We all have favourite albums, some albums you can listen all
the way through and it feels like a journey. Some albums may only have a select
few songs you love but you still own the whole album. Lately I have listened to
albums in full just so I could really attempt to appreciate a band/ artist's
work. After a few albums I noticed on a few albums, the final song on the album
is almost like a last attempt to show the listener what their band is made of.
The final song is almost always knocked up a notch, lyrically and emotionally
I've found the closing tracks to really leave a mark.
Most people tend to remember and favour tracks from the
first half of the album, I had a discussion with a group of my friends and
80-90% named songs from beginning of albums and occasionally a few from the
second half. I believe though the closing track is almost crucial to an album,
you may get an album that flows perfectly and if it ends with a weak ending you
would be quite annoyed.
Now these top 5 are my own personal favourites and I noticed
when I made the list that the songs are all quite similar. I wonder if you'll
spot the theme. Here is my list:
1 - Nirvana - Something in the way:
Now I guess you could argue that Something in the way isn't
"technically" the final song on Nirvana's definitive Nevermind and
I’d accept that. Honestly though once Something in the way's last chord is
finished I turn my ipod of or take the cd out.
What makes this such a great closing song is that Nevermind
is a roller coaster of grunge mayhem, with Kurt Cobain's voice working over
time on this album and really pushing vocals to a new and spine tingling
places, he actually achieves this with this song, Kurt almost is whispering the
lyrics throughout the song and the gentle hmm that ends the song is
mesmerizing. Before Nirvana's classic (and one of my personal favourite) album
"Unplugged" and "In Utreo" Polly and Something in the way
gave fans another side to Nirvana. Something in the way is stripped back to
minimum and gives fans almost a chance to reflect on the ride that Nevermind is
and then says good-bye with a gentle cello strum.
2 - Letlive - Day 54:
I only got into this band about 8 months ago because they
were supporting my favourite band ever Deftones! I never heard of Letlive
before in all honesty, the UK music channel and radio never play them or if
they do it's on the 1am shows. Anyway after an amazing introduction song called
Le Prologue I was instantly hooked, the album "Fake History" is a
masterpiece and sets the bar high for hardcore scene.
Day 54 is a fantastic song, the passion Jason Butler puts
into this song is inspiring, the song is about the lose of friends and how
drugs and sex can ruin lives if your not careful, not only are the lyrics
powerful Jason really digs deep into his vocal range. As previously said, Fake
History is a masterpiece and Day 54 really does justice and leaves the listener
filled with a range of emotions, the final riff goes so well with Jason's
lyrics "This is goodbye" those lyrics in my head are double intended,
saying goodbye his friends he has lost (the theme of the song) and then goodbye
to you for listening to the album. I seriously adore this song and I almost am
left speechless with emotion.
Everyone should listen to this album!
3 - Pearl Jam - Release:
The first band that got me into music (along with UB40) my
Dad was a huge influence on my taste in music. My Dad
Brought Pearl Jam's god-like second album "VS"
just as I was born and I grew up listening to that album. Naturally an album
that good I wanted to expand my Pearl Jam collection. So the first album to
kick of my expansion of Pearl Jam was the obvious answer - "Ten".
Release like Something in the way has a bonus track after,
once again I disregard this bonus song and class Release as the final bow on
Pearl Jam's amazing debut. Release to me gives the same vibe as Nirvana's
Something in the way, the lyrics are quiet but passionate and the instruments are
stripped back to a minimum, what makes this closing song ever better than I
thought is when the final minute and a half kicks in and vocalist Eddie Vedder
bellows "RELEASE MEEEE" at the top of his lungs and that every time
makes me shiver it's that good. I can almost imagine Eddie in the studio
singing that final verse and it's so passionate, I don't listen to that song
unless I'm alone and feeling a little down (It just got deep, I’m sorry) but
that's what makes music so powerful it brings emotions to the table and causes
you to reflect on them. This song does this for me perfectly it cheers me up
and almost is saying your can be strong. For such a monumental album and the
legacy it has left, they make sure the close the album with everything they
got, the succeeded.
4 - Fightstar - Follow me into the darkness:
Ah Charlie Simpson, fondly remembered by most 18+ year olds
as "that guy from Busted". Well, just no. Like Letlive, Charlie's
current band is a nu metal/post-hardcore band. Fightstar became very popular
with the UK metal scene and many fans were surprised at Charlie's talents.
Their latest effort moved slightly away from the typical
hardcore sound and Fightstar decided for their 3rd album "Be Human"
they would create a metal/ rockpra (Rock- Opera) this did not fail to impress,
still keeping their distinct heavy sound whilst also incorporating orchestra
sound to 70% of the album Be Human quickly brought Fightstar to more mainstream
audience.
Follow me into the darkness is the epic conclusion to Be
Human's journey like album. You very much feel like you go through a journey
listening to this album and Follow me into the darkness really does let your
imagination run wild. The lyrics are very subtle and calm going hand in hand
with the orchestra, you feel like your on boat on the ocean just lay down
letting the waves drift you along then about 3 minutes in, there are no more
lyrics and you get a massive 2 minutes of instrumental greatness. That boat you
was drifting on is now climbing tidal waves and you are fighting for you life,
I don't thing Fighstar have ever played this song live (that I’m aware) if they
did they would have to finish the show and I would expect a amazing visual
display to go along with it.
5 - Justin Timberlake - Blue Ocean Floor & (Another
Song) All Over Again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgNk_TV3otA - Blue Ocean Floor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrjdHZ7oIgI - (Another Song) All Over Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrjdHZ7oIgI - (Another Song) All Over Again
I'm sorry I couldn't choose between these two songs they
both are amazing conclusions to amazing albums.
First off (Another Song) is a typical soppy love song and
gosh darn it's good, It's such a laid back song, you can't help but bop your
head (well I can't) and the lyrics are so deep, it's a perfect break up song in
all fairness (got deep again! Sorry!).
We all remember how amazing JT's second album Future Sex/
Love Sounds was and it stands the testament of time. All over again still
sounds fresh and is such a great closing song to such an iconic album. Plus
before this year it was the last song Mr Timberlake left us with... if you
exclude songs he featured on.
Now back to the present, 2013 saw the triumphant return to
JT and his phenomenal comeback album "The 20/20 Experience" and the
album is amazing, the album flows perfectly and after the big ballad that is
Mirrors I thought to myself what can the closing track offer now Mirrors has
almost perfectly combined most of JT's vocals into one song? Blue Ocean Floor
shown me otherwise. Even more calmer than All Over Again, Blue Ocean Floor
literally takes my imagination to the beach (Hidden intentions maybe?) and I
can just sit back and switch off. This is a great closing track I decided The
20/20 Experience is like stages of a typical movie college party, Pusher Love
Girl is the start of the party it's all fun, bouncy and you have a great time
feeling up beat and it moves along nicely, then Mirrors is the pinnacle of the
party where you all are drunk and feel on top of the world. Then Blue Ocean
Floor's instrumentals reflect the morning after where everyone is out cold and
content with how great the night was and then you wake up and hug everyone and
say goodbye and go home smiling. (Of Course I've missed the hangover part but
the song really doesn't reflect that!)
I think these 5 personal choices have demonstrated how well
closing tracks can emotionally bind you and take you to great places and indeed
how the closing tracks can sometimes make or break how an album is defined to
you personally.
