and Sloop John B.

and Monkey Man.

Minus 'Let it blow'.

Chris

I've ditched Five Years from the playlist, which I think is a dirge, and replaced it with All the Young Dudes.

Minus Why Won't You Tell Me What. A monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant album.

Minus "Don't Stop"

Obviously

California minus Bad Liquor (introduced on stage when I saw them as 'This is our worst song')

off Jackson Browne's The Pretender

without Maxwell's Sliver Hammer

On the subject of Let It Bleed, the track to lose is Country Honk, Monkey Man has possibly one of the best intro's ever

would be better without The Jungle Line

without Fitter Happier. Although calling it a song is stretching the definition of song to include stuff that patently isn't a song.

would be a better album for not finishing with Run for you Life

Joni's Jungle Line, The Stone Roses' Don't Stop, and Five Years by Bowie are all outstanding. The first two, particularly Don't Stop, are often singled out as weak links. For me they are by far the most innovative tracks on their parent albums (possibly the reason why some don't like them?)

Meanwhile, Five Years is the second best track on the album (after Rock 'N' Roll Suicide) and a masterpiece both musically and lyrically. The track to go from Ziggy would be It Aint Easy - which sounds like the demo for a b-side of something off Pin Ups... and this should be replaced by Velvet Goldmine ("Dudes" is a great song but I've never heard a good version by Bowie!).

Anyway for my choice - I've always felt that John Lennon's Imagine LP would have benefitted from the removal of I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier... And while it could be argued that this is the most innovative track on Imagine, it doesn't half go on!

...as once you ditch the 'shit' track from any album, then another track becomes the 'shit' track, and so on until you're left with a one-track album (resists temptation to start new thread...).

PS: Yellow Submarine isn't the worst track on Revolver, not by a long chalk...

would be better without Chocolate Cake

Little Miss Strange. Thanks Noel. Don't call us, we'll call you.

minus Mind Gardens. Having said that it's canny funny.

I think that truly classic albums nearly always have to have a sub-par track on them. It makes them almost human. 'This Wheel's On Fire', 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer', 'Goin' Home' from Aftermath, 'Everyone' from Moondance, 'There's A World' from Harvest...the list is almost endless.

I was watching the 2001 version of Ocean's Eleven last night, and it reminded me of this 'one weak element' factor. In that film it's Don Cheadle. Hell of an actor, but what the hell is he doing in that film? Doesn't matter, though. It's still one of the most watchable films of the last thirty years.

So, as John Cleese said, that is my theory. Most great albums have one track that is the runt of the litter, the Achilles heel, the metaphor of your own choosing. In honour of the only weak element of Ocean's Eleven, I hereby attempt to christen this 'The Cheadle Syndrome'.

A Day In The Life.

I'm sorry, I know it's supposed to be the pinnacle of something or other, but I think it's just a miserable dirge, and I've always hated it. It's the epitome of "It must be clever because it's miserable" - the LP would be far better ending on the Sgt Pepper reprise.

Being For The Benefit of Sodding Mr Kite.

would be improved by dumped Student Demonstration Time.
I Hate Mike Love.

of Good Morning, Good Morning on the Beatles anthology without all the bells and whistles is much better, maybe they should put that on the album and....oh forget it! This is getting too complicated!

Does anyone rate Love You To? I doubt it.

that has an atrocious blues song tacked on the end?

Mr Young seems to take perverse delight in gnarling up every potentially "classic" album with its very own special Piece Of Crap*.

After The Gold Rush - Oh Lonesome Me
Harvest - Words
Time Fades Away - Don't Be Denied
American Stars'n'Bars - Will To Love
Freedom - On Broadway
Harvest Moon - Old King
Prairie Wind - He Was The King
Chrome Dreams II - Dirty Old Man

*Sleeps With Angels

the Steely Dan not Manic Street Preachers one could seriously lose the jaunty, awful (for them) Blues Beach. Did they really put it out as a single? Who for?

and you're left with a nice li'l album, no longer kicking off with (and at risk of being defined by) the biggest steamingest plop of galloping clichéd cornshit in Springsteen's entire canon.

was 'The Importance of Clunkers on Albums'. So I shouldn't really be contributing to this thread, but hey, I'm a crazy guy.

I've always found that Sugar Lump on John Martyn's Bless the Weather stands out like a friar at a Slayer gig.

but "Onomatopoeia" on Todd Rundgren's "Hermit of Mink Hollow" always has me reaching for the fast-forward button.

I'm sure I can find some examples but every one I've looked at so far in my collection has disproved the rule. I looked at Elvis Costello's "My Aim Is True" & "Imperial Bedroom" and there really isn't a duff track on either but that could well be because of the number of subsequently released fully formed tracks that were recorded at the same sessions that were rejected. Indeed, the US version of "My Aim Is True" has an additional track rather than an alternative one.
I might have suggested that "Kimono My House" by Sparks could easily lose the final track but it's majestic live and must stay.

without 'Closed Groove'

The Jam - The Gift, without 'Trans-Global Express'

Opposite Argument:
Pink Floyd - The Wall, would've been better with the addition of 'When The Tigers Broke Free'

I never did get on with the closing track, "Twisted". In fact when friends tried converting me to Joni (which eventually happened via Hissing of Summer Lawns) it was this irritating ditty that really put me off. I may be lacking a sense of humour but for me Joni is all about the mood and this really destroys it..

On a similar note - Echo and The Bunnymen's Kingdom Come is the weak link on Ocean Rain... all that nonsense about Cabbages reaks a bad acid trip...

And the Velvet Underground's debut would be far more pallatable without Europeon Son to Delmore Schwartz..

minus Part 2.

...would be much better without Born in the USA.

1) We haven't had a reggae album in this thread, have we?

So I'll say that Bob Marley's "Survival" would be a lot better without the hopeless "Wake up and Live"

2) We haven't had a jazz album in this thread, have we?

So I'll say that Oliver Nelson's wonderful "Blues & the Abstract Truth" would be a lot better without the bizarre "Hoe-Down"

Poor Boy.

Self-pitying noodly jazzy nonsense.

Seamus.

I know a dog when I hear it.

...a Smiths album without a horrific stinker on there somewhere.

'Some Girls...' off Queen is Dead, 'What she Said' off Meat is Murder, 'Miserable Lie' off the first one, 'Unhappy Birthday' off the final one...

is bespoiled by Across The Universe.

In fact, I think Bowie's encounter with Lennon blew his mind. Fame is undoubtedly marvellous but doesn't really fit with the rest of the album. He'd have been better sticking to the other tracks he recorded with Visconti and releasing Fame as a single only, with Across The Universe as its B side.

What do we get towards the end of Together Alone, their greatest album? We get the exquisite Catherine Wheels, one of Neil Finn's best songs, fading out, and then in like an obnoxious party crasher blunders Skin Feeling, the token Paul Hester song. God I hate it! Had it been left off the album, it would have finished with these three stunners: Distant Sun, Catherine Wheels, Together Alone. What were they thinking of??

...no, "Kooks", no, definitely "Fill Your heart"...begone from Hunky Dory.

"Mr Lacey" (complete with Eistürzende Neubauten-anticipating power tool solo) from "What We Did On Our Holidays".

"Moby Dick" on Led Zeppelin II

..'There's A World'. Mentioned already I think and I agree. A real case of 'I've got an orchestra and I'm going to use it'....

Mother's Lament on Cream's otherwise note perfect psych blues classic Disraeli Gears.

This mercifully brief slice of music hall whimsy must have seemed like a hoot at the time, but 43 years later it's unlistenable.

On Paul Simon's Hearts and Bones. It just doesn't belong there.

Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others - Marr does his best and Morrissey lets the side down spectacularly.

Also, the new Divine Comedy album could really do without Can You Stand Upon One Leg (regardless of podcast rendition).

we have done this - http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/taking-a-critical-red-pen-physical...

Harrumph!

disgusted of Glasgow

But I generally skip past "My Wife" on "Who's Next".

Elvis Presley's 2nd album and 'Old Shep'.
Understandable if it had been on one of his 60s film soundtracks but in 1956!
Sentimental mush that Elvis, alas, would make his calling card after being called up for the army.
And over four minutes long in the days when tunes lasted 2.30 at the most!!

This thread just demonstrates how wonderfully different our tastes are. Just as frequently as I'm agreeing with someone, I'm cursing at the sullying of one of my favorite tracks.
For what it's worth:
Astral Weeks: I find Cyprus Avenue to be boring 12 bar and always skip it.
Sgt Peppers: I skip much of the album, including Fixing a Hole, Good Morning, When I'm 64, Lovely Rita (although I love the first 20 seconds before the music hall kicks in) and whatever the George one is
Houses of the Holy: The Crunge
OK Computer: Electioneering
The Bends: My Iron Lung (I remember at the time thinking it was ripped off Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana, which I also find shrill and screechy)
Who's Next: Song is over

In fact, when I think about it, the only albums I never want to skip a track on are There's a Riot Going On and Ziggy Stardust.

that embarrassment is to be found everywhere throughout Donovan's wonderful body of work, but speaking as a lifelong fan, I usually scoff at such claims.

But I must confess there is one song of Don's that always causes me to lift the needle and hurriedly skip to the next track. The album is 1971's HMS Donovan and the offending track is The Walrus And The Carpenter.

Here our man is to be found acting out the original Lewis Carroll poem over an intricate musical backing with bizarre speeded up and slowed down voices where applicable.

On an album already dripping with childlike whimsy, this brings new meaning to the word twee.

in my worship of the Divine Kate and her greatest album Hounds of Love, but even so I tend to skip over 'Mother Stands For Comfort' - it's just not in the same league as what precedes and follows.

(Ducks for cover)

if The Beach Boys Boys Today loses "Bull session with the Big Daddy".

Surely this is the ultimate shit, dispensible track on a classic album.

'Horse Latitudes' off Strange Days leaps to mind.

Not 'Silver' from Pixies' Doolittle, because although its different to all the other songs, I still like it, and bringing down the pace a bit is good for when you go into 'Gouge Away'.

Maybe 'Mad Lucas' from The Breeder's Last Splash, but there's quite a lot of filler-ish stuff on there so its a bit unfair to single out just one.

Actually, the only real one I can think of is the bonus track (De Ja Vu) on Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Show Your Bones, but it's a bonus track so what's it doing on there in the first place?

(sorry, I'm too young to have any examples from classic albums. Oh, fine, 'Fire' by Jimi Hendrix on Are You Experienced. I'd have Can You See Me or Remember, because they both sound a bit throw-away - but they were originally only in the UK version so I'm not sure if they qualify)

"Everything Means Nothing to Me" on Elliott Smith's "Figure 8" album.

Twenty two years in, I still love Leonard Cohen's I'm Your Man. I love the synthesizers, the vocals, and most of all, the lyrics (some of the lines never fail to make me smile). But Jazz Police is something that I prefer to think does not exist. Though, surprisingly to me, it does have its defenders: http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/jazz.html

or 'Lazaaaaanyer' off of Definitely Maybe

off Napalm Death's classic debut "Scum" and "Fuck Your Soccer Jesus" from Agoraphobic Nosebleed's "Altered States of America".
Both tracks slow their respective albums to virtual standstills.

Just wow!

... I used to have a copy of Scum. Even back in the day, pre irony, when thrash metal was a serious pass time, my friends used to laugh at Napalm Death...

Ditch New Orleans Instrumental...

We have done this thread before and I was rubbished for suggesting that, but I am right.

Ditch Electronic Renaissance

It's many years since I listened to it, but I seem to recall that the Specials' debut album was all pretty strong, with the exception of the lazy sexism of "Little Bitch".

Leave off One Love and you're laughing. This was also, back in the day, the best way to fit the thing onto one side of a C90.

I'd jettison "Hallelujah" - five peerless jewels followed by Paddy at his most dirgelike and effete - "the songs of 'Georgie' Gershwin". No Paddy, his name was George...

Apart from Sufjan's "Illinois" and Joanna Newsome's "Have One On Me", the Fyfe Dangerfield combo's debut album is my favourite record of the last ten years, but it would be be immeasurably improved by the absence of the faux-Gamelan plonking of Blue Would Still Be Blue.

Should stop after Shelter From The Storm as Buckets Of Rain is poor.

Also, I can't remember the track name but why did the Stone Roses put a recording of Waterfall played backwards on their debut. There's a lesson to us all - don't take drugs kids!

"69 Love Songs".

But then there would only be 68 Love Songs.

is wonderful.

Apart from "Lady Day" which is ordinary - and does not fit either the concept - a suite about an ordinary man who's wife has left him and is trying to bring up their sons alone - or with the mood of understated yet deeply affecting melancholia of the rest of the album

They set out to make their "Sgt Pepper" and nearly pull it off with a fine set of eclectic songs including, of course, Bomemian Rapsody and then they go and fu*k it up with "The Prophets Song"! What was Brian smoking at that time!! And to make matters worse it goes on forever and would have taken at least two tracks to replace it. Close, but no cigar!

…definitely sounds better without the lumpen rock of James and The Cold Gun…

I did think about a couple of my less favourite tracks on Hounds of Love (Walking the Witch and Jig of Life) being dropped but I concluded that they add to the overall drama of the album. I certainly never skip them

Please Hold" should be removed from Sparks sublime L'il Beethoven.

"School Mam" from Stranglers' No More Heroes, painful...

"These Hands" from the otherwise perfect Machine Gun Etiquette, The Damned's finest.

"Death Trip" from Stooges' Raw Power.

You could probably leave just one song ON a Robert "prolific" Pollard, ex-Guided By Voices, solo album.

Overall, this album was a pretty decent effort by Bruce.
But frankly, I've heard enough about Froggy goin' a-courtin', yes I have. I'd be quite happy to expunge the aforementioned amphibian from the album. Most definitely. No more trips to Miss Mousie's door, no sir. That would be a great relief to us all.

Keith certainly tops this version as well

on A Different Kind of Tension. Mind you, there's Radio Nine on there as well....

Whose name embarrasingly escapes me...But had it ended with his cover of HENDRIX's "Little Wing" instead of "The Secret Marriage", the album would have been better served. Don't be afraid to release something as a B-side...

Me & A Gun invariably falls foul of the Programme button. It's horrible that it's based on Tori's own awful experience and it's certainly chilling (and, with the Mr. Ed line, bleakly funny) but, in an album that isn't exactly top heavy with the joys of spring, it does put an instant damper on an almost non-stop run of melodic stormers.

tubular bells would be better withou....erm...tubular bells

The Girl is Mine (from Thriller)
i before e except after c (from Upstairs at Eric's)
Revolution #9 (you know...)

I always thought Murder Mystery didn't quite succeed.
The studio versions of Lisa Says & Ocean would have made a classic album even better.

Having excised it from the C90 when recording The Stone Roses, it came as a surprise when I bought the CD. Let such studio funnery be a B-side, if you must.

Others whose absence would improve the vernacular: Satan off Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque and the execrable chartbait that was Everybody's Talkin' off the otherwise immaculate Beautiful South confessionfest Miaow.

better without Introducing the Band. too gruelling a start to a great record.

...without Atom Heart Mother!

In general, when listening to Queen's 70s output, I don't suppose there are many people who have had the response: "Oh great!! the next one has Roger Taylor's vocal!!"

However on certain occasions his vocal shortcomings were more than made up for by the quality of song (I'm In Love With My Car, Tenement Funster and Drowse).

Not so on Queen 2 where an otherwise flawless album (arguably Queen's best) is let down by this turgid twaddle.

I have to say May and Mercury must have showed great generosity in giving him a song on each album but I'd take Ringo over Roger any day!!

than me, but Famous Groupies from the 1978 album London Town came up on the iPod today and I was reminded what a stinker it is.

What was he thinking? The feminists would have a field day with this one were it released today.

The tune's OK-ish, but those lyrics! Here's a sample.

Behold the famous groupies, they are alike as two peas,
And where the other goes, the other goes.
But though the famous groupies are only paid in rupees,
Nobody knows what the famous groupies know,
And nobody goes where the famous groupies go. (oh)

There was a bongo player, who kept an extra layer,
Of Dunlopillo mattress in his van. (in his van?)
But when the famous groupies arrived with their twin Snoopys (?),
Nobody saw which way the poor boy ran,
As nobody does it like a famous groupie can.

There's only a rough mix of the song on You Tube, so it would be unfair to link to that.