Best opening 3 tracks on an album?

angelsighs · Post by **angelsighs** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:59 pm

I know we've done the best opening track before.
but some albums have an entire opening salvo which is just unbeatable. I love it when an album has three corkers at the start which blow you away, almost before you can draw breath. this can backfire though- infact there does seem to be a trend of albums being frontloaded. they try and get you hooked then it dips in the middle, only perhaps really picking up with the 'epic' at the end.

Totally arbitrary rule by me: the album must have 9 tracks or more. otherwise you're just listing most of the album.

how's about these for starters:

The Stone Roses- s/t: I Wanna Be Adored>She Bangs The Drums> Waterfall
interestingly the band played these songs in this exact order to open their sets on the Second Coming tour

Jimi Hendrix- Are You Experienced: Foxy Lady>Manic Depression>Red House
stunning. our American cousins get Purple Haze as opener which might work even better but I do consider that song a standalone single really.

Spz- Ladies and Gents- Ladies and gentlemen>Come Together>I Think I'm In Love
not just saying this, I do think these are three of the best and most distinctive songs on L&G.

bruce_brobertson · Post by **bruce_brobertson** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 9:30 pm

The Verve - A Northern Soul

A New Decade - This Is Music - On Your Own

mc · Post by mc » Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:10 pm

Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk: The State I Am In > Expectations > She's Losing It

Radiohead - OK Computer (I don't care, it's a classic): Airbag > Paranoid Android > Subterranean Homesick Alien

Spiritualized: Lazer Guided Melodies: You Know It's True > If I Were With Her Now > I Want You

R.E.M - Lifes Rich Pageant (I've extended this to 4, but frankly could go all the way to 8 ):
Begin the Begin > These Days > Fall On Me > Cuyahoga

scratch · Post by **scratch** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:30 pm

Sly & the family Stone - Fresh

In time
If you want me to stay
Let me have it all

nickh · Post by **nickh** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:48 pm

Spacemen 3 - Playing with Fire
Honey>Come Down Softly to my Soul>How Does it Feel?

Tindersticks - Tindersticks 2
El Diablo en el Ojo>A Night in>My Sister

bunnyben · Post by **bunnyben** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:55 pm

velvets and nico

sunday morning- waiting for the man- femme fatale

highway 61

rolling stone- tombstone blues- it takes a lot to laugh

Post by **runcible** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:01 pm

Just off to bed but this trio is going to take some beating:
Stooges, Funhouse - Down On The Street/Loose/TV Eye

Playing With Fire is a good shout, as is Perfect Prescription and LGM.

jadams501 · Post by **jadams501** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:07 am

Blood On The Tracks:

Tangled Up In Blue - Simple Twist of Fate - You're A Big Girl Now

Pure Phase:

Medication - The Slide Song - All of My Tears (Electric Phase doesn't count!)

In Utero:

Serve The Servants - Scentless Apprentice - Heart Shaped Box

Sgt. Pepper:

Sgt. Pepper - With A Little Help From My Friends - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

angelsighs wrote: Spz- Ladies and Gents- Ladies and gentlemen>Come Together>I Think I'm In Love
not just saying this, I do think these are three of the best and most distinctive songs on L&G.

I would agree with this if Come Together were almost any other recording. The album version to me is weak and overconsidered, lacking a visceral punch.

olan · Post by **olan** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:29 am

Three jump to mind for me straight away, largely for the impact they made on me when I first heard them:

Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
Disorder>Day of the Lords>Candidate

New Order: Movement
Dreams Never End>Truth>Senses
(I might suggest that they could have packed it in soon afterwards and we wouldn't have missed much)

Wooden Shjips
We ask you to ride>Losin' time> Lucy's ride
(We ask you to ride is such a strong tune that they could almost have recorded Ripley eating a bag of crisps as track 2 and still made the list).

toomilk · Post by **toomilk** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:58 am

Without a doubt...hands-down: Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

Then there's Stooges - Fun House

Spz - LAG

Echo and the Bunnymen - Porcupine

The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour

Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister

New Order - Power, Corruption, Lies

Stone Roses - s/t

Clash - London Calling

Can - Ege Bamyasi

angelsighs · Post by **angelsighs** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:17 am

mc wrote: R.E.M - Lifes Rich Pageant (I've extended this to 4, but frankly could go all the way to 8 ):
Begin the Begin > These Days > Fall On Me > Cuyahoga

this is a good one. a lot of the early REM albums are frontloaded- Reckoning and Fables also have considerably stronger first halves than second.
OK Computer also trails off near the end (not a classic in my opinion). I don't like Lucky or the Tourist very much at all.

olan wrote: Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
Disorder>Day of the Lords>Candidate

hmm don't know about this. Unknown Pleasures is a brilliant album but I'd say Candidate is one of the lesser tracks

bbbhenko · Post by **bbbhenko** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:12 pm

lots of good ones have already been suggested, but i cannot help saying:

Lee Perry - Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle (a/k/a Blackboard Jungle Dub):
Black Panta -> V/S Panta Rock -> Khasha Macka

maybe one of the few places where a different version/take of the opening track follows as the second track to create an awesome (rather than boring) effect...

olan · Post by **olan** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:38 pm

angelsighs wrote:
mc wrote:
olan wrote: Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
Disorder>Day of the Lords>Candidate
hmm don't know about this. Unknown Pleasures is a brilliant album but I'd say Candidate is one of the lesser tracks

Fair enough, we all have different tastes/ears. I really like the dubby early JD tunes like Candidate and Autosuggestion. Also, my choice was determined by the impact these opening 3 tunes had on me when I first heard them....On the other hand Movement isn't a great album, but the opening 3 tracks are excellent. The rest of the material and the duff production lets it down. I'm trying to capture the impact of the 3 tunes jointly, not as 3 individual pieces, if that makes any sense

Hving said all that, I did not nominate "Garlands" by the Cocteau Twins, largely because I'm not pushed about "But I'm Not" out of the opening three tunes. I'm also kind of surprised nobody has mentioned Dark Side of The Moon yet. That is some kind of opening salvo.....

angelsighs · Post by **angelsighs** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:47 pm

bruce_brobertson wrote:The Verve - A Northern Soul

A New Decade - This Is Music - On Your Own

this is a good call, but then all of that album is incredible.

A Storm In Heaven is also no slouch: Starsail>Slide Away> Already There

tommy_b · Post by **tommy_b** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 10:24 am

The Congos - Heart Of The Congos. Fisherman>Congoman>Open Up The Gate

The Byrds - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. You Ain't Going Nowhere>I Am A Pligrim>The Christian Life

Dungen - Ta Det Lungt. Panda>Gjort Bort Sig>Festival

Funkadelic - Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow. Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow>Friday night, August 14th>Funky Dollar Bill

RoboHobo · Post by **RoboHobo** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 4:25 pm

My vote goes to...

Massive Attack - Mezzanine: Angel - Risingson - Teardrop

One Asian Under A Groove · Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:51 pm

As soon as I saw the thread title, LAGWAFIS sprang to mind. It's three amazing songs, played together as one stunning suite of music, and forming the first quarter of my favourite album ever made.

My other suggestions:

Daft Punk - "Homework". Daftendirekt - Revolution 909 - Da Funk.

U2 - "The Joshua Tree". Where The Streets Have No Name - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - With Or Without You (not to everyone's taste on here, but 25 years on they are still three of U2's signature songs).

Portishead - "Dummy". Mysterons - Sour Times - Strangers.

Glasvegas - "Glasvegas". Flowers And Football Tops - Geraldine - It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry.

The Delgados - "Hate". The Light Before We Land - All You Need Is Hate - Woke From Dreaming.

David Holmes - "The Holy Pictures". I Heard Wonders - Story Of The Ink - Love Reign Over Me.

Aretha Franklin - "I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You". Respect - Drown In My Own Tears - I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You).

M.I.A. - "Kala". Bamboo Banga - Bird Flu - Boyz.

Camera Obscura - "Let's Get Out Of This Country". Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken - Tears For Affairs - Come Back Margaret.

Camera Obscura - "My Maudlin Career". French Navy - The Sweetest Thing - You Told A Lie.

Hope Of The States - "The Lost Riots". The Black Amnesias - Enemies/Friends - 66 Sleepers To Summer.

One Dove - "Morning Dove White". Fallen - White Dove (Guitar Paradise Mix) - Breakdown (Cellophane Boat Mix).

NWA - "Straight Outta Compton". Straight Outta Compton - Fuck Tha Police - Gangsta Gangsta.

Sigur Ros - "Takk". Takk - Glosoli - Hoppipolla.

Carole King - "Tapestry". I Feel The Earth Move - So Far Away - It's Too Late.

Richard Hawley - "Truelove's Gutter". As The Dawn Breaks - Open Up Your Door - Ashes On The Fire.

Primal Scream - "Vanishing Point". Burning Wheel - Get Duffy - Kowalski.

D'Angelo - "Voodoo". Playa Playa - Devil's Pie - Left & Right.

the xx - "xx". Intro - VCR - Crystalised.

Justice - "â€ ". Genesis - Let There Be Light - D.A.N.C.E.

bunnyben · Post by **bunnyben** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:12 pm

One Asian Under A Groove wrote:

Richard Hawley - "Truelove's Gutter". As The Dawn Breaks - Open Up Your Door - Ashes On The Fire.

cole's corner- "Coles Corner" â€“ "Just Like the Rain" â€“ "Hotel Room" â€“
low edges- run for me- darlin- o my love

i haven't listened to him in ages! have you heard the album he made with duane eddy?

redcloud · Post by **redcloud** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:41 pm

Great thread. I have to think about it. But, I do like runcible's contribution of the first three tracks from 'Funhouse'. Incendiary rock and roll at its best.

While we are at it...what about best closing track on an album??

niamhm · Post by **niamhm** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 10:40 pm

Lot of good suggestions ,some I haven`t heard and may have to check out,tried to think of something not mentioned and one off the first things to spring to mind,

Sex pistols -NMTB ,Holidays In The Sun -Bodies -No Feelings ,some opening burst right their,almost everything you need know about the Pistols right their.

Post by **runcible** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 11:13 pm

redcloud wrote:While we are at it...what about best closing track on an album??

Bloody hell, that's a biggie.

Sgt Pepper?
Loaded?
Led Zep 4?
Playing With Fire?

Man that's a huge list. Maybe the closing 3 tracks would be more complex!

Post by **BzaInSpace** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:10 am

One Asian Under A Groove wrote: As soon as I saw the thread title, LAGWAFIS sprang to mind. It's three amazing songs, played together as one stunning suite of music, and forming the first quarter of my favourite album ever made..

Snap! Can't agree with you more pal: had that one on loud (again) on the hazy sunday morning (again) just passed, following all night party... I was lucky enough to share this with somebody who'd never heard it before. Pretty blown away I think.
I could rhapsodise for hours about how much just those three songs mean to me but... I won't. It's incredible, it's also endlessly fascinating to me how many times I've listened to those songs yet still always hear something different. The first track itself is absolute sonic perfection, and was my wedding song. Enough said. And I still get a tingle when the "...all I want in life's a little bit of love to take the pain away..." line changes very subtly for a couple of times during the 'peak'.

Love the way it then blasts straight into the best ever version of 'Come Together', such an awesome tune. Despite it being produced in the Pure Phase style (except everything is in movement within the stereo/dual-mono field this time) it's dynamic as fuck and utterly relentless and still gives me a massive shiver like very little else. Weirdly enough, the louder I play it, the more it just becomes about the bass. That and the drums... the guitars become these distant fuzztones playing random shit. Love it, this song and the following were the tunes that really showed a big DnB influence at least production wise... just that weird crystal clarity thing going on... despite the "brown and fuzzy" approach.
And then there's 'I Think I'm In Love'. But I'm not gonna talk about it anymore, except VU-tinged robo-gospel does it for me every time, and it's a thing of total glory...

One Asian Under A Groove wrote:My other suggestions:
Daft Punk - "Homework". Daftendirekt - Revolution 909 - Da Funk.
M.I.A. - "Kala". Bamboo Banga - Bird Flu - Boyz.
NWA - "Straight Outta Compton". Straight Outta Compton - Fuck Tha Police - Gangsta Gangsta.
Primal Scream - "Vanishing Point". Burning Wheel - Get Duffy - Kowalski.
D'Angelo - "Voodoo". Playa Playa - Devil's Pie - Left & Right...

Some superb choices - that D'Angelo album is something else, right? And those MIA tracks are legendary around these parts! I'd also add:

Primal Scream - Riot City Blues - 'Country Girl' > 'Nitty Gritty' > 'Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar'

Funkadelic - America Eats It's Young - 'You Hit The Nail On The Head' > 'If You Don't Like The Effects, Don't Produce The Cause' > 'Everybody Is Gonna Make It This Time'

Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On - 'Luv N' Haight' > 'Just Like A Baby' > 'Poet'

Nirvana - In Utero - Serve The Servants > 'Scentless Apprentice' > 'Heart-Shaped Box'

Miles Davis - On The Corner - 'On The Corner' > 'New York Girl' > 'Thinkin' One Thing And Doin' Another'

Dion - Born To Be With You - 'Born To Be With You' > 'Make The Woman Love Me' > 'Your Own Back Yard'

Suede - Dog Man Star - 'Introducing The Band' > 'We Are The Pigs' > 'Heroine'

Prince - Parade - 'Christopher Tracy's Parade' > 'New Position' > 'I Wonder U'
and Purple Rain: Original Soundtrack - 'Let's Go Crazy' > 'Take Me With U' > 'The Beautiful Ones'

Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited - 'Like A Rolling Stone' > 'Tombstone Blues' > 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh...'

The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground - 'Candy Says' > 'What Goes On' > 'Some Kinda Love'
and Loaded - 'Who Loves The Sun' > 'Sweet Jane' > 'Rock & Roll'...

...and probably thousands more. The list above probably represents a lot of my favourite albums anyway, but these are the ones that open with three top drawer absolute classics.

However, I don't know where I'll be without the awesome Let It Come Down opening trio of 'On Fire' > 'Do It All Over Again' > 'Don't Just Do Something, so have to throw that one in too.

Class.

Post by **BzaInSpace** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:14 am

niamhm wrote: Sex pistols -NMTB ,Holidays In The Sun -Bodies -No Feelings ,some opening burst right their,almost everything you need know about the Pistols...

How could I forget! Awesome choice...

redcloud wrote:While we are at it...what about best closing track on an album??

Gonna be immense. And way too many choices. But, probably, LAGWAFIS or Let It Come Down... again.

shalloboi · Post by **shalloboi** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:25 am

my bloody valentine- 'loveless'- 'only shallow,' 'loomer' and 'touched' (or if you don't count that one since it's more of an interlude it's 'to here knows when')

RoboHobo wrote: Massive Attack - Mezzanine: Angel - Risingson - Teardrop

totally agree with this.

a few others i can think of-

galaxie 500- 'on fire'- 'blue thunder,' 'tell me,' 'snowstorm'
the cure- 'disintegration'- 'plainsong,' (that's one of my favorite opening tracks ever) 'pictures of you,' 'closedown' (most cure albums fall into this category if i think about it- they almost always put three of the best tracks, all very different right at the beginning of an album.)
cocteau twins- 'blue-bell knoll'- 'blue-bell knoll,' 'athol-brose,' 'carolyn's fingers'

Minky · Post by **Minky** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:26 am

shalloboi wrote:cocteau twins- 'blue-bell knoll'- 'blue-bell knoll,' 'athol-brose,' 'carolyn's fingers'

Yeah, good one. I was just about to mention this one!

Some more on a quick glance...

Red House Painters "Rollercoaster" - Grace Cathedral Park, Down Through, Katy Song.
Suicide - Rocket USA, Ghost Rider, Cheree.

olan · Post by **olan** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 1:39 pm

Minky wrote:
shalloboi wrote:Suicide - Rocket USA, Ghost Rider, Cheree.

That is a great call.

mc · Post by mc » Sat Aug 13, 2011 3:16 pm

Some more I can think of:

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
King of Carrot Flowers Part 1 > King of Carrot Flowers Parts 2 & 3 > In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Pixies - Doolittle
Debaser > Tame > Wave of Mutilation

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
In the Flowers > My Girls > Almost Frightened

Daft Punk - Discovery
One More Time > Aerodynamic > Digital Love

redcloud · Post by **redcloud** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 3:37 pm

Thinking about this...

After his sister committed suicide and his mother died of cancer, singer/songwriter Mark Everett (Eels) responded with an album that is deeply emotional, horrifyingly sad, bleak and at times makes for incredibly uncomfortable listening. But, in terms of sucking the listener into his world it is hard to beat this trio of songs:

Eels-'Electro Shock Blues' (1998): 'Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor' > 'Going To Your Funeral pt. 1' > 'Cancer For The Cure'

The beauty of this album is that no matter how sad and depressing it is he actually finds a spark of light to end the album with a beautiful uplifting closer ('PS: You Rock My World').

And a couple others that also spring to mind:

Violent Femmes-s/t: 'Blister in the Sun >'Kiss Off > Please Do Not Go'
Pretty Things-Parachute: 'Scene One > The Good Mr. Square > She Was Tall She Was High
MC5-Kick Out The Jams: 'Ramblin' Rose > KOTJ > Come Together

bunnyben · Post by **bunnyben** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:10 pm

lou reed- berlin- berlin- lady day- men of good fortune

a prelude to one of the most dark and beautiful albums ever. reading redcloud's post reminded me of this

spaceman3 · Post by **spaceman3** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:36 am

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

1. Teenage Dream
2. Last Fiday Night (T.G.I.F)
3. California Gurls (ft. Snoop)

angelsighs · Post by **angelsighs** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:37 am

BzaInSpace wrote: The Velvet Underground - Loaded - 'Who Loves The Sun' > 'Sweet Jane' > 'Rock & Roll'...

how could I forget this one? pretty much perfectly fits the bill of the criteria I had in mind

people saying Funhouse or Kick Out The Jams are missing my totally arbitary rule in the original post. but I'll let you off. in which case I'd add Marquee Moon to the list: See No Evil - Venus - Friction

the Joshua Tree one is funny isn't it. I'm not a fan but it's strange how those big hits are right at the beginning of the album. I've heard the story that someone was asked to sequence the album and they misunderstood and just listed the songs from their favourite to least favourite.

One Asian Under A Groove · Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:26 pm

bunnyben wrote:
cole's corner- "Coles Corner" â€“ "Just Like the Rain" â€“ "Hotel Room" â€“
low edges- run for me- darlin- o my love

i haven't listened to him in ages! have you heard the album he made with duane eddy?

I haven't! But I shall seek it out. Now that summer (in Scotland) is over, Mr Hawley will get some serious headphone time.

BzaInSpace wrote:
The first track itself is absolute sonic perfection, and was my wedding song. Enough said.

What a perfect choice. I'm angling to get that song in my wedding playlist but I'm scared in case my missus insists on some Interpol in return and ruins the whole day with some "angular" guitars and "tuneless" singing.

BzaInSpace wrote:
Some superb choices - that D'Angelo album is something else, right? And those MIA tracks are legendary around these parts!

That D'Angelo album just keeps on giving. Soooo dirty. And as statements of intent go, the opening salvo to "Kala" takes some beating.

Shinesalight · Post by **Shinesalight** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:29 pm

Here's some more which I don't think have been mentioned yet:-

Neil Young : Ragged Glory - Country Home/White Line/Fuckin Up (was going to plump with one of his "classic" albums like Tonight's The Night, Zuma, After The Goldrush or On The Beach but just love the opening salvo on this album.

Pavement : Slanted & Enchanted - Summer Babe/Trigger Cut/No Life Singed Her (I think Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is their best album by far but these 3 are the best start to any of their albums.

Mogwai : Young Team - Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home/Like Herod/Katrien (just narrowly beating to the amazing opening trio of songs on Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will)

Ride : Nowhere - Seagull/Kaleidoscope/In A Different Place

Rolling Stones : Exile On Main Street - Rocks Off/Rip This Joint/Shake Your Hips

The Smiths : Strangeways Here We Come - A Rush And A Push.../I Started Something I Couldn't Finsh/Death Of A Disco Dancer

Super Furry Animals : Fuzzy Logic - God! Show Me Magic/Fuzzy Birds/Something 4 The Weekend

The Warlocks : Phoenix - Shake The Dope Out/Hurricane Heart Attack/Inside Outside

The Black Angels : Passover - Young Men Dean/The First Vietnamese War/The Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven
" " " : Directions To See A Ghost - You On The Run/Doves/Science Killer

BRMC : S/T - Love Burns/Red Eyes & Tears/Whatever Happened To My Rock & Roll

Midlake : Trials Of Van Occupanther - Roscoe/Bandits/Head Home

bunnyben · Post by **bunnyben** » Tue Aug 16, 2011 12:49 pm

ah yes ads!

brmc- howl- shuffle your feet- howl- devil's waitin

neil young- harvest moon- "Unknown Legend" â€“ "From Hank to Hendrix" â€“"You and Me"

angelsighs · Post by **angelsighs** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:26 am

lots more great ones here. Exile on Main Street is a cracker- 3 energetic songs to draw you into the world of the album.

BRMC also know how to open an album. s/t and Howl all start with three great songs (infact s/t is another where the second half of the album trails off a bit for me). Baby 81 isn't a great album overall but again starts off with three great rockers.

moop · Post by **moop** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 9:57 pm

warlocks: valley of death, moving mountains, so paranoid
comet: rocket flare, day at the races, she's a mastermind
that's all i can think of for now.

Shinesalight · Post by **Shinesalight** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:25 am

moop wrote:warlocks: valley of death, moving mountains, so paranoid

Yeah, good shout... I love those 3 tracks, and that album in general.

redcloud · Post by **redcloud** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:55 pm

Another that comes to mind for me:

Love-'Forever Changes': Alone Again Or > A House Is Not A Motel > Andmoreagain

mh · Post by mh » Fri Aug 26, 2011 1:04 pm

The Bunnymen/Heaven Up Here - Show of Strength, With a Hip, Over the Wall. Awesome!

Perfect Prescription, of course. I don't think I need to list the tracks.

scratch · Post by **scratch** » Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:57 pm

redcloud wrote:Another that comes to mind for me:

Love-'Forever Changes': Alone Again Or > A House Is Not A Motel > Andmoreagain

Hey now.. thatÂ´s cheating!
ItÂ´s too good of an album - any three songs from that one would do.. I would say that andmoreagain perhaps is the worst song on the album even if I love it.