I’ve been dipping in and out of Julian Cope’s entertaining book Copendium and came across his concept of the “boneyard” position. Basically, the boneyard is the penultimate placing on an album. Cope reasons that, if a band is stuck with a filler track it has to use, it will be placed in the album’s boneyard where it’s more likely to be overlooked. It got me thinking. So, for a fun experiment, I’ve picked five albums at random to see if this concept holds up. I’m going to take a look at each one and decided if its penultimate track belongs in… THE BONEYARD!
UFO – A Fool in Love (from the album No Heavy Petting)
Here’s some mid-70s UFO, by the short-lived line-up with Danny Peyronel on keys. It’s most notable for its opening tracks Natural Thing and I’m a Loser. The rest of the album, while good, doesn’t quite live up to the classic opening. But the album’s B-Side features a couple of great deep cuts in the moody On with the Action and the cosmic ballad Martian Landscape. Our penultimate track, A Fool in Love, is lost between those two. It isn’t awful but it’s a bit of a throwaway and I feel like it’s been buried between those two epics for a reason. Boneyard? YES
[UFO – A Fool in Love]
AC/DC – Love Hungry Man (Highway to Hell)
Hmm… obviously a classic album but what about track nine, Love Hungry Man? Is this anyone’s idea of a classic AC/DC track? It does sport a great chorus but it’s a bit laid-back and lazy otherwise and the bass fills sound like a desperate attempt to liven up a dull tune. Far from a disaster but definitely not one of Acca Dacca’s shining moments either. How about we avoid offending the band’s adoring legions and call this the “least-good” song here? Boneyard? YES
[AC/DC – Love Hungry Man]
Black Sabbath – I (Dehumanizer)
Dehumanizer was a lumbering, colossus of an album from the reformed Mob Rules lineup. It’s not held in the same esteem as that album or its predecessor Heaven and Hell but I’ve always thought it a rewarding album-for-life. So get it up ye. And its penultimate track I is one of the best songs Dio Sabbath ever put out. Pure invigorating metal bravado. Black Sabbath smashing faces in… but with a smile. Boneyard? NO
[Black Sabbath – I]
Iron Maiden – 2 AM (The X Factor)
Maiden’s first album with Blaze Bayley has some under-rated gems but is also quite heavy-going and joyless. I had thought the penultimate track here was The Unbeliever, one of my favourites from the album, but it turns out it’s actually 2 AM: a track I had forgotten existed. Doesn’t bode well does it? It’s one of the least flabby tracks which is good but the lyrics are absolute shite: a brainless, artless mid-life crisis from a band that is supposed to be cleverer than this. Boneyard? YES
[Iron Maiden – 2 AM]
Megadeth – How the Story Ends (Endgame)
This 2009 album is still the pinnacle of modern Megadeth and one of the greatest albums of the ’00s. How the Story Ends (odd title for a penultimate track?) is a sturdy anthemic chugger that, along with the raging Headcrusher, helps recover Endgame after a slight mid-album lull. The riffs are a bit stock by Mustaine standards but it’s a catchy, engaging tune that adds to the album. Boneyard? NO
[Megadeth – How the Story Ends]
So, the boneyards have it… but only just. It’s close enough that another random selection might have went the other way. Obviously, the concept relies on there being a filler track in the first place (and the artist being self-aware enough to know that a given track is sub-par). Also, for the sake of discussion, Cope applies the concept chiefly to vinyl but does the boneyard concept apply equally to albums designed for CD or Spotify?
Hope you enjoyed this. Let me know what you think about the boneyard position and my examples. Got any good examples of your own? Or exceptions? Chip in below.
Fascinating concept. I have had think about this a bit. Interesting that Kiss put Eric Carr’s first original vocal on the boneyard position of Hot in the Shade.
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Ooh, so they did! Interesting… Manowar have a few albums with bass solos in the boneyard spots!
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Hmmn! Do the bass solos feel like a setup for an epic finale?
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Er… not really! Haha
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Then the Boneyard theory holds…hmmm!
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What did you think of 2AM? It was the trickiest one here.
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Agreed on it actually. A bit of a sluggish moment that took years to appeal to me.
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Cool. There’s definitely much better tracks on that album.
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Indeed, but it could be argued that Deja Is is a good Boneyard example from Somewhere in Time…
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Definitely! Powerslave… not so much.
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Had a “think” about this. Maybe the violin/spoken word section of Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the boneyard section.
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Oh no, boneyard bits of songs… that’s opening up a can of worms!
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I know. But if Rime was split into different tracks like a Rush epic…well…it would be open to debate! Just be glad we don’t have to open this particular can of worms.
Kiss used the boneyard spot for stuff a lot, I’ve discovered. BETH.
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Haha I think KISS would probably bristle at their biggest hit being relegated the boneyard… Peter would have something to say about it at least.
Not so sure about KISS… give me more examples!
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Ah but Kiss did think Beth was a filler track. Remember it was only being used a B-side until DJs flipper the record!
Another example — While the City Sleeps on Animalize…just ewwwww.
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I was just about to reply and say that same thing about Beth. I would agree it’s boneyard… But it is pretty funny that it went on to be their biggest hit.
I really like While the City Sleeps but we’ve disagreed on Animalize before! You didn’t rate it much at all if I remember?
What about the debut though? 100,000 Years? No way!
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Comin’ Home? Nope!
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Love Her All I Can? Maybe?
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No, really? I think that album is pretty filler-free.
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What’s Rock N’ Roll Over? Hard Luck Woman? Not sure about that one… maybe…
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You know what…this is interesting…but a lot of the Kiss albums had different track listings on the cassette versions I grew up on. I think Hard Luck Woman was on Side One of my tape!
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Yes, I was thinking about that too… my tape of The Elder had a different running order to the CD.
And the remixed Creatures actually relegated Saints and Sinners to the boneyard didn’t it? And promoted Killer to second place… interesting!
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Love Her All I Can is a nope too. Beth is the therefore the first KISS boneyard track!
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Carr doing Beth…Gah! Poor Carr had not choice…I like this HMO keep it going…Good on you tossing down and finding good things still about the albums whereas I toss everything in the poop chute on 3/4’s Filler
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Haha the poop chute! Thanks Deke, this was lots of fun to do… I might have to do a sequel at some point!
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I think we’ve disagreed on the merits of “Gangland” before? I don’t think it is boneyard but I think you have it as filler. I think it’s a great track! Interesting concept though and will think about it when listening to other stuff…..
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Oohh… that’s a good one Bro. It’s a good song but it’s less good than all the other NOTB songs isn’t it? So I reckon Boneyard for that, even though it’s a good song. It had to go in that spot.
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Invaders is definitely weaker and so is run to the hills in my opinion even though it was a single. I think the theory holds for NOTB as I am probably in the minority with that view though.
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That’s a fairly compelling argument. I am a bit sick of Run to the Hills now. Still think the theory holds but I wouldn’t say Gangland is necessarily a filler track. Love Invaders though!
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AC/DC in an article like this! I like that track.
As much as I like both you and Julian Cope I am going to boycott your blog until 8pm tonight.
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But is it there a track on that album that is worse than it?
And… 8pm?! What are you going to do until then? That’s pure ages!
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(Silence)
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*tumbleweed rolling past*
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(Church bell sounds forlornly in the distance)
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(Bon Jovi song begins)
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(the muted sound of one shot, followed by the dim clatter of the shotgun falling to the floor)
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I don’t know, man. Seems like someone may need to call foul here. How can a random trundle through the HMO holdings not produce at least one album coming from some band named something like Nargaroth or Nephrolith or some such? Regardless, I’ll try one… ok, here we go:
Sleep – Jerusalem (Jerusalem)
It’s true! Theory proved. Of all the Jerusalems, the penultimate is the “least-good.”
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Well that proves it! And good point about the lack of extremity… I’ll definitely need to do a sequel and see what happens. Maybe my iTunes shuffle has it in for the extreme stuff? Funnily enough, last night I listened to Inquisition’s ‘Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult’ and the boneyard track on that was tremendous. Best thing on the album!
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I’d just like to say my family and I are all massive fans of Nephrolith.
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You named one of your chickens after them too didn’t you?
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I named all of my chickens after them, it gets a bit confusing.
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Interesting. Couple off the top of my head Dirty Little Thing from Velvet Revolver’s Contraband, Big Shiny Nine from ZZ Top’s La Futura and Weiland & The Wildabouts’ take on 20th Century Boy are definitely BoneYard quality. But then, Stone Temple Pilots’ MC5 is an album highlight, as is Iggy Pop’s Chocolate Drops (off his new album), Faith No More’s Matador, and Robert Plant’s Brother Ray isn’t the worst track on Mighty Rearranger. So, a mixed bag.
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Only one of those I know or can remember is Matador! Although, all those are all more modern efforts… Wonder if this idea works works better with pre-CD albums? Can’t really see why though… penultimate is penultimate!
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Aye, just a bunch I’ve been listening to a whole lot recently. Will think about some older albums …
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It might have been an idea to pick one from each decade. Skipped a few decades in this post! Got 70s, 90s and 00s.
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I love this concept! So many albums have filler. Good on Cope for his thinking this out. Somebody’s paying attention!
Out of curiosity, let’s try the first 5 Metallica:
Kill ‘Em All: Seek And Destroy. Boneyard? Fuck no.
Ride The Lightning: Creeping Death. Boneyard? Fuck no.
Master Of Puppets: Orion. Boneyard? Fuck no.
…And Justice For All: To Live Is To Die. Boneyard? Haha nope!
Black: My Friend Of Misery. Boneyard? Nope no way. I like that track.
Looks like Lars and the boys dodged it this time! 🙂
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I did wonder about Metallica… Looks like they dodged the boneyard right enough. I’d agree with you on all of those.
Up until ‘Ronnie’ anyway!
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Yup, your post was 5 records, I suppose if I’d kept going Ronnie might’ve been the first mis-step.
Also: I almost said Am I Evil? for Kill ‘Em All, because my old CD copy has the two bonus tracks. It still would’ve avoided the boneyard!
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That is also true. Actually, I was thinking what the worst ever Boneyard tracks might be and Ronnie was one of the first to spring to mind!
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Haha poor Ronnie. Did you know he also tried getting his bass guitar heard? True story. Seriously, if it wasn’t for bad luck, that guy wouldn’t have any luck at all.
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Hahahaha poor Ronnie…
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The next ones would be:
Ronnie
Attitude
Purify
Suicide & Redemption
Hm. Discuss! 🙂
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Umm… pass.
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Haha wuss. I’ll try it!
Ronnie: boneyard? It’s bluesy and OK, but yup.
Attitude: boneyard? Nope, it’s a decent rocker.
Purify: boneyard? Nope, I like this track (I liked St. Anger! 🙂 )
Suicide & Redemption: boneyard? Hell no. Great instrumental track.
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Honestly I can’t remember the last three.
I do have a vague notion that the DM instrumental was quite good. Also, I remember the last songs on St. Anger being the best ones so I’ll agree with you on that (even though I don’t remember the song at all). Attitude… don’t have a clue about that one!
So I think I agree!
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Haha that’s the vaguest agreement ever. I love it.
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What about Lulu?
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Funny, I don’t consider that a Metallica album as it appears in my iTunes as Metallica & Lou Reed. I suppose you could include it, if you want!
But if so, then you gotta do Garage Inc. too, right?
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Why not? Do it!
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OK sure, why not!
Garage, Inc.: Stone Dead Forever. It’s Motörhead, and therefore not a boneyard track by default.
Lulu: Dragon. Boneyard? It’s 11 minutes of build into a Metallica rocker, but it’s weird to hear Reed’s vocals over it. Disorienting, today! Boneyard? I haven’t a clue. Ummm… no?
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Now I think about it, Garage Inc. is really a comp though isn’t it? Maybe it shouldn’t count? What was the penultimate on the first disc? Tuesday’s Gone? That was mince!
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Garage Inc is a comp, yup, cover tunes. I dunno, if we’re including the duet album with Lou Reed, why not their comp that plays like an album anyway? Hahaha
Mince… is that a good or a bad thing?
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Good if it’s food, bad otherwise!
The first disc of Garage definitely plays like an album. Didn’t like it much though.
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Here’s my take on Garage Inc:
Disc one is a “covers album”. Disc two is a covers compilation.
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Yep, I totally agree with that! So what’s the boneyard on the covers album then? Tuesday’s Gone?
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Neat idea!
I’d argue the 2nd track can be kind of a boneyard position – lead with strength, put in a subpar song while you’ve already got their attention, follow it up with a biggie and the weak track 2 is already forgotten!
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Ooh, I’m not sure about that… I always feel like the great albums up the ante with the second track.
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Or perhaps not a boneyard, but a challenge to the listener – where track 1 may be a comfortable song for the listener, track 2 may be a bit of a curve, a different sound before returning to more familiar territory on track 3
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Ah right, I follow you now! The opening tracks do tend to be more conventional or fan-pleasing. Give us some examples! Don’t be shy!
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Why I thought you’d never ask!
The Hip’s Music @ Work (2000)
1. Radio-friendly My Music at Work
2. Complete left-turn (the best kind!) with Tiger the Lion
3. Back to evergreen sound with Lake Fever.
They did a similar setup on a 2006 album, maybe it’s a Hip thing!
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I’m gonna have to take your word for all of that haha!… maybe it is a Hip thing!
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Great idea Geoff, though I wonder how many bands pack the first single in at track 2. Quite a few, I bet! So maybe the premise ought to be which way will the band go? Boneyard at 2, or hit at 2? 🙂
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It’s a bit like astrology, isn’t it? You can make your data fit any theory if you try hard enough.
What I REALLY want solved is this long time dilemma: Is the monkey infusing the woman or is she infusing it?
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Yeah, I suppose it is. It does overlook the fact that filler tracks are everywhere. I can think of albums that open with their weak tracks. And are many artists even this clever?! Hmm…
But for the purposes of a fun post and discussion, I like the idea!
I reckon the woman and monkey are both mutually co-dependent. Intrinsically linked in some weird Thorgersonian pact!
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Well, it’s good to know that I’m not the only one who is capable of contemplating on things like this. Now you got me wanting to mentally go through every album I know and think about the penultimate track.While I agree that “Love Hungry Man” is the weakest track on “Highway to Hell,” I’m not sure I would class it as boneyard. I can say the same for “Shake a Leg” from “Back in Black.” A more obscure offering comes from TNT’s album “Knights of New Thunder.” “USA” is probably a boneyard track. I’ll be thinking of more as the night goes on.
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Haha I’m glad you’ve caught the bug too. It is impossible for me to think about albums now without thinking about the boneyard! 🙂
I get what you’re saying about AC/DC… it’s the weakest track but I didn’t mean it’s a bad track or filler. But it is the weakest song so it does support the theory! Good call on Shake a Leg too! Don’t know the TNT one…
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I think that I’ll be doing that with every album I listen to from now on. Right now, I’m listening to the Dead Kennedys “Frankenchrist” album. I know you didn’t mean that those AC/DC tracks were bad or even filler but you’re right, they do support the theory.
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I listened to the “Frankenchrist” album and I don’t know if I would call the penultimate track, “At My Job” filler per se, but they do kind of go experimental on it. So that could give further weight to the theory. I do have one to the contrary. On Frank Zappa’s “Joe’s Garage Act 1” album, the penultimate track, “Why Does it Hurt When I Pee?” is one of the best.
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I really like this theory and your examples. Gonna be perusing the track listing of many a CD in future. Just had a quick look at FNM’s output and actually they don’t seem to have many ‘boneyard’ tracks… In Q magazine years ago, I remember Brett Anderson of Suede saying that track 7 is always the best track on every album…
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I have heard the track 7 one before but couldn’t remember where I’d got that so I started to wonder if I’d just made it up in my head! I’m going to think about that… would like to know the reasoning behind that theory (if there is any!)
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