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

[MeanDean]

Surprised to not see, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" from Pet Sounds. Definitely sets the tone for the LP nicely. I've always kind of cringed when it starts because to me it sort of sounds out of tune or too echoey or something. Still, hard to keep it off the list...

 

[Clonehomer]

Shine on you crazy diamond - Wish you were here

Still one of my favorite instrumental openings to a song

 

[clonehenge]

Excellent choice. (I thought the album's vibe as a whole was too much to sustain, but that opener is top-notch).

Doesn't matter how many times I hear that song I never get sick of it...love her voice.

You really have to be in the right mood to listen to the whole album...it's very cathartic...

I also really like, "Into Dust" off that album...

 

[drlove]

I'll throw in a mention of So Far Away on Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms. Come to think of it, that album starts off incredibly strong- So Far Away, Money for Nothing, and Walk of Life are the first three tracks.

I'm a bit Dire Straits fan, but I would say that as I've gotten older, I would say that songs 4-9 are almost all better than 1-3. So Far Away is great, but Money for Nothing and Walk of Life don't fit very well with the rest of the album IMO beyond for commercial appeal.

 

[FarminCy]

Pretty much all I was going to say have been covered.

Others I would add.
My Name is Jonas - Weezer- Blue Album
Mexican Hairless - Toadies - Rubberneck
Homebrew - 311- Grassroots

None of these are songs these bands are known for but I've always loved these songs considering how much I used to listen to these CD's in high school.

 

[1100011CS]

Great topic and lots of posts I agree with so far. I'll add two from Jane's Addiction: Stop! - Ritual De Lo Habitual and Up the Beach - Nothing's Shocking

 

[1100011CS]

Doesn't matter how many times I hear that song I never get sick of it...love her voice.

You really have to be in the right mood to listen to the whole album...it's very cathartic...

I also really like, "Into Dust" off that album...

AKA - stoned I love that album.

 

[JP4CY]

Saw 30 Seconds at a small venue a long time ago open up for Sevendust. Never heard of them before, but they put on a great live show.

Same boat as me. Leto (Jared not Shannon) jumped off the stage at the Val Air and I caught his whole Chuck Taylor on the side of my head. He made sure I was OK.
Legit show. Haven't seen them in over a decade, don't know if they still rock that hard or not.

 

[ZJohnson]

The first song from Led Zeppelin I,II,III,IV and Physical Graffiti.

 

[JP4CY]

Homebrew - 311- Grassroots

"Down" from the 311 self titled album was a great #1 album song. Killer guitar.

 

[CYISFLY]

I'm shipping up to Boston- Dropkick Murphys

 

[kentkel]

As mentioned in an earlier post, "SEPARATE WAYS (Worlds Apart)" from Journey's Frontiers album was one of the best opening numbers to an album - that was an awesome album.

 

[KnappShack]

All I know is when it comes to making out, whenever possible, put on side 1 of Led Zeppelin IV

Also U2 - Zoo Station to open Achtung Baby. That song let everyone know the Joshua Tree era was over

 

[BoxsterCy]

Good stuff listing in this thread. For ones I actually own, one of my all time favs is Singing Winds, Crying Beasts which opened for Santana’s Abraxas and morphed pretty seamlessly into Black Magic Woman. Of course I was probably stoned when I played that back in college.
:smile:

Do like the LZ and the Boss’s Thunder Road ones already noted. And Black in Black, even though it opens side 2, has to be listed as great just based on the timing following death of the lead singer.

 

[Al_4_State]

Pretty much all I was going to say have been covered.

Others I would add.
My Name is Jonas - Weezer- Blue Album
Mexican Hairless - Toadies - Rubberneck
Homebrew - 311- Grassroots

None of these are songs these bands are known for but I've always loved these songs considering how much I used to listen to these CD's in high school.

This was the first song to enter my mind when I saw this thread existed. I also think Baba O'Reilly deserves it's place. Epic is always a good choice to open things up.

A few others I haven't seen mentioned:
The Rolling Stones "Brown Sugar" (Sticky Fingers)
Drive-By Truckers "Where the Devil Don't Stay" (The Dirty South)
The Hold Steady "Stuck Between Stations" (Boys and Girls in America)
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Power of Equality" (Blood Sugar Sex Magick)
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires "The Company Man" (Dereconstructed)
Todd Snider "Age Like Wine" (East Nashville Skyline)
Willie Nelson "Shotgun Willie" (Shotgun Willie)
Trampled By Turtles "Wait So Long" (Palomino)

 

[KnappShack]

Good stuff listing in this thread. For ones I actually own, one of my all time favs is Singing Winds, Crying Beasts which opened for Santana’s Abraxas and morphed pretty seamlessly into Black Magic Woman. Of course I was probably stoned when I played that back in college.
:smile:

Do like the LZ and the Boss’s Thunder Road ones already noted. And Black in Black, even though it opens side 2, has to be listed as great just based on the timing following death of the lead singer.

YouTube still has the Melissa Etheridge version of Thunder Road. Acoustic with the Boss. She sings it with the power of the original and Bruce in more of a folk tone. An amazing rendition of the song

 

[GTO]

I also always liked "Know your Rights" from Combat Rock (The Clash). It think it really set the tone for that album.

 

[Antihawk240]

Gotta admit, 1st song that popped into my head as an album lead off is Nitro from the Offsprings Smash CD. Nothing really says "OK this CD is going to be intense and I want to run through a brick wall" like Nitro does.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Gotta admit, 1st song that popped into my head as an album lead off is Nitro from the Offsprings Smash CD. Nothing really says "OK this CD is going to be intense and I want to run through a brick wall" like Nitro does.

Smash actually started with "Time to Relax", Offspring's little spoken intro to the album. I almost included it as well. Good album though. Saw them live a number of times

 

[MayorsAge]

Right off the bat, the first post would have been mine too. Love Cherub Rock on Siamese Dream. I also kind of like Second Hand News on Fleetwood Mac Rumors