# Album titles with words or phrases in parentheses **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515 "2006-05-12T15:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/1 "2006-05-12T15:18:32Z")
Are they any? I did a cursory check through the Billboard albums chart book and could not find any, although there must be some. This excludes things like: (greatest hits and more) (1966-1971) (Live!) ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/2 "2006-05-12T15:29:57Z")
There’s Frank Zappa’s [Apostrophe (’)](http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=fz-apo) does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/3 "2006-05-12T15:53:45Z")
Both of these are the reverse of the cases specifically disqualified in the OP: Richard Thompson: [**Live (More or Less)**](http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/fcfansite/comps/comp-lp-rt-livemoreorless.jpg) (a strange title, since only one of the four sides was live) Rolling Stones: [**Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass)**](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006AW2I.01._PE62_.Big-Hits-High-Tide-and-Green-Grass._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/4 "2006-05-12T15:58:09Z")
The Byrds – **(untitled)** – at least, on the original album. Looks like they’re leaving it off some listings. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/5 "2006-05-12T16:01:35Z")
**Pavement** - _Westing (By Musket and Sextant)_ is the one that sprang immediately to mind for me. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/6 "2006-05-12T16:12:53Z")
**Digable Planets** : _Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)_ **Nanci Griffith** : _Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful)_ **Richard Thompson** put out a 2 disc album called _You? Me? Us?_ a few years ago. The individual discs are labeled _(nude)_ and _(voltage enhanced)_. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/7 "2006-05-12T16:15:27Z")
I found one myself- New York City (You’re a Woman) by Al Kooper. ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/8 "2006-05-12T16:16:18Z")
_(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?_ - **Oasis** ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/9 "2006-05-12T16:19:08Z")
“The Compleat Tom Paxton (Compleater)” was the CD of the LP “The Compleat Tom Paxton” with bonus tracks. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/10 "2006-05-12T16:30:01Z")
Would you count E’s first (pre-Eels) album, [A Man Called (E)](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001DUR/qid=1147451007/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-0650895-6316063?s=music&v=glance&n=5174)? Then there’s the Kinks’ **Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)**, which is punctuated thusly on the spine of the CD copy I have, but I don’t know whether that’s official. [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) lists several versions of the CD, some spelt with a dash and some with parentheses. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/11 "2006-05-12T16:36:23Z")
First one that comes to mind for me is _December’s Children (And Everybody’s)_ by the Rolling Stones ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/12 "2006-05-12T16:39:16Z")
Bian Eno: **Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)** ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/13 "2006-05-12T17:00:26Z")
_(Rio)_ , by Duran Duran. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/14 "2006-05-12T17:03:52Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > There’s Frank Zappa’s [Apostrophe (’)](http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=fz-apo) does that count? Which brings to mind: **Acid Mothers Temple** ’s: “_Absolutely Freak Out **(Zap Your Mind)**_” Others: ¤ **Tom Petty** ’s: “_Let Me Up **(I’ve Had Enough)**_” ¤ **Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond** ’s: “_We’re All Together Again **(For the First Time)**_” ¤ **Jon Astley** ’s: “_Everyone Loves The Pilot **(Except The Crew)**_” ¤ **Brian Eno** ’s: “_Taking Tiger Mountain **(By Strategy)**_” ¤ **The Fall** ’s: -\> “_Grotesque **(After the Gramme)**_” -\> “_The Real New Fall LP **(Formerly Country on the Click)**_” -\> “_Totale’s Turns **(It’s Now or Never)**_” and ¤ **John Lee Hooker** ’s: “_Live At Cafe Au Go-Go **(And Soledad Prison)**_” ¤ **DJ Vadim** ’s: “_USSR Repertoire **(The Theory of Verticality)**_” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/15 "2006-05-12T17:26:12Z")
[Was (Not Was)](http://tinyurl.com/mptlp) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/16 "2006-05-16T17:16:24Z")
_(Who’s Afraid of?) The Art of Noise!_ - Art of Noise _Still Life (Talking)_ - Pat Metheny Group ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/17 "2006-05-16T17:19:20Z")
And RealityChuck’s link fixed: _[Was (Not Was)](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000189XAO)_ - Was (Not Was) ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/18 "2006-05-16T22:26:02Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The Byrds – **(untitled)** – at least, on the original album. Looks like they’re leaving it off some listings. This was the result of a [mistake](http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/untitled.asp). ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/19 "2006-05-16T22:28:22Z")
So here’s a dumb question I’ve often wondered. Are you supposed to say the part in parenthesis? For example, is the Oasis song called “Morning Glory”? ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515/20 "2006-05-16T23:08:05Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > So here’s a dumb question I’ve often wondered. Are you supposed to say the part in parenthesis? For example, is the Oasis song called “Morning Glory”? My rule of thumb is, if the part in the parentheses is just part of the same line as the rest, I treat it like the parentheses weren’t there. If not (if, for example, it’s a subtitle, like in “Undone (The Sweater Song)” or “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)”, I leave out the part in parentheses. Then again, I don’t like parenthetical titles. I think a title should be just that; it should be a way of identifying which song it is, and telling it apart from others. I don’t think songs need multiple titles, and I don’t think songs with one name need a parenthetical echoing of the main vocal hook. Lots of great songs have titles that are never mentioned in the lyrics, and they don’t need parenthetical titles. Right offhand, I can think of Nirvana’s “Lithium”, Pearl Jam’s “Yellow Ledbetter”, and Stone Temple Pilots’ “Plush”, “Interstate Love Song”, and “Sex Type Thing” (STP seem to have done that fairly often). I apologize for going off on a tangent. Perhaps this post should be moved to the Pit, or Mundane Stuff. :smack: 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-titles-with-words-or-phrases-in-parentheses/356515.md?page=2)