Favourite album opening tracks.

[burningwheel]

in the spirit of the closing tracks post

Echo and the Bunnymen - Going Up (crocodiles)

[sunray]

Haven't we already done this?

Well, it would seem we haven't. Could've sworn we did though. Carry on...

[James T]

Suzanne by Leonard Cohen is the winner.

[runcible]

We're back to Good Times Bad Times by Led Zeppelin. Can't be beaten. Also Whole Lotta Love from Led Zep 2. And The Immigrant Song from Led Zep 3. Black Dog from Led Zep 4. Custard Pie from Physical Graffiti.

Taxman from Revolver.

Also, and I am not a Radiohead fan - Airbag from Ok Computer (the only song on that album I really like!).

Off the top of my head while bored at work (that's not a song by the way, just the truth).

[jadams501]

Star Sail (Storm in Heaven)
Medication (Pure Phase)
Girl From The North Country w/ Johnny Cash (Nashville Skyline)

[olan]

All time favourite album opener:

'Sketch for Summer ' from The Return Of.. by The Durutti Column

Runners up:
'Sounds in Motion' from Drop by Bowery Electric
'Eat Y'self Fitter' from Perverted By Language by The Fall
'Soundhead' from Heavens End by Loop
'Hunted by a Freak' from Happy Sounds for Happy People by Mogwai
'Dreams Never End' from Movement by New Order
'Leave Them All Behind" from Going Blank Again by Ride
'Bop Pills' from Stay Sick by The Cramps
'Disorder' from Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division

[olliemorr]

Spiritualized - Ladies & Gents, from Ladies & Gents.
Stereolab - Metronomic Underground from Emperor Tomato Ketchup.
Blonde Redhead - 23 from 23.
Elbow - Station Approach from Leaders Of The Free World.
Fuck Buttons - Sweet Love For Planet Earth from Street Horrrsing.
Harmonia - Deluxe (Immer Wieder) from Deluxe.
LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous! from Sound Of Silver.
Low - Sunflower from Things We Lost In The Fire.
Explosions In The Sky - The Birth and Death of the Day from All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone.
Mercury Rev - Holes from Deserter's Songs.
Mercury Rev - Chasing A Bee from Yerself Is Steam.
Ulrich Schnauss - Gone Forever from A Strangely Isolated Place.
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You from So Tonight That I Might See.
Pixies - Debaser from Doolittle.
Jesus & Mary Chain - Just Like Honey from Psychocandy.

That should suffice for ze moment.

[ericdbn]

The first dozen off the top of my head...

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space - LAGWAFIS/Spiritualized
Movin' on Up - Screamadelica/Primal Scream
Only Shallow - Loveless/My Bloody Valentine
Allison - Souvlaki/Slowdive
I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses/The Stone Roses
Search and Destroy - Raw Power/Iggy and the Stooges
Teenage Riot - Daydream Nation/Sonic Youth
Miss Leader - Shoulder Voices/Rollerskate Skinny
Mis-Shapes - Different Class/Pulp
Evangeline - How I Loved You/Angels of Light
Feel Good Hit of the Summer - Rated R/Queens of the Stone Age
Get Ready for Love - Abattoir Blues/Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

[MODLAB]

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space - LAGWAFIS/Spiritualized

I remember opening the package up with a pop and when I heard those first words
the hair on my arms basically shot like a porcupine.

Probably the one of the best opening songs in history.

M

[Noddy]

Spacemen 3) - Take Me To The Other Side
The Cramps - TV Set
Verve - A Northern Soul
Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey
Funkadelic - Mommy, Whats A Funkadelic?
Spiritualized - You Know Its True
West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Shifting Sands (just got into this)
Velvet Underground - Sunday Morning
The Smiths - Queen Is Dead
Can - Paperhouse
Spiritualized - Ladies and Gents
Mercury Rev - Dark Is Rising

These are just off the top of my head.

[BzaInSpace]

Luv N' Haight
Down On The Street
Search and Destroy
Serve The Servants
On Fire
You Hit The Nail On The Head
Ramblin' Rose
Angel Of Death
Feel It (Don't Fight It)
Last Exit
Nutmeg
Wearin' That Loved On Look
Deep Hit Of Morning Sun
Pharaoh's Dance
In Time
Halo of Ashes
Rocks Off
Bamboo Banga
You're Gonna Miss Me

[jadams501]

If you cut off the first 6 minutes of tribal drumming, Breaking Into Heaven from Second Coming.

[Shaun]

Shine On You Crazy Diamond ~ Parts I–V

[James T]

Low are the best band ever (for me) but Sunflower is one of the worse songs. Amazing Grace on Trust is a greta opener though. VIOLENCE on Long Division too.

[Shinesalight]

Here's just a few for starters:-

Maggot Brain - from Maggot Brain by Funkadelic
Age Of Consent - from Power, Corruption and Lies by New Order
Medication - from Pure Phase by Spiritualized
God! Show me Magic - from Fuzzy Logic by Super Furry Animals
Artificial Energy - from The Notorious Byrd Brothers by The Byrds
Rocks Off - from Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones
Alone Again Or - from Forever Changes by Love
Brassneck - from Bizzaro by The Wedding Present
Smells Like Teen Spirit - from Nevermind by Nirvana
Summer Babe - from Slanted & Enchanted by Pavement
Block Rockin' Beats - from Dig Your Own Hole by The Chemical Brothers
Respect - from I Never loved A Man The Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin
Roscoe - from The Trials of Van Occupanther by Midlake
New Age - from Embrace by Sleepy Sun
Lost At Birth - from Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black

But, Neil Young could pretty much do a top 10 of his own:-

Cinnamon Girl - from Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
Don't Cry No Tears - from Zuma
Tonight's the Night - from Tonight's the Night
My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue) - from Rust Never Sleeps
Country Home - Ragged Glory
Tell Me Why - After The Goldrush
Walk On - On The Beach
Mr Soul - Buffalo Springfield Again
Out On The Weekend - Harvest
Rockin' In The Free World - Freedom

[sunray]

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space - LAGWAFIS/Spiritualized

I remember opening the package up with a pop and when I heard those first words
the hair on my arms basically shot like a porcupine.

Probably the one of the best opening songs in history.

M

Am i the only Spiritualized fan who doesn't really like this song? Always skip it when listening to the album.

[MODLAB]

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space - LAGWAFIS/Spiritualized

I remember opening the package up with a pop and when I heard those first words
the hair on my arms basically shot like a porcupine.

Probably the one of the best opening songs in history.

M

Am i the only Spiritualized fan who doesn't really like this song? Always skip it when listening to the album.

Maybe. But its cool to see someone not liking it. May I ask why?


M

[Shaun]

Some obvious ones but....

Where The Streets Have No Name
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Safe From Harm
Hanging on the Telephone
Hells Bells

But Shine On You Crazy Diamond remains the favourite opener.

[jadams501]

I always loved this song on the album, but stopped liking it nearly as much when I heard the original "Elvis version." Now I rarely listen to the original and, since I also don't care for the Ladies and Gents version of Come Together (too mannered and overproduced to really rock as it does in every other incarnation), I almost never listen to LAGWAFIS in its entirety.

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space - LAGWAFIS/Spiritualized

I remember opening the package up with a pop and when I heard those first words
the hair on my arms basically shot like a porcupine.

Probably the one of the best opening songs in history.

M

Am i the only Spiritualized fan who doesn't really like this song? Always skip it when listening to the album.

[angelsighs]

I must be the only person that doesn't like Medication!

The Bee and The Cracking Egg- Comets on Fire
Gathering Storm- GYBE!
The Birth and Death of the Day- Explosions in the sky (good choice olliemoor!)
Alison- slowdive
First Wave Intact- Secret machines

[sunray]

Why don't i like LAG title track? It just doesn't move me, i've always found it a bit weedy or something, like i want to give Jason a slap round the chops and tell him to shut up Dunno, i just don't think it warrants all the love that gets lavished upon it.

[Already There]

in the spirit of the closing tracks post

Echo and the Bunnymen - Going Up (crocodiles)

I actually thought of making this one. I seem to have forgotten. ^^

Star Sail (Storm in Heaven)

One of the best ever.

"Leave Them All Behind" from Going Blank Again by Ride

It's one of the best songs ever. -_-

Movin' on Up - Screamadelica/Primal Scream
Only Shallow - Loveless/My Bloody Valentine
I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses/The Stone Roses

Oh yes. Love all three of them.

The Smiths - Queen Is Dead

That reminds me of another one:

The Headmaster Ritual. <3

Last Exit

God, man, Untitled! Such a great song.

Wearin' That Loved On Look

Hahahaha. Oh man. Oh well, it's not bad.

[Already There]

Some obvious ones but....

Where The Streets Have No Name
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Safe From Harm
Hanging on the Telephone
Hells Bells

But Shine On You Crazy Diamond remains the favourite opener.

I Will Follow! Gloria! Sunday Bloody Sunday! A Sort Of Homecoming. Even: Vertigo! Man, I "quite like" U2 at the moment. ^^

And some more:

Help Me Please - Sonic Boom <3
Baba O'Riley - The Who (It's one of their best songs, too.)

Oh, and, um:

Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve

Turn Up The Sun - Oasis
You're Not Very Well - The Charlatans
I Don't Want To See The Sights - The Charlatans
Forever - The Charlatans
Astronomy Domine - Pink Floyd
The Song Remains The Same - Led Zeppelin

[eelnekwah]

One of my favorites gotta be Mad Jack from the 3rd album "Strange Times" by The Chameleons

[burningwheel]

One of my favorites gotta be Mad Jack from the 3rd album "Strange Times" by The Chameleons

good one!

[BVCP206]

Safe European Home - Give 'Em Enough Rope - The Clash
Teen Age Riot - Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth

[runcible]

Safe European Home - Give 'Em Enough Rope - The Clash
Teen Age Riot - Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth

Good shout there!

[tarzan_undies]

'Monkey' from 'The Great Destroyer', Low
'Glenn Tipton' from 'Ghosts of the Great Highway', Sun Kil Moon
'The Queen is Dead' from 'The Queen is Dead', The Smith's
'Infra Riot' from 'Behind the Music', The Sound Track of Our Lives
'This is how we sing Amazing Grace' from 'The Great Destroyer', Low
'Son of a Gun' from 'The La's', the La's
'Mary Joanna ' from 'Mexican R'n'B', The Stairs
'Bring You Down' from 'What's on the Outside', The Real People
'Taxman' from 'Revolver', The Beatles
'Baba O Riley' from Who's Next, The who
'Sgt Major ' from 'Waterpistol', Shack
'Take me to the other side' from PP, S3.

[norrin radd]

thought i'd throw my ore in

angel of death - slayer - reign in blood
jimi - butthole surfers - hairway to steven
black dog - led zep - 4
that first track off aphex twin's collected ambient works vol 1 album, that's some opening !

thank you !

[redcloud]

Man, where do you begin? So many great ones that one could be here all night listing faves or constantly editing their post in fear of leaving one out.

That said, since reading this thread Flash by The Colored Balls on their 'Ball Power' LP keeps coming to me. Great pounding rhythms that just nail you from start to finish. A brilliant rock and roll album and one of my faves.

[angelsighs]

One of my favorites gotta be Mad Jack from the 3rd album "Strange Times" by The Chameleons

good one!

that is a good one! I only bought that album recently and finding Mad Jack by far the best track on there.

[ononist]

Perhaps an obvious one but perhaps so obvious we've overlooked it.

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

[Already There]

jimi - butthole surfers - hairway to steven

Great song title.

Perhaps an obvious one but perhaps so obvious we've overlooked it.

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

Yeah, it's a good song.

[runcible]

jimi - butthole surfers - hairway to steven

Great song title.

Hairway To Steven is the album title (produced by John Paul Jones no less). Other Butthole Surfers titles for your titillation:
Rembrandt Pussyhorse
Brown Reason To Live
Locust Abortion Technician
Independent Worm Saloon
Osychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis

[Already There]

jimi - butthole surfers - hairway to steven

Great song title.

Hairway To Steven is the album title (produced by John Paul Jones no less). Other Butthole Surfers titles for your titillation:
Rembrandt Pussyhorse
Brown Reason To Live
Locust Abortion Technician
Independent Worm Saloon
Osychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis

Ah, I see. ^^ John Paul Jones produced them. Thanks.

Ha, yeah, the song titles ae funny. Interesting...

[Zenchan]

A remarkable lack of Kill All Hippies by Primal Scream in this thread

Also - if the Three EP's by The Beta Band counts as a proper album, then Dry The Rain.