Talk Show Host is the greatest B-Side ever recorded

[Mobius]

I know the correct definition of a b-side, but I would say, in this day in age, a b-side is a song that doesn't make an official album.

You and Whose Army? is also a killer Radiohead b-side.

Amnesiac isn't an official album?

[Thousand Made-Up Loves]

I believe Amnesiac is a collection of Kid A songs that didn't make the cut. I consider them b-sides, although it is an official album release.

Speaking of b-sides, I forgot about True Love Waits. Jesus, Radiohead has the market cornered on epic b-sides. Talk Show Host, True Love Waits, You and Whose Army?, Permanent Daylight, I Might Be Wrong, Like Spinning Plates,  Palo Alto. Not fucking bad.

For the veterans here: I understand these are "true" b-sides in the sense, but as not being included on official album releases, I refer to them as such for this purpose.

[Brian_Wallace]

I believe Amnesiac is a collection of Kid A songs that didn't make the cut. I consider them b-sides, although it is an official album release.

That makes no sense.  So any song that was written during an album period but not used for that particular album is a B-side?  According to your defnition almost every Rolling Stones and U2 album are "collections of B-sides."  Almost every one of their albums contains songs that they wrote for the previous.

Brian

[kosmo vinyl]

Butterfly Collector by the The Jam is a discussion ender 

[kosmo vinyl]

And because this is an anal bunch.. Butterfly Collector may technically be a double A-side as it was paired with another non album track... And before somebody goes wikipedia on my ass,  The Jam's moronic US label released the song as the a-side

[Ardamus]

Good to see a bunch of Radiohead fans on here. This should help me keep up more with their stuff. I stopped Kid A for some reason though. Still enjoy their music but don't go out of my way to buy it.

[blipvurt]

Yeah, Radiohead used to be b-side kings. I have one or two epic mixes I've made out of their b-sides.

@Ardamus - defintely pick up "Amnesiac" and "Hail To The Thief" - they're great. "In Rainbows" is their weakest release IMHO.

[blipvurt]

"Slow Death (live at Scala Cinema)" by Leather Nun may be my pick for greatest B-side of all time though.

[fatskippy]

I believe Amnesiac is a collection of Kid A songs that didn't make the cut. I consider them b-sides, although it is an official album release.

I feel dumber for having read this

[Brian_Wallace]

And because this is an anal bunch.. Butterfly Collector may technically be a double A-side as it was paired with another non album track... And before somebody goes wikipedia on my ass,  The Jam's moronic US label released the song as the a-side

To get REALLY anal about it, like you said, "The Butterfly Collector" was a B-side in the U.K., an A-side in America.  So "Strange Town"/"The Butterfly Collector" wasn't a true Double A-side on either side of the Atlantic.  In terms of Jam singles, "David Watts"/"'A' Bomb in Wardour Street" is a double A-side.

And just because a single has two non-album tracks on it, doesn't make it a double A-side.  I give you half of every single The Smiths released.

Brian

[kosmo vinyl]

Was rushing to leave this morning so didn't get the opportunity to determine if Butterfly Collector was a double a-side or not.  Regardless it's one of the greatest non album releases ever!  Take that radiohead fans :p

[Thousand Made-Up Loves]

I believe Amnesiac is a collection of Kid A songs that didn't make the cut. I consider them b-sides, although it is an official album release.

I feel dumber for having read this

That's because you're a moron. Radiohead got together and said "we are recording an album." They called it Kid A. They did not convene to record Amnesiac, but instead released an album's worth of outtakes or b-sides. Get it?

[fatskippy]

I believe Amnesiac is a collection of Kid A songs that didn't make the cut. I consider them b-sides, although it is an official album release.

I feel dumber for having read this

That's because you're a moron. Radiohead got together and said "we are recording an album." They called it Kid A. They did not convene to record Amnesiac, but instead released an album's worth of outtakes or b-sides. Get it?

I'm not going to argue with some mouth breathing hipster over the internet, but Kid A and Amnesiac have a completely different sound and mood to them.  Just because they were recorded in the same period and Kid A released first, does not make Amnesiac a collection of b-sides.

[sweetcell]

Radiohead got together and said "we are recording an album." They called it Kid A. They did not convene to record Amnesiac, but instead released an album's worth of outtakes or b-sides.

incorrect.  they went in to the studio, recorded a bunch of music over several months, and then picked the tracks that made up Kid A - with the full intention of releasing the rest as a second album, which became Amnesiac.  Amnesiac is not a collection of Kid A rejects, they were meant for full release - just not right away.  the band considered releasing a double album but decided that would be too much for one sitting, and they felt the songs fell into two thematic groups.

i guess we need to define what a b-side is and isn't.  for me, anything that appears for the first time on a full-length release cannot, by definition, be a b-side.  for you, TMUL, it appears that b-sides include "anything recorded during a session that wasn't released immediately".  not sure that many share that understanding.

[Brian_Wallace]

In, Thousand Made-Up Lovers' defense, he's probably younger.  He's probably never bought a physical single in his life.

And while in 2011, physical singles (whatever format) are rare or unknown, the term "B-side" persists even though you'd be hard pressed to go into a retail store right now and show somebody what a B-side is.

For younger people, 'B-side' probably represents "song that's not on the album" but even THAT concept is fading as we speak.  The concept of "album."  If someone under the age of 20 has Radiohead on their ipod, most probably don't have the full collection of songs that make up ANY Radiohead "album" as the band intended.   They just have the popular songs.  You know, the ones with verses and choruses.  Not that later sub-Pink Floyd crap.

Brian