Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

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Huangal70
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Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by Huangal70 »

As anyone who saw my votes for the most recent songs poll would know, i'm a big fan of Third by Big Star, and whilst trying to formulate an ideal track order for that album i was wondering whether there were any other notable cases of this kind (where due to unintrest or posthumous release etc. no order was ever decided upon) that anyone could think of?
Smile by the Beach Boys would seem the other notable one but given Brian Wilson revisited that for his solo version i think that would stand as the definitive track listing.
Also, can anyone think of any track placements that are especially poor in fully released albums that could be improved in any way?
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acroamor
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by acroamor »

The two versions (US and UK) of Is This It by The Strokes have one track changed. The song "NYC Cops", present in the UK version, was replaced with "When It Started" for the US release because the band felt that a song with lyrics "New York City cops, they ain't too smart" wouldn't be the best move immediately following 9/11.

I love both songs, so in my personal music player I have it set up to play both.
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FrankLotion
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by FrankLotion »

Similar to above, I think the one that comes to me first is Are You Experienced by Hendrix, the differences between the American and UK releases were so drastically different that I feel like I’m listening to two separate albums. This isn’t helped by the fact that his most famous tracks aren’t even on the original release so who knows which is the official track list :?
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Listyguy
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by Listyguy »

I love the full 17-track version of Are You Experienced. The more music the better. Plus you get "Stone Free" and those great singles.
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fasbjd
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by fasbjd »

The first Clash album is another example of significantly different versions for the UK and US markets
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Rob
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by Rob »

Working on the A Taste of Acclaimed Albums playlist I come across a lot of those. The mid-sixties had tons of releases with varied song orders and appearances between the US and Europe. This trend for some reason returned in the mid to late seventies with new wave and especially punk releases. I'm not sure why. Since than things have been more steady it seems. Although a lot of classic jazz releases from the forties and fifties have been released with different tracks, alternate take cuts and stuff like that, but it beats me as to why.

But I can't answer your question as to why which version is better than another. It is a point of contention for many purists, without clear winners in general.
Harold
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by Harold »

Rob wrote:But I can't answer your question as to why which version is better than another. It is a point of contention for many purists, without clear winners in general.
Some are clearer than others, though. The US version of Rubber Soul omits "Drive My Car," "Nowhere Man," "What Goes On," and "If I Needed Someone," (all of which appeared on "Yesterday"...and Today instead) and adds "I've Just Seen a Face" and "It's Only Love" from the UK Help!. Even more drastically, the US Revolver simply omits three songs from the UK version without adding any more - but they're all Lennon songs ("I'm Only Sleeping," "And Your Bird Can Sing," and "Dr. Robert," also all on the American "Y"...and T album).

It's also hard to make a case that the US version of Aftermath by the Rolling Stones isn't vastly inferior to the UK version. We lose "Paint It, Black," but gain "Mother's Little Helper," "Out of Time," "Take It or Leave It," and "What to Do" (also, "Going Home" is at the end of what used to be Side One instead of being the album closer). I do prefer the US Between the Buttons, simply because the UK version doesn't include either side of the single ("Let's Spend the Night Together" / "Ruby Tuesday").
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Rob
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by Rob »

Harold wrote:
Rob wrote:But I can't answer your question as to why which version is better than another. It is a point of contention for many purists, without clear winners in general.
Some are clearer than others, though. The US version of Rubber Soul omits "Drive My Car," "Nowhere Man," "What Goes On," and "If I Needed Someone," (all of which appeared on "Yesterday"...and Today instead) and adds "I've Just Seen a Face" and "It's Only Love" from the UK Help!. Even more drastically, the US Revolver simply omits three songs from the UK version without adding any more - but they're all Lennon songs ("I'm Only Sleeping," "And Your Bird Can Sing," and "Dr. Robert," also all on the American "Y"...and T album).
I think these aren't used anymore, though. I think only the UK versions are still in release. But yeah, these are examples of uncontentious winners.
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by Harold »

Rob wrote:I think these aren't used anymore, though. I think only the UK versions are still in release. But yeah, these are examples of uncontentious winners.
Actually, Capitol has released all of the US Beatles albums on CD (as nostalgia for the benefit of all those who grew up knowing only those versions, I suppose). Old-school critical deities Dave Marsh and Robert Christgau are both on record as having great love for the US-only The Beatles' Second Album (Marsh even wrote a book devoted to it).

Are You Experienced, discussed a few posts above, is one of the most intriguing examples of the alternate-versions issue. Reprise did a great thing by releasing a CD (I don't know if it's still the "official" version) containing all of the tracks associated with the album - the version I own has the US track order, followed by the three UK-only tracks omitted from the US release plus the rest of Hendrix's 1967 B-sides (except "Burning of the Midnight Lamp," which is on Electric Ladyland). Does anyone know whether the UK CD version of AYE does the same thing but in reverse?

I really, really wish that there was a CD of The Clash's debut that combines the UK and US versions. (The US version, which came out two full years after the original in 1979, omitted four tracks - and contained a different version of "White Riot" - but added the great non-album singles the band released in '77 and '78.)
Huangal70
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by Huangal70 »

Still irritates me that Yesterday And Today managed to get on Acclaimed Music given its essentially a compilation of songs from the UK albums.
Harold
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Re: Uncertain Track Listings on Albums

Post by Harold »

Jap123 wrote:Still irritates me that Yesterday And Today managed to get on Acclaimed Music given its essentially a compilation of songs from the UK albums.
It has a very high ranking (in the 2000s) on Rate Your Music as well, somehow managing to slip through their rules about compilations. Obviously the material on the album can't be beat (in addition to the UK Rubber Soul and Revolver tracks noted above, it also contains both sides of the "Yesterday" / "Act Naturally" and "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" singles), but it simply doesn't belong on these lists.
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