# Tracks that mess up good albums **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2012, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676 "2012-07-09T06:27:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/81 "2012-07-11T19:41:03Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > It is not a bad song, but the original version is ruined by the dreadful schmaltzly strings that Phil Spector ladled all over it. The [Naked](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_it_be_naked) version is much better. > > Even in the Spector version, though, I have trouble seeing this as the one track that spoils a good album. “Let It Be” is not a good album, and has several tracks markedly worse than “The Long and Winding Road”. To be honest, I have it on _1967-1970_ a.k.a. “The Blue Album”. I don’t especially hate it, but I still skip it every time. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/82 "2012-07-12T06:44:23Z")
First time I heard Janis Joplin’s _Pearl_, I thought “Mercedes Benz” was pretty funny, but knew I’d be sick of it within two weeks’ time. I was wrong–it was more like two days. Each time you hear a novelty number, it tends to be exactly one-half as funny as the previous listening. When everyone and their dog thinks they can double the original laugh with their own bad rendition, that pushes it into negative numbers _fast_! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/83 "2012-07-12T13:17:18Z")
It’s a novelty song? I thought it was a song of deep social and political import. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/84 "2012-07-12T14:59:27Z")
It’s not by any definition a novelty song. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/85 "2012-07-12T15:44:41Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I think Stage Fright is one of The Band’s better albums, and it’d be that much better without All La Glory. I can’t fault Robbie Robertson for writing a song about his newborn daughter, but I can fault him for writing a bland song, and even worse, singing it himself. Cite on Robertson vocals? Sure sounds like Levon. This [person on the internet](http://theband.hiof.no/who_sang_what.html) thinks so too. Differences of opinion don’t mean anything, but to me it’s a lovely song --right up there with _Whispering Pines_– with a gorgeous Garth solo. And I did used to sing my daughter to sleep with it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/86 "2012-07-12T15:51:22Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Cite on Robertson vocals? Sure sounds like Levon. This [person on the internet](http://theband.hiof.no/who_sang_what.html) thinks so too. Huh. That’s a very good site (I’ve visited plenty of times) and I was sure I’d seen All La Glory cited as one of Robertson’s lead vocals. Wikipedia says he sang lead on To Kingdom Come, Knockin’ Lost John, and another song I haven’t heard. The funny thing about is that the first time I heard All La Glory I thought it sounded like Levon but at some point I became convinced I’d seen cites that showed Robbie was the one who sang it. I guess this means I’ll have to listen to it again. I didn’t recognize Knockin’ Lost John as a Robbie vocal either- I thought that was a group effort. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/87 "2012-07-12T15:53:18Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > Since someone else mentioned PJ Harvey, I have most of her music and I bought “Uh Huh Her” when it came out on CD. I listened to it for a few times, and was astounded at how bad the track “Who the Fuck” was. I felt that the CD was not that good at all. Eventually I transferred it to my iPod, but I left off “Who the Fuck” because I hated it. Turns out that without that song the rest of the CD is pretty good. I think that I hated the song so much that it made me hate the next few songs too due to carryover effect. I love PJ, but this is probably her worst album. Who The Fuck is awful, as is Cat on the Wall. But it does have some good songs, like The Desperate Kingdom of Love, one of her best in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/88 "2012-07-12T16:49:39Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s not by any definition a novelty song. Hi **Marley23**. Apologies for another diverging opinion so soon, but I’ve got no problem calling Mercedes Benz a novelty song. Wikipedia definition (footnoted, but I haven’t followed them): [INDENT]A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s. Novelty songs are often a parody or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation[/INDENT] Comical. Parody of blues or gospel. Unusual sounds (Conspicuously acapella with overly emotive singing). Performed primarily for its comical effect. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/89 "2012-07-12T17:00:56Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > …a track that makes me itch to press fast forward. I tried that once but the needle scratched the record…😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/90 "2012-07-12T17:17:58Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I tried that once but the needle scratched the record…😉 For me, it always changed the album into a Chipmunks song. Looks like you got the better deal. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/91 "2012-07-12T19:04:32Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Huh. That’s a very good site (I’ve visited plenty of times) and I was sure I’d seen All La Glory cited as one of Robertson’s lead vocals. Wikipedia says he sang lead on To Kingdom Come, Knockin’ Lost John, and another song I haven’t heard. The funny thing about is that the first time I heard All La Glory I thought it sounded like Levon but at some point I became convinced I’d seen cites that showed Robbie was the one who sang it. I guess this means I’ll have to listen to it again. I didn’t recognize Knockin’ Lost John as a Robbie vocal either- I thought that was a group effort. It’s definitely Levon. I’ve never understood the simile in that song: “All la glory, I’m second story Feel so tall like a prison wall” Seems bizarre in a lullaby. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/92 "2012-07-12T19:14:47Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Cite on Robertson vocals? Sure sounds like Levon. This [person on the internet](http://theband.hiof.no/who_sang_what.html) thinks so too. Yup, it’s Levon. He’s singing so softly that I found it hard to tell, but his accent gives it away. I still don’t like the song, but I can see it working as a lullaby. Knockin’ Lost John is Robbie double tracked, which is a bad idea twice. 😉 > [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Comical. Parody of blues or gospel. Unusual sounds (Conspicuously acapella with overly emotive singing). Performed primarily for its comical effect. I don’t think any of that is correct. I don’t find the song comical, it’s not a parody of anything, there are no unusual sounds (it can’t have “unusual sounds” and be a capella at the same time, and “overly emotive” is how Joplin sang), and it’s not for comic effect. It’s about a poor woman who envies her rich friends. I think we would agree it has an ironic component - the gospel style highlighting the commentary on crass consumption as the cause of the singer’s sorrow - but she’s not trying to make you laugh. I think the sadness is supposed to be real and isn’t played for laughs. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/93 "2012-07-12T19:37:40Z")
> [@Rudiger\_Simpson](#): > > \*The Baby Song \* on Husker Du’s **Flip Your Wig**. Awful slide whistle crap on an otherwise great record. Yeah, it’s horrible, but it’s only 46 seconds long and over the years it’s turned into the foil/setup for the awesome Flexible Flyer in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/94 "2012-07-12T19:52:14Z")
Fitter/Happier and Electioneering are great on OK Computer. The one song I would remove is Exit Music (For a Film). It’s a beautiful song, but it doesn’t seem to fit with the conceptual feel of the rest of the album. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/95 "2012-07-12T21:24:14Z")
Just a general rant without specifics… If you try to buy a “classic” album from the 60s or 70s, it seems they always get remastered and resold with “bonus” tracks that weren’t in the original. If you’re lucky, they stick them on after the last of the old tracks, but sometimes they stick them at the start or in the middle. I HATE that! I didn’t buy much music back in those days, and I want my nostalgia unadulterated, without junk, much of it contemporary with the original recordings, that was left off the first time for good reason. Or even worse, entirely new recordings thrown in for Og knows what reasons. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/96 "2012-07-12T21:51:11Z")
Picking oddball, less than stellar songs on Beach Boys, Beatles, Stones, or Dylan albums isn’t tough. They all were putting albums out at such a clip, a little padding was necessary. It was also part of the acid/weed/hippy drug attitude to have some whimsical/not give a sh\*t songs. Sort of joke tracks. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/97 "2012-07-12T22:08:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I don’t think any of that is correct. I don’t find the song comical, it’s not a parody of anything, there are no unusual sounds (it can’t have “unusual sounds” and be a capella at the same time, and “overly emotive” is how Joplin sang), and it’s not for comic effect. It’s about a poor woman who envies her rich friends. I think we would agree it has an ironic component - the gospel style highlighting the commentary on crass consumption as the cause of the singer’s sorrow - but she’s not trying to make you laugh. I think the sadness is supposed to be real and isn’t played for laughs. It’s an unimportant hijack, but I’ll counter once more before dropping it. [INDENT]Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ? Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me. I wait for delivery each day until three,[/INDENT] That’s not an attempt at comedy? Name checking “Dialing For Dollars” also ties into the Reference to Current Events that the Wikipedia definition mentioned. More: the type of person who has many friends driving Porsches is not likely to be the woman who watches Dialing for Dollars. And she waits for delivery each day until 3:00? That is supposed to be comedy, not sociological observation. I’ll maintain my assertion that acapella can be an unusual sound. Of course it isn’t a Spike Jones bladder, but it can be equivalent to a song featuring a prominent cowbell, penny whistle, or tuba. All of those things can be used affectingly or for comedic effect, and when they pointedly call attention to themselves it moves toward comedic effect. The song doesn’t sacrifice everything for the laugh ala Dead Puppies, or The Streak or Fishheads, but it meets some definitions of “Novelty Song.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/98 "2012-07-12T22:20:01Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > That’s not an attempt at comedy? I don’t think so. > [@](#): > > Name checking “Dialing For Dollars” also ties into the Reference to Current Events that the Wikipedia definition mentioned. That’s not what Wikipedia is talking about. They’re talking about songs that are written about events in the news, like if a morning show rewrote “Somebody That I Used To Know” with lyrics about Mitt Romney getting booed during his NAACP address. > [@](#): > > I’ll maintain my assertion that acapella can be an unusual sound. We’re talking about what this song is, not what a cappella can be. This is how Janis Joplin sang. She’s not doing anything unusual in that song and it’s not an over the top performance, at least not by her already dramatic standards. It may or may not be to your liking, but she’s not exaggerating for comic effect. I think you’re right to point to a kind of irony in Mercedes Benz, but it’s a sad irony that isn’t intended for comic effect, and it’s nothing close to a novelty song. I also think it’s one of her more memorable songs, and I’ll leave it at that. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/99 "2012-07-12T22:37:19Z")
I have to disagree, Marley. I have a version (not sure if it’s the ‘main’ version) where she intros the song by saying something like, “This is a song of great social import.” At the end of it she giggles. I think she saw it as some kind of comedy or parody, even if it contained some social criticism. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676/100 "2012-07-12T23:36:53Z")
> [@Purd\_Werfect](#): > > Yeah, it’s horrible, but it’s only 46 seconds long and over the years it’s turned into the foil/setup for the awesome Flexible Flyer in my mind. That’s a great point…that’s a happy transition to a fantastic song. Which I’m going to go listen to now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tracks-that-mess-up-good-albums/627676.md?page=6)