5 Excellent Songs That Start off the Second LP of Double Albums

Ah, double albums. Auteurs and ambitious bands have utilized them throughout the years as grand musical statements. Some are regarded as brilliant. And some come off as bloated creatures that could have used some editing.

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Nonetheless, we’re grateful for double albums. These five fantastic songs, all of which start the second disc of their respective releases, might not have existed without them.

“Most Likely You’ll Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine” by Bob Dylan from ‘Blonde On Blonde’ (1976)

Is this rock’s first double album? Or maybe it belongs to country music? Perhaps even singer-songwriters can claim Blonde On Blonde as one of their own. All we know for sure is that Bob Dylan helped put double-disc albums on the map with this mammoth 1966 record. Side three begins with the jaunty “Most Likely You’ll Go Your Way”. Throwing musical caution to the wind, Dylan doubled up Charlie McCoy’s trumpet riff with his harmonica. Unlike some of the more somber breakup songs on the record, this one rides high on sarcastic humor.

“Happy” by The Rolling Stones from ‘Exile On Main St.’ (1972)

The classic rivalry between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones extends to their respective double albums. The White Album versus Exile On Main St. is a thrilling showdown. In terms of Side Three openers, the Stones have a big edge. While The White Album uses the lightweight “Birthday” in that spot, Exile delivers “Happy” to start disc three. Keith Richards made the song up on the spot, which is why producer Jimmy Miller plays the drums. The horns of Jim Price and Bobby Keys add to the gleefully decadent vibe of one of Keith’s best-ever lead vocal performances.

“Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder from ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’ (1976)

Stevie Wonder pretty much left all his contemporaries in the dust with Songs In The Key Of Life. Coming at the tail end of a string of monster albums, it’s amazing that he still had such an explosion of creativity in him. “Isn’t She Lovely” stands as one of the most charming songs in his illustrious career. There’s something about the melody that captures a parent’s overwhelming love for a child without Wonder having to sing a note. His harmonica work is exemplary, as usual. And he conjures an effortless groove while handling just about all the instrumentation.

“Point Blank” by Bruce Springsteen from ‘The River’ (1980)

Bruce Springsteen struggled with The River’s song selection, in part because he couldn’t quite grasp how all the differing emotions it presented could hang together. But he came to the realization that life is full of conflicting feelings and moments knocking against each other. That’s how you can get away with a song like this one, foreboding and tragic, leading into boisterous tracks “Cadillac Ranch” and “I’m A Rocker” on Side Three. “Point Blank” laments a life lost to circumstance and environment with touching empathy.

“U Got The Look” by Prince from ‘Sign O’ The Times’ (1987)

Prince tried about three different albums on for size before he settled on Sign O’ The Times. It’s amazing that the album, which includes remnants of those disparate, unfinished projects, coalesces as well as it does. “U Got The Look” allows Prince to get playfully weird. Of course, when the groove is as monumental as it is here, you can get away with a lot of silliness thrown on top of it. That includes the chipmunkification of Prince’s vocals and Sheena Easton tossing around lines like “You sho’nuf do be cookin’ in my book.” Wild, woolly, and wonderful.

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