Albums with great finishing tracks

I was reading the excellent Joni Mitchell bio that came out last year and was piqued by the reflection that her third album, Ladies of the Canyon, finished with three kick-ass tracks -- Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock and The Circle Game -- after a fairly solid but underwhelming first nine.

You rarely, if ever, hear albums these days with great finishers anymore. I'm trying to think of some of the great finishing tracks from albums of the past (stipulation: from the LP era, they'd have to be the last track of side 2). where you could at least argue the last song was the best song on the album. Not even the Beatles had many, but then again, Sgt. Pepper did finish with A Day In The Life.

Won't Get Fooled Again to close Who's Next. That one qualifies.

Train in Vain at the end of the Clash's London Calling

Time of the Season finishing off the Zombies Odyssey and Oracle

Jungleland at the end of Springsteen's Born to Run? Eh, I don't know about that one.

Open to more suggestions ...

 

Zeppelin IV When The Levee Breaks

 

In a Simple Rhyme - Women & Children First

 

Just a few I could think of:

The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow ends with the beautifully melancholy "Loneliest Person".
The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds ends with the amazing "Caroline, No".
Simon and Garunkel's Sound of Silence ends with the fantastic "I Am a Rock".
Kate Bush's Never for Ever ends with the adventurous "Breathing".

 

The La's - Looking Glass, a seven minute epic, that speeds up and up and even features snatches of other songs mixed brilliantly into it, creating a dazzling, heartbreaking track

Radiohead's The Bends has Street Spirit last, and I think it's their best track on it, though the competition is stiff

Morrissey's Vauxhall and I ends with the magnificent Speedway, which was good enough to end a career with

Brian Wilson's Smile ends with Good Vibrations!

The Doors ends with The End and LA Woman ends with Riders on the Storm!

 

Metallica "The Call Of Ktulu"

 

if you don't count the short instrumental then the last three tracks on big star 's number 1 record:
- give me another chance
- try again
- watch the sunrise.

 

Revolver - Tomorrow Never Knows
Forever Changes - You Set The Scene
John Wesley Harding - I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
On The Beach - Ambulance Blues
Freedom - Rockin In The Free World

 

"Moonlight Mile" / Stones / Sticky Fingers / 1971

It's got stiff competition, but it's my favorite on the album. One of my top 5 favorite Stones tracks.

 

"Moonlight Mile" -- Sticky Fingers (The Rolling Stones)

"I Give You Give Blind" -- CSN '77 (CSN) *

* the song might not be their most recognizable song of all time, but it's certainly one of the best on the record, and is all but lost on the record because of the two dog songs before it that I'm guessing no one (else ) listened to and picked up the tonearm before the song even began. No? Just me? Uh kay. Well that figures. lol

 

Ozzy - Diary of a Madman

 

Springsteen’s ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’ is a great closer, and perfectly consistent with the down vibe of the album.

 

Agreed, always liked how it faded out too; a little indicative of the ongoing, indefinite struggle in the characters' lives

 

Frank Sinatra "One For My Baby" to close Only The Lonely. It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place, except you and me ...

 

I'll throw in Flamenco Sketches, closing Kind of Blue.

 

Just a few great ones off the top of my head...

Rocket from the Crypt- "Glazed"
Tim Easton- "Goodbye, Amsterdam"
Guided by Voices- "Huffman Prairie Flying Field," "You're Not an Airplane," "Bomb in the Beehive," "Alex and the Omegas," and "Father Sgt. Christmas Card"
Jawbreaker- "In Sadding Around" and "Bivouac"
The Wedding Present- "Octopussy," "Santa Monica," and "Perfect Blue"
Afghan Whigs- "Faded"
The National- "Mr. November"
REM- "Electrolite," "Untitled" and "Find the River"
Pearl Jam- "Release" and "All Those Yesterdays"
Green Day- "Walking Contradiction"
Water Liars- "Fire"

 

Uriah Heep - title track to The Magician's Birthday.

 

Electric Ladyland-Voodoo Child
Piano Man-Captain Jack
Let It Bleed-You Can't Always Get What You Want
Hemispheres-La Villa Strangiato
Allman Brothers Band-Whipping Post (see also Live At Fillmore East)
Foxtrot-Supper's Ready
Fragile-Heart of the Sunrise (ok, technically We Have Heaven reprise is last but it's part of the whole)

 

Elton John Burn Down the Mission, from Tumbleweed Connection
The Stone Roses I Am the Resurrection, from The Stone Roses

 

Rush - "The Garden" from Clockwork Angels. Pretty much a career finishing track.

 

John Entwistle Too Late the Hero - Too Late the Hero
John Entwistle Whistle Rymes - Nightmare
John Entwistle Rigor Mortis Sets In - Big Black Cadillac
The Who Sell Out - Rael
The Who Who's Next - Won't Get Fooled Again
The Who Tommy - We're Not Gonna Take It
The Who Who Are You
The Pretty Things Parachute - Parachute
The Pretty Things Silk Torpedo - Belfast Cowboys
The Faces The First Step - Three Button Hand Me Down
The Faces Ooh La La - Ooh La La
The James Gang Rides Again - Ashes the Rain and I
The James Gang Thirds - Live My Life Again
Procol Harum Procol Harum - Repent Walpurgis
Procol Harum A Salty Dog - Pilgrim's Progress
The Move Shazam -The Last Thing On My Mind
Wizzard Wizzard Brew - Wear A Fast Gun
Steppenwolf Monster - From Here To There Eventually
Steppenwolf For Ladies Only - In Hopes Of A Garden
Genesis Foxtrot - Supper's Ready
Genesis The Lamb - It
Genesis A Trick of the Tail - Los Endos
King Crimson Red - Starless
King Crimson Starless and Bible Black - Fracture
King Crimson Lark's Tongues in Aspic - Lark's Tongues in Aspic Part 2
King Crimson In the Court - In the Court
and on and on

 

Beach Boys-Surf's Up LP ends with the title song.

 

Weasels Ripped My Flesh - Weasels Ripped My Flesh

 

Blue Oyster Cult--Spectres--Nosferatu
Marshall Crenshaw--S/T--Brand New Lover
Allman Brothers at Fillmore East--Whipping Post