about Master Of Puppets by Metallica
Battery
Master Of Puppets
The Thing That Should Not Be
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Disposable Heroes
Leper Messiah
Orion
Damage Inc.
Weakest track?
My vote goes to Leper Messiah
Lifes Rich Pageant – REM
Begin the Begin
These Days
Fall on Me
Cuyahoga
Hyena
Underneath the Bunker
The Flowers of Guatemala
I Believe
What If We Give It Away?
Just a Touch
Swan Swan H
Superman
Weakest track – The Flowers of Guatemala
Fantastic album
Great choice and agree on the weakest track.
Weakest track is Swan Swan H
agree
Great album, but clearly the weakest track is Underneath The Bunker.
….. and Swagger – The Blue Aeroplanes
Jacket Hangs
World View Blue
Weightless
…And Stones
Love Come Round
Your Ages
The Applicant
What It Is
Anti‐Pretty
Careful Boy
Picture Framed
Cat‐Scan Hist’ry
Weakest track – Cat‐Scan Hist’ry. It does go on a bit!
Re: Cat‐Scan Hist’ry. Yes, it does go on a bit.
And it sounds like it should be the title of a track by the Fall.
Still – nice to see “Swagger” nominated, Mr Pajp.
Supergrass In It For The Money
In it for the money
Richard III
Tonight
Late in the day
G song
Sun hits the sky
Going out
It’s not me
Cheapskate
You can see me
Hollow little reign
Sometimes I make you sad
Weakest track? Going out- it’s the only one I would ever consider skipping.
G song
Amen! Brilliant album!
Almost agree. I just can’t even fault Going Out.
Yeah top album. Hugely underrated band.
Extra G song at the end as I’m getting used to my new phone!
Re: In My Tribe- agree about the Painted Desert- it outstays its welcome but I really, really adore that album & you’ve reminded me that I haven’t added it to my Spotty library yet.
Skylarking — XTC (1986)
Side one
1. “Summer’s Cauldron” 3:19
2. “Grass” Colin Moulding 3:05
3. “The Meeting Place” Moulding 3:14
4. “That’s Really Super, Supergirl” 3:21
5. “Ballet for a Rainy Day” 2:50
6. “1000 Umbrellas” 3:44
7. “Season Cycle” 3:21
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. “Earn Enough for Us” 2:54
2. “Big Day” Moulding 3:32
3. “Another Satellite” 4:15
4. “Mermaid Smiled” 2:26
5. “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” 3:24
6. “Dying” Moulding 2:31
7. “Sacrificial Bonfire”
Weakest track? I never cared much for “Another Satellite” but the weakest track is probably, “Big Day”. Only because it was a Colin off cut from The Dukes’ 25, O’Clock sessions.
Now, for me, it would be Apple Venus Volume 1
River of Orchids
I’d Like That
Easter Theatre
Nights in Shining Karma
Frivolous Tonight
Green Man
Your Dictionary
Fruit Nut
I Can’t Own Her
Harvest Festival
The Last Balloon
Partridge’s finest hour. Colin Moulding kept his good stuff for Volume 2, and Fruit Nut is the weak link here.
Apologies for my lame cut and pasting there
Dexys – Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
Burn It Down
Tell Me When My Light Turns Green
The Teams That Meet In Caffs
I’m Just Looking
Geno
Seven Days Too Long
I Couldn’t Help If I Tried
Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn’t Apply
Keep It
Love Part One
There, There, My Dear
Weakest track (by a mile) – Love Part One – an embarassingly juvenile nihilistilic poem with “atmospheric” solo sax accompaniment – brevity is its only redeeming feature.
Everything else in the album is utterly superb though.
What, even that monkey noises song? you know – “Ooo-ooo, aaa-aaa!”
I’ve just finished learning this whole album (for Dexys Bootleg Runners). Yorkshire (aka Ooh Ooh Ahh Ahh) really works live. And I loved Love Pt 1 when I was a spotty youth so I still have a soft spor for it.
Keep it is my least favourite on the album and even that’s no’ bad.
Randy Newman – Sail Away
1. “Sail Away”
2. “Lonely at the Top”
3. “He Gives Us All His Love”
4. “Last Night I Had a Dream”
5. “Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear”
6. “Old Man”
Side two
7. “Political Science”
8. “Burn On”
9. “Memo to My Son”
10. “Dayton, Ohio – 1903”
11. “You Can Leave Your Hat On”
12. “God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)”
http://youtu.be/wfHtwfsI5WE
Weakest track – Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear
We have a winner – though I have to say I love SSAHADB too.
Ooh yes – love those monkey noises!
Actually I do too. What the heck is he singing? Who cares?
Great organ on that track.
One thing always mystifies me about that album… how do you carry the complete Stax singles under your arm? You would drop some of them. “Shite! There goes the Mad Lads, that cost ten quid on eBay…”
Haven’t got the hang of replying in the right place yet!
Penthouse and Pavement — Heaven 17 (1981)
1. “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh, Glenn Gregory 4:20
2. “Penthouse and Pavement” Ware, Marsh, Gregory 6:23
3. “Play To Win” Ware, Marsh, Gregory 3:37
4. “Soul Warfare” Ware, Marsh, Gregory 5:04
Side B (Penthouse)
5. “Geisha Boys and Temple Girls” Ware, Marsh, Gregory 4:33
6. “Let’s All Make A Bomb” Ware, Marsh, Gregory 4:03
7. “The Height of the Fighting” Ware, Marsh, Gregory 3:01
8. “Song With No Name” Ware, Marsh, Gregory 3:36
9. “We’re Going To Live for a Very Long Time¹”
The runt of the litter? Soul Warfare?
Oooooh
I loved it at the time, but doesn’t it drop off after track 2 – having said that haven’t played it for ages………..
What on earth have Heaven 17 got in common with Rickie Lee Jones, I hear you ask. Well, I shall tell you. Both of them produced 1st and 2nd albums that were perfect in every way, every song a killer, no filler, still sound great today. And from then on it was all filler. They both proceeded to do nothing else that interested me in the slightest. Nothing. The silly muppets.
Pretenders – Pretenders
Side one
“Precious” – 3:36
“The Phone Call” – 2:29
“Up the Neck” – 4:27
“Tattooed Love Boys” – 2:59
“Space Invader” (Pete Farndon, James Honeyman-Scott) – 3:26
“The Wait” (Hynde, Farndon) – 3:35
“Stop Your Sobbing” (Ray Davies) – 2:38
Side two
“Kid” – 3:06
“Private Life” – 6:25
“Brass in Pocket” (Honeyman-Scott, Hynde) – 3:04
“Lovers of Today” – 5:51
“Mystery Achievement” – 5:23
Weakest track maybe “The Phone Call”
There isn’t an ounce of fat on either of the first two Ps albums. As my Dad said recently, “They were best when they had those two dead blokes in”
Tis true, i could easily have stated the case for the second.
R.E.M – Reckoning
Harborcoat
7 Chinese Bros
So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
Pretty Persuasion
Time after Time
Second Guessing
Letter Never Sent
Camera
(Don’t go back to) Rockville
Little America
I could however have plumped for Murmur or Lifes Rich Pageant. You may notice a slight R.E.M bent 🙂
Sparks – Kimono My House
This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us
Amateur Hour
Falling In Love With Myself Again
Here In Heaven
Thank God It’s Not Christmas
Hasta Mañana, Monsieur
Talent Is An Asset
Complaints
In My Family
Equator
They left the least till last – it’s the sax in Equator wot lets it down, IMO.
…and that’s not even the best Sparks album! I agree about Equator although it was one of the highlights of the recent performance with the full orchestra, it must have been twice the length as well.
KT Tunstall Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon
A remarkable album. Hard to pick a weak track; maybe the last one which is a bit superfluous.
1. “Invisible Empire”
2. “Made of Glass”
3. “How You Kill Me”
4. “Carried”
5. “Old Man Song”
6. “Yellow Flower”
7. “Crescent Moon”
8. “Waiting on the Heart”
9. “Feel It All”
10. “Chimes (featuring Howe Gelb)”
11. “Honeydew”
12. “No Better Shoulder”
13. “Feel It All – Band Jam (Radio Edit)”
I do agree – I listened to it after your eulogising, then bought it – so thank you!
Really really great – and I had written her off after that annoying gimmicky song about a tree. Interested to see the involvement of Howe Gelb.
Glad you like it. 🙂 Incredibly moving.
Van Morrison – Moondance.
And It Stoned Me.
Moondance.
Crazy Love.
Caravan.
Into The Mystic.
Come Running.
These Dreams Of You.
Brand New Day.
Everyone.
Glad Tidings.
If pushed I may toe-end Everyone into the long grass.
Don’t you think it fades a bit too the end, Everyone and Glad Tidings seem a bit samey, a rerun of the sound that other songs on the album do much better? (see also AC/DC below).
Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
Too High 4:37
Visions 5:17
Living For The City 7:26
Golden Lady 5:00
Higher Ground 3:54
Jesus Children Of America 4:04
All In Love Is Fair 3:45
Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing 4:55
He’s Misstra Know-It-All 6:06
Most would nominate Jesus Children Of America (but I love it)
I might be on my own here but, Spoon – They Want My Soul. Every song hits, great production – and if anything it gets better as it goes.
Rent I Pay 3:10
Inside Out 5:02
Rainy Taxi 3:58
Do You 3:33
Knock Knock Knock 4:39
Outlier 4:22
They Want My Soul 3:22
I Just Don’t Understand 2:38
Let Me Be Mine 3:26
New York Kiss 3:27
For me, untypically, track 1 is the weakest
I agree, each song a killer – fave album of 2014. Such an underrated band.
Have you seen their set on Sound Opinions – really well recorded so you can see the musicianship involved
thanks, will have a listen later
To borrow the words of Michael Jackson, you are not alone. Love Spoon, love this album, although Outlier is the one I’m a bit meh about. Their previous three records have been AKNF too.
Radiohead – The Bends
Planet Telex
The Bends
High and Dry
Fake Plastic Trees
Bones
Nice Dream
Just
My Iron Lung
Bullet Proof (I wish I was)
Black Star
Sulk
Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Bullet Proof is probably the most skippable.
Agree with the nomination, but Bullet Proof ? Nice Dream maybe…
Bullet Proof and Sulk are filler there I think
Gene Clark – No Other
Life’s Greatest Fool
Silver Raven
No Other
Strength of Strings
From a Silver Phial
Some Misunderstanding
The True One
Lady of the North
Weakest track: The True One
Re: Gene Clark – No Other
That run of four songs from track 3 to track 6 is simply faultless. Quite superb.
I am nothing if not predictable, and repetitive…Chris Whitley, “Living With The Law”.
Excerpt (doesn’t really count as a track)
Living With The Law
Big Sky Country
Kick The Stones
Make The Dirt Stick
Poison Girl
Dust Radio
Phone Call From Leavenworth
I Forget You Every Day
Long Way Round
Look What Love Has Done
Bordertown
Hard to pick a weakest. Ordinarily I wouldn’t, but if push came to shove, Look What Love Has Done is probably my least favourite. But only because I was pushed.
Nope, you are wrong. There isn’t a weakest track on this most perfect of perfect records.
And, because probably no-one else will…AC/DC “Highway to Hell”
Highway to Hell
Girls Got Rhythm
Walk All Over You
Touch Too Much
Beating Around The Bush
Shot Down In Flames
Get It Hot
If You Want Blood (You Got It)
Love Hungry Man
Night Prowler
We were playing this in the car on Saturday. Terrific album for sure, but don’t you think it fades away a bit with Love Hungry Man and Night Prowler? Nanu nanu.
In a word, no.
I had Night Prowler down in the ‘Now *that’s* how you close an album’ thread.
The Beatles – Revolver
Taxman
Eleanor Rigby
I’m Only Sleeping
Love You To
Here, There & Everywhere
Yellow Submarine
She Said, She Said
Good Day Sunshine
And Your Bird Can Sing
For No One
Dr Robert
I Want To Tell You
Got To Get You Into My Life
Tomorrow Never Knows
Weakest track is obvious – Good Day Sunshine 😉
Here There And Everywhere is a bit sickly I find. Prissy even. Love You Too is quite dreary. For No One I admire more than really enjoy. I Want To Tell You is not far off being filler. It’s not especially interesting but has a great sound. Otherwise, yeah, brilliant. Well, Yellow Submarine is great for what it is, but killer? Beatles albums are quite patchy though I think. Apart from A Hard Day’s Night of course. Should have had that instead.
I’d have said Taxman for the weakest track. It’s just George whingeing about having do his duty and pay his taxes. He’d have it all in the Caymans these days…
What the blithering flip are you talking about? Taxman is superb, for the riff alone. The Labour 95% super tax was pretty outrageous, no?
Not at all. They’d have only spent it on drugs, white pianos and Chocolate Olivers.
The beauty of Revolver is that there is something to appeal to everyone. Revolver really is unique because of its assortment with each track a perfect confection packed with beautifully judged detail.
For No One is deliberately emotionally cold matched by technically flawless music. Love You To’s paean to free love is set in an exquisitely exotic bed. Taxman is more than just a whinge. It has an aggressive riff, a bubbling bass, bitter backing vocals, an impressive solo and, most of all, a cowbell. Here, There & Everywhere is so swoonsome.
In fact, I could make a case for every track being the best one!
Mais non! Love You To is a load of bobbins, and I don’t like For No One much either. I like GDS a lot.
Aren’t you the guy that doesn’t like The Beatles?
His name is legion. For we are many.
One of us! One of us!
Oh bloody hell. The Beatles.
And which track was the dud on that Lionel Blair Aerobic Dancing LP…?
Th’ Blairster never cut a bad track in his life. The Aerobic Dancing album (the “headband album” to fans) is wall-to-wall quality.
The Congos – “Heart of the Congos”
“Fisherman”
“Congoman”
“Open up the Gate”
“Children Crying”
“La La Bam-Bam”
“Can’t Come In”
“Sodom and Gomorrow”
“The Wrong Thing”
“Ark of the Covenant”
“Solid Foundation”
“At the Feast”
“Nicodemus”
Difficult to pick a ‘weakest’ track, as it’s all so monumentally fab, of course, but if I had to drop one track from Lee Perry’s Black Ark masterpiece, it might be La La Bam-Bam.
NO! That’s one of my favourites. I’m going to cheat and say Solid Foundation (Disco Cork Mix) from the second CD on the Blood & Fire version.
I’ve thought about this and the Cupid and Psyche 85 by Scritti Politti is my nomination.
The Word Girl
Small Talk
Absolute
A Little Knowledge
Don’t Work that Hard
Perfect Way
Lover to Fall
Wood Beez
Hypnotize
Weakest – Don’t Work that Hard.
Cease writing now. Harold was of course correct, Chris Whitley’s Living With The Law is the only perfect no-filler record in existence (although Blonde on Blonde is nearly 100% perfect)
Songs From the Argyll Cycle, Volume 1
Never lets me down.
1. Stranger On the Square
2. Walking in Argyll
3. Honeymoon Hill
4. Looking for Love
5. Grievin’ At The Mish Nish
6. Ballad Of A Simple Heart
7. As We Sailed Into Skibbereen
8. Some Ancient Misty Morning
9. The History Of Rain
10. Gylen Gylen
11. Fly
12. The Crazy Song
Sadly this degree of quality control could not last throughout his career, his prolificness sometimes needing a tad more attention to detail.
Another prolific songster is the still living Richard Thompson, where Electric is the nearest to killer no filler, despite having no standout track standing head and shoulder above the usual (deliberate) clunker he always seems to lace his content with. So his most complete LP but far from my favourite. (Since you ask, Hand of Kindness)
Nah, Mock Tudor is best RT album.
Agree on Jackie though
Thinking about it he had another AKNF album in Defending Ancient Springs:-
You’ve lost that loving feeling
(great cover)
Single Father (best song he ever wrote)
Paris Blues
Defending Ancient Springs
The Working Mans love song
I saw my love walk into clouds
Hand is pale with Holy kisses
Your Winter days
The keys to the Forest
Morbid sky
Mock Tudor is the most complete of the albums. The best? That could be a looong debate.
Screaming Trees – Sweet Oblivion
Shadow Of The Season
Nearly Lost You
Dollar Bill
More Or Less
Butterfly
For Celebrations Past
Secret Kind
Winter Song
Troubled Times
No One Knows
Julie Paradise
If push came to shove then “Butterfly” would be the weakest track, but this really is a stormer from start to finish, and way better than Dust IMHO
Couldn’t agree more, and really struggling to name a weakest track – maybe Secret Kind.
Dust is still great but it’s not in the same class.
Dummy – Portishead
Mysterons
Sour Times
Strangers
It Could Be Sweet
Wandering Star
It’s A Fire
Numb
Roads
Pedestal
Biscuit
Glory Box
As well balanced an album as ever you will find. The weakest track is probably “It’s A Fire”.
Eh? WHAAAT? One of the curses of growing up in Ireland was the Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum ad on tv that showed British people got SEVEN sticks of gum when we only got five (and don’t get me started on all the different flavours of crisps..).
Now I find our classic albums have been truncated too! (Well, yes, I remember The Life Of Brian lp was released over here on 12″ sandpaper and came with a note enclosed praying for your soul, but I always thought that was an exception) .
This “It’s a fire” of which you speak is nowhere to be found on my copy of the album.
I always thought the record was called “Portishead, dummy”, like “It’s the economy, stupid”, but it turns out in this case I’m the dummy.
Oh, it’s the weakest track. Okay then (*affects sarcastic tone, although his eyes say he is crushed*) .
I have a funny feeling It’s a Fire might not have been on all versions of the album. Certainly, it’s the song on Dummy that I feel I’ve heard the least, and god knows that album was properly ubiquitous at one stage.
Here it is:
Lovely hammond organ.
Being the least beautiful track on Dummy is a bit like being the least argumentative Hitchens brother, I suppose.
Furthermore…
Transformer – Lou Reed
Vicious
Andy’s Chest
Perfect Day
Hangin’ Round
Walk on the Wild Side
Make Up
Satellite of Love
Wagon Wheel
New York Telephone Conversation
I’m So Free
Goodnight Ladies
Removing any single track is like taking a scene out of a play. Wagon Wheel, if we really must.
I think of Tranformer as a bit patchy myself. Berlin on the other hand…
Berlin
Lady Day
Men of Good Fortune
Caroline Says I
How Do You Think It Feels
Oh, Jim
Caroline Says II
The Kids
The Bed
Sad Song
Weakest? The Kids?
A masterpiece anyway.
When I was a young chap, who didn’t know much of the world I used to listen to The Kids in astonishment. What did they do to those poor children in the recording studio to elicit such spine-chilling howls? I could barely listen to it.
These days if you were to record life chez Haddock you would get even more blood-curdling yells on a daily basis as our little darlings go about their everyday life “playing happily together”.
Fantastic album though. I’d say the weakest song is Men of Good Fortune.
The story is that producer Bob Ezrin wanted to get some authentically distraught wailing, so he told his own children that their mother had just been killed in a horrible accident, then set up the mikes. I prefer to think it’s an apocryphal story.
High Land Hard Rain – Aztec Camera
Survives even dodgy eighties drum sounds….
Oblivious
The Boy Wonders
Walk Out to Winter
The Bugle Sounds Again
We Could Send Letters
Pillar to Post
Release
Lost Outside the Tunnel
Back on Board
Down the Dip
Maybe Lost Outside the Tunnel
Ooooh yes! 😀 Great choice.
I like the Beatles fine. I’m not one of these “they’re impossible to over-rate” types, though *cough*Hepworth*cough*
The answer as always is…..(not withstanding my nomination of The Stone Roses)
Five Years
Soul Love
Moonage Daydream
Starman
It Ain’t Easy
Lady Stardust
Star
Hang On To Yourself
Ziggy Stardust
Suffragette City
Rock and Roll Suicide.
Weakest track…………tough……….I’ll go with Star
It ain’t easy? I skip it every time. Sounds like it should be sung by Lorenzo St. DuBois.
I’m not disagreeing with your choice of “Star”, SixDog, but I imagine that most fans would choose Ron Davies’s “It Ain’t Easy” as the weakest track.
Ron Davies? The Labour Welsh secretary who had to resign after being caught fooling around with someone on Clapham Common?
I suspect this might be someone else.
Ron Davies – Badger Watch
I love “It Ain’t Easy”! I’d chuck out Soul Love, Hang On To Yourself AND Star before going near It Ain’t Easy. I realise I’m probably in a minority of one here.
He wrote “sorry” in pen on his fingers and then made sure that press photographers saw it during his resignation press conference. Obviously a private message to someone. Very, very sad.
“Ladies and gentlemen…The Revolution”
Let’s Go Crazy
Take Me With U
The Beautiful Ones
Computer Blue
Darling Nikki
When Doves Cry
I Would Die 4 U
Baby I’m A Star
Purple Rain
Weakest track? At a real push, Computer Blue.
Roxy Music – Stranded
Street Life
Just Like You
Amazona
Psalm
Serenade
A Song For Europe
Mother Of Pearl
Sunset
Weakest track…Amazona.
Nah – Just Like You. Amazona is fun-keeee.
But that deffo blongs on dis fred.
Alright, I’ll play this glorified Favourite Albums thread.
Curtis Mayfield – There’s No Place Like America Today. All of his albums have one or two duffers (even Superfly has that silly chase music). Except this.
Billy Jack
When Seasons Change
So in Love
Jesus
Blue Monday People
Hard Times
Love to the People (weakest track)
I hope it’s a bit different. Exodus wouldn’t even make my top 40 albums list, but I have to agree it’s extra-ordinary in the quality of every single track. Just to take one that does, Setting Sons, massively let down by the achilles heel of the otherwise classic album – if it’s not the instrumental (see the post on Tin Drum) then it’s in this case the inessential cover. Do we need The Jam’s version of Heatwave? Not really.
Seconded @moseleymoles. This thread is viable in its own right. Most of my my favourite records are up there despite an obvious clunker (or two! – I’m looking at you Velvet Underground) in the mix. Even Trans-Europe Express, which I think of as one seamless journey, is not without a dip in quality along the way. If I had to come up with an album without duffers, something like Bingo’s suggestion of Dummy would fit the bill, despite being a long way down my list of favourite records..
Oh, and, FWIW,I think you nailed it in the OP with Exodus..
Re: “Setting Sons, massively let down by the inessential cover (version of Heatwave)”
I’d say that of the nine Jam originals on that fine album, “Girl on the Phone” is easily the weakest song.
My Aim Is True
Welcome to the Working Week
Miracle Man
No Dancing
Blame It on Cain
Alison
Sneaky Feelings
(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
Less Than Zero
Mystery Dance
Pay It Back
I’m Not Angry
Waiting for the End of the World
Now that is no filler, can sing the chorus to every track in my head instantly.
Still my favourite Elvis album
Magazine – Real Life
Definitive Gaze
My Tulpa
Shot by Both Sides
Recoil
Burst
Motorcade
The Great Beautician in the Sky
The Light Pours Out of Me
Parade
Martin Stephenson & The Daintees – Boat To Bolivia
Crocodile Cryer
Coleen
Little Red Bottle
Running Water
Tribute to the Late Reverend Gary Davis
Candle in the Middle
Piece of the Cake
Look Down Look Down
Slow Lovin’
Caroline (weakest track)
Rain
Boat to Bolivia
What an album. Guy Garvey played Rain on 6music a few weeks back and amazingly had never heard the song and didn’t know who Martin Stephenson was. I was staggered.
Catch him live if you can. He’s absofookinlootely ace.
Seconded. Very funny too. I got the feeling he would have played all night.
Is that amazing, is it? I’ve never heard of him either, let alone any of his songs. I’m sure he’s very good and everyfink, but he’s not exactly a household name!
Check him out, @disappointmentbob. Boat To Bolivia really is very good. Boat To Bolivia has some jazzy, some poppy, some acoustic, some rockabilly-ish, some ragtime-ish. Summat for all the family. Here’s Coleen. A jazzy-ish little ditty about his sister splitting up from her partner.
I’ve never heard of Gus Garvey.
Ah! Gus Garvey’s words come to pass.
I don’t get that one, Moose. What words? Where? When? Why? What? Who? Which? How?
I’m all of a dither.
It’s the title track of an album that I rather fancy blongs on dis fred.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mWNi7u9OLY
Ah.
Tom Waits – The Heart of Saturday Night
New Coat of Paint
San Diego Serenade
Semi Suite
Shiver Me Timbers
Diamonds on My Windshield
(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night
Fumblin’ with the Blues
Please Call Me, Baby
Depot, Depot
Drunk on the Moon
The Ghosts of Saturday Night (After Hours at Napoleone’s Pizza House)
A tad obvious, I know, but what the hey hey.
Nick Drake: ‘Five Leaves Left’. No filler, and no weak tracks. OOAA.
1. “Time Has Told Me”
2. “River Man”
3. “Three Hours”
4. “Way to Blue”
5. “Day is Done”
6. “Cello Song”
7. “The Thoughts of Mary Jane”
8. “Man in a Shed”
9. “Fruit Tree”
10. “Saturday Sun”
Re: Five Leaves Left
Are “Three Hours” and “Man in a Shed” slightly less brilliant than the other tracks? Maybe … or maybe not.
For what it’s worth, I was just about to post “Bryter Layter” on this thread before I saw your post, Ruby.
@duco01 That’s funny; I had to really, really think about choosing Bryter Layter or Five Leaves Left. I think FLL just squeaks it but it could have gone either way.
And I also had to think hard about ‘Man in a Shed’ but let it go; I genuinely think the word ‘shed’ in the title puts me off a bit. Also stopped me ever liking Shed Seven. But it may be a girl thing. 🙂
Last one for now:
‘Message From the Meditations’ – The Meditations (1977)
Running From Jamaica
There Must Be A First Time
Tricked
Do Mama Do
Rome
Woman Is Like A Shadow
Babylon Trap Them
Woman Piabba
Changing Times
Rastaman Prayer
Fabulous album.
Really interesting choice, I’m not sure I know a single track on it, but will definitely check it out.
You should. Here’s ‘Changing Times’ as a taster:
Hope you like it.
I’m not a big fan of The Meditations. They’re ok, but nothing special to me. Turn Me Loose would be my favourite song of theirs.
From my reggae albums, I think the most consistently good, the “all killer, no filler” album, would be I Jah Man Levi’s ‘Lilly Of My Valley’. Can’t pick a weak track from it.
Oh and same goes for The Might Diamonds’ Right Time.
Bluuuuuuuuu-uuuuuue…..
All I Want
My Old Man
Little Green
Carey
Blue
California
This Flight Tonight
River
A Case of You
The Last Time I Saw Richard
weakest… Little Green, possibly. If you must.
It’s not my favourite JM album but everything on it is brilliant. I get this thread now….
Whaaaaat? ‘Little Green’ is lovely and terribly sad. If I had to, I’d go for ‘My Old Man’ which is a little screechy. But great choice though.
I said “if you must…..”
Re: Blue.
For me, the only song that is less than transcendentally brilliant is the title track.
Glad I read to the end of the thread – thought I’d got to the bottom and was just about to post and then….someone beat me to it. But I’d also agree with Ruby Blue about the merits of “Little Green” and the (relative) demerits of “My Old Man”.
Hejira.
Coyote
Amelia
Furry Sings the Blues
Strange Boy
Hejira
Song for Sharon
Black Crow
Blue Motel Room
Refuge of the Roads
There isn’t a track on there that hasn’t been my favourite at one time or another; not one that hasn’t accurately soundtracked life in one way or another. Like choosing between children etc etc. If I must, it would be Black Crow, but it hurts to say it.
The Afghan Whigs – Black Love
Crime Scene Part One
My Enemy
Double Day
Blame, Etc.
Step Into The Light
Going To Town
Honky’s Ladder
Night By Candlelight
Bulletproof
Summer’s Kiss
Faded
There honestly isn’t a duff track on this. Going To Town is maybe fractionally less completely awesome than the others, but it’s still one of the good guys.
Going To Town?!? It’s their best track! Opinions hey? 🙂
and the best British album ever recorded
Massive Attack – Blue Lines
Safe From Harm
One Love
Blue Lines
Be Thankful For What You’ve Got
Five Man Army
Unfinished Sympathy
Daydreaming
Lately
Hymn Of The Big Wheel
The whole thing is greater than the sum of its parts, but if I had to pick a least good track, it would probably be Daydreaming, on the grounds that it’s not so much sampling Wally Badarou as just talking over one of his records. It’s still aces though.
Oh yes, I have to agree with that one. While it’s not, imo, the “best British album ever recorded” (that would be Dark Side of the Moon, natch) it is the best album of the 90s. While I agree that Daydreaming is perhaps the weakest track, Unfinished Sympathy is the one I’d separate. While it’s an amazing track, it’s the only one that for me doesn’t really fit with the rest of the album. The strings and the uptempo dance vibe and the whole uniqueness of it sort of jars alongside the laid-back spliffy groove of the other tracks.
Interesting point on Unfinished Sympathy. If I remember right it opened side 2 in old money, which makes the jump from the late night whispers of Five Man Army a bit less jarring.
If Blue isn’t the right answer (and it is), how about Hats by The Blue Nile:
Over The Hillside
The Downtown Lights
Let’s Go Out Tonight
Headlights on the Parade
From A Late Night Train
Seven A.M.
Saturday Night
Weakest track ????I’m going Seven A.M. but it’s by a whisker
“Enjoy Yourself” (Herb Magidson, Carl Sigman) – 3:39
“Rat Race” (Byers) – 3:07 – NB: not included on UK release nor Dutch LP
“Man at C & A” (Dammers, Hall) – 3:36
“Hey, Little Rich Girl” (Roddy Byers) – 3:35 – featuring Lee Thompson
“Do Nothing” (Golding) – 3:43
“Pearl’s Cafe” (Dammers) – 3:07
“Sock It to ‘Em J.B.” (Dunn, Garvin, Holman) – 2:56
Side two
“Stereotype/Stereotype Pt. 2” (Dammers, Staple) – 7:24
“Holiday Fortnight” (Byers) – 2:45
“I Can’t Stand It” (Dammers) – 4:01 – featuring Rhoda Dakar
“International Jet Set” (Dammers) – 5:37
“Enjoy Yourself (Reprise)” (Magidson, Sigman) – 1:46
Weakest? Holiday Fortnight. Sorry Rodders.
^^^ More Specials – The Specials (1980)
4 more I’d have to add here: Peter Gabriel 3 (weakest track: Not One Of Us), Peter Gabriel 4 (weakest track: The Family And The Fishing Net) Darkness On The Edge Of Town (weakest track: Something In The Night, maybe) and, I must insist, Al Stewart’s Year Of The Cat (no weakest track, all killer).
The Queen Is Dead:
1. “The Queen Is Dead” 6:24
2. “Frankly, Mr. Shankly” 2:17
3. “I Know It’s Over” 5:48
4. “Never Had No One Ever” 3:36
5. “Cemetry Gates” 2:39
6. “Bigmouth Strikes Again” 3:12
7. “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” 3:15
8. “Vicar in a Tutu” 2:21
9. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” 4:02
10. “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” 3:14
Weakest track probably Never Had No One Ever. Some might argue Frankly Mr Shankly, but I’m not having that, not ever, if only for “ohhhhh give us yer money”. And actually not only for that: sure, it’s a bit of a comedy song, but it achieves the remarkable feat of actually BEING FUNNY. And a tune.
You could say that Vicar in a Tutu is also a comedy song – TWO comedy songs! ! I love them both – and Cemetry Gates – THREE comedy songs….hang on…Some Girls are Bigger than Others … FOUR comedy songs. And they say Morrissey is a misery guts!
I do agree on the quality of the album but at the time I remember skipping over I Know it’s Over because it’s just too long and (I found) I had to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it.
Classic album sequencing here. Put your big emotional number second to last then a (we’er talking comparatively) snappy light upbeat one to finish.
What I love about Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others is that, musically, it’s incredibly beautiful. And it’s got those incredibly daft words, which in anyone else’s hands would have ruined it (Marr thought they had). But somehow it works.
As usual?
Station To Station
Golden Years
Word On A Wing
TVC 15
Stay
Wild Is The Wind
Weakest? TVC 15 I suppose but in a way it’s the one that is most innovative, showing the way to the Low and Heroes albums. Bowie’s best I reckon. His singing is superb.
Agreed, Bowie’s best. Would go for Stay instead of TVC15 as the slightly weaker track.
Do you know, I think Station To Station needs more? Try slipping Fame in just after TVC15. It’s almost the same band (plus a certain John Lennon) and a similar dry production. It’s a better home for it than Young Americans.
Talk about being late to the party! Cracking thread Mr Moles.
For me it just has to be Terry Riley’s A Rainbow in Curved Air
Tracks
1. A rainbow in curved air
2. Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band
Filler? Poppy has to pop off, even though it’s actually longer than the title track by about five minutes.
A difficult choice!
Lou Reed, Metal Machine Music
Side 1
Side 2
Side 3
Side 4
Consistency has always been a problem with old bubble-barnet, but he nailed it on this album.
I would love to hear Dare again. Very hard to argue with the quality of this track list:
The things that dreams are made of
Open your heart
The sound of the crowd
Darkness
Do or die
Get Carter
I am the Law
Seconds
Love Action
Don’t you want me
Get Carter’s brevity (1 min) means it gets a reprieve from the “weakest” tag because it has an atmosphere and those of with one of those little Casio keyboards could play it. My vote goes to Darkness as the also-ran, but still a top tune. There is very little wrong with this album.
Agree would have to drop Don’t You Want Me. I think although it ate the charts (it was The Black Hit of Space) it’s a less daring song than almost all the others. If it hadn’t been such a monstrous hit – even into minus figures – would the League have had a future career that was more sonically interesting?
Remarkably it was the 4th single off the album, which would indicate that they didn’t rate it highly either. Must be an odd feeling when a song goes unexpectedly huge. You’re right – I think the experimental stuff fell by the wayside in the quest to produce another biggun.
The Beat – I Just Can’t Stop It
1. Mirror in the Bathroom
2. Hands Off…She’s Mine
3. Two Swords
4. Twist and Crawl
5. Rough Rider
6. Click Click
7. Big Shot
8. Whine and Grine/Stand Down Margaret
9. Noise in this World
10. Can’t Get Used To Losing You
11. Best Friend
12. Jackpot
Weakest: Noise in this World, probably
FRANK ZAPPA
HOT RATS
Just to say I’ve loved reading through this thread. I get the feeling that if you built an album collection from this lot, you’d be in some kind of musical heaven for a loooong time! Thanks, everyone!