Albums where One Side is Classic, But the Other Side Isn't

Best of Bread

 

Aren't there other songs in the key of G with only C D a minor and G chords in them?

 

I was thinking of Meddle too although it's one of my favorite albums but I really think Echoes is so much more of a classic than the other side even though Fearless is great.

 

I love the sequencing of Wings' "Back to The Egg" - I can put on side 1, then return the LP to it's sleeve after the side's run it's course. Harry Nilsson's "***** Cats" is similar, except I start it at song 3 on side one, let it play out, and that's it

 

Terje Rypdal - Whenever I Seem to be Far Away

Side 1 is excellent but Side 2 has a long classical piece that is unlike the vibe of Side 1.

Scott

 

Side 1 of After the Gold Rush is great and it flows extremely well.

Side 2 is still good but doesn't have the same flow....IMO.

 

B-52s Wild Planet. Side A is top heavy with blissful grooves culminating in the truly magnificent Private Idaho.

 

This is the thread's B-side.

 

I like To You and Winter Rose/Love Awake from side two.

 

Abbey Road

 

I’m not sure which one I like.

 

I think that side 1 of Traffic's Last Exit is underrated and pretty great, side 2 though is pretty ordinary.

 

4 off the top of my head...

1.Band Of Gypsys (1970)...after the searing Who Knows & Machine Gun side 2 couldn't help but suffer

2.Mott The Hoople / Mott (1973)...side 1 is bonafide masterpiece but side 2 was marred by Mick Ralph's contribution I'm A Caddilac / El Camino Doso To Do

3.Warren Zevon / Excitable Boy (1978)...side 1 was almost on par with his brilliant s/t record where as side 2 was some of the weakest music ever recorded by a major up & coming artist

4.Beatles / Rubber Soul (US-65)...the only cause for RS not being a perfect Beatle record was the weak Run For Your Life, I never cared for that song although RS has always been my favorite Beatle record album

 

Paul McCartney WILD LIFE
Side 1 is very weak (though Mumbo is dumb fun)
Side 2 is quite enjoyable

Beatles HELP
Side 1 is great
Side 2 is simply good

 

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

Side One - mostly great
Side Two - really patchy

tracks 1-5 are all essential; "Wedding Nails" is the start of the drop-off. The second half is saved by "Collapse the Light Into Earth".

 

But side 2 has great songs too like The Thrill of It All (love the organ solo), Supertzar, and The Writ.

 

Roxy Music
Plastic Letters

 

I presume that Side 4 of Metal Machine Music is the classic as it has the locked groove.

 

I've only ever owned it on CD but I've always thought that Thin Lizzy's "Live And Dangerous" descends into mediocre 12-bar pub rock towards the end. I've just looked iup the vinyl track listing on Wikipedia and I'd say that if it had finished at the end of side three it would have been no great loss.

 

I’ve always thought that side 2 of Queen’s ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ album was weak compared to side 1. Aside from the fact that side 1 contains the two big hits, side 2 always struck me as consisting mostly of short, throwaway tracks.

 

But side two of Sabotage contains Sabbath's best song ever!

 

I love 5 Live Yardbirds therefore I love side 2 of Rave Up, yes including Respectable.

 

Fair enough but side A in comparison is just more classic in Yardbirds lore excepting perhaps Smokestack Lightning.

 

I think we can agree that it would've been better to have 5 Live in its entirety and then more Yardbirds with Jeff on another album.

 

The Wall

Disc 1 - excellent...
Disc 2 - after Comfortably Numb - abysmal...