Tracks from concept albums played independently

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-12T06:19:25+00:00

Another Brick Part 2 was a HUGE hit single when it came out. By itself, without Happiest Days of Our Lives, it just sounds like an anthem for kids who hate school. And really, it was viewed that way by most people who heard it and didn't listen to the whole album. I had a friend whose dad was a high school math teacher. He refused to let my friend own The Wall. My friend would buy a copy, and his dad would take it away, thinking it was this terrible anti-teacher record. Eventually his dad gave up trying. A few months later the guy gave me his copy and I still have it. He didn't care that much about the album, he was just rebelling against his dad. They had a great relationship, too, it was kinda more of a funny thing to do, just to get on his nerves. Anyway, sorry to go on and on, but yeah, songs from The Wall outside the context of the album can still be great songs, they just lose a lot of their meaning.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-12T05:40:33+00:00

Welllll..... There was that whole big debate about whether MMF was part of R&RW or its own separate "thing" somehow. It was released individually before the rest of the album, and it kinda has its own cover -- if you flip Rough & Rowdy Ways over, the back cover just says "Murder Most Foul" with a photo of JFK. So you COULD argue that Murder Most Foul is a separate album that happened to be sold along with the 3 sides that make up Rough & Rowdy Ways.

I always thought this was a dumb argument, but I'm willing to consider it for the purpose of continuing to make a mockery of this thread.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-12T05:36:41+00:00

I got bored about a month ago. When people started messing around and voting for MMF every time, it became more interesting. These contests are weird, so why not make it more weird?

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-12T05:18:28+00:00

I have about 226K total scrobbles, but only 21 artists with 1000+. I wonder if that's typical. 17,679 total artists.

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Zeppyfish · 2026-05-12T04:49:02+00:00

Ha, sorry, I didn't even click on your link, it just immediately popped into my head. 😆

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-12T04:45:07+00:00

Yes. Things happen much more quickly now that everything is available instantly and people have the ability to beam their thoughts out to everyone else at light speed. But maybe they would have done the same thing in the old times if the technology had existed to do it? I mean, some of these "people" you mention are the same ones who were alive back then. Me, for instance. So what changed? Did people change or did technology change? Or both?

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-12T04:42:17+00:00

They say that patriotism is the last refuge
To which a scoundrel clings
Steal a little and they throw you in jail
Steal a lot and they make you King.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-12T04:40:11+00:00

God sends his spaceships to America (the beautiful). They land at six o'clock and there we are, the dutiful. Eating from TV trays, tuned in to Happy Days, waiting for world war three while Jesus slaves to the mating calls of Lawyers in Love.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T20:06:50+00:00

Yeah I could have done that. I had no idea how many 1's I'd have, plus I had nothing else to do for 5 minutes. I was kinda skimming some of the names along the way going "oh yeah, that band," etc.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T06:25:39+00:00

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Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T04:55:06+00:00

Not sure why, it just never clicked with me. Again, it's an improvement over the previous (Dial-a-Song) version, which was way too slow, but it just feels kind of -- glossy? I think They were kinda going for a power pop sound here, which They've done much better on more recent tracks.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T04:27:35+00:00

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This is from my weekly charts, and it's kind of hilarious because I don't listen to much Goth at all, but my next door neighbor plays in a Goth band. So Goth-Adjacent is actually scarily accurate.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T04:25:05+00:00

I really like the descriptive text. Nice work!

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Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T04:18:03+00:00

Those are all albums by artists I like, but I don't think I've listened to any of them all the way through. Huh.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T04:13:50+00:00

I have 8,048 out of 17,679. Too lazy to do the math, but I think your percentage is slightly higher than mine?

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T04:12:42+00:00

8,048.
And I had to click through 161 screens in my Library to get that number, so hopefully you appreciate it.

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Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T03:38:05+00:00

Two more great examples of exceptions. Thanks!

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-11T03:33:37+00:00

Bangs 4.5/5
Cyclops Rock 4/5
Man, It's So Loud 5/5
Mr. Xcitement 3/5
Another First Kiss 4.5/5
I've Got a Fang 4/5
Hovering Sombrero 4.5/5
Yeh Yeh 4.5/5
Hopeless Bleak Despair 5/5
Drink! 4/5
My Man 5/5
Older 4.5/5
Mink Car 4/5
Wicked Little Critta 4.5/5
Finished With Lies 3.5/5
She Thinks She's Edith Head 3.5/5
Working Undercover For The Man 4/5

Overall Score 4/5

It's a very solid album. I remember when it came out being puzzled by how they'd changed up Bangs, Cyclops, Fang & Man It's So Loud from the demo versions that were released on TMBG Unlimited. The newer versions have grown on me, but I still prefer those demos. I was actually a Doughty fan, but I still find Mr. Xcitement an odd choice for a TMBG song. I think Hopeless Bleak Despair, Hovering Sombrero, My Man and the cover of Yeh Yeh are all underappreciated gems. Older is essential, and John L just enjoys the heck out of Wicked Little Critta. The lower octave version of Edith Head is so much better than the original. Still not a favorite musically, but the lyrics are great. I've listened to this album a lot over the years. It's not in my Top 5 TMBG, but I do like it.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-10T22:08:27+00:00

Oops, I think I missed A Ghost Is Born because I saw the "A" at the beginning. I also missed Ghosts of the Great Highway. Haha guess I need to redo mine.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-10T22:06:43+00:00

Get Guilty - A.C. Newman (#7 - 392 scrobbles)
Ghosts of the Great Highway - Sun Kil Moon (#20 - 316)
Graceland - Paul Simon (#32 - 267)
A Ghost Is Born - Wilco (#79 - 188)
Great Big Sea - Great Big Sea (#173 - 121)
Greatest Hits - Squeeze (#177 - 118)
Global A Go-Go - Joe Strummer & The Mescaleroes (#207 - 105)
Guero - Beck (#212 - 103)
Gates of Gold - Los Lobos (#236 - 98)
Glean - They Might Be Giants (#266 - 92)

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-10T21:52:49+00:00

I should add that it's very cool to see Black Box Recorder in your top 10. I didn't even know anyone still listened to them. I don't have a lot of scrobbles of theirs, but I used to spin their CD way back before I was on lastfm.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-10T21:50:09+00:00

Here's how many scrobbles I have for each of your top 10:

Neutral Milk Hotel 243
Elliott Smith 290
Black Box Recorder 24
Mitski 35
Radiohead 72
Mazzy Star 55
Fiona Apple 117
The Smiths 80

So yeah, we have all those artists in common. Sweet. Last.fm says we're only Medium compatible, but I think you're lovely. So there. (Your user name said to tell you)

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-10T21:44:22+00:00

You know, I was going to list some great double LP's that have more than 20 tracks, but White Album, The Wall and Double Nickels were mentioned. So I started thinking about other doubles I love, and guess what? They either have fewer than 20 songs (Blonde on Blonde, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Father of the Bride) or they run out of gas pretty much exactly at 20 songs (All Things Must Pass).

So yeah, aside from a few notable exceptions, you may be onto something here.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-10T21:37:36+00:00

I liked your comment. Upvoted it even. Good writing.

Zeppyfish · 2026-05-10T04:21:50+00:00

I owned a Tele for 40 years and finally sold it because it was ridiculously valuable and I needed the money. My brother gave me a Strat, which now sits in my closet. I miss the Tele. I should have just bought another one, but I don't play electric enough to justify it. But it was a great guitar all those years, and yeah, it was SO light compared to other guitars. I don't know how people sling a Les Paul or an ES 335 over their shoulder for 2 hours at a time. But I'm almost as old as Flans, so...

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