By Maki
There's a certain joy to be had hiding things when you know that someone's going to find them and that they'll probably be pleased or even delighted. You can imagine the smile and the happiness they'll bring when they are discovered. Maybe that's why artists hide tracks away on their albums and CDs. Or maybe it's just because they approved the artwork before they'd decided on the running order or even down to something as simple as forgetfulness. Who cares? We the listeners end up with an unexpected treat and that's got to be a good thing.
Even better if you get to learn a new dance. Kind of Chris Bailey (or Bruce Ramone, I always thought) and the Saints lads to tack on Do The Robot on the end of Eternally Yours. Meanwhile Damon Albarn hides a lot of his creative output away from Blur, which is perhaps where he has always been most visible, most notably in Gorillaz – so to hide tracks away on a Gorillaz offering is to be unnecessarily elusive, I reckon. I'm glad Slow Country (More Rubbadub Version) came to light, however. Something I used to hide away in my teenage years was a thing we referred to as a “stash”, hardly surprising then that UB40 felt it wiser not to announce the presence of Reefer Madness on Signing Off.
Turin Brakes are a band that had been hidden away from me – I had heard the name but never the music – The Ether Song has patched up that hole in my musical canvas.
Now sometimes we hide stuff because it's embarrassing and we don't want people to know that we have, like, feelings. Apparently that's what led Paul Weller to leave English Rose unannounced at the end of All Mod Cons. But I think he knew what a fine song he'd written and couldn't not use it. Much like the Clash with Train in Vain – London Calling is a great album and this song rounds it off perfectly for me. One of the few Mick songs that work because of rather than in spite of his voice.
Those Final Feet by Cowboy Junkies makes it on to the list because it's the song I most enjoyed discovering this week.
Untitled is no name for a song. And certainly not a good enough name for the sublime track eleven of Green. I have always loved this song and am grateful to reader ParaMhor for pointing out that REM were mucking about and had switched instruments for this one because that makes it even more fun.
Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill hasn't aged as well as some of the other CDs I have at home but I still find the Untitled acapella lament at the end of it moving and can remember the first time it came on the stereo at home. I'd gone into the kitchen to get a beer (something I rarely do) and as the house was full of arty types wasn't quite sure where the singing was coming from.
Nick Drake left us far too little to enjoy. How wonderful that Tow The Line should turn up so many years later hidden unnoticed at the end of the tape containing the last songs he ever recorded.
The Evasive A-list Playlist:
The Saints – Do The Robot
Gorillaz – Slow Country (More Rubbadub Version)
UB40 – Reefer Madness
Turin Brakes – Ether Song
The Jam – English Rose
The Clash – Train in Vain
Cowboy Junkies – Those Final feet
REM – Untitled
Alanis Morissette – Untitled
Nick Drake – Tow The Line
The Buried Beneath B-list Playlist:
Pink – Hooker
Jarvis Cocker – Running The World
David Bowie – Moonage Daydream (Arnold Corns Version)
Beck – Discobox
The Coral – Time Travel
Nirvana – Endless, Nameless
Ronny Elliott – When You Die, You're Dead, That's All
Dexys Midnight Runners – Plan B
Tedesci Trucks Band – Shelter
Supernaut – 1000 Homo DJ's
Guru's wildcard pick:
This week it's Los Fresones Rebeldes' cover of Teenage Kicks hidden away at the end of their debut album ¡Es que no hay manera!
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Easter egg songs? Find those hidden or ghost album tracks. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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