Side B, First Song
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Alright, you old nerd farts. Dust off your vinyls and get a pencil ready to ravel your twisted reels.
Once upon a time, before the Compact Disc revolution, albums had two "first songs". Side A was almost a given to be a hit single, i.e. Smells Like Teen Spirit. But Side B-- the "upside down" rift in the album's time-space continuum-- gave bands a chance to privilege a track that wasn't necessarily the radio-friendly sales machine.
Curious what tapes or records you listened to where Side B, First Song was so strong you could just skip over Side A?
Mine is Three Days from Jane's Addiciton - Ritual de lo Habitual.
This is one of my favorite rock albums of all time. Truth is, I can't dissect the gestalt of its beauty and pick a favorite track. I listen to it start to finish every time and Stop is probably one of my favorite Side A, First Songs of all time. But Sides A and B are two different organisms, foreign territories, distinct trips. And Three Days marks that departure for Ritual in the most amazing way so it gets my pick.
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Know what my favorite Side B, Second Song is....? This one
