Songs that sound out of place on albums?

The one stand out for me which I see hasn't been mentioned is wasting love by iron maiden.

Now I don't hate the song, actually quite like it and think bruce sounds superb on it but to me it stands out like a sore thumb. Fear of the dark is one of my favourite maiden albums. It was the first album that was released after I discovered the band so it was the first one I bought that was still in the charts. Just always wondered why maiden even wrote a song like wasting love and thought it would have been far better used as a bonus track on a single release.

Wayne wrote:

The one stand out for me which I see hasn't been mentioned is wasting love by iron maiden.

Now I don't hate the song, actually quite like it and think bruce sounds superb on it but to me it stands out like a sore thumb. Fear of the dark is one of my favourite maiden albums. It was the first album that was released after I discovered the band so it was the first one I bought that was still in the charts. Just always wondered why maiden even wrote a song like wasting love and thought it would have been far better used as a bonus track on a single release.

Strangely, I used to hate that song for the longest. Now I really like it and it's one of my favorites off of Fear of the Dark (likewise an album I used to dump on, but now I find myself spinning more often now when the "classics" have been overplayed). Go figure. I agree it's kind of an odd duck in their discography, I think it's really the only straight-up "power ballad" Maiden has ever done and rather commercial (if it had been released a few years earlier, it probably would have been a hit), so I get why some fans might have mixed feelings about it, but I dig it. Fear of the Dark has always struck me as a mish-mash of different ideas, so "Wasting Love" fits in with the quirkiness of the whole thing.

Now, "Quest for Fire" on the other hand... the only song off of Piece of Mind - actually, probably Maiden's entire '80s output - that I'll skip every time. And I'm one of those annoying Maiden fan-boys who more or less likes everything to some degree and who everyone else likes to make fun of, so that's saying something.

kmorg wrote:

arachnoplasma wrote:

exact33 wrote:

Vexer6 wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

manny wrote:

'He's Back (The Man behind the Mask' belonged on the cutting room floor not as the last song on 'Constrictor' by Alice.

Yeah, that song is horrible.

I quite enjoy that song actually.

I enjoy that Alice song as well.

I should probably feel a bit ashamed, but that was the song that turned me onto Alice Cooper when I was a kid because it was used in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, and I was a big fan of the movies growing up. I went out and bought Constrictor used a week later. Yeah, it's a corny tune, but nostalgia wins out this time. Hey I was 12 years old....

Nothing to be ashamed about! I have a smilar story. I still like the song, and the movie!

Yay! That's four of us then in the whole world.

arachnoplasma wrote:

Wayne wrote:

The one stand out for me which I see hasn't been mentioned is wasting love by iron maiden.

Now I don't hate the song, actually quite like it and think bruce sounds superb on it but to me it stands out like a sore thumb. Fear of the dark is one of my favourite maiden albums. It was the first album that was released after I discovered the band so it was the first one I bought that was still in the charts. Just always wondered why maiden even wrote a song like wasting love and thought it would have been far better used as a bonus track on a single release.

Strangely, I used to hate that song for the longest. Now I really like it and it's one of my favorites off of Fear of the Dark (likewise an album I used to dump on, but now I find myself spinning more often now when the "classics" have been overplayed). Go figure. I agree it's kind of an odd duck in their discography, I think it's really the only straight-up "power ballad" Maiden has ever done and rather commercial (if it had been released a few years earlier, it probably would have been a hit), so I get why some fans might have mixed feelings about it, but I dig it. Fear of the Dark has always struck me as a mish-mash of different ideas, so "Wasting Love" fits in with the quirkiness of the whole thing.

Now, "Quest for Fire" on the other hand... the only song off of Piece of Mind - actually, probably Maiden's entire '80s output - that I'll skip every time. And I'm one of those annoying Maiden fan-boys who more or less likes everything to some degree and who everyone else likes to make fun of, so that's saying something.

Lol, I actually like quest for fire. Maiden are far and away my favourite band simply because they have never released a duff album or any really bad tracks in my eyes. I'm sure some will disagree but that's how I feel.

Now, having said that, for some reason I have never liked the song gangland. Can't really explain it but I think it sounds rubbish and doesn't deserve to be on a fantastic album like number of the beast. It's the only song I've never liked by them and I've tried to give it a fair crack over the years but just can't get to like it.

Wayne wrote:

The one stand out for me which I see hasn't been mentioned is wasting love by iron maiden.

Now I don't hate the song, actually quite like it and think bruce sounds superb on it but to me it stands out like a sore thumb. Fear of the dark is one of my favourite maiden albums. It was the first album that was released after I discovered the band so it was the first one I bought that was still in the charts. Just always wondered why maiden even wrote a song like wasting love and thought it would have been far better used as a bonus track on a single release.

I've always liked that song too. It never bothered me on the album. I just assumed it was probably pressure from the record label to record a "power ballad", which were all the rage at the time, in hopes of some radio airplay.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Wayne wrote:

The one stand out for me which I see hasn't been mentioned is wasting love by iron maiden.

Now I don't hate the song, actually quite like it and think bruce sounds superb on it but to me it stands out like a sore thumb. Fear of the dark is one of my favourite maiden albums. It was the first album that was released after I discovered the band so it was the first one I bought that was still in the charts. Just always wondered why maiden even wrote a song like wasting love and thought it would have been far better used as a bonus track on a single release.

I've always liked that song too. It never bothered me on the album. I just assumed it was probably pressure from the record label to record a "power ballad", which were all the rage at the time, in hopes of some radio airplay.

Actually, they just wanted to write a ballad. After TNOTB, Maiden had no pressure from the record company. The record company just releases what is given to them by Maiden. So, any bad songs, mistakes is all on Maiden.

I thought that "My Sharona" was a really odd choice for HammerFall to cover on their No Sacrifice, No Victory album.

The other choice for songs that don't fit is "Johnny B. Goode" by Judas Priest on their Ram it Down album. Poor choice for a cover in general by these guys.

jettafiend wrote:

I thought that "My Sharona" was a really odd choice for HammerFall to cover on their No Sacrifice, No Victory album.

The other choice for songs that don't fit is "Johnny B. Goode" by Judas Priest on their Ram it Down album. Poor choice for a cover in general by these guys.

My Sharona is a weird choice for any metal band to cover, yet many have.

Johnny B. Goode should not have been included on Ram It Down. It was a movie soundtrack song and should have been left as such.

Exodus' cover of the Rolling Stone's Bitch. Force of Habit has a bunch of songs that are a bit odd for Exodus, but a poppy rock cover with horns present is just too much.

ultmetal wrote:

jettafiend wrote:

I thought that "My Sharona" was a really odd choice for HammerFall to cover on their No Sacrifice, No Victory album.

The other choice for songs that don't fit is "Johnny B. Goode" by Judas Priest on their Ram it Down album. Poor choice for a cover in general by these guys.

My Sharona is a weird choice for any metal band to cover, yet many have.

Johnny B. Goode should not have been included on Ram It Down. It was a movie soundtrack song and should have been left as such.

I did not know that about Judas Priest. It makes sense tho. The other cover that I really do not like is "Helter Skelter" by Motley Crue. That songs whole vibe just does not match up with their style at all, and completely clashes with the whole album.

I generally don't like cover songs on albums. Unless they're reinvented, they usually stick out like a sore thumb and it's hard to not compare them to the original versions. I usually skip over them. I'd rather have an album full of original material. Save the covers for EPs / B-sides / live albums / bonus tracks / etc.

With that said, "Diamonds and Rust," "Better By You, Better Than Me" and "The Green Manalishi" are all ok by me on their original Priest albums and I liked Anthrax's cover of "Got the Time," so there are exceptions of course.

"Second Coming" on Love It To Death. I love the song, but it doesn't sound like any others on the album.

jettafiend wrote:

The other cover that I really do not like is "Helter Skelter" by Motley Crue. That songs whole vibe just does not match up with their style at all, and completely clashes with the whole album.

Yes, maybe the first thing anyone buys it is thinking "Why is this on here?"
It took a few spins befiore I liked their version, but only after I was getting bored from listening to the rest of the album.
They used to play it live in concert too I think?

mlotek wrote:

jettafiend wrote:

The other cover that I really do not like is "Helter Skelter" by Motley Crue. That songs whole vibe just does not match up with their style at all, and completely clashes with the whole album.

Yes, maybe the first thing anyone buys it is thinking "Why is this on here?"
It took a few spins befiore I liked their version, but only after I was getting bored from listening to the rest of the album.
They used to play it live in concert too I think?

It is included on their latest DVD as part of the set list (Sorry, I can't remember the name off the top of my head). I like the whole album but as far as Shout is concerned, I think that song is a sore thumb. If they had done an E.P. with it, I think that would have been a better route to go.

manny wrote:

'He's Back (The Man behind the Mask)' belonged on the cutting room floor not as the last song on 'Constrictor' by Alice.

Funny. I feel that way about the entire album...

"Stress" off of Believer's debut. I like the songs, but it doesn't really fit on the album.

MEGATRON wrote:

manny wrote:

'He's Back (The Man behind the Mask)' belonged on the cutting room floor not as the last song on 'Constrictor' by Alice.

Funny. I feel that way about the entire album...

Yeah, keep the song and ditch the album - that's what I did

On topic, I always skip I Want You (She's So Heavy) on CORONER's Mental Vortex. Beatles cover or not, it just doesn't belong there.

kmorg wrote:

"Stress" off of Believer's debut. I like the songs, but it doesn't really fit on the album.

Well, it helps that it's at the very end...

Troublezone wrote:

kmorg wrote:

"Stress" off of Believer's debut. I like the songs, but it doesn't really fit on the album.

Well, it helps that it's at the very end...

Agreed.

Sacred Reich (31 flavors)

I like the song but I think it should have been on something like the Surf Nicaragua EP.

Sacred Rite has a couple the songs White Boy on their S/T and Cold Hearted Girl on the Is Nothing Sacred LP. rooster rock type songs that have no place being on otherwise stellar heavy metal albums.

Wild One off of Lock Up The Wolves by Dio. It sounds nothing like the rest of the album, and sadly, it's the only song people remember most of the time

WhenTheWildWindBlows wrote:

Sacred Rite has a couple the songs White Boy on their S/T and Cold Hearted Girl on the Is Nothing Sacred LP. rooster rock type songs that have no place being on otherwise stellar heavy metal albums.

Rooster rock? Well, thats a new genre to me. Guess those bands must be really "cocky" huh?

stormspell wrote:

MEGATRON wrote:

manny wrote:

'He's Back (The Man behind the Mask)' belonged on the cutting room floor not as the last song on 'Constrictor' by Alice.

Funny. I feel that way about the entire album...

Yeah, keep the song and ditch the album - that's what I did

I remember buying the 7" single becuase it was his comeback and being a little disappointed but liked it since I was a fan of his early 1980s sort-of new wave style.
BUT now became angry once I heard the demo version from hos box set Life & Crimes, because it's heavier and sounds like what all of us expect of Alice.