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Great opening tracks
- Thread starter RexNFX79
- Start date
...except that "Ritual" was the fourth tune on Tales From Topographic Oceans, not the opening track. "The Revealing Science Of God" was the opener...which was what I was gonna suggest anyway! Man, if that tune doesn't leave you dazed, boggled, exhausted, and yet prepared for infinite possibilities to follow, I don't know what would.
Good call whoever suggested Boston's "More Than A Feeling" ...much as I completely detest that tune now due to oversaturation from radio airplay decades ago, it boldly announced HERE IS SOMETHING NEW & DIFFERENT! in a way that very few album openers before or since have.
+1 to Tom Sawyer and Power of Equality. I'll add:
Shake Me Like a Monkey from the latest DMB album
Stacked Actors from Foos' "There is Nothing Left to Lose"
Cherub Rock from Pumpkins' "Siamese Dream"
I've Been to Memphis from Lyle Lovett's "Joshua Judges Ruth"
I think there is a psychology behind opening tracks that we may be losing in this age of digital single downloads. Great opening tracks are not usually singles (despite a couple of my examples) but are usually high-energy tracks that grab attention quickly and define a band's sound. If the single is what the band wrote to break radio, the opening track is what they wrote to tell the world who they are and what the album is about.
Shake Me Like a Monkey from the latest DMB album
Stacked Actors from Foos' "There is Nothing Left to Lose"
Cherub Rock from Pumpkins' "Siamese Dream"
I've Been to Memphis from Lyle Lovett's "Joshua Judges Ruth"
I think there is a psychology behind opening tracks that we may be losing in this age of digital single downloads. Great opening tracks are not usually singles (despite a couple of my examples) but are usually high-energy tracks that grab attention quickly and define a band's sound. If the single is what the band wrote to break radio, the opening track is what they wrote to tell the world who they are and what the album is about.
"Painkiller," off Painkiller (obviously), gets right to the point.
"Spirits in the Material World," off Ghost in the Machine, sets a good feeling for the rest of the album.
"Courage (for Huge MacLennan)," off Fully Completely, just a class Hip track!
"Spirits in the Material World," off Ghost in the Machine, sets a good feeling for the rest of the album.
"Courage (for Huge MacLennan)," off Fully Completely, just a class Hip track!
Hmm... How about Leon Russell's self titled album? First track is A Song For You.... Such a pretty song...
First of all, great list and I love any Lyle Lovett reference! Second, I think that is a great point. It used to be that you bought an album and if it was good, it was arranged in a way that you got a swift kick in the begining and then moved throught the songs and it was great going through the experience of hearing the album rise and fall from one track to the next. Digital downloading has taken a lot of that away and lots of folks don't get the "album" experience anymore. That is one of the reasons I still buy CD's and records.
Fugazi's "Waiting Room" off "13 Songs" may be my favorite.
"Options" off Pedro The Lion's "Control" sets the tone for the album perfectly, and similarly "Hard to Be" is perfect for his "Curse Your Branches" album.
"Options" off Pedro The Lion's "Control" sets the tone for the album perfectly, and similarly "Hard to Be" is perfect for his "Curse Your Branches" album.
Unrepresented
Something Borderline Offensive
Rocket From the Crypt - Middle
It introduces the band beautifully as each section is added in to produce a full blown driving rock album opener.
+1 to Electric Eye and Funeral For a Friend
"Welcome to Planet Mother****er" by White Zombie's pretty impressive, starting with a sound collage and working into one of the most face melting grooves ever.
I really Like Torche's - Warship and Monster Magnet's - Data Track as both gradual builds into colossal riffs.
Oh, and Battery by Metallic probably deserves some credit too for going from a Spanish guitar styled melody to a thrash legend in around 1 minute of recording space.
It introduces the band beautifully as each section is added in to produce a full blown driving rock album opener.
+1 to Electric Eye and Funeral For a Friend
"Welcome to Planet Mother****er" by White Zombie's pretty impressive, starting with a sound collage and working into one of the most face melting grooves ever.
I really Like Torche's - Warship and Monster Magnet's - Data Track as both gradual builds into colossal riffs.
Oh, and Battery by Metallic probably deserves some credit too for going from a Spanish guitar styled melody to a thrash legend in around 1 minute of recording space.
