Best opening song on an album (Group 1)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Hollow Horse, Sep 24, 2018.

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  1. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy Thread Starter

    So what makes a really good opener? Should it be something quirky like Singapore from Rain Dogs or a lengthy epic like Telegraph Road?

    Should the opening song set the tone of the album? You might think so but sometimes like in the case of Ghosts In The Machine, the first three numbers are hit singles.

    A good example for setting the tone I'd say is somehting like The Rainbow on Talk Talk's Spirit Of Eden.

    I have used BEST EVER ALBUMS as the source and taken a selection from the top twenty albums of each year from 1965 until 2014.

    THE FORMAT
    Round 1 - 32 groups of 8 songs with the top two most voted for going through to round 2
    Round 2 - 64 songs divided into 16 groups of 4 with the top two most voted for going through to round 3
    Round 3 - 32 songs divided into 8 groups of 4 with the top two most voted for going through to round 4
    Round 4 - 4 groups of 4 songs with the top two most voted for going through to the grand final
    Final - The eight songs compete in one grand final

    DRAWS
    I use an online randomiser for this and have no say in which songs compete against which - the complete draw has been done and each poll will last three days duration before a new one is posted, that way the board won't be impaired by too many of these at any one time.

    Almost fifty years of music is under the microscope here and there will be something of interest for everyone in the quest to find our most-loved opening song.

    Some groups will be tougher than others of course and this first exchange sees Smells Like Teen Spirit come up against the likes of Telegraph Road, White Light/White Heat and Drive.

    What will you decide?
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  2. Black Magic Woman

    Black Magic Woman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chile
    Nirvana & VU for me.
     
    Hollow Horse likes this.
  3. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy Thread Starter

    I'm voting Telegraph Road which despite being epic length (14 minutes or so) I have always adored and Smells Like Teen Spirit, hard to vote against such a refreshing and vibrant opening number I feel.
     
    ramdom likes this.
  4. Parachute Woman

    Parachute Woman Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Very ambitious project, Hollow Horse, and it should be interesting!

    My picks:
    Everything In Its Right Place - Radiohead
    21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson

    Drive was in contention for my second pick, but Crimson won out in the end. Something wild and new, still to this day.
     
  5. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy Thread Starter

    Thank you. I think it will be. Some fantastic battles ahead without forgetting that the context is still the best opening track rather than which is the best song per se. Easy to disengage from that when later on you see things like Hurricane up against Born In The USA! :agree:
     
    mark winstanley likes this.
  6. SixOClockBoos

    SixOClockBoos The Man On The Flaming Pie

    Haven't heard much of these, but I did vote for Nirvana.
     
  7. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy Thread Starter

    Recent surge for VU - clearly no love for Lou's opener here. :p
     
  8. Rick Robson

    Rick Robson

    Location:
    ️️
    I went with King Crimson's and Dire Straits'
     
    NorthNY Mark and Hollow Horse like this.
  9. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    telegraph road
    drive

    quite a hard choice for me ... but mainly for the second spot. Telegraph road is one of my favourite songs/pieces of music ever
     
  10. Andrew J

    Andrew J Forum Resident

    Location:
    South East England
    How are you going to know if a voter has heard all the records in the batch? Surely that should be a condition, otherwise it's not a fair playing field. And even if they have, there's no way the end result isn't going to be either Dire Straits or Nirvana. Anyway, I'm going for Eno, which will come last but nevertheless is the right answer!
     
    karmaman likes this.
  11. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    idk, you may be selling the forum members short there .... i know it isn't going to thrill you, because of your vote, but the only one of those I don't have is the Eno album ... and I have heard it. I do need to listen to it a couple more times I must admit.
     
    Hollow Horse likes this.
  12. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy Thread Starter

    Doesn't look that way. Don't really get your other point. Most will know these songs, if they don't, they can Youtube them anyway.

    Here's Lou Reed's 'Berlin'.

     
  13. Rufus rag

    Rufus rag Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Am only familiar with the KC track so voted for that
     
  14. Hermes

    Hermes Past Master

    Location:
    Denmark
    Hahaha, that's insane - like a world cup. I like it :D
     
  15. blair207

    blair207 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fife, Scotland
    Cool poll, should be fun. Just had to vote for Nirvana. Radiohead a close 2nd but SLTS is Nirvana in a bottle that smashes you over the head.
     
    Hammerpeg likes this.
  16. grouploner

    grouploner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    That's not the version of 'Berlin' that opens the album of the same name. The version you posted is from the first Lou solo album.

    Here's the correct version...

     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2018
    mr.datsun and Hollow Horse like this.
  17. Chew

    Chew Casual Stalker

    Of these, I picked King Crimson and REM.
     
  18. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    I don't care what's in this poll. Highway Star is going to win it all.
     
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  19. applebonkerz

    applebonkerz Senior Member

    Crimson and Nirvana for me, nothing else even remotely close in this poll.
     
  20. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy Thread Starter

    I certainly wouldn't have known that so thank you. :righton:
     
    grouploner likes this.
  21. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy Thread Starter

    :laugh: (and I'm not laughing at the proclamation) - you already know that Deep Purple must be in this somewehere and so I looked - a while to wait for Group 12 but here is what Highway Star will be up against (a sneak preview lol)...

    Group 12

    (1983) - TOM WAITS - Underground - Swordfishtrombone
    (1992) - PAVEMENT - Summer Babe (Winter Version) - Slanted & Enchanted
    (1996) - NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL - Song Against Sex - On Avery Island
    (1976) - ELO - Tightrope - A New World Record
    (1989) - THE CURE - Plainsong - Disintegration
    (1972) - DEEP PURPLE - Highway Star - Machine Head
    (1977) - FLEETWOOD MAC - Second Hand News - Rumours
    (2010) - TAME IMPALA - It Is Not Meant To Be - Innerspeaker
     
  22. Hammerpeg

    Hammerpeg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Manitoba, Canada
    I voted for the very different “Telegraph Road” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
     
    Hollow Horse likes this.
  23. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy Thread Starter

    My choices too but it does look like the epic Telegraph Road will at least finish a healthy third.
     
  24. Svetonio

    Svetonio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Serbia
    I clicked at 21st Century Schizoid Man
     
    ianuaditis likes this.
  25. TheSeldomSeenKid

    TheSeldomSeenKid Forum Resident

    I am not even the biggest Nirvana Fan, but how 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is not running away with this Poll Title is hard for me to figure out(killer opening), and I do like the In the Court of Kimg Crimsom Album overall( bought it a few years ago), and just getting into Dire Straits, and would probably vote Telegraph Road second, but chose just to place one vote in this poll, since I think 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is by far the best choice-IMO.

    As much as I love Radiohead, their opening Song to 'Kid A' and the Title Track second Song are Cold, Emotionless Music to me, and skip both Songs every time now.

    To be fair, I need to get familiar with Eno's and Reed's opening Songs.
    Although, kind of lacks variety of Music Artists placing a Lou Reed Song and Velvet a Underground Song in the same Poll as could have split them up with one of them in a future Poll for this Opening Song idea.
    I cannot stand REM, except for 'Losing My Religion' and 'What's the Frequency Kenneth' Songs
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2018
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