Edit a flawed masterpiece

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GoogaMooga
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Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby GoogaMooga » 13 May 2022, 08:52

We probably all know of near great albums where we wished a duff track or two would have been left out. Albums that would have been perfect, if it hadn't been for those clunkers. I thought we could have an ongoing thread where we present a tracklist of a near-perfect album and mark red the ones we'd edit out.

I'll start. Beach Boys "Today!" from 1965. The precursor to "Pet Sounds", it shows a full flowering of Brian Wilson's production talent. I think it's their second best from the Capitol years. Lose "Bull Session with the Big Daddy" and you've got a perfect album.

Do You Wanna Dance?
Good To My Baby
Don't Hurt My Little Sister
When I Grow Up
Help Me, Ronda
Dance, Dance, Dance
Please Let Me Wonder
I'm So Young
Kiss Me, Baby
She Knows Me Too Well
In The Back Of My Mind
Bull Session With The "Big Daddy"
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Matt Wilson
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby Matt Wilson » 13 May 2022, 14:40

Thing is, Today is already a short album, so losing a track would necessitate a replacement. You'd have to go back into 1964 and find a stand-alone 45 or maybe something from the EP (Four by the Beach Boys) to add to the LP. Maybe "Wendy," for instance.

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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby mudshark » 13 May 2022, 14:47

Take away that silly New York Telephone Conversation from Transformer and the album will be perfect, for me.
The song is only just over a minute or so, and I can live with not replacing it. Just drag out Satellite Of Love of bit, to fill the void.
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robertff
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby robertff » 13 May 2022, 15:30

Obvious one for me would be Revolution 9, change it for any two of the '68 singles Lady Madonna, Hey Jude or even a 'B' side - The Inner Light.



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robertff
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby robertff » 13 May 2022, 15:31

mudshark wrote:Take away that silly New York Telephone Conversation from Transformer and the album will be perfect, for me.
The song is only just over a minute or so, and I can live with not replacing it. Just drag out Satellite Of Love of bit, to fill the void.




I like that track, just shows we all have different tastes.


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robertff
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby robertff » 13 May 2022, 15:41

My Generation - leave off Daltrey's James Brown impersonation Please Please Please and I'm A Man and replace it with two others - Can't Explain, Anyway, Anyhow.....

I notice that the US version leaves off I'm A Man and replaces it with Instant Party, makes it a better album I think.


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Matt Wilson
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby Matt Wilson » 13 May 2022, 15:57

robertff wrote:My Generation - leave off Daltrey's James Brown impersonation Please Please Please and I'm A Man and replace it with two others - Can't Explain, Anyway, Anyhow.....

I notice that the US version leaves off I'm A Man and replaces it with Instant Party, makes it a better album I think.


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I'm not crazy about the other James Brown tune ("I Don't Mind") either. Take both of them off, as well as "I'm a Man" (which they had no business covering after the Yardbirds did it anyway), replace them with "Can't Explain," "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" and "Instant Party" (problem is - that's a 1966 song, and the LP was released in '65), and you have a five-star album.

Byrds - Fifth Dimension

"5D (Fifth Dimension)" (Jim McGuinn) – 2:33
"Wild Mountain Thyme" (traditional, arranged Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, David Crosby) – 2:30
"Mr. Spaceman" (Jim McGuinn) – 2:09
"I See You" (Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) – 2:38
"What's Happening?!?!" (David Crosby) – 2:35
"I Come and Stand at Every Door" (Nâzım Hikmet) – 3:03 replace with "I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider)" (traditional, arranged Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby) – 2:43

Side two

"Eight Miles High" (Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) – 3:34
"Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)" (Billy Roberts) – 2:17 replace with "Why" [Single Version] (Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) – 2:59
"Captain Soul" (Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, David Crosby) – 2:53 replace with "Psychodrama City" (David Crosby) – 3:23
"John Riley" (traditional, arranged Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, David Crosby) – 2:57
"2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)" (Jim McGuinn) – 2:12

Voila! Another five-star LP.
Last edited by Matt Wilson on 13 May 2022, 15:59, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby Charlie O. » 13 May 2022, 15:58

robertff wrote:My Generation - leave off Daltrey's James Brown impersonation Please Please Please and I'm A Man and replace it with two others - Can't Explain, Anyway, Anyhow.....

I notice that the US version leaves off I'm A Man and replaces it with Instant Party, makes it a better album I think.

The track titled "Instant Party" is actually the Shel Talmy-produced version of "Circles" - a great song, but it sticks out like a sore thumb here.

Meanwhile, while Daltrey is a bit embarrassing on "I'm A Man", the instrumental performance is so strong I'd be inclined to keep it. However, replacing "Please, Please, Please" with... oh, "Instant Party Mixture" ;) or any of a number of outtakes or singles tracks from that period would probably not have been a bad thing. (I don't mind "I Don't Mind".)
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby robertff » 13 May 2022, 16:08

Charlie O. wrote:
robertff wrote:My Generation - leave off Daltrey's James Brown impersonation Please Please Please and I'm A Man and replace it with two others - Can't Explain, Anyway, Anyhow.....

I notice that the US version leaves off I'm A Man and replaces it with Instant Party, makes it a better album I think.

The track titled "Instant Party" is actually the Shel Talmy-produced version of "Circles" - a great song, but it sticks out like a sore thumb here.

Meanwhile, while Daltrey is a bit embarrassing on "I'm A Man", the instrumental performance is so strong I'd be inclined to keep it. However, replacing "Please, Please, Please" with... oh, "Instant Party Mixture" ;) or any of a number of outtakes or singles tracks from that period would probably not have been a bad thing. (I don't mind "I Don't Mind".)



Yeah, forgot about I Don't Mind, get rid of that as well - just have all Townshend numbers.


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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby robertff » 13 May 2022, 16:27

Whilst I’m thinking about the Who although A Quick One is one of my favourite Who albums Cobwebs And Strange does spoil it a bit, although it is typical of Who craziness which does make it somewhat endearing, so I would still keep it. The runt in the litter for me is Heatwave, replace it with Happy Jack and this would be a brilliant album, in fact didn’t the U.S. version do exactly that?



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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby Matt Wilson » 13 May 2022, 16:32

robertff wrote:Whilst I’m thinking about the Who although A Quick One is one of my favourite Who albums Cobwebs And Strange does spoil it a bit, although it is typical of Who craziness which does make it somewhat endearing, so I would still keep it. The runt in the litter for me is Heatwave, replace it with Happy Jack and this would be a brilliant album, in fact didn’t the U.S. version do exactly that?



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Yep.

An early version of the album was to have had "I'm a Boy," but in a different mix.

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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby robertff » 13 May 2022, 16:37

Revolver get rid of Yellow Submarine (sorry Ringo) and replace it with Rain - absolute perfection.



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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby robertff » 13 May 2022, 16:38

Matt Wilson wrote:
robertff wrote:Whilst I’m thinking about the Who although A Quick One is one of my favourite Who albums Cobwebs And Strange does spoil it a bit, although it is typical of Who craziness which does make it somewhat endearing, so I would still keep it. The runt in the litter for me is Heatwave, replace it with Happy Jack and this would be a brilliant album, in fact didn’t the U.S. version do exactly that?



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Yep.

An early version of the album was to have had "I'm a Boy," but in a different mix.



Instead of Happy Jack or as well as?


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Matt Wilson
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby Matt Wilson » 13 May 2022, 16:39

robertff wrote:
Instead of Happy Jack or as well as?


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Jigsaw Puzzle
An early version of the Who's second album was to be titled Jigsaw Puzzle. Its preliminary running order consisted of the following tracks:

1. "I'm a Boy" (Slow version, released on Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy) 3:41
2. "Run Run Run" 2:44
3. "Don't Look Away" 2:55
4. "Circles" (Version 2) 2:27
5. "I Need You" 2:25
6. "Cobwebs and Strange" 2:32
7. "In the City" 2:21
8. "Boris the Spider" 2:29
9. "Whiskey Man" 3:00
10. "See My Way" 3:04
11. "Heat Wave" 1:57
12. "Barbara Ann" 2:00

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GoogaMooga
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby GoogaMooga » 13 May 2022, 16:42

"L.A. (Light Album)" by Beach Boys could have been their last great one (actually, it still is regardless), they could have thrown in perhaps as many as three Dennis songs instead of their epic disco extravaganza, "Here Comes the Night" (all 10:57 of it) and the throwaway ditty, "Shortenin' Bread".

Good Timin'
Lady Lynda
Full Sail
Angel Come Home
Love Surrounds Me
Sumahama
Here Comes The Night
Baby Blue
Goin' South
Shortenin' Bread
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby robertff » 13 May 2022, 17:06

Matt Wilson wrote:
robertff wrote:
Instead of Happy Jack or as well as?


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Jigsaw Puzzle
An early version of the Who's second album was to be titled Jigsaw Puzzle. Its preliminary running order consisted of the following tracks:

1. "I'm a Boy" (Slow version, released on Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy) 3:41
2. "Run Run Run" 2:44
3. "Don't Look Away" 2:55
4. "Circles" (Version 2) 2:27
5. "I Need You" 2:25
6. "Cobwebs and Strange" 2:32
7. "In the City" 2:21
8. "Boris the Spider" 2:29
9. "Whiskey Man" 3:00
10. "See My Way" 3:04
11. "Heat Wave" 1:57
12. "Barbara Ann" 2:00



Not bad, but not as good as the US version, no A Quick One - no way.


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Mike Boom
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby Mike Boom » 13 May 2022, 17:09

Pet Sounds

Side One
Wouldn't It Be Nice
The Little Girl I Once Knew
You Still Believe in Me
That's Not Me
Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
I'm Waiting for the Day
Let's Go Away for Awhile

Side Two
God Only Knows
I Know There’s an Answer
Here Today
I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Pet Sounds
Caroline No

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Matt Wilson
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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby Matt Wilson » 13 May 2022, 17:10

I'd lose "Barbara Ann," but otherwise, not bad. The Who has so many great Townshend numbers in the '60s that you almost can't fashion a mediocre album from them. Over the years I've even come to enjoy Magic Bus - The Who on Tour.

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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby The Slider » 13 May 2022, 17:10

robertff wrote:Revolver get rid of Yellow Submarine (sorry Ringo) and replace it with Rain - absolute perfection.



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YS doesn't mar Revolver.

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Re: Edit a flawed masterpiece

Postby Minnie the Minx » 13 May 2022, 17:18

Chop ‘The Circle Game’ out of Ladies of the Canyon
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