Mar 262009
See ya later, alligator!
What’s your favorite planned farewell album? Final albums by bands that simply broke up for whatever reason, including death of a key member, do not count. I’m talking albums that were released with clear knowledge that this would be the band’s swan song. I’m not sure how many albums there are that fit in this category, such as Cream’s Goodbye Cream, so we’ll count any album that was released as a “final” album before any one of David Bowie‘s “retirements.”
Well, there’s Let it Be and The Replacements’ All Shook Down: two albums that have their merits, but also sound kinda exhausted.
I think Odessey and Oracle might fill this bill.
Actually, on second thought, think I have to go with Abbey Road.
I’ll seccond Che’s second thought of Abbey Road!
As always, I can’t recall what really counts as The Beatles’ “last” record. Was Abbey Road actually recorded last with Let It Be being released last? Or was it simply Let It Be followed by Abbey Road? For some reason I’m thinking Let It Be came out the same week as McCartney’s first solo album, the one that basically announced that The Beatles were breaking up. If that’s the case, can it really be said that Abbey Road was the swan song, even if it was recorded after Let It Be? Regardless, one of these two is probably close enough and a great selection.
I was initially thinking Crowded House’s Together Alone was almost immediately followed by news of them breaking up, but I looked it up and the tour in support of that album was only when they began falling apart, with drummer Paul Hester leaving the tour. They didn’t actually cease being a band until 1991.
Similarly, I thought Talking Heads’ Naked was released along with an announcement that it would be the band’s last album. I can’t confirm that to be the case, but if it was I’d nominate that album. I like it almost as much as their first four albums and much better than the stuff that led up to it.
Even though it might not have been intended as a swan song, some notice should be given to “All Apologies” as a fitting final song on a final album.
I’d have to say Goodbye Cream and whichever Beatles album is considered the last.
Yes, db, in a related category of unannounced swan songs you’d have to included “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”
And “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”.
OK I have several thoughts on this topic. First off, I don’t think The Zombies planned to break up when they were recording Odessey and Oracle, but that it happened because the album wasn’t a hit initially and didn’t become so until “Time of the Season” became an unlikely U.S. Top 5 hit a year later (at which point they’d already broken up).
Also, I’m surprised that no one’s answered this yet, but Abbey Road was recorded after Let It Be (even though Let It Be came out afterwards) and is probably the best example of a great, intentional swan song record that I can think of. From what I’ve read, it was intended as a “let’s give this one more crack as a band and do it like the old days before we go our separate ways” sort of affair.
All Shook Down, while a great album, is really Paulie’s 1st solo venture. The Mats are only on one track together on that record.
My favorite swan song record might be The Smiths’ Strangeways Here We Come, but I don’t think it was planned that way (at least not initially). I could be wrong on that one, though.
Another great one is Dag Nasty’s Field Day, though they’ve made 2 more records in the last 20 years.
In the category of “albums that would have made great swan songs, even though they weren’t” — I nominate “All Things Must Pass.” It just has a wonderful sense of Zen resignation about it.
Warren Zevon’s “The Wind”. A swan song to a career & a life, & it was definitely planned as such.
I was hoping someone would mention that one, Bobbyb. Thanks.
Thanks Mod. It also benefits from actually being a great album. I don’t think the same could be said for most planned finales, but there was obviously more riding on W.Z.’s than most other artists, as most of them know they’ll likely get another shot at significance. Or, at least, to be alive.
The Last Waltz is relatable to all this, I suppose….
How did I not think of The Last Waltz. That’s now my choice.
The Last Waltz doesn’t count. That was supposed to be their last concert, but they had intended to keep on recording, and in fact Islands came out after the Last Waltz concert (though not after the album of the concert).
I STAND CORRECTED! Thanks, BigSteve.
How can anyone possibly beat a guy who knows that he’s dying before starting an album, records the damned thing, then dies a couple of weeks after it’s released. Plus, it was really good. Sorry, but I gotta stick with Zevon. He was a trooper. An incredibly f’ed up trooper, but a trooper all the same. R.I.P., Mr. Z.
I’ve never heard that Zevon album, not having liked the rest of his material. Back story aside, is it really that good?
I can’t think of too many other examples…I guess there’s also “It’s Hard” by the Who, which was accompanied by a “Farewell Tour”. But JEEZ what a turd that album was.
Is Queen’s “Innuendo” album any good? I remember seeing a video for one of those songs and thinking the song was of a pretty high quality, but not my cup of tea. In content, it alluded to saying goodbye, reaching the end, etc.. And all the surviving Queen guys claim it was made with the knowledge that it would be Freddie’s last. The video is creepy…he’s gaunt, and he’s looking right at you through the camera, saying goodbye to you, telling you he still loves you. Pretty compelling swan song stuff if you ask me. But I can’t vouch for whether or not the rest of it’s any good….
BigSteve, you’re right….partially.
From the time production started on the LW, everybody knew they would stop touring and only do one more album, which they were working on at the time. So LW and Islands are folded into one prolonged swan song project. I think the whole ordeal should “count” as a swan song.
ABBEY ROAD most certainly was recorded with the knowledge that it was their last album, though to be technical about it, a little bit of LET IT BE was recorded in early 1970 (The bulk of it was recorded in January 1969, but when they finally decided to release it in 1970, they recorded one new song, “I Me Mine,” and did some overdubs on the title track. Then, of course, Phil Spector came in and added more overdubs.)
Good trivia is that “I Me Mine” was the last Beatles song to be recorded, though John Lennon was not present at the session. The last Beatles’ recording session was a day later, when George Harrison recorded a new guitar solo for “Let It Be.”
When Love recorded FOREVER CHANGES, by the way, Arthurly believed he was about to die and thought of this album as his swan song. So, even though it obviously was not to be so, he planned it that way and it sure has the feel of one.
Saturn, Well, I was a fan of Zevon’s stuff, so, for me, The Wind was a really great swan song, but if you never cared for the guy’s stuff, it’s not gonna change your mind about him, as it isn’t radically different than his previous releases. I just thought of it as a good collection of well written/performed material that was given added significance due to the circumstances, which some of the songs directly address. Plus, he got Springsteen to actually PLAY the guitar he usually seems to carry around as a prop. The solos he plays on Disorder In The House just flat out rock. Again, if you weren’t a fan before, it would be doubtful that the album would hit you the same way.
bb wrote [about Zevon]:
Did you see thaqt documentary about the making of that final album? It wasn’t fun, but it was fascinating. They show Bruce doing a guitar solo take, replete with major guitar porn faces, and when it’s done Zevon says, “Wow, you really are you!”
Steve, Yep, I’ve got that. Considering the circumstances, he still managed to maintain a wry sense of humor in that doc., so it may be sad, but it’s not excruciating. I believe the exact quote is, “Wow, you really are him!”
Despite the porn faces, Bruce really does pull off some sick solos. Not technically astounding, but just so barely-in-control, nasty sounding….Anyway, I dug ’em.