CLOSING TRACKS
VA - And in The End...Great Closing Tracks Vol. 01-03 (A Butterboy Compilation) (9 x CDs)
The art of album sequencing is an ephemeral thing. Figuring out the strongest way to begin an album can be a challenge, but to decide the proper way to conclude a group of songs is equally important. A great album can finish any number of ways, with a slow, quiet, mellow, meditative and somber farewell, on a powerful epic that goes out with a bang. Do you remember when the last track on an album would finish, and you’d wish the music would just never end?
An album's closing track is almost as essential as the opening one. Just as an album's opening song plays a pivotal part in a record's cycle, the closing track serves a similar and not totally unrelated purpose. The final song is a summation of an album's musical and thematic themes, a final word on what we just listened to. A closing track can be some of the biggest highlights on an album where many artists offered up their best for last. A closing number can leave you exhilarated and wanting more, or it can be the sign of what's coming next.
I have created 3 volumes each containing 60 tracks dedicated to how to finish an album in style. Each track is a pivotal last track on an album making you want to hit “play” again immediately.
Enjoy!
These were originally shared across separate posts. I've now brought them together in one consolidated post for easier access. (B)
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Track lists
And in The End...Great Closing Tracks Vol. 01
CD1
01 Kinks Waterloo Sunset 3:17
02 Rolling Stones Moonlight Mile 5:58
03 Marvin Gaye Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) 5:26
04 Beatles Tomorrow Never Knows 2:59
05 Rod Stewart Reason To Believe 4:09
06 Radiohead The Tourist 5:26
07 Lou Reed Billy 5:06
08 R.E.M. Find The River 3:52
09 Black Crowes Descending 5:42
10 Neil Young Four Strong Winds 4:05
10 Jethro Tull Nursie 1:34
12 Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros Silver And Gold 2:39
13 Beach Boys Surf's Up 4:13
14 Portishead Glory Box 5:08
15 Paul Mccartney The Back Seat Of My Car 4:29
16 Fleetwood Mac Gold Dust Woman 5:02
16 Eric Andersen Love Will Meet Again 4:06
18 Clash Train In Vain 3:10
19 David Bowie Wild Is The Wind 6:00
20 Doors Riders On The Storm 7:21
CD2
21 Quicksilver Messenger Service The Fool 11:58
22 Prince Purple Rain 8:44
23 Beatles I'll Be Back 2:24
24 Radiohead Street Spirit (Fade Out) 4:12
25 Guy Clark The Dark 3:49
09 Billy Joel Where's The Orchestra 3:17
27 Nick Drake Saturday Sun 4:05
28 Joni Mitchell Refuge Of The Roads 6:38
29 Bob Dylan Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands 11:26
30 Bon Iver Re- Stacks 6:29
31 Derek And The Dominos Thorn Tree In The Garden 2:50
32 Love You Set The Scene 6:51
33 Leonard Cohen If It Be Your Will 3:44
34 Lucinda Williams Jackson 3:42
35 Flying Burrito Brothers Wild Horses 6:22
36 Frank Turner Get It Right 3:26
37 Elliott Smith Say Yes 2:15
38 Oasis Champagne Supernova 7:26
39 Dr. John I Walk On Guilded Splinters 7:35
40 Genesis Supper's Ready 22:52
CD3
41 Boz Scaggs Loan Me A Dime 13:04
42 Deep Purple Soldier Of Fortune 3:16
43 Beatles Get Back 3:07
44 Nirvana All Apologies 3:47
45 Jeff Buckley Dream Brother 5:30
46 Bruce Springsteen Jungleland 9:37
47 Faces That's All You Need 5:07
48 Supertramp Crime Of The Century 5:33
49 Robin Trower Little Bit Of Sympathy 4:18
50 Jimi Hendrix Experience Voodoo Child (Slight Return) 5:15
51 Interpol Leif Erikson 4:00
52 Dire Straits Lions 5:02
53 Manic Street Preachers William's Last Words 4:19
54 Ian Matthews Thro' My Eyes 2:35
55 Elton John Burn Down The Mission 6:21
56 Midnight Oil Antarctica 4:17
57 Elton John Harmony 2:46
58 Mott The Hoople Roll Away The Stone 3:07
59 Damon Albarn Heavy Seas Of Love 3:44
60 Doors The End 11:41
And in The End...Great Closing Tracks Vol. 0
CD1
61 Beatles A Day In The Life 4:59
62 Bob Dylan Desolation Row 11:21
63 Moody Blues Have You Heard (Part 2) 2:31
64 Kinks I'll Remember 2:27
65 Fleetwood Mac I'm So Afraid 4:30
66 Beach Boys Cool, Cool Water 5:03
67 Donovan Teas 2:35
68 Joni Mitchell Cactus Tree 4:38
69 Prince Sometimes It Snows In April 6:49
70 Neil Young Ambulance Blues 8:59
71 King Crimson The Court Of The Crimson King 9:23
72 Idle Race The End Of The Road 2:06
09 Badfinger Meanwhile Back At The Ranch, Should I Smoke 5:17
74 Lou Reed Sad Song 7:10
75 Replacements Here Comes A Regular 4:46
76 Paul Mccartney Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five 5:31
77 Jimmy Eat World 23 7:13
78 Nick Drake From The Morning 2:24
79 Bee Gees Horizontal 3:32
80 Beach Boys Caroline No 2:52
CD2
81 Free All Right Now 5:33
82 Eric Clapton Let It Rain 5:01
83 Eric Andersen Round The Bend 5:50
84 Al Stewart Modern Times 8:21
85 Magnetic Fields Zebra 2:15
86 David Bowie Bewlay Brothers 5:21
87 Grant Lee Buffalo Rock Of Ages 4:14
88 Crosby Stills Nash & Young Everybody I Love You 2:21
89 Fleet Foxes Grown Ocean 4:36
90 Gram Parsons In My Hour Of Darkness 3:42
91 Bonnie Raitt You've Changed My Mind 4:08
92 Nirvana Where Did You Sleep Last Night 5:05
93 C S N Y Night Song 4:13
94 Roxette Perfect Day 4:06
95 Elvis Costello Couldn't Call It Unexpected No.4 3:50
96 ? And The Mysterians 96 Tears 2:57
97 Mott The Hoople I Wish I Was Your Mother 4:46
98 Grateful Dead Casey Jones 4:25
99 Pink Floyd Eclipse 2:12
100 Duane Allman Whipping Post 5:18
CD3
101 Rolling Stones You Can't Always Get What You Want 7:28
102 Led Zeppelin When The Levee Breaks 7:10
103 Dire Straits Brothers In Arms 7:00
104 Genesis The Knife 8:56
105 Lynyrd Skynyrd Free Bird 9:18
106 Talking Heads This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) 5:04
107 Suede Still Life 5:19
108 Peter Gabriel Here Comes The Flood 5:55
109 Verve Come On 15:16
110 Blue Aeroplanes Cat-Scan Hist'ry 6:26
111 Pulp Bar Italia 3:43
112 Echo And The Bunnymen Ocean Rain 5:24
113 Afghan Whigs The Vampire Lanois 3:21
114 Arcade Fire My Body Is A Cage 4:43
115 Alice In Chains Would 3:27
116 The Edgar Winter Group Frankenstein 3:27
117 Simple Minds Shake Off The Ghosts 4:01
118 Blue Oyster Cult Astronomy 6:26
119 Gaslight Anthem National Anthem 3:40
120 Doors When The Music's Over 11:04
And in The End...Great Closing Tracks Vol. 03
CD1
121 Van Morrison Almost Independence Day 9:47
122 Isaac Hayes By The Time I Get To Phoenix 18:40
123 Supertramp Child Of Vision 7:28
124 Gary Moore Feat. Phil Lynott Parisienne Walkways 3:19
125 Bee Gees Swan Song 2:57
126 Genesis Afterglow 4:11
127 Roger Daltrey Under A Raging Moon 4:35
128 David Bowie Rock 'n' Roll Suicide 2:58
129 Roy Orbison Running Scared 2:13
130 Cat Stevens Peace Train 4:11
131 Stone Roses I Am The Resurrection 8:14
132 Steely Dan Josie 4:31
133 Versaemerge Lost Tree 7:07
134 Spill Canvas Lullaby 4:42
135 Smiths I Won't Share You 2:50
136 Duran Duran The Chauffeur (Blue Silver) 3:51
137 Bob Marley Redemption Song 3:48
138 Brand New Play Crack The Sky 5:27
139 U2 40 2:37
140 Who Love Reign O'er Me 5:49
CD2
141 Van Morrison Allow Me 3:54
142 U2 All I Want Is You 6:30
143 Sparklehorse Gasoline Horseys 2:39
144 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Death Is Not The End 4:24
145 Brian Eno Here Come The Warm Jets 4:04
08 Television Torn Curtain 7:10
147 Roxy Music For Your Pleasure 6:48
148 Who Who Are You 5:08
149 Youngbloods Ride The Wind 6:37
150 Chicago Feelin' Stronger Every Day 4:18
151 Spirit Soldier 2:47
152 Super Furry Animals Mountain People 6:17
153 Xtc Chalkhills And Children 5:03
154 Sigur Rós Untitled #8 (Popplagio) 11:45
155 Wishbone Ash Phoenix 10:29
156 System Of A Down Aerials 6:11
157 Tom Waits Anywhere I Lay My Head 2:47
158 David Bowie Fame 4:16
159 Suede The Next Life 3:32
160 Van Morrison Golden Autumn Day 6:34
CD3
161 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers American Girl 3:34
162 Van Morrison Slim Slow Slider 3:17
163 Zombies Time Of The Season 3:32
164 Elvis Costello And The Attractions (What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding 3:32
165 Cars Dangerous Type 4:28
166 Red Hot Chili Peppers Road Trippin' 3:27
167 Smiths Meat Is Murder 6:08
168 Sonic Youth The Diamond Sea 19:36
169 Velvet Underground Sister Ray 17:31
170 Electric Light Orchestra Wild West Hero 4:43
171 U2 Love Is Blindness 4:20
172 Turtles You Don't Have To Walk In The Rain 2:45
173 Van Morrison Glad Tidings 3:40
174 X-Ray Spex The Day The World Turned Day-Glo 2:51
175 Chemical Brothers The Private Psychedelic Reel 9:10
176 Spiritualized Cop Shoot Cop... 17:13
177 Pavement Fillmore Jive 6:38
178 Talking Heads Road To Nowhere 4:01
179 AC/DC Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution 4:26
180 Who Won't Get Fooled Again 8:30
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THANK YOU 4 THIS BETTER BOY NICE ONE
ReplyDeleteI am delighted these are appealing to you, Aussie.
DeleteCheers.
An overwhelming collection: every end of this is a new beginning and with it: "jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne" (Hermann Hesse, german post romantic poet ... for many of us best known as the author of the "original" Steppenwolf). Many thanks & Best, TC
ReplyDeleteHi TC.
DeleteThank you. That Hesse quote, “jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne” (“a magic dwells in each beginning”), feels especially fitting here.
I’m deeply grateful for your thoughtful words and for the way you connect music to literature and memory. It’s exactly the kind of resonance that makes these compilations worth building.
Cheers.
Thank you I'd like to see the last track of the last Wham! album Final: The Edge Of Heaven, or The Undertones - Casbah Rock, Chaos UK - Farmyard Stomp, Wire - 40 Versions, Coil - The First Five Minutes After Death, either Foetus - Cold Day in Hell or Foetus - Anything (Viva), Nasmak - 4our Clicks, Sonic Youth - Death Valley 69, ah so many great famous last words. Birthday Party - Junkyard
ReplyDeleteI am the King, and I always thought he'd follow with "of nothing at all"
Hi Richard,
DeleteThere is obviously more room for additional volumes... who know maybe in the future.
Cheers.
The music you take is equal to the music you post. (Just me being silly)
ReplyDeleteThanks BB a wonderful collection that should get the old grey cells moving.
Hi lemonflag.
DeleteThanks so much for the kind words. If this collection stirs the grey cells into a gentle hum or a full-on sonic revival, then it’s done its job. There’s something magical about those final tracks, like musical punctuation marks that linger long after the sentence ends.
Cheers.
Great idea BB!
ReplyDeleteThe last song is as significant as the first in the quality musical works!
Many thanks for puting this interesting compilation together!
Hi John,
DeleteThank you so much! I couldn’t agree more, the final track often carries the emotional weight of everything that came before it. It’s the last impression, the curtain call that can elevate an entire album.
I’m delighted this compilation resonated with you. It was a joy to assemble these closing gems, each one chosen for its power to leave us with something unforgettable.
Cheers.
Thank You very very much. Top selection -
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Josevaty.
DeleteThank you for the kind words. I'm so glad the selection of tracks hit the mark.
Cheers.
Thanks BB - in the pre-CD days sometimes the way an album was sequenced could make all the difference. Take Simon & Garfunkels 'Bridge over troubled Waters' - it would have made a great closing track but it's at the beginning! As it is the album sort fizzles out at the end (still a great album though)
ReplyDeleteHi Dr Robert
DeleteAgreed, album sequencing was a true art form in the vinyl era, and your example nails it. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is such a monumental track, it almost casts a shadow over everything that follows. Placing it first sets an emotional high bar that’s hard to top, and as you said, the album gently fades rather than crescendos.
That’s part of what inspired this compilation, to celebrate those albums that do stick the landing, where the final track leaves you breathless, contemplative, or itching to hit play again.
Thanks for sharing your insight.
Cheers.
"No specific theory on how to begin and end a performance in a "strong" manner has been identified as such. However, the concept of the "opening clause," theorized by Philippe Hamon in 1975, may come close, as it describes the end of an act or sequence that creates expectation and tension in the spectator, creating a rupture effect. Furthermore, the notions of exposition scene and denouement in theatrical structure correspond to key moments where the action is clearly introduced and resolved, even if the term "strong" is subjective." (IA).
DeleteIt's interesting to see that the notion of opening and closing of a novel, a play, a record, a film... can respond to the same theories. It's also for this reason that I like to judge an album in its "soft underbelly", to judge its relevance and quality. It's a rather cruel test but often revealing. Thanks a lot for your compilation BB.
Thank you, Hervé.
DeleteWhat a rich and thought-provoking reflection. The parallel you draw between literary theory and musical structure is fascinating, especially Hamon’s “opening clause” and its rupture effect. It’s true, whether in novels, theatre, or albums, those transitional moments, beginnings, endings, and yes, the “soft underbelly”, carry immense weight.
I love your idea of testing an album’s relevance through its middle. It’s where the artist’s intent often reveals itself most vulnerably, away from the spotlight of the opener or closer. Cruel, perhaps, but deeply insightful.
I am always grateful for your thoughtful engagement.
Cheers.
Many thanks for re-upping this!
ReplyDeleteHi Sam,
DeleteI am glad I did. Thank you for the request.
Cheers.
"... gonna need a bigger boat" er, hard drive. Thanks Butterboy!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks Hervé for the theory exposition. I sometimes like to have opening and closing effects when doing a themed compilation, it just feels right. Now I know why.
Hi Berni.
DeleteClassic line, and in this case, very true. These closing tracks do tend to swell into something epic, and your hard drive might just need a life raft soon.
It’s great that you use opening and closing tracks for your themed compilations; they really do give the set a sense of narrative flow, almost like a musical storybook.
Kudos to Hervé for laying down the theory behind it, too. When you frame a compilation with a strong intro and a satisfying outro, listeners get that extra wow moment that makes the whole experience feel cohesive. It’s like setting the stage and then taking a bow at the end.
Cheers.