Friday Music Day

FMD 2-16-18: Best song on the best album

32 Comments

We've done this topic before, right? It's been a while though, right?

So let's see if this kicks something off: what are the best songs on the best albums? And if you drop a list today, feel free to add some commentary on whether there are other songs on the randomly-selected albums that you like better. Let's have some fun with it.

32 thoughts on “FMD 2-16-18: Best song on the best album”

  1. With apologies to Philo, I'm going to slightly modify this post to maybe generate more discussion. Best song on the following albums:

    Wilco -- Yankee Foxtrot Hotel
    Beatles -- Abbey Road
    Sturgill Simpson -- Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
    Drive By Truckers -- Dirty South
    Alabama Shakes -- Boys and Girls
    Decemberists -- The Crane Wife
    Pink Floyd -- Dark Side of the Moon
    Fleetwood Mac -- Rumours
    Guided by Voices -- Bee Thousand
    Replacement -- Let it Be
    The Who -- Tommy

    1. I'll play (omitting those I'm too unfamiliar with):

      Wilco -- Yankee Foxtrot Hotel: "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart"
      Beatles -- Abbey Road: "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
      Sturgill Simpson -- Metamodern Sounds in Country Music: "Long White Line"
      Alabama Shakes -- Boys and Girls: "You Ain't Alone"
      Decemberists -- The Crane Wife: "The Island: Come and See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel the Drowning"
      Pink Floyd -- Dark Side of the Moon: "Us and Them"
      Fleetwood Mac -- Rumours: "Silver Springs"
      Replacement -- Let it Be: "Answering Machine"

    2. Wilco -- Yankee Foxtrot Hotel: "Jesus, Etc."
      Sturgill Simpson -- Metamodern Sounds in Country Music: "It Ain't All Flowers"
      Decemberists -- The Crane Wife: "The Tain"

        1. Technically it's one 5-act song, but it's their creative peak by far IMO.

          'Spoiler' SelectShow

          1. The Tain is awesome. I need to listen to that one again.

            'Spoiler' SelectShow

    3. Here's mine:

      Wilco -- Reservations
      Beatles -- Sun King
      Sturgill Simpson -- The Promise
      Drive By Truckers -- Carl Perkin's Cadillac
      Alabama Shakes -- You Ain't Alone
      Decemberists -- The Crane Wife 1&2
      Pink Floyd -- Us and them
      Fleetwood Mac -- Go your own Way
      Guided by Voices -- Tractor Rape Chain
      Replacement -- Gary's Got a Boner
      The Who -- Sensation

        1. Best song is best song regardless of who wrote it. Also SS version runs circles around the original.

    4. Wilco - Jesus Ect
      Beatles - Come Together ( I would say "Side 2 of the LP" but thats more than one song)
      Pink Floyd - Us and Them
      Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
      Replacements - Unsatisfied
      Who - Christmas

    5. I am good with this modification. I meant to put something more together last night, but it didn't happen, and then this occurred to me when I finally got to it this morning.

    6. Wilco - I'm Trying to Break Your Heart.
      Beatles - Come Together
      Sturgill - Life of Sin.
      DBT - GD Lonely Love
      Alabama Shakes- Hold On.
      Pink Floyd- us and them.
      Fleetwood Mac- The chain
      Replacements- I Will Dare.

    7. Wilco -- Yankee Foxtrot Hotel: "Heavy Metal Drummer"
      Beatles -- Abbey Road: "Here Comes the Sun"*
      Sturgill Simpson -- Metamodern Sounds in Country Music: "Life of Sin"
      Drive By Truckers -- Dirty South: "Lookout Mountain"**
      Decemberists -- The Crane Wife: "Sons & Daughters"
      Pink Floyd -- Dark Side of the Moon: "Breathe"
      Fleetwood Mac -- Rumours: "Dreams"
      The Who -- Tommy: "Pinball Wizard"

      *Not a hill I'll die on ... this whole album is great.
      **Probably my favorite DBT song

    8. YFH - Heavy Metal Drummer
      Abbey Road - Here Comes The Sun
      Metamodern - Turtles All The Way Down
      Boys & Girls - Hold On
      Crane Wife - Sons & Daughters
      Dark Side - Brain Damage
      Rumours - Don't Stop

  2.  

    01. “December” – Basia Bulat – Oh, My Darling
    02. “Welcome To My Room” – VietNam – VietNam
    03. “Desirée” – Blood Orange – Freetown Sound
    04. “Honey” – Torres – Torres
    05. “Too Shy To Say” – Stevie Wonder – Fulfillingness’ First Finale
    06. “Do What You’re Doin” – The Rising Sun – Eccentric Coil: The Outskirts Of Deep City
    07. “The Rabbit, The Bat, And The Reindeer” – Dr. Dog – Fate
    08. “Soon Forgotten” – Muddy Waters – At Newport 1960
    09. “Here Comes The Night Time” – Arcade Fire – Reflektor
    10. “Sinfonia to Cantata No. 29” – Wendy Carlos – Switched-On Bach

     

    1. I first listened to "December" in the month of December. Alas, now it's so "time and place" for me that I never listen to it.

  3. With notes on each, per Phil's prompt.

    1. Nadia Reid “The Frontline (Oh Well)” Letters I Wrote and Never Sent
    An early EP I'm trying, as I liked Reid's album Listen To Formation, Look For The Signs. I couldn't tell you which song on that is the best.
    2. Katy B with the HeavyTrackerz, J Hus, and D Double E “Lose Your Head” Honey
    Not in the top half. I'd say "Turn the Music Louder" (with KDA and Tinie Tempah)
    3. Björk “Saint” Utopia
    I'm coming to believe that no song on this album is good.
    4. Katy B “Go Away” On a Mission
    Not a bad song, but below the heights of the singles "Katy on a Mission", "Broken Record", and "Easy Please Me". The best song never made the album, "Louder", the b-side to "On A Mission".
    5. Pan Sonic “Rajatila” A
    I don't know this album that well and couldn't place a song from it.

    6. Jan St. Werner “Victorian Trajectory” Spectric Acid
    This is all difficult near-"noise" where each track sounds like it's not changing. I keep it around to see if there's anything there to grab onto because JSW has created greatness and probably will again.
    7. Emot “Sacrilege” Trees & Claws EP
    This 4-song EP has four of this band's 10 best songs. "Ancients" is the entire pinnacle of their career to date though.
    8. Current 93 “Black Ships in the Sky” Black Ships Ate the Sky
    This is a great album, but this is not one of the great songs... it's more exposition to advance the plot than anything. Top track has to be "Black Ships Ate the Sky", also receiving votes: "The Death of Thumbelina (Sunset)" and the versions of "Idumæa" by David Tibet and Will Oldham
    9. Aphex Twin “Mt. St. Michel + St. Michaels Mount” drukQs
    I don't really know this album.
    T. Urban Tribe “Lap Top” The Collapse of Modern Culture
    I don't really know this album.

  4. These are probably my 10 favorite albums, in some order.

    The Wrens - The Meadowlands: "Everyone Chooses Sides"
    Ween - The Pod: "Mononucleosis"
    New Kingdom - Paradise Don't Come Cheap: "Unicorns Were Horses"
    Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein: "Iron Galaxy"
    The Raveonettes - Chain Gang of Love: "Little Animal"
    Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters: "Halloween"
    UGK - Ridin' Dirty: "Diamonds & Wood"
    Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse: "Dripping Dream"
    Ministry - Psalm 69: "Hero"
    Butthole Surfers - Hairway to Steven: "I Saw an X-Ray of a Girl Passing Gas"

    1. The Raveonettes have done more than Christmas songs?
      I still don't see how SN is your favorite SY album. I haven't listened to SY at all in probably over a year. Maybe I should try just this one.
      Ministry: that choice might be the only one out of the first 5 that I wouldn't have considered.

      1. So, I got into Sonic Youth right around when this album came out, and I listened to them all at once, more or less. Something about the feeling of this one just really resonates with me. And this is the tour I saw them on. Sister or Washing Machine would probably be next.

  5. best song from the random 10:

    1. "Do Ya" - ELO New World Record best song probably "Telephone Line" although I like singing harmony to "Shangri La"
    2. "Arriving UFO" - Yes Tormato "Onward" is a pretty nice track
    3. "Heaven and Hell, Pt. 1" - Vangelis Heaven and Hell best song is probably "So Long Ago, So Clear" which was the theme to the original Cosmos TV series
    4. "Fetch Me the Pongmaster" - Ozric Tentacles Sliding Gliding World not one of their best albums; nothing jumps out at me
    5. "Attack of the Vapours" - Ozric Tentacles Paper Monkeys I like "Plowm" a lot -- great woofer workout
    6. "Life on Mars" - David Bowie Hunky Dory I'll stand pat on this one
    7. "Pacific 231 (Mouvement symphonique No. 1) for orchestra, H 53" - Arthur Honegger
    8. "Crystal Silence" - Chick Corea and Gary Burton Crystal Silence I'm partial to "What Game Shall We Play Today?"
    9. "Occam's Close Shave" - Roger Eno Lost in Translation "Domus In Nebulae" gets my vote, and it's in Latin
    10. "Uncle Jack" - Big Big Train English Electric Part One I'll give this track the nod for best on the album

  6. So ... I just spent an hour online, attempting to use my "EXCLUSIVE TICKETMAST VERIFIED FAN" code - selected via lottery after signing up a few weeks ago - to try and get tickets to Pearl Jam at Wrigley in August. Every screen took. for. ev. er. to. load ... and when I finally selected 2 tickets, add to my cart, I learn that they were no longer available. So I get back in line, get 2 together (best available this time), add to cart and look at where they're situated - row 6, third base line .... section 511 (as high as you can go - no sections above this one, and the stage is center field) ... for $128. Each. I swallow hard* and click to move onto the next step. Another login required, so I log my info in ... nothing ... nothing ... nothing ... something! .... spinning ... spinning ... TIME OUT notice! "Mother trucker!!!" sez I. Wash, rinse repeat to the point that eventually, there weren't two available together at any price point.

    I supposed I get back online next Wednesday when they go on sale to the general public, though I don't imagine the outcome will be any different.

    I really despise online ticket purchasing. I have a hard time believing there were 42,000 "Verified Fans" waiting online to get tix to this show.

    *gift to myself, but more importantly a birthday present to my (recently divorced) best amigo.

      1. The fact is scalpers buy millions of tickets every year, and Ticketmaster gets fees from every ticket sold, and StubHub gets money from every ticket bought and sold on its site.
        Ticketmaster wants to stop the most egregious uses of bots, but if it killed scalping altogether, it would adversely affect its business.

        checks StubHub - sees $105 face value tickets on sale for $2,995 ...

        Ugh.

  7. I bought three new albums next week . . . and none of them popped up in my random 10.

    1. “Sprout and the Bean” Joanna Newsom The Milk-Eyed Mender
    2. “Blue, Pt. II” Waxahatchee Cerulean Salt
    3. “To Be Alone with You” Sufjan Stevens Seven Swans
    4. “Husbands” Savages Silence Yourselves
    5. “Break It Up” Patti Smith Horses
    6. “Joyful Girl” Ani Difranco Dilate
    7. “My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars” Mitski Puberty 2
    8. “Never Said” Liz Phair Exile in Guyville
    9. “Out of the Woodwork” Courtney Barnett The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas
    T. “Lemonworld” The National High Violet

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