Mike Blakesley said:I didn't include CONEY ISLAND or YOU SMILE-THE SONG BEGINS in my considerations of least-favorites...if I had, "Carmine" would have made the list. That's an always-skip for me.
Wow, I'm the polar opposite on that one. When I got Coney as a kid, this was always one I'd skip--I had to play "The Crave" a few times to make up for it. Anyway, at this later date, I like the darkness of the song, and I appreciate how Herb just let Bob Findley "rip it" on the end of the track--Bob just opens up the stops and puts a great solo on the track as a coda. A trumpet feature, dedicated to the trumpet teacher. (And that's a really bad unintentional rhyme there. )
I have to agree about "Spanish Flea"--for me it's just plain ol' over-exposure throughout the years. I skip it now every so often, no offense to anyone involved. But I've played "Tijuana Taxi" even more than "Flea", and that's one of my favorites! I can say that a lot about many favorite songs of mine over the years--some still wear on me from overexposure, while I can still play others over and over and never get tired of them.
I haven't composed my own list yet, but I agree about "Talk To The Animals". It worked on the TV special, but I even skipped it on LP when I was a kid. (I'd actually cycle the record changer, since it was the last track...I had to be really careful with our stereo LPs on our then-new Magnavox console.)