The outro for me can be a very musically satisfying part of a great song. Sadly, on radio they are often cut short by a premature fade-out or the inane ramblings of the DJ. The latter can also apply to many great intro’s as well.
My favourite is the mandolin outro of Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May”. It is the best part of the song for me, and it really has to be appreciated on a good LP/CD/ streaming hifi system that avoids the above abominations.
Another favourite is the ends of BJ Thomas’s “Raindrops keep falling on my head” I just love the trumpet (?) outro.
Any other favourite outro from fellow naimees?
1 Like
I’ve seen all good people. Yes.
5 Likes
Guitar solo at the end of Another Brick in the Wall. Part 2.
.sjb
5 Likes
So, just some thoughts to start with because the outro is as important as the ending of a book, film, TV series or speech. It can be emotional or it could be whimsical and the ones that come to mind immediately are:
- the Agnus Dei in Faures Requiem, where the reprise of the opening theme brings closure to a very emotional (for me at least) piece;
- the whimsical hidden tracks at the end of the Pet Shop Boys’ “Very” album, and PF’s “The Division Bell”
- Firth of Fifth, Supper’s Ready, both on Seconds Out
- on Selling England by the Pound, the way the Cinema Show runs into ‘Aisle of Plenty’, which is great where it overlaps, but almost turns ‘Aisle’ into the outro, with its 1970s supermarket memories
- ‘In the Region of the Summer Stars’, Enid live at Hammersmith, on vinyl
- Holst, “Saturn”
- Yes, “And You and I” especially those live versions where Steve Howe brings it home with the slide guitar.
I could go on!
Controversially, I suppose, had I been Ralph Vaughan Williams I’d have ended The Lark at around 13 minutes with the heavier, deeper, strings that run through the piece, and are so evocative of the early 20th Century, and not just gone with the single violin to represent the lark itself.
3 Likes
Now I know what I’ll be listening to tomorrow!Thanks for thoughtful post.
I’ll give it a go thanks
I’m going to nominate the outro from Layla by Derek & The Dominoes. Not because I’m an EC fan but because of its brilliant use in the film ‘Goodfellas’
3 Likes
The end of A Day In The Life by The Beatles from Sgt Peppers, followed by the backward laughter in the dead wax run out groove - inspired.
3 Likes
Any outro except stupid excuses to do a “fade out” 
2 Likes
I remember watching it in 1990, thinking I’ve got to listen to that track and to my utter surprise learnt that it was Layla. The radio plays never got that far into the song.
4 Likes
I had to look up the meaning of out true, because I wasn’t too clear and some of the posts so far made me uncertain. This from Wikipedia: The term is typically used only in the realm of popular music. It can refer to the concluding track of an album or to an outro-solo, an instrumental solo played as the song fades out or until it stops.
Pink Floyd’s Brain damage going into Eclipse and finally the same heartbeat as the start of the album to me makes a perfect emotional ending to Dark side of the moon.
3 Likes
I’m sure others can go further back than this, but what springs to mind is the classic simple ending to Rock Around The Clock 1955 - so was Rock’n’Roll the first to introduce it?
But then thinking about it, doesn’t classical music often have an outro, e.g. 1812 Overture - what do I know
Life On Mars,original ending with Ronson not happy about phone ringing .
Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way
1 Like
Jacson Browne: The transition between ‘Take It Easy’ and ‘Our Lady Of The Well’ on the ‘For Everyman’ album
1 Like
Classical music almost invariably has a clear ending, but I think the point Wikipedia was making is it’s not normally called an outro in classical. But I have no idea what it is called!
Rise and Fall, by Runrig
Malcolm Jones’s guitar virtuosity has to be heard to be be believed. What he can’t do with a guitar !!
What starts off as a slow vocal in memory of the fallen soars to great heights at the end.
Especially if you can listen to a live version
I’m sure that’s right. When I included Faure and RVW in my response I felt sure they’d not have been thinking ‘now, what about the outro?’ but nevertheless there are some superb [alternative word][s] that are beyond the norm, worth calling out.
On which note I’ll add the Pearl Fishers Duet if I may!
Is the outro to Dark Side of the Moon not an orchestra playing Ticket to Ride? Or is that only on the vinyl?
Supertramp …Crisis What Crisis…on ‘Just a normal day’…there is a feight cuckoo about 2 seconds after the music…