Songs you'd consider perfect if they didn't [insert gripe here]

Every once in awhile I'll realize that I almost love a song, but because of something - a specific instrument solo, an additional counter melody, the limitations of the singer, a wtf lyric - or just something I and many peers would consider a undeniably terrible idea idea is nonetheless committed to a final recording.

Here's my example, I heard this probably for the first time ever (that I remember anyway) and I was like "this is pretty damn good song" [yeah yeah it's Billy Idol whatever it's a good pop song imo] and then BOOM the entire section from 2:26 to 3:35 occurs. If it lacked that or instead had a typical brief 80s guitar interlude more akin to say, the solo in "I Melt With You" by Modern English, this song would be perfect. But holy-hair-metal-Batman that shit in the middle is just godawful.

This thread is dead, lol. Oh well, here's a song that's been edited to perfection:

http://youtu.be/B2tMpxBSwbY

[youtubehd]EOuXjpSpwrY[/youtubehd]

that super low voiced doo doo wop wop shit that sounds like it's from another song entirely. actually, most flaming lips songs have some element like this.

Ugh, the cymbal crash @ 2:45 into Dayvan Cowboy... The track just plummets after that. I almost always skip Dayvan when listening to TCH.

I swear someone pointed out that the cymbals were "emulating the waves" - yeah I still like that track but for me it's strings that sound too un-BoC-y

  On 2/4/2013 at 4:55 AM, zaphod said:

[youtubehd]EOuXjpSpwrY[/youtubehd]

 

that super low voiced doo doo wop wop shit that sounds like it's from another song entirely. actually, most flaming lips songs have some element like this.

That's true, like the offbeat drum machine in this song. Totally unnecessary:

Also always switch to another track once this Rush song goes into UB40 mode (i think it's sarcastic on the bands part?) at the end:

[youtubehd]PwV2eoI7KyI[/youtubehd]

basically dislike everything about burial's music, but this part of shell of light always seemed perfect to me. too bad it's surrounded by an album's worth of annoying shit. even the part i like has that annoying echoed clinking noise. so it's kind of the inverse of this thread's concept.

every led zeppelin song where robert plant sings.

There's a Cylob song that's great, and then suddenly this random blues synth (paradoxal, I know, but there's no other way to describe it) appears that totally clashes musically and makes the track ridiculous. His tracks occasionally have some element like that, where it sounds like he just didn't know what to do for a countermelody, so he just went with the first thing he accidentally programmed. I guess it is something that makes his music stick out from other more established artists where the melodies are usually more refined and deliberate sounding. I think it is something that has intrigued me about his music, weirdly enough, even though it bothers me. But damn that one bluesy synth. That one's a track ruiner for me. Too bad I don't know any track names.

  On 2/4/2013 at 7:05 AM, dr lopez said:

every led zeppelin song where robert plant sings.

lol, I actually sort of agree... but there are some songs where he nails it. As mentioned in another thread, cocaine is a hell of a drug.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVQcwCOA0-8

Somewhat minor gripe since it's only an issue on certain pieces of equipment, but... that damn clicking noise. tick ticktick TICKIKIRTKCIKTIKCC!!!

​Why!? It's ear piercing as hell and prevents me from turning the track all the way up.

i think the obvious one is the end of silverside

also melve could have never been in LP5 and I wouldn't have cared. at all. AT. ALL.

M83, Midnight city. The sax solo at the end definitely ruins the track for me.

The bass "solo" is mixed wayyy too harsh/loud, its a bit untasteful

  On 2/4/2013 at 10:24 PM, facades said:

M83, Midnight city. The sax solo at the end definitely ruins the track for me.

Really? Personally I think it's one the few successfully sax solos ever, and besides the vocals the best mixed element.

But don't get me wrong, I completely understand that opinion.

The song is far from perfect, it's just nice, but her goofy laugh at the end of Big Yellow Taxi drives me insane (they play it at my work).

  On 2/4/2013 at 11:23 PM, joshuatx said:

 

  On 2/4/2013 at 10:24 PM, facades said:

M83, Midnight city. The sax solo at the end definitely ruins the track for me.

 

Really? Personally I think it's one the few successfully sax solos ever, and besides the vocals the best mixed element.

 

But don't get me wrong, I completely understand that opinion.

Well, to be honest, sax solos always ruin everything for me... but most of the time, I don't like the track before, so I don't really care.

To be even more honest, solos of anything always ruin everything for me...

Anyway, as you said, it's just a matter of opinion, and that's why it's cool to discuss it in forum.

  On 2/5/2013 at 12:09 AM, tec said:

The song is far from perfect, it's just nice, but her goofy laugh at the end of Big Yellow Taxi drives me insane (they play it at my work).

The cover of that is so fucking awful

Siouxies and The Banshees 'The Scream' would be a perfect 10/10 album if it wasn't for the pointless shitty saxophone parts that crop up.

The Breeders' When I Was A Painter' would've been their best song, if it wasn't for that embarrassing violin that always makes me want to pull the CD out of my stereo and smash it to smithereens.

And every Mogwai track that contains their pathetic attempts at straight vocals simply shouldn't (I like the vocoder bits on 'Happy Songs', mind).

^ good examples

While I like the noises on that Chemical Brother song they go on way, way too long. I'm sure someone high as fuck gave a thumbs up to that. Played it on turntable.fm once in a chillout room and people went from loving it to begging me to skip the track.

this one.

i was in awe the first few times I heard it; and then I noticed the drummer (or possibly a drum machine) playing in the background out of time about five minutes in (in the quieter section)

and I can't unhear it now.

As I have mentioned before, the Saxophone ruins the whole song.

Also, the Saxophone in Funkytown really ruins it for me as well. And the Saxophone in Air's Playground Love ruins that song.

Honestly, besides John Coltrane, I really hate Saxophone.

  On 2/6/2013 at 6:05 AM, Murveman said:

As I have mentioned before, the Saxophone ruins the whole song.

 

Also, the Saxophone in Funkytown really ruins it for me as well. And the Saxophone in Air's Playground Love ruins that song.

Honestly, besides John Coltrane, I really hate Saxophone.

Ah yes, this Saxophone in Playground love is a terrible idea.

I couldn't agree more about saxophone (except Pacific state by 808 State, though)

Saxophone? More like sucksophone amirite??

I actually got nothing against sax. If it's good enough for John Zorn it's good enough for me. And I can kind of play it too... but not like John Zorn.

  On 2/6/2013 at 12:09 PM, Zephyr_Nova said:

Saxophone? More like sucksophone amirite??

 

I actually got nothing against sax. If it's good enough for John Zorn it's good enough for me. And I can kind of play it too... but not like John Zorn.

I thought we agreed on tuba . No saxophone, no way...

It's not saxophone in itself, I mean, it's an instrument like any other, and it's not good or bad by nature, but fact is I dislike 99% of the songs where there's a sax playing alone (not in an ensemble).

The sax has to tonally fit or just gel and I think that's inherently difficult with the saxophone. Even though I'll tolerate it more so than most, there's only a handful of times I think it fits:

This song for one:

http://youtu.be/vcG47CpsU6c

Also, one of my favorite bands, Menomena, employ a sax fairly often, both alto and baritone (I like baritone a lot better actually) but again it's very purposeful. They mess with a lot of different sounds in their tracks - it's just another instrument for them. I've seen them live and the audience actually cheered when he got the sax out, and I'd only say 43.7% of the reaction was ironic.