OK As Requested, here is the topic on the album openers!!!

The candidates are:

Route 66 - UK
Not Fade Away - US
Around And Around
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
Mercy, Mercy - US
She Said Yeah - UK
Mother's Little Helper - UK
Paint It Black - US
Yesterday's Papers - UK
Let's Spend The Night Together - US
Sing This All Together
Sympathy For The Devil
Gimme Shelter
Brown Sugar
Rocks Off
Dancing With Mr. D
If You Can't Rock Me
Hot Stuff
Miss You
Dance (Pt. 1)
Start Me Up
Undercover Of The Night
One Hit (To The Body)
Sad Sad Sad
Love Is Strong
Flip The Switch
Rough Justice
Just Your Fool


Where 2 versions exist (US & UK), I threw in both, as I know there is much debate on here as to which version of Aftermath is better! LOL

For me, my Top 4 would have to be:

Love Is Strong
One Hit
Brown Sugar
Rough Justice


My least favorites would probably be Mercy, Mercy and She Said Yeah.

It's hard to top these opening numbers:

Sympathy For The Devil
Gimme Shelter
Brown Sugar
Rocks Off

Honorable mentions to She Said Yeah and Mother's Little Helper.

Least favourite: Sing This All Together



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-06-13 16:47 by DandelionPowderman.

Weak: Sing this all together.

Favorites
Brown Sugar
Gimme Sheler
Rocks Off
Start Me Up
Love Is Strong
Miss You

Rocks Off, One Hit and Love Is Strong

Though not my favourite of the choices, I think "Start Me Up" seems like the proto-type for an album opener. That sparse big riff at the beginning is more than an invitation to listen to the album...it's acts like a pied piper magically drawing you in amidst hand claps and a rolling bass.

My favourite though is Rocks Off...what a tune, again just the guitar riff opening the song, and album charging for 3 minutes before collapsing into a cacophony of horns.

As far as SFTD is concerned, while I still love the tune, I wonder if Street Fighting Man may have been the better album opener, just like it opens the tour? Anyway, I'm getting lost in the minutia but then that's what we do here.

And 'battling for the bottom'...I'm not saying I don't like these two, but just that they're not 'album opener' material...

Yesterday's Papers and Sing This Altogether. They don't muster the kind of energy you'd hope for in kicking off their respective albums, but I guess they do give you a realistic look as to what is contained inside, so not complete misses by that standard.

If I can only pick 1, I have to go with Gimme Shelter. Such a great build up and a kind of "here we go, get ready" kind of opener. Though Sympathy, Brown Sugar and others accomplish that vibe as well.

For least favorite, Sing This All Together.

Favorites:
1. Gimme Shelter
2. Brown Sugar
3. Sympathy For The Devil

Quote
DandelionPowderman
It's hard to top these opening numbers:

Sympathy For The Devil
Gimme Shelter
Brown Sugar
Rocks Off

Honorable mentions to She Said Yeah and Mother's Little Helper.

that's a really fab4, but if I have to pick another 4plet from the list I will go for

She Said Yeah
If You Can't Rock Me
Hot Stuff and
Start Me Up

least fav: Yesterday's Papers I Guess

Jumping Jack Flash from Ya Ya's.


There is no better song for opening a concert.

Quote
georgemcdonnell314
Jumping Jack Flash from Ya Ya's.


There is no better song for opening a concert.

Wholeheartedly agree. It is my favorite song to get the party started. No matter how many times they do it!!!

The best Stones openers, IMO also happen to be some of the best openers in all of rock'n roll.

Sympathy
Gimme Shelter
Brown Sugar
Live JJf
Start me Up
and my fave Rocks Off.

And I;m surprised no one has mentioned the most brilliant of them all: "Miss You". Just as what it was, in it's time, the type of album it opened . Fantastic.

You can differentiate here: there's favourite opening songs and then just the few first seconds which can also be ranked favourites. I would put Bridges to Babylon at the top there.

Love Flip The Switch!! Actually listened to Bridges today, but can only choose so many!! LOL

Favorites:

Sympathy,Gimme Shelter, Brown Sugar, and Rocks Off- if forced to pick one, Sympathy.

Least favorite: Sad Sad Sad - sets the tone for a generally weak album...probably my least favorite Stones album come to think of it.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Dance from one of their 3worst albums.(Along with Dirty Work and a Bigger Bomb).Annoying Max Romeo vocals

Favorite: Gimme shelter

Least favorite, although appreciated: Hot Stuff

Holy crap.

Favorites:

1. Brown Sugar
2. Miss You
3. Flip The Switch
4. Start Me Up
5. Rocks Off

Least favorites:

1. Sing This All Together
2. One Hit (To The Body)
3. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
4. Yesterdays's Papers
5. Not Fade Away

I think my top 5 are, in no particular order;

Gimme Shelter
Miss You
Start Me Up
One Hit To The Body
Rocks Off

With honourable mentions to Around & Around, and Rough Justice....

Route 66, Yesterday's Papers and Sing This All Together are at the lower end of my scale.

This is tough! I’m going for sheer, slap-in-face impact, here. There’s aren’t necessarily my favourite songs amongst all their openers, but are those that meet the challenge best.

Route 66
She Said Yeah
Gimme Shelter
Brown Sugar

Least favourites :-

Sing This Song All Together
Emotional Rescue

Count me in for "Under My Thumb" on "Still Life", that's what made me a Stones fan for life (after discovering them on my Dad's old EPs from the sixties). These rocking guitars (likely overdubbed alas) were amazingly powerful and that groove...

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

Favorites:
Route 66 - UK
Mercy, Mercy - US
Mother's Little Helper - UK
Sympathy For The Devil
Gimme Shelter
Rocks Off
If You Can't Rock Me
Miss You
Start Me Up
One Hit (To The Body) (it should have both opened and closed the album at the same time)

Love Is Strong
Brown Sugar
Rocks Off
Start Me Up

Throwaway would have been a good opener for Steel Wheels



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-06-14 13:18 by Taylor1.

Quote
Taylor1
EmotionalRescue isn’t the opening track

Oh! Yes, it's Dance Part 1!

Okay, so switch Emotional Rescue for Dancing With Mr. D

Dancing with Mr D
Sympathy For The Devil
Rocks Off
Paint It Black
Hot Stuff

I should add that I do like Dancing With Mr. D; it's just that it doesn't quite work as opener. It's certainly a little underwhelming. considering the two colossal openers from the two previous albums: Brown Sugar and Rocks Off.

Dance Pt 1
Hot Stuff

Have to give a shout to Under My Thumb from Still Life as that is as sublime as it gets!

Favs:
Gimme Shelter
Sympathy for the Devil

Least:
Sad Sad Sad

Gimme Shelter
Love is Strong (Under rated)
Brown Sugar

Sing this Altogether (crap)

Rod

This should have been the opener for Steel Wheels video: [youtu.be]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-06-14 16:44 by Taylor1.