Albums with Best/Worse Opening Song
03-18-03, 09:11 PM
#1
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Thread Starter
Albums with Best/Worse Opening Song
Some albums are great, but the opening song is weaker than it deserves to be, sometimes. But, sometimes the opening song compliments the entire album!
One example:
Worse: Ain't Got You
from Tunnel of Love by Bruce Springsteen
Best: Break on Through
from The Doors by The Doors
Just two examples. There are plenty more where they came from.
One example:
Worse: Ain't Got You
from Tunnel of Love by Bruce Springsteen
Best: Break on Through
from The Doors by The Doors
Just two examples. There are plenty more where they came from.
03-18-03, 09:26 PM
#2
DVD Talk Hero
I'm biased since they're my favorite band, but I've always been impressed with the way Live opens albums. They start each album off with a driving song that gets me really pumped up. The unfortunate trade-off is that some albums trail off and are pretty weak near the end, but at least they start strong. Concerts start the same way, except they also kick ass in the middle and end. 
An example of a bad first track would be "How the West Was Won and Where it Got Us" off R.E.M.'s 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi'. For a band that typically starts off albums very well, this was a real bad selection IMO.
das
An example of a bad first track would be "How the West Was Won and Where it Got Us" off R.E.M.'s 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi'. For a band that typically starts off albums very well, this was a real bad selection IMO.
das
03-18-03, 09:56 PM
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das Monkey, I *swear* I'm not doing this to spite you, but I actually thought of starting a thread about this very subject, mainly because I've always felt......
Worst opening song:
Live - Throwing Copper - "The Dam at Otter Creek" (that was the name, right?). There were several songs on this album I really liked, but I thought the opener was downright unlistenable.
Good openers that aren't necessarily the "best" song, but get you pumped for the rest of the album:
Metallica - Master of Puppets - "Battery"
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven - "Strength Beyond Strength"
Tool - AEnima - "Stinkfist" / "Track #1" (Damn MTV)
Albums where track 1 is infinitely better than anything that follows:
Opeth - Orchid - "In Mist She Was Standing" (Not a bad album, but that first song is a tough act to follow)
Tool - Lateralus - "The Grudge" (Tracks 8 and 9 were kinda almost in the same league, though. Hated "Schism.")
I'll have to re-examine my collection and come back with more later.
Worst opening song:
Live - Throwing Copper - "The Dam at Otter Creek" (that was the name, right?). There were several songs on this album I really liked, but I thought the opener was downright unlistenable.
Good openers that aren't necessarily the "best" song, but get you pumped for the rest of the album:
Metallica - Master of Puppets - "Battery"
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven - "Strength Beyond Strength"
Tool - AEnima - "Stinkfist" / "Track #1" (Damn MTV)
Albums where track 1 is infinitely better than anything that follows:
Opeth - Orchid - "In Mist She Was Standing" (Not a bad album, but that first song is a tough act to follow)
Tool - Lateralus - "The Grudge" (Tracks 8 and 9 were kinda almost in the same league, though. Hated "Schism.")
I'll have to re-examine my collection and come back with more later.
03-18-03, 10:11 PM
#5
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Good openers:
"Timebomb" Old 97's Too Far to Care
"I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana Nevermind
"Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor" eels Electro-Shock Blues
"Big Darkness" Crooked Fingers Red Devil Dawn
"If I Were Going" Afghan Whigs Gentlemen
"Yardwork in November" The Actual Tigers Gravelled & Green
"Rift" Phish Rift
Bad openers:
"Can't Stand It" Wilco Summerteeth (One of my favorite albums ever recorded, and they begin it with my least favorite song they've ever recorded.)
"Not Coming Down" moe. Wormwood (Again, an amazing album opening with its weakest track.)
"King of All the World" Old 97's Satellite Rides
These are just off the top of my head...sure I can come up with quite a few more after scanning through my CDs.
"Timebomb" Old 97's Too Far to Care
"I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana Nevermind
"Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor" eels Electro-Shock Blues
"Big Darkness" Crooked Fingers Red Devil Dawn
"If I Were Going" Afghan Whigs Gentlemen
"Yardwork in November" The Actual Tigers Gravelled & Green
"Rift" Phish Rift
Bad openers:
"Can't Stand It" Wilco Summerteeth (One of my favorite albums ever recorded, and they begin it with my least favorite song they've ever recorded.)
"Not Coming Down" moe. Wormwood (Again, an amazing album opening with its weakest track.)
"King of All the World" Old 97's Satellite Rides
These are just off the top of my head...sure I can come up with quite a few more after scanning through my CDs.
03-18-03, 10:31 PM
#6
DVD Talk Hero
• Quoth inVectiVe •<HR SIZE=1>das Monkey, I *swear* I'm not doing this to spite you, but I actually thought of starting a thread about this very subject, mainly because I've always felt......
Worst opening song:
Live - Throwing Copper - "The Dam at Otter Creek" (that was the name, right?). There were several songs on this album I really liked, but I thought the opener was downright unlistenable.<HR SIZE=1>
Wow! I'm ... stunned. I love that song. For years, they began nearly every concert with it, and it was great. The place would go dark, the opening guitar would lightly begin, Ed would appear in the center of the stage with his head down, and the song would slowly build as the rest of the band came out. The cymbals would lightly kick in, and for each of those 5 opening drum hits, the stage would explode in light and then go dark again until ultimately merging into a thunderous driving rhythm and flash of lights that started the concert with authority.
Maybe my opinion has been warped by seeing them kick ass in concert so many times, but I've always loved that intro and really miss it now that they don't do it anymore.
Then again, a lot of people didn't like Simple Creed either (which they open concerts with now), but I thought it was a great start to V and a great way to kick off a concert. It's hard to argue against The Dolphins Cry, Rattlesnake, and Pain Lies on the Riverside.
das
03-18-03, 10:46 PM
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As you may have guessed, I've never seen Live......live. Perhaps if I had, I'd have liked that song more. It sounded cool the way you described it.
Two more....
Worst opening song:
Type O Negative - World Coming Down - "White Slavery" (I like the album, but found that the best stuff was near the end.)
Opening song eats all the others for breakfast:
Type O Negative - October Rust - "Love You to Death" (Similar to the Opeth/Orchid story; I like the album as a whole but the first song sets impossibly high standards. "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" and "Cinnamon Girl" are cool. )
Two more....
Worst opening song:
Type O Negative - World Coming Down - "White Slavery" (I like the album, but found that the best stuff was near the end.)
Opening song eats all the others for breakfast:
Type O Negative - October Rust - "Love You to Death" (Similar to the Opeth/Orchid story; I like the album as a whole but the first song sets impossibly high standards. "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" and "Cinnamon Girl" are cool.
)
03-18-03, 10:49 PM
#8
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
das...I agree. "The Dam at Otter Creek" is an amazing opener. I like Live, but I'm not a huge fan, but that song was the perfect choice to open up a great album. Then again, I'm a sucker for slow building openers...
Last edited by Gdrlv; 03-18-03 at 10:51 PM.
03-18-03, 11:05 PM
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I very nearly did the same for "Christian Woman," but I feel "Black No. 1" is almost as good, and I wanted to stick with extremes - 'First song is incredibly weak' versus 'First song is better than all the others combined.'
But yeah, "Christian Woman" could have gone under my "If not 'the best,' it still pumps you up for what's to follow" heading.
Moving into the death metal category, I've found that pretty much every Morbid Angel disc I listened to fell into "Why are none of the other songs even *close* to as good as the first?!" territory. This was particularly the case with their latest CD Gateways to Annihilation. The first song (actually the second track; #1 is a short intro) "Summoning Redemption" was IMO a real keeper in a sea of mediocrity.
Edit: To branch out a bit genre-wise, I'll add....
Exceptional openers:
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes - "Crucify"
Tori Amos - From the Choirgirl Hotel - "Spark"
But yeah, "Christian Woman" could have gone under my "If not 'the best,' it still pumps you up for what's to follow" heading.
Moving into the death metal category, I've found that pretty much every Morbid Angel disc I listened to fell into "Why are none of the other songs even *close* to as good as the first?!" territory. This was particularly the case with their latest CD Gateways to Annihilation. The first song (actually the second track; #1 is a short intro) "Summoning Redemption" was IMO a real keeper in a sea of mediocrity.
Edit: To branch out a bit genre-wise, I'll add....
Exceptional openers:
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes - "Crucify"
Tori Amos - From the Choirgirl Hotel - "Spark"
Last edited by inVectiVe; 03-19-03 at 12:06 AM.
03-19-03, 02:02 AM
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I too, am a Live fan
Originally posted by das Monkey
Then again, a lot of people didn't like Simple Creed either (which they open concerts with now), but I thought it was a great start to V and a great way to kick off a concert. It's hard to argue against The Dolphins Cry, Rattlesnake, and Pain Lies on the Riverside.
das [/B]
Then again, a lot of people didn't like Simple Creed either (which they open concerts with now), but I thought it was a great start to V and a great way to kick off a concert. It's hard to argue against The Dolphins Cry, Rattlesnake, and Pain Lies on the Riverside.
das [/B]
that intro on V with Tricky is badass, I eject the cd and put it back in just to hear that CD open, that would be a great start to a concert, sadly I have yet to see them...
03-19-03, 03:38 AM
#13
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness' instrumental self-titled opener is absolutely amazing.....the piano is terrific.
BTW......Dam at Otter Creek is not so good on its own but great for opening Throwing Copper and Live live shows.
I'm a huge fan of Live and wished they would've included John Lennon's "Imagine" on V like they were supposed to.....it's really beautiful in concert.
BTW......Dam at Otter Creek is not so good on its own but great for opening Throwing Copper and Live live shows.
I'm a huge fan of Live and wished they would've included John Lennon's "Imagine" on V like they were supposed to.....it's really beautiful in concert.
03-19-03, 07:17 AM
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London Calling on London Calling by the Clash
Smells Like Teen Spirit on Nevermind by Nirvana
Cherub Rock on Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins
Purple Haze on Are You Expierenced by Jimi Hendrix
Baba O' Riley on Who's Next by The Who
Smells Like Teen Spirit on Nevermind by Nirvana
Cherub Rock on Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins
Purple Haze on Are You Expierenced by Jimi Hendrix
Baba O' Riley on Who's Next by The Who
03-19-03, 08:37 AM
#15
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Best: (just from memory)
"Who wants to Rock" by Clutch on Jam Room
"Angel of Death" by Slayer on Reign in Blood
"Cherub Rock" by Smashing Pumpkins on Siamese Dream
"Aces High" by Iron Maiden on Powerslave
"Stork Theme" by Atomic Bitchwax on S/T
"South of Heaven" by Slayer on South of Heaven
"In the Meantime" by Helmet on Meantime
"Blind" by Korn on S/T
"Soaked in Torment" by All Out War on For those who were crucified
Worst:
"Bathtub" by SnoopDog on Doggystyle and any album that starts off with some never ending sample or slow boring sound effects. A CD (at least something that rocks) should pummel the listener right out of the gate, smacking them in the face in lieu of the onslaught that is about to be unleashed.
"Who wants to Rock" by Clutch on Jam Room
"Angel of Death" by Slayer on Reign in Blood
"Cherub Rock" by Smashing Pumpkins on Siamese Dream
"Aces High" by Iron Maiden on Powerslave
"Stork Theme" by Atomic Bitchwax on S/T
"South of Heaven" by Slayer on South of Heaven
"In the Meantime" by Helmet on Meantime
"Blind" by Korn on S/T
"Soaked in Torment" by All Out War on For those who were crucified
Worst:
"Bathtub" by SnoopDog on Doggystyle and any album that starts off with some never ending sample or slow boring sound effects. A CD (at least something that rocks) should pummel the listener right out of the gate, smacking them in the face in lieu of the onslaught that is about to be unleashed.
03-19-03, 08:38 AM
#16
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Thread Starter
"Dumpweed" is a great opener for a great album called Enema of the State by Blink-182
Some album's have the best song as the last track:
"Time for Change" from Dr Feelgood by Motley Crue
"To Be With You" from Lean Into It by Mr. Big
Some album's have the best song as the last track:
"Time for Change" from Dr Feelgood by Motley Crue
"To Be With You" from Lean Into It by Mr. Big
03-19-03, 10:26 AM
#17
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally posted by das Monkey
I'm biased since they're my favorite band, but I've always been impressed with the way Live opens albums. They start each album off with a driving song that gets me really pumped up. The unfortunate trade-off is that some albums trail off and are pretty weak near the end, but at least they start strong.
das
I'm biased since they're my favorite band, but I've always been impressed with the way Live opens albums. They start each album off with a driving song that gets me really pumped up. The unfortunate trade-off is that some albums trail off and are pretty weak near the end, but at least they start strong.
das
The first track, The Dolphin's Cry, is such a killer song that screams "You are going to hear a great album!" but the rest of the songs on the album are just...(as in Randy Jackson from American Idol) O-KAY and are not some of their best outings.
----------------------------------
Best Opening Song:
Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Part One)
Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here
Worst Opening Song:
I will have to think of one.
03-19-03, 11:12 AM
#18
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
a few great openings:
"Who Was in My Room Last Night?"
from Independent Worm Saloon by the Butthole Surfers
"Sweat Loaf"
from Locust Abortion Technician, again by the Butthole Surfers
"A Daisy Chain for Satan"
from Confessions of a Knife by My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
"Take Me Away"
from Chocolate & Cheese by Ween
"Who Was in My Room Last Night?"
from Independent Worm Saloon by the Butthole Surfers
"Sweat Loaf"
from Locust Abortion Technician, again by the Butthole Surfers
"A Daisy Chain for Satan"
from Confessions of a Knife by My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
"Take Me Away"
from Chocolate & Cheese by Ween
03-19-03, 12:09 PM
#21
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Thread Starter
Worst: "My Name is Jonas" by Weezer from "Weezer [blue]"
Kick-ass album - loved every song except the opener, although I can listen to it.
Kick-ass album - loved every song except the opener, although I can listen to it.
03-19-03, 05:11 PM
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Other good-to-phenomenal openers:
Slayer - Just about any track #1 of theirs is thrash-tastic!
Immortal - (last 3 albums) - "Withstand the Fall of Time," "Triumph," "One by One" (All excellent.)
Sepultura - Beneath the Remains - "Beneath the Remains" (One of the best thrash songs ever.)
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power - "Mouth For War"
Soundgarden - Superunknown - "Let Me Drown" (Heard a bunch of this album's songs on the radio, but not the opener, why?!)
Tool - Undertow - "Intolerance" (I don't think this tune gets the recognition it deserves.)
Opeth - Still Life - "The Moor" (Moves me to tears.)
Machine Head - The More Things Change... - "Ten Ton Hammer"
Slayer - Just about any track #1 of theirs is thrash-tastic!
Immortal - (last 3 albums) - "Withstand the Fall of Time," "Triumph," "One by One" (All excellent.)
Sepultura - Beneath the Remains - "Beneath the Remains" (One of the best thrash songs ever.)
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power - "Mouth For War"
Soundgarden - Superunknown - "Let Me Drown" (Heard a bunch of this album's songs on the radio, but not the opener, why?!)
Tool - Undertow - "Intolerance" (I don't think this tune gets the recognition it deserves.)
Opeth - Still Life - "The Moor" (Moves me to tears.)
Machine Head - The More Things Change... - "Ten Ton Hammer"
03-19-03, 06:29 PM
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Originally posted by inVectiVe
Other good-to-phenomenal openers:
Tool - Undertow - "Intolerance" (I don't think this tune gets the recognition it deserves.)
Other good-to-phenomenal openers:
Tool - Undertow - "Intolerance" (I don't think this tune gets the recognition it deserves.)
One of my favorite songs off of Undertow.