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Albums you know where the first half is much better than the second.

I have this so often; after the first 5 or 6 songs I turn off the cd because I know the rest is just not as good.
With Because Of The Times by Kings of Leon for example, the first 6 songs are incredible and the rest is..well, just average. Am I the only one?



  • White Album

    Beatles...

    Disc1 = Superb
    Disc2 = Meh (except "Revolution 1")

    • I'm gonna say

      Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights...

      It just goes downhill after 'Obstacle 2'.

      IIRC...

      • Its because Obstacle2 is the best thing they have ever done

        so whats the point of listening to more NEVER WILL BE AS GOOD AS OBSTACLE 2's

      • ^

        leif ericson? no?
        puffoon.

      • No!

        The New, Roland, Leif Erikson, those are Interpol's best!

      • nah.

      • That album works a lot better

        If you reverse the tracklisting.

        No, seriously. Trust me. Try it.

      • TOTBL is good all the way through

        i only ever listen to the second half of Our Love to Admire though (pace is the trick onwards

        • Nope to the original post re. TOTBL

          I'm not having that the second half is inferior. Less immediately accessible, perhaps, but not weaker.

          Roland, Stella, The New, Leif = RULE

      • zoiks

        big gafferoo there duckie

    • Disc 2 = Cry Baby Cry

      Long Long Long
      Everybody's Got Something To Hide

      Three of the best Beatles songs ever recorded, right there.

      Also love Honey Pie.

      • the white album is quality end to end

        disc upon disc

  • you probably just like bad music

  • nope.

    i have that with scale by matthew herbert,
    low by david bowie (apart from the very last track which is amazing), and amnesiac, just off the top of my head.

  • Delays

    Seaside Glamour

    • Call

      haven't listened to them in such a long time. Enjoyable album in all as far as i can remember from the time.

  • I would say

    Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna

    That album could just finish with The Past Is A Grotesque Animal.

    • phail.

      you're gonna hate the new one if you don't like the second half of that beauty.

      • ...

        tapes n tapes- walk it off
        babyshambles- down in albion

      • have you heard the new one already???

        where??

        • If I told you

          i'd have to kill you.

      • I don't not like it

        Just, as the original question asked, the first half is much better.

  • Also

    DFA 1979 - You're A Woman, I'm A Machine
    I fucking love the first half and I love the second. But not fucking. You know.

    • I feel

      exactly the same about The Postal Service- Give Up.

      Other one that springs to mind is Pixies- Doolittle.

  • i would say

    Jeremy Warmsley - The Art of Fiction

    i love the whole album, but the first 4-5 songs are just amazing.

  • ditto

    The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
    - it's not that side 2 is bad, it's just that side 1 is so perfect that it pales in comparison (but I'm probably the only Smiths fan who doesn't rate There Is A Light)

    also, Wilco - Being There
    - again, disc 1 = fantastic, disc 2 starts great with Sunken Treasure and the rest is just meh!

    • david bowie's

      let's dance (the album) - don't agree with 'low' tho thats all good.

    • But "never had no-one ever"

      is hideous.

    • Re: The Queen is Dead

      What are you on!?

  • Most albums, really

    Josh Goldberg's Double Murder Suicide atm.

  • U2 Joshua Tree

    is the worst offender for this.

    • pink floyd - a saucerful of secrets

      animal collective - feels
      the fall - hex enduction hour

      • But saucerful of secrets finishes with jugband blues

        the second part of feels is masterful Banshee Beat for crying out loud, Loch Raven man!

  • the new sigur ros

    the second half is nice but boring

    • Yeah

      that's my idea as well, too boring to listen closely. Great for background music maybe, but that's now what I like. The first four tracks are great though \o/

  • ages ago now

    but i distinctly remember the Clor album being a fantastic first half and much poorer but nevertheless decent second half.

    • Yeah

      i completely agree, i miss out gifted nearly everytime and after Dangerzone its not nearly as good as the first 4/5 songs.

  • The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse

    Up until, and including, Cowboy Dan, it's a perfect album - the second half's still good, but I never listen to it anywhere near as much as I listen to the first seven tracks. The Unutterable by The Fall's pretty notable for this actuall - it's amazing for nine tracks, but then it turns into complete and utter shit for the last six.

    • ...

      the moon and antarctica by modest mouse

      • Again

        the last set of tracks are awesome, like brilliant but the album could do without 2 or 3 tracks.

        • but

          to be honest it's my least favourite modest mouse album (except sad sappy sucker)

          • Really?!?!?

            I think its their best one, if you look at it from an album perspecitive, lyriaclly and soincally its really deep but it took me ages to 'get' it.

    • What?!

      Trailer Trash? Bakrupt On Selling? Truckers Atlas? Styrofoam Boots?

      • In my defence

        Bankrupt on Selling is one of my favourite tracks on the album, but the rest of the second half, while still pretty good, just dosn't live up to how good the first half of the album is. I would agree that it wouldn't be as notable if the album wasn't so bloody long though - Shit Luck pretty much screams filler to me...

        • Isaac grew up in a trailer

          his practice area was a shed

    • Errr hellloo

      the 2nd half is amaazing, its just the album it's self is tooooo long. They should of cut out 2 or 3 tracks.

  • The Midlake album

    the Trials of Van Occupanther

    • The MGMT album

      After Kids I just put it back to track one.

      • ^ i agree

        • Haha yeah

          I tend to do that as well, only Time to Pretend, Electric Feel and Kids are rememberable.

      • Yeah

        Big time.

    • yeah I'd agree with that.

      Kinda trails off post-Young Bride. Good call.

      I'll also take this opportunity to say a big NO to the person who suggested Low by Bowie.

      I would also put forward Grace by Jeff Buckley (except Dream Brother which is amazing) and I'm not sure the second half of A Ghost Is Born by Wilco quite matches up post Handshake Drugs, though I'm sure some will disagree.

  • i really like the whole of BOTT

    i think its strong all the way through. i love camaro and the trunk especially. but i think i probably started liking them after i exhausted the others

    • This really would be easier with films...

      The Talented Mr Ripley and The Man Who Wasn't There spring immediately to mind.

      BUT... as its a music forum,

      I will plump for My Morning Jacket - Z
      and Radiohead - Amnesiac

      Although I'm not suggesting the second halves are terrible, I'm sure you will agree that they pale in comparison to the quite majestic first halves.

      • ^^^

        I second this.

        • .

          Strangeways here we come

          • ABC

            / LEXICON OF LOVE.

            • controversial

              but i always preferred the more abrasive first four tracks of Pinkerton to the rest.

            • NAH!

              Look Of Love, Date Stamp and All Of My Heart are AMAZING!

          • What?

            The 2nd half has Paint A Vulgar Picture and I Won't Share You. Ace, end-to-end.

      • Seconded (thirded?) on Amnesiac

        although I would say the second half is just plain crap... and after "I Might Be Wrong", my favourite Radiohead song.

        There are a lot of Smiths albums mentioned here, but the obvious one to me is Meat Is Murder, I virtually only listen to Side A there.

  • Ruby Suns

    First 5 tracks are percect...the rest is totally out of place.

  • etid-the big dirty

    however i still listen to the second half cos there isnt sa bad song on it just not as good as the first half

  • Andrew Bird

    Armchair Apocrypha

  • The Killers

    Hot Fuss

    • Damn

      How could I forget that one! The last songs are so boring

  • Amnesiac is only weaker

    up until Like Spinning Plates and Life In A Glasshouse, which are both stunning.

    • Belle & Sebastian - Life Pursuit

      The first half is constant fantastic pop, and whilst the second half has it's moments it has "to be myself completely" which is horrible!

      • ...

        I would say 'The Mysterious Production of Eggs' rather than 'Armchair..' is a better example of this. In fact I preferred 'Armchair...' because it feels more consistent despite not having quite as many high points as '...Eggs'. I rarely get to the end of '...Eggs'.

  • rival schools

    united by fate

  • 69 Love Songs should've been 35.5 Love Songs

  • The answer is

    Hot Fuss. Side A rocking. Side B shocking.

    • Im suprised no one has put this

      but discovery by Daft Punk.

      Not because the second half is bad but because the first half is stupidly good.

  • stop it!

    stop it! - self made maps. the first side of the record is much better

  • 'Wincing the Night Away' by The Shins

    I just think after track 4 or 5 it's a bit "Meh!".