Some Songs are Bigger than Others: Outtakes

An album, regardless of whether it is a jewel or junk, is simply an opinion. During the recording, it's someone's opinion that decides which studio to use, which songs to play, and which instrumentation sounds best. Maybe even what brand of beer to drink. Afterwards, it's another opinion that deems how the songs should be mixed, which ones should go on the album, and what order they should be in. In my opinion that's a lot of opinions.

However, it does ensure that a great deal of thought is put into to creating the best possible product for the fans. A good thing. Yet somehow, after the fussing and the fighting, the discussing and the deciding, great songs are left off the album, driven into the tuneless melancholy hallways of musical obscurity, only to be brought out for drunken concerts and overpriced compilations.

Unless someone puts five of them on his blog (albeit a melancholy and obscure blog).

David Bowie - Velvet Goldmine
Recorded - 1971
Left off - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)
Released - As the B-side to the re-release of "Space Oddity" (1975)

Elvis Costello - Suffering Face
Recorded - 1985?
Left off - King of America (1986)
Released - Re-issue of King of America (1995)

The Smiths - This Night Has Opened My Eyes
Recorded - September 1983
Left off - The Smiths (1984)
Released - Hatful of Hollow compilation (1984)

via gothic-addiction.blogspot.com

Bob Dylan - Blind Willie McTell
Recorded - May 1983
Left off - Infidels (1983)
Released - The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (1991)

Leonard Cohen - Store Room
Recorded - 1967
Left off - The Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)
Released - Re-issue of The Songs of Leonard Cohen (2007)