YOU ARE HERE: zharth.net / Zharth's Music Log / Week 93 (Title Tracks)
(Originally finalized on August 27, 2024)
Preface: This week's theme is simple. We'll be listening to songs that share the same name as the album they were released on. It's not at all infrequent for bands to title their albums after the songs they think will make the biggest splash, so you can expect some good entries. I will disclaim, however, that due to the multitude of options available, and the likelihood that I've used a lot of them for other themes, this will obviously not be an exhaustive list. Consider it a jumping off point.
Monday: Jethro Tull - Aqualung [Aqualung, 1971]
Comments: Jethro Tull were a unique band, characterized by the idiosyncratic stylings of vocalist Ian Anderson's talent as a flautist, creating an unusual blend of progressive rock with something of a medieval folk aesthetic. They would eventually settle into the regular habit of including title tracks on their albums, but none were as successful as Aqualung, which opens the breakout album that solidified their place in classic rock history.
Tuesday: The Doors - L.A. Woman [L.A. Woman, 1971]
Comments: With just six studio albums to their name, The Doors managed to produce four title tracks - although, curiously, Waiting For The Sun only appeared as a song two albums after the album with that title was released. One of the highlights of The Doors' final, blues-drenched album, L.A. Woman is not only the band's best title track, but one of the best songs they ever recorded. And it gave Jim Morrison a new alter ego - Mr. Mojo Risin'.
Wednesday: The Eagles - Hotel California [Hotel California, 1976]
Comments: Sticking with the Los Angeles theme, The Eagles were another band with six studio albums to their name (at least during their original run), managing to record five title tracks. But not even the ultra-popular Desperado can match the reputation of Hotel California, with its enchantingly cryptic lyrics that are so much fun to sing along to, and that extended instrumental outro, in which guitarists Don Felder and Joe Walsh trade licks.
Thursday: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here [Wish You Were Here, 1975]
Comments: Other than a stray movie soundtrack, and a couple of earlier albums which featured long sonic voyages, Pink Floyd didn't often name their albums after songs, especially during their golden period in the '70s. Wish You Were Here is the one notable exception. A melancholy reverie that's designed to transcend the barrier of your radio's speaker, it's one of the band's more accessible and digestible presentations of their thematic preoccupation with distance and loss.
Friday: Bad Company - Bad Company [Bad Company, 1974]
Comments: Title tracks are a dime a dozen, but songs that are named after the band that recorded them? Those are rare. And this track's got the trifecta - song, album, and band all in one! That's a theme I'd love to do, but there just aren't enough examples (and the most prominent one - Black Sabbath - I've already used... twice!). So you'll just have to settle for listening to Bad Company, by Bad Company, from the album Bad Company, right here right now.
Saturday: AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap [Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976]
Comments: AC/DC has a few solid title tracks in their repertoire. This may not even be the best one, but I already used Highway To Hell and Back In Black for previous themes (recently!). Technically, T.N.T. is also a title track, but only in Australasia; the international version of the album is named after a song (High Voltage) that wasn't on the band's local album with that title. Confused? That's why I wanted to avoid albums with shifting tracklists...
Sunday: The Who - Who Are You [Who Are You, 1978]
Comments: A later-era hit for a band that started out in the mid-'60s - from the last album they recorded before drummer Keith Moon's tragic, alcohol-related death - this song nevertheless manages to be one of the band's best, and a radio staple. The Who were my first rock concert (granted, this was 2002), and before I went, I listened for their songs on the radio, so I would know what to expect. And more than any other, this is the one that made me think, "this is The Who."
Honorable Mentions: This is another theme where so many great songs didn't make the cut, that to mention one more would disrespect all the rest. There are so many I'd like to name, but I'm happy with keeping the list lean and mean.