The best last song of a studio album

[Villavic]

So Over & Over won the best opening track poll.
best opening track

Let's see which song you consider the best last song of a studio album (R. lineup)

[michelej1]

This is hard.

For sure, I wouldn't vote for Goodbye Baby or You and I, part 2, but deciding between the other 4 is difficult, especially since I'm not trying to decide between the best song, but the best song at closing its own particular album.

Michele

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by michelej1

to decide between the best song, but the best song at closing its own particular album.

YES! That's mainly the point.

[HelloMonster]

Tough one! I like ISA more as a song, but I feel GDW is a better ending.

[jbrownsjr]

This is really difficult. I voted ISA. The feeling I have when that tune fades out is sublime. Caps the album so nicely.

[moon]

I LOOOOOOOVE GDW, but my vote is with Wish You Were Here. I love the song, and is a good end for an album. After songs like EOTW, SB, ES, is good to go home (?) with a relaxing song.
Regards!

[louielouie2000]

Wow, there's not a bad song on that list! In their own ways, they're all fantastic closing songs. I guess I'd have to go with Gold Dust Woman, though. It's just so big, iconic, outlandish... it really makes a statement about the musical journey you've just finished with Rumours. Closing with Gold Dust Woman made a statement: Fleetwood Mac as you've known it in the past has just grown into something entirely different & special.

[chiliD]

On my own version of Tusk, "Over & Over" is the last song (I HATE it being the opening track...to me, the worst choice possible); but, since (to quote Peter Green) I'm living in the real world, I chose "Never Forget". It was close between that & "Wish You Were Here". While those other songs are good songs, I don't think they capture all what a "last song" needs to capture. They all leave one expecting at least "one more". Both "Never Forget" & "Wish You Were Here" put a nice big period at the end of the album.

[aleuzzi]

If we were doing a Pre-Rumours poll on this I'd say for 1968-1970: Before the Beginning--one of the most haunting things I've ever heard.

For 1971-74: Why. An easy choice. Out of the park.

Either one of these songs is, in my humble opinion, stronger than the closers on the Rumours-era albums.

Love Gold Dust and Never Forget, but...

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by chiliD

On my own version of Tusk, "Over & Over" is the last song (I HATE it being the opening track...to me, the worst choice possible); but, since (to quote Peter Green) I'm living in the real world, I chose "Never Forget". It was close between that & "Wish You Were Here". While those other songs are good songs, I don't think they capture all what a "last song" needs to capture. They all leave one expecting at least "one more". Both "Never Forget" & "Wish You Were Here" put a nice big period at the end of the album.

No one puts an album to bed like Christine McVie. Even on the solo albums. Smile I Live For and Giving it Back...GREAT closers.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

If we were doing a Pre-Rumours poll on this I'd say for 1968-1970: Before the Beginning--one of the most haunting things I've ever heard.

For 1971-74: Why. An easy choice. Out of the park.

Either one of these songs is, in my humble opinion, stronger than the closers on the Rumours-era albums.

Love Gold Dust and Never Forget, but...

Agreed! "Why" was the "walk-off grand slam in Game 7 when they were down by 3 runs".

Pretty much from English Rose to Heroes Are Hard To Find, every album ender was a pretty great ending tune:

"Albatross" on English Rose
"Misson Bell" on Kiln House
"Show Me A Smile" on Future Games.
If it wasn't for Mrs Scarrott's ramblings on Bare Trees, "Dust" WOULD'VE ended the album quite nicely (actually, even the Side 1 ender "Sunny Side Of Heaven" would've nicely closed the album, as well).
"Caught In The Rain" on Penguin
"Safe Harbour" on Heroes Are Hard To Find.

Don't know what it was about the pre-Rumours era, but they definitely knew how to close an album. Seems like once Buckingham & Nicks came aboard, they lost that knack of coming up with just the right album closer.

"Never Forget" on Tusk
&
"Wish You Were Here" on Mirage
were (IMO) the only 2 real "closers" in that era.

On both FM & Rumours they were close...but had the closing songs on the wrong side of the LP:

Fleetwood Mac..."Crystal" should've closed the album

Rumours...definitely, "Songbird" should've closed the album

Tango In The Night & "You & I, Part 2"...no. Even "When I See You Again" really SHOULD've been the closer.

On Behind The Mask, "The Second Time" shouldn't even have been recorded much less made it onto the album AND be it's closer.

They blew it on Time...they HAD the perfect (no pun intended) ending tune, all they had to do was flip-flop "All Over Again" with "These Strange Times".

[redbird]

I like GDW (and ISA) as a closer because it's (somewhat) dissonant. Sometimes an aftertaste is interesting.

"Never Forget Tonight" is really great too, not in the least because its pleasant finality comes after a "night" of some serious unresolved acrimony.

The rest don't do it for me. They're logical choices but as songs a little forgettable. I like the very ending of "Wish You Were Here" though.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

No one puts an album to bed like Christine McVie. Even on the solo albums. Smile I Live For and Giving it Back...GREAT closers.

Yeah, she opens an album great too. I love Over and Over and Love in Store.

[Stormwind]

I voted ISA, but all the songs are great, a hard choice for me

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Yeah, she opens an album great too. I love Over and Over and Love in Store.

"Love In Store"...yeah, definitely.

"Over & Over"?? (I think I threw up a little in the back of my throat)