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Albums where only the title track is essential
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Howard the Duck View Drop Down
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    Posted: August 21 2019 at 14:25
I've been thinking about how a lot of albums' best tracks tend to be the title track - but I was wondering - in which albums would you only consider the title track essential?



For me (this could be controversial Big smile)


-Caravan - Cool Water (there are some other decent tracks, by latter-day Caravan standards at least, but the title track is easily my favourite here)

also - Back to Front kind of counts because the two best tracks reference that title

-Gentle Giant - Interview (only other track that really grabs me is I Lost my Head)

-Jethro Tull - Songs from the Woods (keep in mind I'm not a big Tull fan! most songs don't grab me)

-Tubular Bells  jk  ;D

-Alan Parsons - Eye in the Sky

-The Stills-Young Band - Long may you Run

-Black Sabbath - Paranoid





So what are your picks?


Edited by Howard the Duck - August 21 2019 at 14:27
MacGyver can do a super guitar solo with a broom and an elastic band. Can you do better?
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The funny thing about Paranoid is that the title track was pretty much just a throwaway song they wrote in a few minutes... Now, if they titled the album War Pigs as they originally planned, you might be on to something (personally I think it's a pretty solid album).

Now I'm going to go for the low-hanging fruit and name a few albums with a great epic track, but the rest of the tracks aren't as strong (but by no means are all the shorter songs bad):
ELP - Tarkus
Rush - 2112
Dream Theater - Octavarium

John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
My prog band - Boreal Kinship
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Mr. Fantasy (Traffic) comes close... assuming “Dear Mr. Fantasy” qualifies as the title track. The problem is that “Heaven is in Your Mind” is also an OK song. But in the US the album was titled Heaven is in Your Mind, so there’s that.

Great question btw.

Edited by patrickq - August 21 2019 at 21:11
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Since you want controversy... :p

Close to the Edge
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Points: 166178 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Man With Hat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 21 2019 at 21:14
Originally posted by ForestFriend ForestFriend wrote:

The funny thing about Paranoid is that the title track was pretty much just a throwaway song they wrote in a few minutes... Now, if they titled the album War Pigs as they originally planned, you might be on to something (personally I think it's a pretty solid album).

Now I'm going to go for the low-hanging fruit and name a few albums with a great epic track, but the rest of the tracks aren't as strong (but by no means are all the shorter songs bad):
ELP - Tarkus
Rush - 2112
Dream Theater - Octavarium

John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
 

ELP and DT are excellent calls. 
Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
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Points: 168 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Howard the Duck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 22 2019 at 08:38
Originally posted by Man With Hat Man With Hat wrote:

Since you want controversy... :p

Close to the Edge

Yeah, I can dig it. The 2nd two tracks are solid but overlong, and probably not up to the standards of 9-10 minute songs on The Yes Album or Fragile compositionally (though perhaps they're stronger in overall instrumentation).

The same could be said of Relayer's 1st track, though it's not a title track. Not even sure if the album title was namechecked at all, or if that was only TftO
MacGyver can do a super guitar solo with a broom and an elastic band. Can you do better?
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Thick As A Brick Cool.

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Originally posted by Man With Hat Man With Hat wrote:

Since you want controversy... :p

Close to the Edge


That's not controversial, it's just wrong.
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Gentle Giant - Acquiring the Taste.

Just kidding. Wink


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Originally posted by Chaser Chaser wrote:

Originally posted by Man With Hat Man With Hat wrote:

Since you want controversy... :p

Close to the Edge


That's not controversial, it's just wrong.


I was going to write something pedantic, and more philosophical than I have, but thought better of it.

Close to the Edge is the one that first came to my mind. It's the only track that ever clicked with me at all from that album. While some tastes are more vile/ horrible than others, one might say to each his or her own tastes. This does not automatically excuse acquiring certain tastes, such as the taste for human flesh (though I liked Fine Young Cannibals at one time, but hate Cannibal Corpse, but I digress).

From an album and track I like considerably more than Close to the Edge, there is Lenny White's Venusian Summer. The "Venusian Summer suite", (okay, it has suite in the title) and how sweet I have though it to be, and not in a sweet flesh like way, is the only track on that album that is really essential to me. The short (1:10) "Prelude to Rainbow Delta" is my next favourite track on the album. With Atom Heart Mother, the suite at one time was all I really cared about, but I grew to appreciate more than that.

I can think of a few albums that only have a title track, but listing those would be silly, and methinks there are various soundtracks which I could mention. I'm sure if I put me thought into it or looked through my music collection, then I could mention some others.
Just a fanboy passin' through.
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Howard the Duck View Drop Down
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Points: 168 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Howard the Duck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 23 2019 at 08:20
I think "Low Spark" by Traffic might also be a contender - there are some other solid tracks (Hidden Treasure, Many a Mile, Rainmaker) but if I was going to cue up only one track in a playlist it'd be the title one.
MacGyver can do a super guitar solo with a broom and an elastic band. Can you do better?
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