Hidden Treasures - Side 2 is Better

[Scott]

Last week we took a fresh look at album openers. So naturally this week were flipping the album over to side two. But let’s move away from the obvious playlist of the first song of Side 2 and get into the topic of albums which side 2 is superior to side 1.


So we got the album home and as always we played side 1, then flipped it over only to find that, for whatever reason, the band saved the best for last. This week I’ve picked 4 albums that I think have the better overall tracks on side 2. But I’ve also put this playlist together from 4 monster releases to spark discussion, nothing really hidden about these tracks except for their side 2 residencies. Take a listen while you think about this topic… Enjoy!


PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/CA69EFD9E8C/avc8w9m9

	Deep Purple Perfect Strangers 1984 1 - Perfect Strangers The band has obviously aged and sounds a bit more restrained here, but nevertheless impressive. The change in Gillan’s vocals is obviously most notable. He sounds a bit more nasal than during his prime in the 70’s, but still manages to put down a very catchy performance. Lord’s keyboard melodies are not as swift as before either, but make up for it with flavour. Blackmore and his Stratocaster are still a force of nature, and the man delivers those riffs and bluesy solos that are typical of him like he’s never even been away.
	Aerosmith Toys In The Attic 1975 2 - No More No More From a commercial standpoint, “Toys in the Attic” is canonized for its inclusion of Classic Rock staples “Walk This Way,” “Sweet Emotion,” and the title track, but perhaps its greatest redeemable factor is the strength of the album as a whole, and with the exception of one ill-advised cover of “Big Ten Inch Record,” there is very little filler or weakness. The final verdict on “Toys in the Attic” provides a lasting sense of both elation and sadness. The timelessness of the record is rarely debated, but the lightning in a bottle energy captured here would quickly erupt into a smoldering avalanche of laughability in coming years. Their next album, “Rocks,” bought them some time, but Aerosmith’s decline was ominously approaching.
	AC/DC Back In Black 1980 3 - Shake a Leg Overall, this album undoubtably gets a 5/5. Should be part of every persons Record/CD collection. Anyone can just say about every AC/DC song sounds the same...but this album sets itself apart from every other one of their songs made. And a guitar solo on EVERY TRACK...what more could you ask for? If you dont have this album, dont burn it, dont download it, buy it. not having this record is embarrasing.
	Led Zeppelin II 1969 4 - Ramble On Jimmy Page still provided layers of guitar overdubs, but the overall sound of the album is heavy and hard, brutal and direct. "Whole Lotta Love," "The Lemon Song," and "Bring It on Home" are all based on classic blues songs -- only, the riffs are simpler and louder and each song has an extended section for instrumental solos. Of the remaining six songs, two sport light acoustic touches ("Thank You," "Ramble On"), but the other four are straight-ahead heavy rock that follows the formula of the revamped blues songs. While Led Zeppelin II doesn't have the eclecticism of the group's debut, it's arguably more influential. After all, nearly every one of the hundreds of Zeppelin imitators used this record, with its lack of dynamics and its pummeling riffs, as a blueprint.

[Niels (Mod)]

Well, all of these songs, I know perfectly well:

1. I really liked this song back in 1984, but I wasn't that impressed with the whole album as others were/are. As I remember it, there were maybe 1 or two songs on each side, that I liked, and side 2 didn't come accross to me as being better than side 1. I was a Rainbow-fan, so I wasn't that happy about this reunion.

2. I didn't get this album until 1990 or something like that, and as I wrote recently, it surprised me at an Aerosmith-concert in 1988/89, that it was them, playing "Sweet Emotion", that I had heard around 1975 on the radio. I agree, that side 2 is better than side 1, but it's a very good album as a whole. Definitely Aerosmiths second-best album. "No More No More" is one of the best tracks on the album imo.

3. Hmmm, I don't know, if I agree, that side 2 is better than side 1? Two of the best songs certainly appear on side 2 (The title song and You Shook Me all Night Long). It's a good album, but I wouldn't put it in top 3 over AC/DC-albums. I got tired of it pretty fast, when I bought in in the start of 1981. I think, I sold it again after 2-3 months, but bought it once again on cd in the 90's. Shake A Leg is another AC/DC-song with a great riff.

4. I would had picked "4", since side 2 is better on that album imo. I don't agree about "II". I prefer side 1, since two of my alltime favorite Zeppelin-tracks are on side 1 (What Is And What Should Ever Be and Thank You). But I prefer both albums as a whole. Two of the best albums ever made. The best one, Physical Graffitti has a better second LP, than the first LP

[Scott]

I was very into that Mark II reunion, thought it was and still is, a great album.  The follow to it?  Not so much.

Thank You is my favorite track on II, but I do prefer side 2 as a whole mostly because of Whole Lotta Love being so overplayed and The Lemon Song being (wait for it) ... a lemon.

[Jon]

Let's see......

I'll agree on the first track, but I think it would have been better as the album opener since it's so epic. But, yeah, side two is better than side one.

Aerosmith is a toss up. Both sides are equally good.

I would give a slight edge to side on of Back In Black. It's hell, shooting, money, dogs and love vs. backs, shaking, drinking, shaking (again) and pollution. See? Side one is better.

Oh, boy. There is no way that side two of Zep II is better than side 1 all because of "Living Loving Maid". It's just a horrible, horrible song. What makes it even worse is that it is always played with "Heartbreaker" so you know that, even though that song is decent, it's made horrible by knowing that it is going to be followed by a horrible, horrible song. I just threw up in my mouth a bit just because I thought of that song or those songs. Yep, you screwed the pooch on this selection.  

[Scott]

Wrong?  Maybe when it first came out side 1 was better but through overplaying Whole Lotta Love becomes hard to hear anymore, and The Lemon Song?  Better than Living Loving Maid?  Nah...  cant see it...

[Jon]

Uhhhh...yeah. "Squeeze me baby, till the juice runs down my leg" is much better than anything in the song about a maid or whatever.

[Scott]

how about "Squeeze me baby, while I clean your house and bake pies for you, til the juice runs down my leg" - now that's a lyric!!

[Jon]

Sure it is.

[Scott]

I'm glad we agree...

[RJhog (Admin)]

Good songs this week Scott.  But if I'm truthful, only one of these albums had that side (one or) two charm for me.  That was Back In Black.  You see, Purple and Aerosmith, although I knew of them, were not bands I listened to.  So I never owned any "vinyl albums" or really even cassette tapes from them.

Zeppelin was a bit different.  I had IV on cassette.  So I got the side two experience there, but side one is better on that one.  

AC/DC is one that I could flip.  I love it and hearing this song just reminds me of how great that album is.  But I can't say that two is better.  I will say that it's a draw.  Straight up.  Both sides are equally great.

Let's see if I can come up with some albums that would fit this topic for me:

1. Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell - I use this in a lot of my lists. I think side one is great, but side two is out of this world (Two Out of Three Ain't Bad/Paradise By The Dashboard Light/For Cryin' Out Loud {my favorite song ever}.

2. Kiss - Destroyer - No list would be complete without a Kiss album.  Side one has a very strong 1-2 punch to open, but I was always just okay with God Of Thunder and Great Expectations is a throwaway.  But side two has Flaming Youth, Sweet Pain, Shout It Out Loud, Beth (though I'm not a fan of it now, I was back then) and Do You Love Me (Peter's heaviest drum sound ever).

3. BTO - II - Not even close here.  All I ever listened to back then was side two (I do like side one now).

4. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gold & Platinum - Here's a double double for ya.  How 'bout these tracks, located on the second side of each album: You Got That Right, Gimme Back My Bullets, Sweet Home Alabama, Free Bird (Live)/Simple Man, I Know A Little, Tuesday's Gone, Comin' Home.  I know some might consider this cheating, but you didn't say it couldn't be a greatest hits album.

[Scott]

I do recall picking sides (should've made that the title of this playlist! dang...)

I used to make these mix tapes for my car and they were all titled "Good Shit #x"...  I was a rebel back then.  Think I still have a few somewhere in storage...  Anyway, I spent tons of time contemplating which songs to pull from, and I knew my collection so well that I knew each album and track listing, and I knew which albums sides were better.  That's all lost in CD's now days, not so sure its bad thing but its another reason to love the old vinyl...

[Niels (Mod)]

I have to say: I simply do not understand why people are missing the vinyl? IMO, that was then, this is now. I love, that my "record-collection" of millions of albums (Spotify) can be contained on my IPhone, and if I'm listening to...whatever, I can change to ...whatever..Y&T within a split second. And if I sometime buy a Deluxe-version of an album, I'm annoyed if they have wasted space with vinyl, as in the deluxe Zeppelin-boxsets. CD's have been my favorite since 1987 or whatever.

Music has become lousier, but I fully accept the way, of listening to music nowadays.

Just my five cent. 

[Scott]

I think bands put more time into the packaging (haven't we discussed this before?).  There was more content, more to read, and more to physically handle.  Now days I rip it and forget it!  I do like the PDF booklets that come with some downloads and do love Deluxe Editions most of all, I usually spend time on those before they go on the shelf (literally). But rarely revisit it ...

I used to have my vinyl collection (and tapes for that matter) right at the right hand of my sound system as well, so it was an immersive listening session for me.  When I made a mix tape I spent time laying out the tracks and sequence, and then meticulously set EQ levels for each track when I finally got to the recording.  Now my collection resides on an internal 1.5TB western digital drive and is backup up on an external WD 1TB drive (yes its current)...  And as much as I love going through it still, its not as immersive in iTunes as it was sitting on the floor pouring through the physical materials...

Call me old, but I miss those times, and yes, I realize that I could set it up that way again as I still own a sound system with a fully functional turntable.  I simply wouldn't have the time to sit and go through it in the same way, and playlists which I can create in minutes have replaced my mix tape experience, not to mention that my wife would complain that my albums are taking up way too much space...