The Stones have a reputation of carefully selecting the opening track of an album. But I revisited (for the umpteenth time) one of my favorite albums that has a terrific titled opening song, Astral Weeks.

If I ventured in the slipstream
Between the viaducts of your dream....

My God! What a couple of opening lines! It announces a journey to the heart of Van's soul or the center of his unconscious. It is one of the most intriguing, cryptic and illusive albums of all-time with Van doing a Dylan voice carefully pronunciating each chosen word.

Anyway, I wondered what are others' favorite album openers?

ROCKS OFF ...........Tears Exile open



ROCKMAN

Yeah, Rocks Off is such a delicious opening. The first salvo of the funky almost punk riff, and the orgasmic "ohhhh yeahhhhh" lets you in on what the rest of the ride will be. This is truly a sophisticated street rock and roll number. Lots of layers that again portend what the rest of the album will do to your psyche. Dirty, gritty, a bit psychadelic in the middle and some fantastic lyrics. It is deleriously captivating and unforgettable.

Another classic opening is Brown Sugar. Opening a concept album about rock and roll and drugs with a bang. That rolling lick that is so gritty. I actually miss the fuzzy clicking noise of the needle hitting the vinyl and the abrupt salvo from Keith. This song rolls and swaggers into your living room. I defy you to not shake your money maker on this one.

Gimme Shelter. The haunting funeral dirge voodoo trance that keeps building and building. Book ending Let it Bleed with Gimme Shelter and You Can't Always Get What You Want was brilliant thinking. Gimme shelter takes no prisoners and gives you a living room news cast on the decay of the West. You can practically smell the burning tires and hear the cries of looting lilting on the wind of change. Masterful planning that captured the entire moode of the 60's and Let it Bleed.

Symapthy for the Devil. This signaled a new train coming into the station. The Stones hunkered around The Glimmer twins vision of where they wanted to go with The Rolling Stones. The twisted Samba slowly builds from the bongos to the piano, then to Mick personifying Lucifer, and reading us his letter of pain and suffering. This was unlike anything the Stones had done before, and was a cryptic glance into the burning debauchery that would captivate millions. Again, a classic bookending of an album with Sympathy and Salt of the Earth. One from the lower rungs of hell, the other a cynical street fighting letter from the prolotariat. Brilliant.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-28 04:42 by whitem8.

Start Me Up - last of the big Stones singles opens Tattoo You.
Black Dog - Hey Hey Mama!
Hells Bells - funeral bells chime for Bon and start a new era for AC/DC
Running With The Devil - Introduces Eddie VH to the world!
Hello - only knew Oasis from Wonderwall single so I bought What's The Story. Only one of a handful of CD's that I thought was great after only one listen.

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
...



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Please allow me to introduce myself...




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Quote
Come On
Once upon a time you dressed so fine
...

You forgot the snare drum shot that starts it (which isn't that loud, really).

stones:

one hit to the body
sympathy
brown sugar
start me up
if you can't rock me

non-stones:

welcome to the jungle
where the streets have no name
you may be right
the boy in the bubble

Waiting for the bus /Jesus just left Chicago - ZZ TOP

Baba O'Riley - THE WHO

Well, she was just seventeen...



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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-28 22:27 by Come On.

Mother on John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band. A funeral bell chiming the end of Lennon's innocence and childhood. The sparse piano ringing an intro to Lennon's anguished howl. Lennon's voice cuts deep to every child's greatest fear of loss. A stark starting for the 70's from the Walrus. The dream was over.

Taxman on Revolver. First, they chose Harrison to open the new sound of The Beatles psychedelic ride. The coughing and demented count off sounds like a medieval sherif beckoning you give your pennies to the dead. A viscous rocker full of anger and contempt. Spitting like The Beatles did in Hamburg. McCartney lets lose with a 70's swaggering lead guitar that would inspire many a young guitar hero. And he keeps that lead weeping and weaving around Lennon's solid rhythm. The beginning of the summer of love.

Get Yer Ya Ya's Out. 'Nough said. "Is everybody ready. Is everybody ready for the world's greatest rock and roll band. The Rolling Stones..." Bold, brash and prophetic.

And now from England the RollingfuckingStones .....Detroit 6 July 1978



ROCKMAN

What a drag it is getting old...

CAN YOU SEE THE REAL ME? (Quadrophenia) - Sea, wind, sound effects, ghostly voices....Can you see the real me? Can ya...can ya?

SF SORROW IS BORN (SF Sorrow by The Pretty Things) - For 10 weeks now No3 stood empty

SHAKE SOME ACTION (Flamin' Groovies) - I will find a way...to get to you some way

GLORIA (Horses by Patti Smith) - Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine

MOVIN' ON UP (Screamadelica) - I was blind, now I can see..you made a believer out of me



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-28 13:54 by Silver Dagger.

You know the day destroys the night...



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Foxy
Foxy

You know you're a cute little heartbreaker ...



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a few of my favs;

The Real Me - Who/Quadrophenia
Baba O' Reilly - Who/Who's Next
Statesboro Blues - Almans/Live at Fillmore East
Rocks Off- Stones/Exile
Gimme Shelter - Stones/LIB
Blow at High Dough - Tragically Hip/Up To Here
London Calling - Clash
No Action - Elvis Costello/This Years Model
Zoo Station - US/Achtung
Two Of Us - Beatles/Let It Be

"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine" Patti Smith
"It was 20 years ago today" Beatles
"I tried but I could not find a way"Roxy Music
" London Calling" Clash

Tangled Up In Blue is a pretty good one, I think. Not sure if we're talking about the first song on an album, or the first line of the first song on an album.

Here's a great first line:

"Vicious, you hit me with a flower"



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-28 17:12 by tatters.

Pushing through the market square...



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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-28 22:29 by Come On.

Well, it's one for the money...



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I put a spell on you, because you're mine...



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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-29 08:04 by Come On.

"See No Evil"

on Marquee Moon by Television