Listening to Tom Petty Hard Promises the other day it struck me what a fantastic album it is – til you get to side 2. Bowie oftern seemed to do this – stick all the best songs in side 1 (see Scary Monsters) … with Todd Rundgren, if you took side 1 of Initiation and side 2 of Faithful you’d have one fantastic collection of songs (though i must admit I do love Initation side 2 Treatise on Cosmic Fire).
So what do you think are the top 10 albums with only one good side?
One side only…
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Someone is bound to nominate Love’s “Da Capo”!
It’s a perennial winner in the “albums with only one good side” category.
Somebody certainly nominated Da Capo, er, last time we did this thread.
Can we have one on Fave Beatles songs next?
And there is, of course, a Beatles album that always makes a strong showing in “albums with only one good side” threads, and that’s “Yellow Submarine.”
Quite right… first side is useless. All that singing!
Todd Rundgren and Utopia’s “Ra”. Side 1 is pure prog pop. Side 2 is “Singring and the Glass Guitar”. If we find another one-sider by rundgren (and i am sure we can), he’d be on a double one sider.
I seem to remember Mark Ellen has only ever listened to side one of The Band by The Band as side 2 could not possibly live up to side one.
While I don’t agree, The Joshua Tree is seen as very ‘front loaded’. I heard that on the recent 30th anniversary tour, Bono introduced Red Hill Mining Town by saying ‘welcome to Side 2 of the Joshua Tree cassette’ or some such. I think there are some gems on side 2 though (says he, bravely contravening the Afterword rule of making pro-U2 comments). Kirsty MacColl sequenced the album (My favourite Joshua Tree trivia fact) which I’m sure people already know.
I fuckin’ love side 2! The brass on Red Hill, the harmonica on Wires, One Tree Hill, the funny Eno drums on Mothers of the Disappeared. It may well have put off people who bought it on the same day as Slippery When Wet, but you know what they can do…
In God’s Country’s on side two as well, innit? That’s a good one, used to great effect in Three Kings.
It was a single. That’s been forgotten, I think.
Forgotten by me alright.
I’m sure I read that Kirsty Macoll, when asked to sequence the album, misunderstood and put the songs in her order of preference…
Madonna has form in this. Can’t remember if on Like A Prayer vinyl Cherish opens side 2 or closes side 1, but before that you have LAP, Express Yourself, Love Song – after that it’s Dear Jessie and Act of Contrition..
This guy again with the Madge bashing! 😉
Yes, Cherish opens side 2, which also contains Spanish Eyes. I’d say although side 1 is a bit stronger, LAP is a fairly balanced album.
Dear Jessie is a lovely pop song and Act Of Contrition is unexpectedly and endearingly left-field. What’s the problem?
I’m not with the Madge bashing at all @minibreakfast lots of time for the LAP hitmaker, but like any great pop artist her best tracks are the singles, and after track 6 the singles are done.
Tattoo You. Side one: wannabe rockers, boring ol’ Start Me Up, Keith “singing”. Side two: best run of songs the Stones ever managed.
Side 1 great, side 2 better (but certainly not their best side)
Genesis / Genesis (1983)
Side One has Mama, That’s All, Home By The Sea / Second Home By The Sea
Side Two starts with Illegal Alien……
Crowded House’s Woodface is famously front-loaded, and even then you have to overlook track (Chocolate Cake). Thereafter it’s all gold from It’s Only Natural to Four Seasons in one day. After that, not so much.
except that it finishes with two belters – She Goes On and How Will You Go are amongst their best for me
Steve Earl: Copperhead Road although, IIRC, Carl of this parish has an issue with The Devil’s Right Hand so maybe it’s just not a very good album. Side 2 is definitely way below the standard of side 1 regardless.
Well remembered, Dave.
That is absolutely right. My opinion of DRH has not improved since I first stated it.
Side 2 of Moondance is pretty good, but side 1 is unbelievably great.
Side 2 of Moondance is better than either side of, say, Saint Dominic’s Preview… and that’s a pretty good album.
….but Side 1, as you say… it makes me want to hack iTunes to be able to give it six stars.
(sad bastard)
Like Van vintage late 70s? Completely different vocal style, but Light Shine by Jesse Colin Young is terrific on side 1. Side 2? Largely disposable.
Jesse Colin Young – a name I’ve not thought of in years. Just playing side 1 now. It is fabulous, isn’t it? Pitty about side 2. And the rest of his output.
Yup, as you say, “and the rest”. 20 minutes of excellence, Groovin’ (Youngbloods), and one of the cooler ‘taches of those tachtacious time period. And that’s yer lot.
Saw Iain Matthews a couple of years ago at a gig and question and answer session. He mentioned Jesse Colin Young an played one of his songs. Was impressed that I’d seen him in concert (Wembley 74 with CSNY) but I’ve never heard anything since.
Side one will have a listen.
Tubular Bells.
Isn’t side 2 just a continuation of side 1? I’m sure it just boredom and inertia setting in.
Nooooooo!!!!! This is fighting talk! I love Side two of the Bells like a brother. Ok the caveman chant is a bit annoying but the opening floaty melody is incredible and that bit where the heavenly choir comes in brings a tear to my eye!
You take that back!
It’s better than side 1.
The Byrds – Turn Turn Turn
Tubular Bells
Both first sides better than the second
By a considerable distance in the case of Tubular Bells
Tubular Bells bashing again! Grr. What did I JUST say???
Wait – CDs have two sides?
Tortoise, Millions Now Living Will Never Die. The best track was the 20 minute ‘DJed’, the other sides ( if you had vinyl) not so essential.
Also, the second side of The Pixies’ Surfer Rosa was more throwaway than the first, although ‘Where is My Mind’ was the opener.
Autobahn
My nomination is Prefab Sprout’s Steve McQueen album.
Splendid first side, rather less good second.
I agree. I thought it was the greatest pop album I’d ever heard as I flipped it over for the first time. I wasnt quite so convinced 20 minutes later
I’d say OK Computer. Side one is solid gold from start to finish. Side two redeems itself with the last couple of tracks, but you have to wade through some rubbish to get there.
Okay, side 2 of Hard Promises isn’t quite up to the standard of side 1 – but, then there’s this……
Wonderful !
And it closes with ‘You Can Still Change Your Mind’, which is gorgeous.
‘Til Tuesday’s ‘Everything’s Different Now’ – Side 1 is all killer. Sets a standard that side 2 can’t match – with the exception of ‘The Other End (Of The Telescope)’.
N.B. The singer – ‘Buddy Judge’ sounds a whole lot like Elvis Costello to me.
It’s been a long time since I listened to Everything’s Different Now but I don’t remember side 2 being less good. I’ll dig it out and have a listen.
(Coughs)…Hounds of Love….you know side 2 is really pretty, pretty, good as Larry David would say. But then there’s side 1. (Grabs hard hat and runs for cover). Had to be said.
I used to think that, I was wrong. Side 2 is wonderful.
Nah, it’s shite, as is, largely, side 2 of Bat Out Of Hell. OK, the last track is unlistenable.
Yup, I like the Todd Rundgren produced Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg, Edgar Winter featuring overblown opus. Yeah, and the fat guy.
After the Goldrush.
That’s almost so wrong it’s right.
Blur’s first few albums were all heavily weighted to side one. And I so rarely turned Steve McQueen, Hounds of Love, Moondance and Misplaced Childhood over that, although I’d probably say they were some of my favourite albums, it’s all based on side one ad I’m still not terribly familiar with their side twos.
There are movie versions of this too – The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Trainspotting spring to mind.
So many great first acts, so few satisfactory endings.
Hurrr
LOL!
I implore you to give The Ninth Wave several listens, it’s (one of) her masterpiece (es)…
It’s WUN-DU-FULLL…
I put this moment here!
Side one of Mickey Jupp’s “Juppanese”. Side one is Mickey and Rockpile and it’s produced by Nick Lowe. Side two isn’t.
Favoured by Alexis Korner. The sleeve is, let’s face it, racist. Never mind.
It is, but unfortunately that was deemed acceptable in 1978.
Great half an album, though.
One CD only …
I can’t imagine too many people reaching for The Who Live at the Fillmore East: 1968 in the future will plump for CD 2 (1 track, My Generation, 33 minutes) over CD 1 (13 tracks).