The Boatman’s Call – Nick Cave (Into My Arms Far From Me).Dirt – Alice in Chains ( Them Bones Would?).What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye (What’s Going On Inner City Blues).IV – Led Zeppelin (Black Dog When the Levee Breaks).One World – John Martyn (Dealer Small Hours).Time (The Revelator) – Gillian Welch ( Revelator I Dream a Highway).Liege & Lief – Fairport Convention (Matty Groves Crazy Man Michael).Pet Sounds – Beach Boys (Wouldn’t it Be Nice Caroline, No).So, here’s my highly personal, completely-off-the-top-of-my-head, not-entirely-serious, definite-not-exhaustive list of classic (or semi classic) records with amazing opening and closing tracks. Perhaps a classic album begins or ends on a track that loads of people think is classic, but actually is really overrated (You Can’t Always Get What You Want from the Stones’ Let it Bleed is my choice, but as I’ve said before, I feel the same about Taxman and the title track from Sgt Pepper as openers). Or maybe the artist wilfully chose bizarre final songs, like the Byrds so often did. Or perhaps the artist just didn’t quite sustain their brilliance all the way through to the final track, like Joni Mitchell, who frequently ended her records on a ponderous note*, or Judee Sill, whose debut album is still the best record of all time (yes, it is) even though her usual lightness of touch deserted her on closing track Abracadabra. Or records where the opener or closer is very good, but just not quite stone-cold brilliant: hi there, Second Hand News ( Rumours) and Something in the Way ( Nevermind). Any rap record that begins or ends on a skit or audio collage (I immediately thought of Illmatic, but insert your own favourite) would, I suppose, be an example of this phenomenon.

Why is this? Well, part of what makes a record a classic is its overall shape: the play of one song into another, how a low-key opener explodes into an incredible second song, or how a tumultuous album goes out on a calm, understated note.Īn opening or closing song might absolutely do its job but not be, outside the context of the album, a classic. And then there are those strange few classics that have bad last songs. The same is true – truer, even – for final songs. Very good openers, sure, but not genuinely arresting, heart-stopping brilliant ones.

Not all classic albums have classic opening tracks.

Stephen sondheim ok computer radiohead