Favorite Album Side

Ron Party · Sep 10, 2013

I was thinking about album sides and how for a variety of reasons there are many albums where one side stands out over the other side as being my favorite, then I got to thinking more broadly about great album sides.

Many (most?) members here are into vinyl or at least were at one time. I thought it might be interesting to read what others had to state, so I thought I'd start this thread and pose this question: if you had to pick one and only one album side, what is your favorite? No hedging ... pick one, like when a magician fans a deck of cards in front of you and asks you to pick a card you don't get to pick two or more.

What comes to mind for me is Side 1 of Quadrophenia:

1) I Am The Sea
2) The Real Me
3) Quadrophenia
4) Cut My Hair
5) The Punk Meets The Godfather

Johnny Vinyl · Sep 10, 2013

The first that came to my mind was Side 2 from Supertramp- Even in the Quietest Moments

Babija
From Now On
Fool's Overture

hvbias · Sep 10, 2013

One side... you are making this pretty tough :b

I will have to go with side two of Coltrane's Live at the Village Vanguard Again! which has my favorite version of My Favorite Things. Coltrane recorded it live numerous times through out his career; this one has the magic for me. There's always something little to discover on it every time I hear it.

mep · Sep 10, 2013

Ron Party said:
I was thinking about album sides and how for a variety of reasons there are many albums where one side stands out over the other side as being my favorite, then I got to thinking more broadly about great album sides.

Many (most?) members here are into vinyl or at least were at one time. I thought it might be interesting to read what others had to state, so I thought I'd start this thread and pose this question: if you had to pick one and only one album side, what is your favorite? No hedging ... pick one, like when a magician fans a deck of cards in front of you and asks you to pick a card you don't get to pick two or more.

What comes to mind for me is Side 1 of Quadrophenia:

1) I Am The Sea
2) The Real Me
3) Quadrophenia
4) Cut My Hair
5) The Punk Meets The Godfather

Ron-While I appreciate your choice of Side 1 of Quadrophenia (I too love this LP), it would take some serious reflection to come up with only one LP to pick one side of to take to the fabled desert island. I have many LPs that I tend to favor one side over the other.

Ron Party · Sep 12, 2013

Hi Mark. No doubt there are many which are deserving, but that is why these kinds of threads - favorite this, top 10 that, etc. - can be fun.

John, Fools Overture ... brilliant song.

JackD201 · Sep 12, 2013

Because it was just the albums's 30th Anniversary and how it was so influential to my early teen years, I'll go with Side B of Tears for Fears' The Hurting

In close contention are soon to be 30 year old albums too (I'm feeling nostalgic

):

Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward Side - B

Ultravox - Lament Side - A

Bill Hart · Sep 12, 2013

I am not a Beatles fan boy but side two of Abbey Road is brilliant.

Mike Lavigne · Sep 12, 2013

whart said:
I am not a Beatles fan boy but side two of Abbey Road is brilliant.

++1.

there was another similar thread recently where i said basically these same things.

i am a Beatles fan. graduated from High School in 1969 so this was a pretty big deal to me and i'm connected to this music on lots of levels.

and the recording is very very good, and the tunes are outstanding.

it's very personal music for me.

Shaffer · Sep 12, 2013

It's a tough question. I mean, there are so many great albums that I love, I hard time figuring out where to begin. As such, forgive me for rephrasing the initial question in terms of pure consistency of performance and song all acting as one. My pick is side-1 of Buzzcocks' Singles Going Steady.

rblnr · Sep 12, 2013

Wouldn't know where to start overall but favorite live album side is from Little Feat's 'Waiting for Columbus'

1) Time Loves a Hero
2) Day or Night
3) Mercenary Territory
4) Spanish Moon

Features to great effect the amazing Tower of Power horn section.

elescher · Sep 13, 2013

I like Bowie's Hunky Dory. Either/both sides.

Ronm1 · Sep 13, 2013

For years it was
Heart side 1
New England - Wishbone Ash side 1

Now I just play the whole thing without flipping!!

Whatmore · Sep 13, 2013

One side, one song: Pink Floyd, Meddle side 2

Phelonious Ponk · Sep 13, 2013

So Ron, could you have asked a harder question? Too many to choose. 2 of Abbey Road, 2 of Close to the Edge, 1 of Round About Midnight, both sides of Revolver (I won't choose; you can't make me), 1 of Blonde on Blonde, 2 of Highway 61, 2 of Blood on the Tracks, 2 of Darkness on the Edge of Town....

Am I ever going to make it to the 80s? Probably not. There was some really good music lurking below the surface in the 80s, but the hair metal bands and awful post-new age Brit Pop put me in such a bad mood I more or less listened to new albums from 70s artists for a decade. The 90s...

Side 1 of August and Everything After, side 2 of Dulcinea, every side of Uncle Tupelo and early Wilco...

Tim

edorr · Sep 13, 2013

Phelonious Ponk said:
So Ron, could you have asked a harder question? Too many to choose. 2 of Abbey Road, 2 of Close to the Edge, 1 of Round About Midnight, both sides of Revolver (I won't choose; you can't make me), 1 of Blonde on Blonde, 2 of Highway 61, 2 of Blood on the Tracks, 2 of Darkness on the Edge of Town....

Am I ever going to make it to the 80s? Probably not. There was some really good music lurking below the surface in the 80s, but the hair metal bands and awful post-new age Brit Pop put me in such a bad mood I more or less listened to new albums from 70s artists for a decade. The 90s...

Side 1 of August and Everything After, side 2 of Dulcinea, every side of Uncle Tupelo and early Wilco...

Tim

I only have a vague recollection of stuff I once owned on vinyl, but among those abbey road stands out as the album with clear (side 2) preference.

Ron Party · Sep 13, 2013

Whatmore said:
One side, one song: Pink Floyd, Meddle side 2

The nature of prog rock, isn't it. One album side = 1 song

, except in cases like Transatlantic's The Whirlwind, where 2 album sides = 1 song. Yeah, I easily could have chosen Genesis, Foxtrot, side 2, my favorite song of all time. Hey! That's an idea for another thread!

Phelonious Ponk said:
So Ron, could you have asked a harder question? ... Tim

Sorry, maybe I'm a victim of my profession.

NorthStar · Sep 13, 2013

- Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon ---> Back Side (Side B) <<<>>> "Us and Them" <<<>>> "Eclipse"

- Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here ---> Front Side (Side A) <<<>>> "The Machine (Welcome to)"

Asamel · Sep 13, 2013

Side One of "If I Could Only Remember My Name" by David Crosby.

Bruce in PA

Johnny Vinyl · Sep 13, 2013

Tubular Bells - don't make me choose.

jazdoc · Sep 13, 2013

I'm a Stones guy, so which do you choose?:

Aftermath, side 1:
Mother's Little Helper
Stupid Girl
Lady Jane
Under My Thumb
Doncha Bother Me
Goin' Home

Sticky Fingers, side 1:
Brown Sugar
Sway
Wild Horses
Can't You Hear Me Knocking
You Gotta Move

Exile on Main Street, side 1:
Rocks Off
Rip This Joint
Hip Shake
Casino Boogie
Tumbling Dice

Couldn't decide, because I thought about...

X, More Fun In The New World, side 2
Devil Doll
Painting The Town Blue
Hot House
Drunk In My Past
I See Red
True Love Part 2

Which jogged my memory....

The Clash, London Calling, side 2
Spanish Bombs
The Right Profile
Lost In The Supermarket
Clampdown
The Guns of Brixton

Which lead me to....

Prince, Dirty Mind, side 2
Uptown
Head
Sister
Party Up

But then how could I leave off....

Prince, Sign 'O The Times, side 3
U Got The Look
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Strange Relationship
I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man

So I'll vote for....

Al Green, Greatest Hits, side 1
Tired of Being Alone
Call Me
I'm Still In Love With You
Here I Am (Come and Take Me)
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?

....although I could be talked into side 2

Don't make me choose a jazz side!

Favorite Album Side

WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Well-Known Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

WBF Founding Member

WBF Founding Member

Well-Known Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

New Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor

Member Sponsor

Well-Known Member

New Member

WBF Founding Member

WBF Founding Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor

Similar threads