Friday, February 06, 2009

Top 5 first tracks on an album

By Scott



My top 5 first tracks on an album:

5. Runnin' With The Devil- Van Halen Van Halen I
4. Where The Streets Have No Name- U2 The Joshua Tree
3. Thunder Road- Bruce Springsteen Born To Run
2. Welcome To The Jungle- Guns N' Roses Appetite For Destruction
1. Baba O'Reily- The Who Who's Next

Geoff's

5. Casanova Soundtrack -- MIA's Paper Planes
4. Heritic Pride -- Sax Rhomer # 1 by the Mountain Goats
3. LCD Soundsystem 45:33 -- which is totally cheating since the album is one long track
2. Bone Thugs N Harmony -- Flomotion
1. 8 Diagrams by the Wu Tang Clan

24 comments:

Gordon Harries said...

'Casanova Soundtrack'?

James said...

Casanova #14 details a soundtrack with one song acting as a title for each page (spread?) of the issue, and as a soundtrack for each issue of the series.

Mine (no order, current/extremely subject to change):

Everything in its Right Place - Kid A - Radiohead
The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. One - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
Brother - Be He Me - Annuals
Death to Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster... - Los Campesinos!

James said...

Oh, that's only 4? I over-trimmed!
Caring is Creepy - Oh, Inverted World - The Shins

Jake said...

2+2=5 - Amnesiac - Radiohead
I Saw Her Standing There - Please Please Me - The Beatles
Like A Rolling Stone - Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
White America - Eminem - The Eminem Show
Baba O'Riley - Who's Next - The Who


White America is sort of cheating in that it's TECHNICALLY track #2 even though it is the first song, and track #1 isn't even a skit really, it's crowd noise.

I love how McCartney's "one two three FO" introduces not only the song, not only the album, but heralds the beginning of THE BEATLES themselves.

I wanted to fit Rocks Off from Exile on Main St but whatevs.

Anonymous said...

Jake,

Like a Rolling Stone and "I Saw Here Standing there" were on the shortlist for mine... most notably because, if you listen carefully, what Paul is actually saying is "One, two, three, Fuck!" (a countdown they utilized in their Hamburg days)

Anonymous said...

Which reminds me...

Jason, did you know that the Kinks "You Really Got Me" contains the F-Bomb?

Vincent Caramela said...

I want to play!

In no particular order but totally dependent on current mood(meaning that this damn list could change tomorrow).

A Shot in the Arm - Wilco
Wishing (long version) - Flock of Seagulls
Your Silent Face - New Order
Father to a Sister of Thought - Pavement
Bucket of Rain - Bob Dylan

Anyway, I know some of these songs are relatively new - the Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones are awesome but I'm sure they'll get enough respect... and Scott, nice pick with VH - Running with the Devil. I find that song amazing and hysterical at the same time.

Anonymous said...

Jonas,

Good list, but "Let's Dance" actually leads off Pavement's Wowee Zowee. "Father to a Sister of Thought" is definitely a better song, maybe Pavement's best, but I think "Let's Dance" is a pretty effective album opener.

Here's my top five list, in no order and subject to almost constant change:

5. Pavement--Silent Kit
4. Wilco--I am trying to break your heart
3. New Pornographers--Mass Romantic
2. Sigur Rós--Gobbledigook
1. The Beatles--Come Together

Anonymous said...

Jonas,

Good list, but "Let's Dance" actually leads off Pavement's Wowee Zowee. "Father to a Sister of Thought" is definitely a better song, maybe Pavement's best, but I think "Let's Dance" is a pretty effective album opener.

Here's my top five list, in no order and subject to almost constant change:

5. Pavement--Silent Kit
4. Wilco--I am trying to break your heart
3. New Pornographers--Mass Romantic
2. Sigur Ros--Gobbledigook
1. The Beatles--Come Together

Anonymous said...

D'oh. Double-post party foul. Sorry!

Jason said...

I've heard that story, Scott, although I have to admit I can't hear it when I listen to the song...

nicholas reed said...

5. Ben Folds Five - "Narcolepsy" (off The Unauthorized Biography of Rheinhold Messner)
4. Wilco - "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" (off Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
3. Braid - "The New Nathan Detroits" (off Frame And Canvas)
2. Smashing Pumpkins - "Cherub Rock" (off Siamese Dream)
1. Radiohead - "Airbag" (off OK Computer)

Anonymous said...

Jason,

It's in the drumbreak right before the guitar solo... someone is definitly saying SOMETHING... and it does kind of sound like it COULD be 'Fuck Off'

Jake said...

Scott,


Was that "one two three FUCK!" intro written about anywhere? Or is it just sort of a legend?

Jake said...

Jason,

isn't Buckets of Rain the last song on Blood on the Tracks? Pretty sure Tangled Up in Blue is the opener (I considered it over Like a Rolling Stone!)

Anonymous said...

Jake,

It's more of a 'legend' thing... but I could have sworn I read it somewhere.

Jason said...

1. “The Prodigal’s Resolution” – Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band (album: Hang Up Sorrow and Care) (gotta give some love to Maddy!)

2. “You Got to Believe” – Dan Hicks (Album: Striking It Rich)

3. “Absolutely Cuckoo” – The Magnetic Fields (Album: 69 Love Songs)

4. “Little Girls” – Oingo Boingo (Album: Only a Lad)

5. “Now I’m Your Mom” – David Byrne (Album: Uh Oh)

Jason said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gordon Harries said...

Really? would someone be kind enougth to jot down the Cass OST for me? either here or @ gordon harries at gmail dot com is fine.

I'm really intrigued by this and it dosen't look like the Vol 2 trade's coming out anytime soon.

come to think of it, I think Fraction was going to do Cass muxtape's at some point and then Muxtape imploded.

Gordon.

Anonymous said...

Curt: You mean "We Dance", I think; "Let's Dance" is a Bowie song.

My list:

5. Randy Described Eternity - Built To Spill / Perfect From Now On
4. Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) - Arcade Fire / Funeral
3. Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth / Daydream Nation
2. Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home - Mogwai / Young Team
1. Breather - Chapterhouse / Whirlpool

Marc Caputo said...

See!?! I spend too much time thinking and the entry before me steals my number one first song - Teen Age Riot (oh, how I've loved this album for HALF MY LIFE!!)

Currently:

5. Untitled - Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
4. Born Under Punches - Talking Heads - Remain in Light
3. Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
2. Love is Here Where I Live - Everything But the Girl - Idlewild - bit of a cheat - the US version sticks 'I Don't Want to Talk About It' in front. But 'Love is ..." is a devastatingly beautiful song.
1. Wolves, Lower - R.E.M. - Chronic Town (EP)

Chad Nevett said...

Hmmm.... in whatever order they occurred to me...

1. "Station to Station" by David Bowie, Station to Station
2. "One Headlight" by the Wallflowers, Bringing Down the Horse
3. "Magnolia Mountain" by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Cold Roses
4. "Tonight's the Night" by Neil Young, Tonight's the Night
5. "Striptease" by Hawksley Workman, (Last Night We Were) the Delicious Wolves

Unknown said...

Sheesh, this is hard. Punk wins. No order:

"Search and Destroy", The Stooges (Raw Power - greatest first track ever)

"Welcome to the Jungle", GnR (Appetite For Destruction)

"Blitzkrieg Bop", The Ramones (S/T)

"Kill The Poor", Dead Kennedys (Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables)

"Worms of the Senses/Faculties of the Skull", Refused (The Shape of Punk To Come)

There's plenty more, but these all jumped out and grabbed me and also acted as effective mission statement for the album as a whole.

Streeborama said...

I know I'm late to the party - but I've been thinking about this for a few days. I don't that both Scott and John Cusack have already used some of my choices - but what can ya do?

5. Nigga Ya Love to Hate - Ice Cube - Amerikkka's Most Wanted
4. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana - Nevermind
3. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns 'n Roses: Appetite for Destruction
2. Enter Sandman - Metallica
1. Break on Through (To the Other Side) - The Doors