Best Opening Track (jazz, album, beatles, neil young, Okkervil River)

Son of JayJamJah · 09-27-2007, 12:11 PM

What is the best opening track on an album? Any album anytime...

I suggest you use these criteria

Is it the best song on the album?
Does it set the tone for the album?
Is it instantly recognizable?
Does the band open with it at live shows?

I'd say you should have three of those four at least to use it but do as you will.

Mine
Astral Weeks - Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
Good Times, Bad Times - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
Baba O'Reilly - The Who - Who's Next

jackhammer · 09-27-2007, 12:15 PM

Shine On You Crazy Diamond immediately jumps out. More to come I think.

Son of JayJamJah · 09-27-2007, 12:19 PM

That's a great one! With a being a sort of ode to a fallen comrade also only makes all the more fitting.

jackhammer · 09-27-2007, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayJamJah

That's a great one! With a being a sort of ode to a fallen comrade also only makes all the more fitting.

The fact that Syd turned up during the recording gives it even more resonance.

sleepy jack · 09-27-2007, 03:48 PM

1. Elliott Smith "Angel in the Show" (New Moon)
2. The Smiths "Reel Around the Fountain" (The Smiths)
3. Ani DiFranco "Untouchable Face" (Dilate)
4. Nick Drake "Pink Moon" (Pink Moon)
5. Bob Dylan "Blowin' in the Wind" (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan)
6. Neutral Milk Hotel "Song Against Sex" (On Avery Island)
7. The Smiths "A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours" (Strangeways, Here We Come)
8. Elliott Smith "Needle in the Hay" (Elliott Smith)
9. Patrick Wolf "Overture" (The Magic Position)
10. Modest Mouse "3rd Planet" (The Moon and Antarctica)

Son of JayJamJah · 09-27-2007, 08:18 PM

I disagree with "Blowin' in the wind...it is kind of a misleading track considering how original the album is beyond it. Still a good song and a great LP though.

sleepy jack · 09-27-2007, 08:30 PM

How is Blowin' in the Wind any less original then the rest of the album? The rest of the album isn't even original, its a straight up folk album. A great one, but still from a musical standpoint, it wasn't any different from the stuff Woody Guthrie was doing.

clarksided · 09-27-2007, 08:30 PM

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat
2. Patrick Wolf - The Libertine
3. Bob Dylan - If Not For You
4. Van Morrison - Fair Play
5. Neil Young - My My, Hey Hey(Out of the Blue)
6. Elliott Smith - Son of Sam
7. Patrick Wolf - Overture
8. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
9. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
10. Leonard Cohen - Suzanne

Son of JayJamJah · 09-27-2007, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crowquill

How is Blowin' in the Wind any less original then the rest of the album? The rest of the album isn't even original, its a straight up folk album. A great one, but still from a musical standpoint, it wasn't any different from the stuff Woody Guthrie was doing.

Freewheelin' has a rather light hearted and satirical tone to it, even in Bob Dylan's Dream it's almost lounge in cheek. Maybe it's because Blowin' in the Wind is such a folk standard and I just listened to the album to review it for my top 100. I just left thinking, man I wished Blowin' in the wind wasn't the first track on this. Maybe you're right, but that was my reaction.

Son of JayJamJah · 09-27-2007, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarksided

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat
2. Patrick Wolf - The Libertine
3. Bob Dylan - If Not For You
4. Van Morrison - Fair Play
5. Neil Young - My My, Hey Hey(Out of the Blue)
6. Elliott Smith - Son of Sam
7. Patrick Wolf - Overture
8. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
9. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
10. Leonard Cohen - Suzanne

Fair Play?

Are you a Veedon Fleece fan?

09-27-2007, 12:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
Son of JayJamJah Occams Razor Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: End of the Earth Posts: 2,472	Best Opening Track What is the best opening track on an album? Any album anytime... I suggest you use these criteria Is it the best song on the album? Does it set the tone for the album? Is it instantly recognizable? Does the band open with it at live shows? I'd say you should have three of those four at least to use it but do as you will. Mine Astral Weeks - Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Good Times, Bad Times - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I Baba O'Reilly - The Who - Who's Next

09-27-2007, 12:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Shine On You Crazy Diamond immediately jumps out. More to come I think. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

09-27-2007, 12:19 PM	#3 (permalink)
Son of JayJamJah Occams Razor Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: End of the Earth Posts: 2,472	That's a great one! With a being a sort of ode to a fallen comrade also only makes all the more fitting.

09-27-2007, 08:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
Son of JayJamJah Occams Razor Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: End of the Earth Posts: 2,472	I disagree with "Blowin' in the wind...it is kind of a misleading track considering how original the album is beyond it. Still a good song and a great LP though.

09-27-2007, 08:30 PM	#8 (permalink)
clarksided Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 77	1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat 2. Patrick Wolf - The Libertine 3. Bob Dylan - If Not For You 4. Van Morrison - Fair Play 5. Neil Young - My My, Hey Hey(Out of the Blue) 6. Elliott Smith - Son of Sam 7. Patrick Wolf - Overture 8. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On 9. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone 10. Leonard Cohen - Suzanne