The answer is "Tomorrow Never Knows", at least for today. Yesterday it was "Flash Light", and tomorrow "Afterbirth/Aftermath".
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Thursday, 2 August 2007 14:26 (seventeen years ago) link
"Love Dance" and the fading 3-car jam on Double Nickels.
― Rock Hardy, Thursday, 2 August 2007 15:25 (seventeen years ago) link
Beatles - "Her Majesty"
― o. nate, Thursday, 2 August 2007 15:37 (seventeen years ago) link
High Voltage and/or Into the Void
― Bill Magill, Thursday, 2 August 2007 15:39 (seventeen years ago) link
Maybe Blow on a Jug off Sabotage.
― Bill Magill, Thursday, 2 August 2007 15:40 (seventeen years ago) link
two Radiohead closers mentioned and no "Motion Picture Soundtrack"? "Here Comes a Regular" over "Answering Machine"? u mad ILM
other random ones that come to mind: "West of the Fields", "Fillmore Jive", "The Wild Kindness", "Colors" (dunno how much album-closer counts for on a two-track album but whatever), "Slim Slow Slider", "Runeii", "Vittorio E." (this album is magick)
― bernard snowy, Thursday, 2 August 2007 15:56 (seventeen years ago) link
Not too keen on Motion Picture Soundtrack. Think it's the worst song on Kid A.
― nate woolls, Thursday, 2 August 2007 17:52 (seventeen years ago) link
Purple Rain
― Euler, Thursday, 2 August 2007 17:56 (seventeen years ago) link
Roxy Music - "Just Another High" on Siren Sparks - "Miss The Start, Miss The End" on Indiscreet Talking Heads - The Overload on Remain in Light Ian Dury - "Blackmail Man" on New Boots and Panties
Threatens to leap right off the turntable, that last one...
― Dan Peterson, Thursday, 2 August 2007 18:01 (seventeen years ago) link
Oh, and "Information Overload" by Caveman Shoestore. The CD goes into a repeating locked groove at the end for about 5 minutes.
― Dan Peterson, Thursday, 2 August 2007 18:03 (seventeen years ago) link
Let me focus on the 60s / early 70s. Best album closer (and life closer in some cases):
1. Day in the Life, Beatles. 2. You Can't Always, Stones. 3. In My Hour of Darkness, Parsons. 4. Riders on the Storm, Doors.
In that order.
― humansuit, Thursday, 2 August 2007 18:07 (seventeen years ago) link
that be some classic rock
― rockapads, Thursday, 2 August 2007 18:50 (seventeen years ago) link
A bunch of lowbrow choices so far overlooked:
The End, The Doors - The Doors Train In Vain, The Clash - London Calling Casey Jones, The Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead Truckin', The Grateful Dead - American Beauty You Can't Always Get What You Want, The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (not overlooked by the previous poster, but scandalously overlooked before that) The Late Greats, Wilco - A Ghost Is Born In The Pines, Nirvana - Unplugged King Harvest Has Surely Come - The Band, The Band Darkness At The Edge Of Town - Bruce Springsteen etc. - Darkness On The Edge Of Town (I don't like Jungleland that much, but others would add that, too) Purple Rain, Prince - Purple Rain (also not completely overlooked) Gold Dust Woman, Fleetwood Mac - Rumors Valentine, Old 97s - Fight Songs
― Vornado, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:10 (seventeen years ago) link
Not to mention When The Levee Breaks, which as I think about it might be my #1 choice.
― Vornado, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:11 (seventeen years ago) link
I Wish I Was Your Mother, Mott The Hoople
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:12 (seventeen years ago) link
more classic rock on this thread than I expected
― Curt1s Stephens, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:14 (seventeen years ago) link
In the post-classic rock era, (1) with all the bonus tracks and crap, it's sometimes hard to tell what the end of an album is, and (2) there's a strong tendency to front-load all the good stuff.
― Vornado, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:17 (seventeen years ago) link
Anyway, "best album closer of all time" is inherently a rockist question, so why not go whole hog?
― Vornado, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:19 (seventeen years ago) link
You want a non-classic-rock answer? Fine. Here ya go.
Bill Dixon, "Octette #1" off Vade Mecum 2.
Greatest.
Ever.
― Sara Sara Sara, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:30 (seventeen years ago) link
Bernard is correct, the answer is "Slim Slow Slider".
― sleeve, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:49 (seventeen years ago) link
I think a distinction has to be drawn between great songs that close an album and great album-closers. Hopefully, the ones I list will be mostly of the latter camp, although in almost every case the song is also the best on its parent album:
Bark Psychosis - Rose The Beta Band - The Cow's Wrong The Blood Brothers - The Shame Blur - Essex Dogs Blur - Resigned Blur - Yuko & Hiro (all three Blur nominees are followed by a secret track and are therefore of dubious veracity) Boards of Canada - Happy Cycling The Chemical Brothers - The Private Psychedelic Reel Comets On Fire - Blue Tomb The Cooper Temple Clause - Written Apology The Cooper Temple Clause - Murder Song Crash Test Dummies - Swatting Flies (yes, this is, in context, a devastatingly good closer, not just a great song) The Cure - Pornography The Cure - The Top (ending with a show-stopping title-track is srsly the way to go) The Cure - End (should have ended their career, one might well argue...it would certainly have seen them go out very much on top) Dark Star - The Sound Of Awake Duran Duran - The Chauffeur Engineers - One In Seven Explosions In The Sky - Your Hand In Mine (hate them for their popularity or their supposed dullness, but this song is unstoppable) Foetus - Kreibabe GY!BE - Motherfucker = Redeemer (Part 2) Grandaddy - So You'll Aim Toward The Sky Hood - Diesel Pioneers M83 - Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun Mew - Louise Louisa Mew - Comforting Sounds Mogwai - lol can i has 16 minutes of yr precious time NIN - Right Where It Belongs Oceansize - Ornament/The Last Wrongs ORBITAL - OUT THERE SOMEWHERE PT. 2 (WE HAVE A NEW WINNER, this song should close music) Portishead - Glory Box Porcupine Tree - Fadeaway Primal Scream - Shoot Speed/Kill Light Pulp - David's Last Summer (closes out a storyline from earlier on in the album as well as being Pulp's best song, and believe me that's stiff competition) Pulp - Sunrise (probably their 2nd-best song) Radiohead - er...er...errr.....Blow Out! Slint - Good Morning Captain Soundgarden - Like Suicide Super Furry Animals - Mountain People (technooooo!!!!) Super Furry Animals - Slow Life (er....technooooo!!!!) Talk Talk - Runeii (my album favourite, no kidding, it finishes off their career on the surest and most contented of (piano) notes) The Teardrop Explodes - ...And The Fighting Takes Over/The Great Dominions (I listen to them as one absolutely devastating 8-minute song) The The - Lonely Planet Ultrasound - Everything Picture (it's 21 minutes long ffs, how could I resist?)
XTC have their own section: Travels In Nihilon, Complicated Game, Books Are Burning, Snowman, Pale And Precious, Chalkhills And Children and The Wheel And The Maypole are all stunning.
― Just got offed, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:51 (seventeen years ago) link
"Miss Mabry" / Filles de Kilimanjaro "Bandera" / Red Headed Stranger "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (parts 6-9)/ Wish You Were Here "Weathercock"/ Heavy Horses "Morse Moose and the Grey Goose"/ London Town "Tabula Rasa"/ Tabula Rasa "Like An Angel Passing Through My Room" / The Visitors
(nuff best closers for tonite, for me)
― t**t, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:55 (seventeen years ago) link
First one that popped to mind:
God- Plastic Ono Band
― Jon Lewis, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:57 (seventeen years ago) link
don't know about all time, but last night "this train" closing bunny wailer's blackheart man could not be topped.
― andrew m., Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:58 (seventeen years ago) link
t**t, I believe you're thinking of HEEEEADCLEEEANER, not 'Tabula Rasa'. I was going to nominate it myself, but actually I think it stands apart from the rest of the album as a piece of work entirely unto itself.
― Just got offed, Thursday, 2 August 2007 19:59 (seventeen years ago) link
'When The Levee Breaks' or 'I Am The Resurrection', surely? Or 'Lot 105'.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:01 (seventeen years ago) link
'A Certain Romance' is a classic of the genre too. I'm also a fan of understated endings, like 'Road Trippin'' or 'Gold Dust Woman'.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:07 (seventeen years ago) link
expressway to yr skull
― Edward III, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:11 (seventeen years ago) link
la blues
― Edward III, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:12 (seventeen years ago) link
afterhours
― Edward III, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:18 (seventeen years ago) link
This is the best album Closer of all time: http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YCDS2WGML._AA240_.jpg
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:21 (seventeen years ago) link
afterhours otm
― ghost rider, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:23 (seventeen years ago) link
"treatment bound"
― ghost rider, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:25 (seventeen years ago) link
"davy the fat boy"
― ghost rider, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:26 (seventeen years ago) link
junkyard
― Edward III, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:27 (seventeen years ago) link
"louis jagger has the worst taste in the world" by muse
― ghost rider, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:27 (seventeen years ago) link
screwing yer courage
― Edward III, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:28 (seventeen years ago) link
"ban ghost rider" by the doves
― ghost rider, Thursday, 2 August 2007 20:29 (seventeen years ago) link
"Child in the Tree" - Young Gods "The Days Were Golden" - Sunny Day Real Estate "Faaip de Oiad" - Tool "Chonkyfire" - Outkast
― mayhaps, Friday, 3 August 2007 01:49 (seventeen years ago) link
"best album closer of all time" is inherently a rockist question
waht
― Curt1s Stephens, Friday, 3 August 2007 01:53 (seventeen years ago) link
'soon' on loveless
(the only track on that album i like, if truth be told)
― sam500, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:07 (seventeen years ago) link
popists only listen to singles and they hang out on the "best fadeout of all time" threads
xpost
― Edward III, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:08 (seventeen years ago) link
is it the act of appreciating the last track on an album that is inherently rockist, or the act of comparing it against other ones?
― Curt1s Stephens, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:12 (seventeen years ago) link
it was when you bought the album dude
― Edward III, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:18 (seventeen years ago) link
Round up the usual suspects...
Spiritualized "200 Bars" / Lazer Guided Melodies My Bloody Valentine "Soon" / Loveless Bailter Space "Begin" / Robot World The Church "Hotel Womb" / Starfish
― Elvis Telecom, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:20 (seventeen years ago) link
The Cure - The Top
My god yes why didn't I think of this one.
― Trayce, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:37 (seventeen years ago) link
Don't know if it's the best ever, but "Knights of Cydonia" on Muse's Black Holes and Revelations smokes everything else on that album, and I really liked that album.
― Jeff Treppel, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:40 (seventeen years ago) link
-- Curt1s Stephens, Thursday, August 2, 2007 7:14 PM
hi dere "regrets" jay-z
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 3 August 2007 03:26 (seventeen years ago) link
Sonic Youth - Trilogy
(all three songs were a single track on original pressings of the album!)
― stephen, Friday, 3 August 2007 04:03 (seventeen years ago) link
the answer is Merry Go Bye Bye
truth.
― m the g, Friday, 3 August 2007 08:05 (seventeen years ago) link
'dream attack' thirded (i think). also 'whoblo' by bola and 'home entertainment' by carl craig.
― or something, Thursday, 6 November 2008 21:01 (fifteen years ago) link
"pimpf" or "true to myself" from the au harem d'archimede
― rio (r1o natsume), Thursday, 6 November 2008 22:39 (fifteen years ago) link
actually fuck that, the real answer is "the sun and the rainfall"
― rio (r1o natsume), Thursday, 6 November 2008 22:40 (fifteen years ago) link
"President of Vice" on the cd version of Nation of Ulysses Plays Pretty for Baby. I think that "I Can See it But I can't Feel It" is a better album closer than "Soon." But I generally prefer Isn't Anything to Loveless. TV Personalities "Look Back in Anger," I don't know, lots.
― Trip Maker, Thursday, 6 November 2008 22:46 (fifteen years ago) link
"Dream Attack" again, but no mention of "Leave Me Alone"?
― Millsner, Friday, 7 November 2008 01:39 (fifteen years ago) link
"The Hobo Song" on John Prine's "Bruised Orange".
― banjoboy, Friday, 7 November 2008 02:14 (fifteen years ago) link
lolz i cd add a few to my exhaustive list above, but nah Out There Somewhere Pt. 2 is still the answer
i also reinforce my point that XTC are the ultimate closing-tracks band
― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Friday, 7 November 2008 02:26 (fifteen years ago) link
also wow @ TWO cooper temple clause songs in my initial list, altho in mitigation these songs are probably by a distance the best thing that band did
― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Friday, 7 November 2008 02:28 (fifteen years ago) link
"The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet"
― inhibitionist, Friday, 7 November 2008 07:47 (fifteen years ago) link
Portishead - Glory Box
Yes.
― ilxor, Saturday, 8 November 2008 05:30 (fifteen years ago) link
'Tower of Song' is one of the very best.
― stroker ace, Saturday, 8 November 2008 13:53 (fifteen years ago) link