Entertainment For Lively Minds
Bands whose b-sides were better than their a-sides or album tracks
Posted by Bob on 14 April 2010 - 12:40pm.
The b-side seems to me to be the biggest loss of the "new" music industry. There are a few bands whose b-sides were so perfect that they actually eclipse the rest of the band's work. I'm thinking of:
Suede. "Sci-Fi Lullabies" is their best record. Fact.
Radiohead. There was a specific period in Radiohead's history where their b-sides were better than anything else they did. "Bishop's Robes" and "Talk Show Host", which backed the "Street Spirit" single, are better than anything on "The Bends". Similarly, the whole of the "My Iron Lung" EP is easily the equal of the lead track.
Any other bands who were too good at b-sides?
- More from Bob.
- Login or register to post comments
-
The Masterplan
?
Fair comment.
I'm far from being an Oasis fan, but many of their songs that I like are actually b-sides. "Talk Tonight" and "Acquiesce" are absolutely the equal of their best.
..I hate to go all shoegazing on you but..
Ride's 3rd and 4th EPs ("Fall" and "Today Forever") were better than the debut album which came between them.
My Bloody Valentine - I still listen to the "Glider" and "Tremelo" EPs far more than I do the "Loveless" LP.
And I could also mention Lush, Chapterhouse and Verve all of whom put out early EP's which more than eclipsed their proper debut LPs. In particular - "Man Called Sun" from Verve's first single is probably the best song they ever recorded.
Arrow up also for Suede.
I think in those days a lot of the indie bands tended to put their best stuff out as each single was released so that by the time it came to putting an album together, they'd often used up their reserve..
Singles by The Sweet
The rockier B-sides were always preferable to the lightweight glam tracks on the A side.
Sweet seconded
and 'Killing them at the hot club tonight' by Slade.
Sweet - AC/DC
As revived by Joan Jett :
The Sweet
I've just bought the Sweet Fanny Adams, Give Us a Wink and Desolation Boulevard remasters, and their are some great b sides included there - Burning, Rock 'n' Roll Disgrace, Own Up Take A Look At Yourself, Someone Else Will, Cockroach, 4th of July.
The Smiths
I remember an early review (rightly) praising their willingness to "give away" excellent songs as B-Sides or extras on the 12" versions.
For instance, "Please Please Please ... " is at least as good as "William ...", in my opinion.
And on the B-side of the 12" single of "William..." was
"How Soon Is Now" - that's as good a grouping of 3 songs as anyone could wish for.
I'm sure I'll get laughed out of court, but...
U2's Joshua Tree B Sides. Luminous Times (Hold Onto Love), Walk to the Water, Spanish Eyes, The (original) Sweetest Thing, Deep in the Heart, Silver & Gold.
No, You Won't
Salome, Big Girls Are Best, Lady With The Spinning Head, etc. Those boys know how to do a good b-side
And don't forget
The Bside of All I want is you: Two cracking covers of Everlasting love and, more unforgettably, Unchained Melody, which turns shit into honey with astonishing elan.
The Jam
esp in their period up to Sound Affects
Butterfly Collector and Tales from the Riverbank
– both better than the majority of Jam album tracks and many of the a-sides
Issue taken
Disc one of Sci-fi Lullabies is tremendous. Disc two is mostly dreadful. Bernie's b-sides were uniformly glorious. Everybody else's, not quite so.
Any fule kno...
...that Coming Up is Suede's best record.
But, admittedly, 458489 B-sides might well be forum-favourite The Fall's best.
The Fall
That is a great compilation by everyones favourites The Fall. No Bulbs, Lucifer Over Lancashire, Australians In Europe, Guest Informant are indeed some of their finest.
Actually, fair enough.
Now I look at the tracklisting, you're spot on. When I thought of "SFL" above, I was thinking of "My Insatiable One", "Killing Of A Flash Boy" and "Whipsnade", which are my favourite songs on that record. And bingo: those, along with all the other real belters, are Disc 1. Good spot - have an up arrow!
Agree that the quality dips on the second disc
But I still have a big soft spot for Young Men and Money.
post-Butler not all bad
Disc one of SFL is immortal and yup most of the good stuff IS on that disc.
BUT – “Europe is our Playground” and “Together “ are two of their finest and both of these were recorded post-Butler
Beta Band
it was all over after those first three EPs I reckon.
The Beatles were not bad at the b-side...
Not to mention this lost McCartney gem
Also - Prince...
He put some of his funkiest music on b-sides...
...quick...before he takes this off YouTube...!
King Crimson
Groon (the c/w of Cat Food) was amongst the best things that pre-72 Crimson ever produced.
McCartney
Post 60s pretty much all his best stuff was to be found on the back of the latest 45 and most of it was due to be on the fabled 'Hot Hits and Kold Kuts' (I think that's how he spelt it!) album.
'Mama's Little Girl', 'Little Woman Love', 'Country Dreamer', 'Zoo Gang', 'My Carnival'.
The Spencer Davis Group's b-side were all club instrumental type things if I remember.
And what about The Small Faces, The Kinks, The Stones b's.........
Teenage Fanclub
Having spent last night putting TFC's back catalogue of singles onto my iPod then playing them all afternoon today on my journey to and from Glasgow, I can tell you that there's not a bad track amongst them. B-Sides of the highest quality.
how true, phil
though i put it to you that you are a refugee from the TFC messageboard. (Like myself).
Probably be laughed out of town for even mentioning them, but the standard of Gene's early b-sides promised so much, and their subsequent albums couldn't quite deliver.
Agreed
Some People Try..., Wierd Horses, The Count, fantastic stuff.
I drop in on their messageboard once in a while too.
Del Amitri
Too many to mention but "Sleep Instead of Teardrops" tops the list.
Here is Hustin Currie singing it love on his last solo tour...marvellous!
or listen to the original here
me again
The Sisters Of Mercy had a run of great As and Bs, in fact their first album FALAA was seen as a major let down compared to what went before.
EatB, Suede and Mansun are the other chaps I'd champion as great A/B siders.
You're not meringue there Mr B
And excellent covers like Jolene and Emma didn't even make it to vinyl, I believe?
Jolene
is available via 6Music rerun of a Kid Jensen session and Emma turned up on the b-side of Dominion, I'll sort you out at the next meet
They did bung Emma on a B-Side
One of the Floodland 12"s has it as an additional B - either "Dominion" or "Lucretia", but my copies are too far away for me to check.
(edit)
It's on the remastered Floodland release too. Looks like you can get it on iTunes for 79p, and I think I'm probably just about to do that myself.
Alternative
by Pet Shop Boys is a fantastic collection of bsides. I remember Stuart Maconie awarding it five stars in Q when it was released.