A fairly random thing I've noticed is that many albums have common traits in the order of the track listing. The obvious ones are - track one - usually an uptempo, catchy, or well known opener. Track 2, usually the lead single from the album etc, track 7 usually also a single, (in memory of the A-side/B-side vinyl days where you got 2 first tracks[each side of the LP]), last track usually some kind of epic finisher. The penultimate track however is always a fascinating one for me, as it is quite often the odd one out from the rest, one with a weird chord sequence, an acoustic number on an album of rock songs or vice versa. Some examples of this are
Grace - Jeff Buckley
The penultimate track is 'Eternal Life', the only song on the album to be driven by distorted guitars from start to finish, in a totally different vein to the rest of the album. The opening 3 tracks tend to 'set the tone' for the rest of the album, and compared to Mojo Pin, Grace, and Lastgoodbye (tracks 1,2 and 3) it is a different animal altogether.
(What's The Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
The first three tracks on Morning Glory are the pounding, wall-of-sound rock songs 'Hello' and 'Roll With It', and then the big single in the track 3 place, 'Wonderwall'. However, the penultimate track on what is widely considered to be their finest work, is 40 seconds of water noises, and howling harmonica and drums in the background, drenched in reverb.
Help! - The Beatles
Opening with 'Help', 'The Night Before' and 'You've got to hide your love away', penultimate track 13 on Help! is 'Yesterday', the only song on the album without all the Beatles playing (only Paul performs on this track), the only song without drums, the arrangement consisting only of acoustic guitar, vocal track, and a string quartet - again unique on the album.
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
The A-side to Sabbath's breakthrough album contains 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid', and 'Iron Man', probably the bands 3 greatest known and most successful songs. The penultimate track on this album is called 'Rat Salad', which is a two and a half minute track with no vocals, and a drum solo.
Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin
Track 7 of the 8 on this LP is 'No Quarter', which sits amid 'Over The Hills and Far Away', 'The Crunge', 'The Ocean', and 'Dancing Days', which are some of the band's most poppy songs. 'No Quarter' however is a 7 minute psychadelic wash of strange underwater effects, and ghostly singing in a slow minor key.
Just an observation really. No concluding point. Makes a nice change. :)
Grace - Jeff Buckley
The penultimate track is 'Eternal Life', the only song on the album to be driven by distorted guitars from start to finish, in a totally different vein to the rest of the album. The opening 3 tracks tend to 'set the tone' for the rest of the album, and compared to Mojo Pin, Grace, and Lastgoodbye (tracks 1,2 and 3) it is a different animal altogether.
(What's The Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
The first three tracks on Morning Glory are the pounding, wall-of-sound rock songs 'Hello' and 'Roll With It', and then the big single in the track 3 place, 'Wonderwall'. However, the penultimate track on what is widely considered to be their finest work, is 40 seconds of water noises, and howling harmonica and drums in the background, drenched in reverb.
Help! - The Beatles
Opening with 'Help', 'The Night Before' and 'You've got to hide your love away', penultimate track 13 on Help! is 'Yesterday', the only song on the album without all the Beatles playing (only Paul performs on this track), the only song without drums, the arrangement consisting only of acoustic guitar, vocal track, and a string quartet - again unique on the album.
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
The A-side to Sabbath's breakthrough album contains 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid', and 'Iron Man', probably the bands 3 greatest known and most successful songs. The penultimate track on this album is called 'Rat Salad', which is a two and a half minute track with no vocals, and a drum solo.
Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin
Track 7 of the 8 on this LP is 'No Quarter', which sits amid 'Over The Hills and Far Away', 'The Crunge', 'The Ocean', and 'Dancing Days', which are some of the band's most poppy songs. 'No Quarter' however is a 7 minute psychadelic wash of strange underwater effects, and ghostly singing in a slow minor key.
Just an observation really. No concluding point. Makes a nice change. :)
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