Dec 222010
Townsman andyr proposed the following topic for discussion on The Main Stage. So it is written, so let it be done!
What is the best (or your favorite) opening track on an album/CD? I have wondered what the reaction was like in ’64 (’63 in England), when buyers of Meet/With The Beatles” plopped down the needle and listened to “It Won’t Be Long” for the first time?
If I had to choose one, it would probably be “ELO Kiddies” by Cheap Trick.
The first one that comes to mind is “Good Times, Bad Times” – Led Zep. Now that’s how to get the party started.
The first one that comes to mind is “Good Times, Bad Times” – Led Zep. Now that’s how to get the party started.
Accidents Will Happen – Elvis Costello (Armed Forces)
Paper And Fire – John Mellencamp
Cult Of Personality – Living Colour
Scuttle Buttin’ – Stevie Ray Vaughan
“Highway to Hell” from the album of the same name. Now THAT’s an opening track!
Probably “Rocks Off” from Exile.
“My Baby She’s Alright” from Scruffy the Cat’s first LP sums up pretty much everything I love about rock and roll: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATdW15U6kMc
I just have to point out that anyone dropping the needle on Meet/With the Beatles was probably not hearing the Beatles for the first time.
P.S.: Kate Bush’s big sister at 1:38 of that video. (Assertion not independently verified at this time.)
Television’s See No Evil and so many by Elvis Costello that I can’t pick one (Beyond Belief, No Action, Accidents Will Happen, etc.)
This is a TOUGH question, but I’m thinking that not all my favorite bands typically kick off albums with killer songs. XTC, for instance, often had a mood-setting track rather than killer song, but then I’m forgetting the amazing “Respectable Street” and “Life Begins at the Hop,” no? “Respectable Street” has got to be a contender for me.
“Help!” is hard to beat among Beatles’ openers, and “Two of Us” is always a personal favorite, but not top shelf. Beside that, I’m not a giant fan of most Beatles’ openers, although “Come Together” would be in the running if the rest of the album lived up to that song’s promise.
“Rocks Off” is a great one, but – for me – that also suffers from too quick a letdown. Tvox suggests a killer with “Good Times Bad Times,” which makes me realize that Led Zeppelin usually loaded their albums with excellent opening tracks.
Pere Ubu’s “Non-alignment Pact” made a great first impression on me, as did “Navvy” from Dub Housing. Man, I’m not coming up with my personal fave/best opener quite yet. Let me think some more… (I’m more of a first song on side 2 guy – a certain follow-up discussion???)
Hey, just after posting I saw highstrungloner’s favorite, and I may have to second that! “See No Evil” is an awesome opener.
Funny, though, I went through my Costello albums and although I love many of the opening tracks, I couldn’t find one to put in my #1 slot.
I gotta admit, while I have little love for Mellencamp, Paper and Fire is a pretty good song.
Tangled Up in Blue (Blood on the Tracks) and Gimme Shelter (Let It Bleed).
And Milkcow Blues from Kink Kontroversy. Love that.
I’m down with that Kinks’ opener too – and how did I forget “The Village Green Preservation Society”?
I know it’s not a real album-album, but I always thought Odds & Ends from Basement Tapes was a great opener. After years of hearing about these legendary recordings for years, that was a mind-blowing needle-drop. It rocks. Plus I always thought it would be a great opening number in a live setting.
Speaking of the Kinks, what about Something Else starting with the weird backward sounds and then the fa-fa-fa’s of David Watts? And that cool little rhythm guitar trot that kicks of Victoria on Arthur is perfect.
And for some reason I was in the mood for Talking Heads’ True Stories over the weekend, and Love For Sale is a really great opening track.
Odds and Ends, I always thought, would have been a great show opener in the early years of the Never Ending Tour when he was playing very stripped down arrangements and airing a ton of songs that he’d never done live before. Alas, it did not happen.
Good points, all (but the True Stories album, which I don’t remember other than walking out on the movie)!
I think the reaction might have been it’s almost as cool as the count off for I Saw Her Standing There that started Please Please Me.
It’s an easy, no competition answer for me: “Brown Sugar.”
Oats, that isn’t the first track on my version of that album.
That’s a good one! It’s cool when the opening track has a distinctive beat or riff that builds some drama.
If we are only counting debut albums:
– Pretenders “Precious” : now that is a way to say hello!
First tracks on subsequent albums, I have to offer:
– Beatles “Taxman” : and “the quiet one” steps to the front
– Elvis Costello “No Action” : the Pete Thomas drums are maniacal!
– The Police “Message in a Bottle” : a distinct change in direction to launch their second and probably best album
+1 to Oats and HVB’s selections! Although I can never get “ELO Kiddies” placed into my head as the opening track since the original albums had the sides mislabeled, so to me “Hot Love” seems like the opening track though that has been corrected now.
Rock Off for sure! The fingers buzzing on the strings, Jagger’s “Oohhh, yeaahh” that just oozes depravity. Man, that’s a statement of purpose. The cherry on top is that everything that follows is even better.
I agree with Pretenders “Precious” — a jolting start to one of my favorite albums.
My personal favorite is The Clash — “London Calling”
Born Under Punches would be my choice opening track by the T.H.
I have an indelible memory of being at a party in middle school and the coolest kid in my class came in a put on an album … and Black Dog came on and literally blew my head off. I guess it was my first “real” listen to Zeppelin. Great opening track.
Break on Through on the first Doors lp & Search and Destroy on Raw Power.
Um, “Thunder Road”.
I also think the greatest set up for an album I’d never heard before would me “Misunderstood” from Being There
Maybe “Me & Mia” from Ted Leo’s Shake the Sheets
No brainer for me: “Kenneth, What’s the Frequency?” into “Not Because You Can” on Lolita Nation by Game Theory. Now that’s some Power and Glory of Rock.
I was thinking the same thing. I figured he meant Hello There (“ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to rock?) from In Color.
That’s funny you mention that Wilco song because for me, that’s the one track that keeps the first disc from being a perfect disc.
It depends…. Confusion about the song order on Cheap Trick arises from the fact that the two sides of the original record are labeled “Side A” and “Side 1”. I guess there is no B material on it!
The original album back cover listing implies Side A (with “Hot Love”) is before Side 1 (with “ELO Kiddies”), and the original CD release is in that order. However, I recall reading that the band intended Side 1 to be the opener, and sure enough the later CD releases reflect that order.
“Hello There” is a great opener, too.
Costello pulled the same thing as Cheap Trick by having Get Happy! list side 1 and 2 differenly on the disk from the album sleeve. I’ve sparred with a number of citizens about my belief that the album is a much better artistic statement, and it’s Costello’s intent, if you consider the Love For Tender side as side 2. I still believe that despite the reissues getting it wrong.
I’m with team chickenfrank on this. Album ends with “High Fidelity”, the most desperate, emotion packed song. That is the “correct” sequence
Cool thread.
I totally agree with Pretender’s “Precious”, Television’s “See No Evil” and The Beatle’s “Help”.
I think one could add “I saw her standing there” and “Hard Days Night” for The Beatles.
I’ll add a few that come to mind:
Lou Reed’s “Vicious” off TRANSFORMER. Kicks that album of right. More rocking then most of the tracks, cool guitar work. Even has the “hit you with a flower” line.
Velvet Underground start out right with “I’m Waiting for my man”. Talk about kicking off an album, career with a cool track and setting to tone for what they were about.
I’m going back to the Steve Forbert once again. I think “Goin’ down to Laurel” is a terrific track and really the perfect track to lead ALIVE ON ARRIVAL .
Finally, I really like an album from 1969 by Dale Hawkins called “LA, Memphis and Tyler, TX”. The lead title track grabs me every time for this loose, fun little record. Not a style of music I listen to a lot but this record (esp this track) really works for me ….
I still disagree with you guys. My album ends with “Riot Act,” and the 38 CD reissues do too. In fact, the sequence of the CD is listed this way on Wikipedia, so if that doesn’t verify how right I am I don’t know what will.
I still love you guys, but don’t be surprised if I sucker punch you over this next time we’re together.
Having possibly once championed it here as a “best first track on a first album” nominee, I have to throw “Re-Make/Re-Model” into the ring.
andyr, I also really love “It Won’t Be Long” as an opener, especially coming as the first track on the second album. That had to settle any lingering doubts of “yeah, but what else ya got?” It is, in fact, such a powerful opener that it most likely played a part in making the song that follows it the scientifically proven Real Most Underrated Beatles Song Ever. (https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php/once-and-for-all-what-s-really-the-most/)
How is this a discussion? It ends with Riot Act. On the other hand, I am totally convinced that This Year’s Model has its own secret track sequence and only I know it. And I’m not telling.
Man, determining that was an important achievement! I can’t tell you how many cocktail party conversations I’ve settled…once and for all…with our answer.
Kinda related, I got the Remastered Darkness on The Edge Of Town and as great as it sounds, I still prefer my cassette I made from vinyl in 1984 with side TWO first (The Promised Land as the opener) and side one second (with Racing In The Street as the closer) I may burn a version “my” way
Hands down favorite opening track -“Dictator” from the Clash’s “Cut the Crap”.
E. Pluribus Gergely
I really like the opening to Brendan Benson’s “One Mississippi” album, where he blows through two short snippets of songs before hitting a somewhat “full length” tune: Tea – Bird’s Eye View – Sittin’ Pretty.
Red Rain is a pretty good album opener as well, though it’s not exactly “getting the party started.”
Drinks on me, Geo. Thanks for the support on Christmas Eve Eve. (your night!) Get Happy ends with High Fidelity. Riot Act is the perfect Side 1 closer. I will buy ANOTHER reissue of that album if it’s exactly the same as all the others, except that the liner notes have the tracks correctly listed in the order of Geo, Chicken, and Costello.
Racing In the Street would make a great last song. I think I’ll switch mine around too.
I’m going back to my original Radar Records version. I know there was something slightly ambiguous about the side 1 and side 2 labeling, but until the CD came out, I never even realized there was a possibility that the record didn’t start with “I Can’t Stand Up…”
I concur.