Long before Itunes, and just after cassingles, there were cd's. Circular discs of shiny, metallic goodness that bands would put out and call "records." Most cd's could be counted on to have about 2-3 songs that were radio hits, or would soon be radio hits. The idea was to buy a cd when it came out, and just focus on songs as they became popular. This way, a cd would be "In style" for a good 5-7 months. If you were lucky, the cd had a few decent jams that would get no radio play. This made one feel like they got a great cd(three singles, and a few good songs). Sometimes, a cd would have a throwaway song or two, meant only to make the cd seem bigger/longer/diverse. The thug artist would have a emotional song, the rock band would have a ballad, "A" tyoe artists would have "B" type songs, and vice versa.
Some of my favorite "FILLER" song moments are:
1) "Cheesy Rat" on the epic Momma Said Knock You Out cd by LL Cool J. One could also argue that "Eat em up L Chill" could be on this list, but that fat ass beat keeps it off.
2) "Gone" on the critically panned "Wild Mood Swings"
album by the Cure. It was actually a single, but when you listen to it now, it seems bizarre to put it next to songs like Disintigration, 100 Years, or even Mint Car from the same album. Too poppy to be a single. "This is a lie" would have been a more "cure-ish" song to choose.
3)"One Caress" on my favorite Depeche Mode Album "Songs of Faith and Devotion". This is an example of a song going oagainst the general feel of an album that works. SOFAD was a rockier Depeche Mode than we were used to hearing, and the classic-influenced quiet song led into the final song "Higher Love" that closed the album well. The two slower songs were like a smooth vanilla ice cream scoop of desert, after a great steak. "Condemnation," the hymnal song, would then be the great glass of wine that one would drink in between bits of salad and steak.
4)"The Message" "The Chronic 2001" The triumphant return ot Dr. Dre ends with a song to his dead brother who was crushed by a fat guy? I left it off when I burned that cd into my Itunes.
5) "Magic Moments" from the return to the norm album "COWBOY" by Erasure This album came after the slow and melodic self-titled album, "ERASURE". Slow and melodic was different than most Erasure fans were used to, and COWBOY, was a return to the tried and true formula that Erasure uses. The album was great, and then at the end, we get "Magic Moments." It sounds like a christmas song, and ends the album in a weird fashion. It is a classic "What the hell is this?" moment.
Your thoughts, as always, are welcome
Raphael De La Ghetto
Arts Expert
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