OT: What is the best opener to an album ever?

[dahliaclone]

Interesting discussion I had over the weekend with friends. What is the best opening song for an album? One that you first hear and you may think 'ok, if THIS is the opener, this album is gonna be incredible...'

my two are:

Gimme Shelter by Rolling Stones from the Let it Bleed album

Cherub Rock by Smashing Pumpkins from the Siamese Dream album

 

[Rabbuk]

Box of Rain, American beauty.

 

[flynnhicks03]

Interesting discussion I had over the weekend with friends. What is the best opening song for an album? One that you first hear and you may think 'ok, if THIS is the opener, this album is gonna be incredible...'

my two are:

Gimme Shelter by Rolling Stones from the Let it Bleed album

Cherub Rock by Smashing Pumpkins from the Siamese Dream album

Good Times, Bad Times - LZ 1

(Editing as I think more about it)

Welcome to the Jungle - G'n'R
Tangled Up in Blue - Dylan (Blood on the Tracks)
Thunder Road - Bruce (Born to Run)

 

[Angie]

It's been played so much since then, but "Seven Nation Army" opening Elephant. Or, better yet, "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" on White Blood Cells.

 

[klamath632]

[video=youtube;o4qZMlsfHIs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4qZMlsfHIs[/video]

 

[NenoFone]

Das Rheingold

 

[Mr Janny]

War Pigs on Black Sabbath's Paranoid.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Opening song or opening moments?

If opening moments, I am probably going to give it to Sgt. Pepper's (the concept orchestra warming up to go with the concept of the album itself). Not the best song ever written after it, but that's the "opener" to the album, right?

I don't think this is as good, but I do have The Beatles for the jet takeoff/landing sounds to segue into "Back in the USSR," which is a hilarious parody of the Beach Boys and Chuck Berry, and an incredible introduction that sets the tone for an album that is all about trying out different styles, parody, and cultural appropriation/experimentation, anyways.

 

[Angie]

Opening song or opening moments?

If opening moments, I am probably going to give it to Sgt. Pepper's (the concept orchestra warming up to go with the concept of the album itself). Not the best song ever written after it, but that's the "opener" to the album, right?

I don't think this is as good, but I do have The Beatles for the jet takeoff/landing sounds to segue into "Back in the USSR," which is a hilarious parody of the Beach Boys and Chuck Berry, and an incredible introduction that sets the tone for an album that is all about trying out different styles, parody, and cultural appropriation/experimentation, anyways.

"Come Together" is a pretty solid start for Abbey Road​, too.

 

[cycloneG]

AC/DC's The Razors Edge opening with Thunderstruck.

 

[JHUNSY]

Consoler of the Lonely - The Raconteurs. The off time riff at the beginning transitions smoothly into what I call a nice opener.

 

[GTO]

Welcome to the Jungle - Appetite for Destruction (Guns & Roses)

First time I heard that, I was like "Oh s**t!"

 

[Knownothing]

Motley Crue/ Shout at the Devil/ "In the Beggining".... Just sets the mood for the whole album.

 

[CyBroncos]

Previous posts already mentioned two of my favorites...Back in the USSR and Good Times/Bad Times

Another one I love is Rocks Off from Exile on Main Street

[video=youtube;Sqk1kdjk5o0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqk1kdjk5o0[/video]

 

[bawbie]

from another concept album: Time of the Preacher off The Red Headed Stranger.

 

[JHUNSY]

I should also say the most unfit opener is on The Game's LAX album. DMX prays for him in the intro.. Quite interesting is how the prayer is followed up by the first few words in the next song containing explicit language and such.

 

[bawbie]

oh, and for an opening moment - Folsom Prison Blues

 

[roundball]

Neat topic! I agree with a lot of the responses so far. A couple that stand out for me are Five Years on David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Jimmy James on Check Your Head by the Beastie Boys. I'll never forget the first time I played Check Your Head...I don't think there could have been a better way for the Beasties to say "we're taking a new direction now".

 

[mj4cy]

Smells Like Teen Spirit

 

[roundball]

I also really like the openers to Pink Floyd's albums (even without herbal enhancement), which is fitting since they're all "concept albums" than need an introduction.