Classic Albums With Not-So-Classic Opening Tracks

I don't think too many would call this a classic, but for me, the Flaming Lips' Hit To Death In The Future Head has a bad opening track. I just can't stand the "womp womps"

the guitar solo on taxman is one of the best things on revolver. and the BASSLINE. such a cool song.

Since I can't stand Radiohead, I'm still put off by how "Airbag" is such a tentative introduction to the only album of theirs I really like.

I think 2+2=5 is not-so-classic but I think it works very well in the context of that album.

wow some crazy talk going on here re. emperor tomato ketchup. i love the band to pieces, but find 'metronomic underground' to be far and away their finest achievement.

I wanna change my vote to Who Loves The Sun of the VU Loaded album. It's not a bad song, but definitely less than classic, unlike almost everything else on that record.

That one is my favourite "Loaded" track, just like "Sunday Morning" is my favourite on "The Velvet Underground & Nico".

To list some on albums that I personally consider to be classic:
The Beach Boys: Not just "Summer Days" but also "Today". Never liked "Do You Wanna Dance"
The Zombies: Begin Here ("Roadrunner" is underwhelming to say the least)
The Kinks: Something Else ("David Watts" may be the weakest track on the album)
Small Faces: Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (the title track being a pointless instrumental kicking off an otherwise amazing album)
King Crimson: In The Court Of The Crimson King (you guys might think I'm crazy here, but "21th Century Scizoid Man" doesn't represent the kind of King Crimson that I prefer)
Beach Boys: Sunflower ("Slip On Through" is a pointless "disco" song, not on level with the masterpieces that will follow)
Queen: Sheer Heart Attack (OK, I guess their "rock" fans may like "Brighton Rock" better)
10cc: How Dare You (the instrumental title track was hardly on level with what followed)
Yes: Going For The One (I love this album, but the title track is a pretty much failed attempt at "rocking out" which never worked)
Split Enz: True Colours ("Shark Attack" is this really fast and furious song that stylistically is a perfect opening track. The problem being, it sucked...)
Ultravox: Vienna ("Astradyne" is hardly a highlight here - on the other hand, the highlights on this album were on side 2 anyway)
Squeeze: East Side Story (Why open such a great album with such a boring opener as "Inquintessence"?)
Michael Jackson: Thriller (I know a lot of ILM'ers love it, and it's a fine song and all, but I still consider "I Wanna Be Startin' Something" as one of the lesser tracks on this album)
XTC: Mummer (Early XTC weren't always so good with opening tracks, and "Beating Of Hearts" is hardly a highlight on this otherwise very fine album)
Split Enz: Conflicting Emotions ("Straight Ol Line" is another example of Split Enz not always nailing their opening tracks very well)
Crowded House: Crowded House ("Mean To Me" secured an amazing output started in a not-so-amazing way)
Erasure: Chorus (The title track may have been a big hit and all, but I have never liked it)
Ocean Colour Scene: Moseley Shoals ("The Riverboat Song" may be the worst thing they've ever done)
XTC: Apple Venus ("River Of Orchids" returns to their earlier mishabit of starting albums with an ugly, dissonant track)
Oasis: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants (I may be alone in the world in considering this album a classic. I agree, however, that "Fucking In The Bushes" is a horrible track)

I also second "Partyline", "The New Stone Age" and not least "Come Together"

It seems, in the mid 60s, the importance of a great opening track was not so obvious, so it was more usual to fail with the opening track then. The opening track on side 2 was also of importance in the album age, and The Beatles failed even more with the opening tracks of side 2 of both their 1965 classic albums.

Michael Jackson: Thriller (I know a lot of ILM'ers love it, and it's a fine song and all, but I still consider "I Wanna Be Startin' Something" as one of the lesser tracks on this album)

o_O

"Bodhisattva" off Steely Dan's Countdown To Ecstasy
"Precious" off The Pretenders' self-titled
"Tom Violence" off Sonic Youth's Evol
"Christopher Tracy's Parade" off Prince's Parade

If you mean: "Precious" and "Christopher Tracy's Parade" are merely awesome instead of mind-blowing, then yeah, sure.

King Crimson: In The Court Of The Crimson King (you guys might think I'm crazy here, but "21th Century Scizoid Man" doesn't represent the kind of King Crimson that I prefer)

Oh Geir. Never change. :D

aw man I love Tom Violence :(

There are people who don't like Come Together?

hai

as I've previously said, lop the first five tracks off Abbey Road and it becomes a thing of perfection

Such an amazing album opener, don't understand.

But I agree that I Want You-Her Majesty is faultless.

Come Together is the strongest of the first five - perhaps it could stay and then we plunge straight into the Riff

"Bodhisattva" & "Precious" as not classic just blows me away.

what about Oh Darling, LJ? That's a great song!

nahhhh

maybe I need to return to it but it's never really hit me

I think it's worth noting that many songs that function well as album openers fall short of "classic" status when heard out of context. Just sayin'! But enough of my yakkin'...

i'm half convinced that 'oh darling' and 'i want you' are two of the most lazily-penned tracks to ever receive widespread adulation. first two tracks on the album, however = phenomenal. also, 'because' onwards is very special.

"Wowee Zowee" starts with the just-OK "We Dance."

haha, i guess there will never be a consensus on this.

oh Darling is easily in my McCartney top 5; seems to me that the adjective "lazily-penned" couldapplyt o a lot of Beatles songs, esp. the pastiche ones.

Lady Madonna
Martha My Dear
I Will
Oh Darling
Helter Skelter

(side 2 of Abbey Road-past Here Comes the Sun-to me is just one long composite song, else She Came in Through the Bathroom Window & Carry That Weight would def. be in there.)

I used to skip Oh Darling all the time, but one day I 'got' it and now I love it. Some of McCartney's best ever singing.

"Wowee Zowee" starts with the just-OK "We Dance."

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Sunday, October 10, 2010 1:51 PM (1 hour ago)

get. the. fuck. out.

(just going along with the other incredulous responses itt. but seriously "we dance" is one of the best songs on that record and one of SM's best, fuiud)

Is there a less than stellar opener on the classic Bowie run? I can't think of one.

"Future Legend" is pretty silly.

Oh yeah, forgot about that. I really count Diamond Dogs as the opener.

There are people who don't like Come Together?

"Come Together" = John Lennon not realizing that the world has moved on since Chuck Berry and Little Richard, and that he himself was among the ones who had helped it move on (harmonically and melodically) in the meantime.

Maybe, but it sounds really good. And there's no way it could've been recorded ten years earlier (apologies for arguing with Geir).

yeah Come Together could def. be one of the lazily-penned pastiche songs: didn't like Timothy Leary commission it and then didn't like it, or something like it?

Geir on David Watts - completely crazy.

Electric Ladyland begins with two totally shit songs, and then side two starts with a shit song too.

Still an unbelievably awesome album though.

nah man 'and the gods made love' is totally whacked-out cool shit you just don't see

also one of the better double-entendres in rock history

And there's no way it could've been recorded ten years earlier

Well, the bass and drums would have been been less powerful, but bass, drums and recording technique is of less importance than the actual tune, which could have been composed by Little Richard in 1955. Which means it was dated in 1969.

It sounds like Fat Harry White off Mark & Lard. xp

Electric Ladyland begins with two totally shit songs

They may be shit songs, but the production is amazing. The songs themselves on that album weren't all that good, but the production and his guitar playing alone make them worthy, even though I usually don't like bluesy music.

oh and Rainy Day, Dream Away is a vehicle for some goddamn poetic soloing ffs

First track on side two of the vinyl = Little Miss Strange

oh hahahahahahahaha

I guess Geir's gonna defend that one - he'll be alone mind :D

the actual tune, which could have been composed by Little Richard in 1955.

It's not that good.

Architecture & Morality - The New Stone Age suuucks

― MyFatherWillGuideMeUpARopeToYourMum (MaresNest), Friday, October 8, 2010 4:15 PM (2 days ago)

totally agree, idk wtf they were thinking putting that song on the album, it just doesn't fit at all.

i know i'm gonna get shit for this, but "Do the Strand" has always annoyed me. i love the rest of the album, but could never stand that song.

Got to make an apology about my post above, I'd remembered 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup' to be the opening track on the album. Metronomic Undergound is still a quality track though.