Topic: Good albums with bad opening tracks (Read 12821 times)

Thrillho · « **on:** 09 Oct 2009, 03:24 »

The majority of albums I find will put either the best, or one of the best songs first on the album to draw the listener in.

I noticed the other day that Out Of Time by REM, an album I like very much, opens with 'Radio Song.' 'Radio Song' is AWFUL. But the album gets so much better from there.

What other albums are there that open with songs that are utter wank, but get better immediately afterwards?

Christophe · « **Reply #1 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 03:47 »

That first Clap Your Hands Say Yeah album.

Oh wait

That's a shitty album with a fucking awful opening song.

Police Teeth's album Real Sized Monster Series (which I think is the best album put out in 2009) starts out with a pretty good song ("I Made Out With You Before You Were Cool"), but one thing that might be offputting is the presence of some screaming that to those who jump to conclusions too fast sound a bit "screamo-ish". I don't really think it fits a whole lot on that song but the rest of the song is excellent. And when he screams like that on some other tracks it totally fits in.

But yeah. Amazing album, amazing opening track, one little thing that might just be a little off-putting.

michaelicious · « **Reply #2 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 04:40 »

I usually skip "Step Into the Light" when I listen to Vee Vee.

The Duke · « **Reply #3 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 12:27 »

Quote from: Christophe on 09 Oct 2009, 03:47

That first Clap Your Hands Say Yeah album.

Oh wait

That's a shitty album with a fucking awful opening song.

That's what I was going to say about Chinese Democracy.

gospel · « **Reply #4 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 12:31 »

karl gambolputty... · « **Reply #5 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 13:45 »

Perfect From Now On

Moar like Perfect From Track 2 On amirite?

Touch Me Im Sick · « **Reply #6 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 13:46 »

The one notably weak track on The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's s/t, and it's the opener.

squawk · « **Reply #7 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 17:27 »

I disagree with the Black Sheep Boy! It sets the precedent for the album pretty okay but then it leads into For Real and you know, For Real is like the shoutiest greatest thing.

Nodaisho · « **Reply #8 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 18:36 »

It isn't terrible, but Mercury on Clutch's Blast Tyrant is pretty weak, especially the end bit, where they decided it would be entertaining to make their guitars sound like they are farting.

The opening track on Eluveitie's Slania is pretty boring, too. It is probably supposed to sound mysterious, but it is just annoying, and I usually skip to the second track. Not sure that it counts so much, though, since it is basically an intro track. Kind of like The Hellion, except the Hellion is awesome.

edwinalink · « **Reply #9 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 22:38 »

I like that I dont know a single band mentioned here, except Eluveitie, and I agree on that one... though... it seems half of Eluvietie's albums are filler, the other half is hilariously awesome. I defy someone to watch the Inis Mona video all the way through without laughing.

its pretty hard(to not laugh)....

hirdy-girdys(or is it "urdy?...erdy?) and bagpipes will never look br00tal, I don't care how many goat skulls you hot glue to them.

Meh, I still like em.

Melodic · « **Reply #10 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 23:36 »

Quote from: Christophe on 09 Oct 2009, 03:47

That first Clap Your Hands Say Yeah album.

Oh wait

That's a shitty album with a fucking awful opening song.

WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT MOTHERFUCKER

Inlander · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 00:06 »

Quote from: gospel on 09 Oct 2009, 12:31

Black Sheep Boy

Are you saying that the song's bad, or that the Okkies' version of the song is bad? Because if it's the former then I think you might be some kind of crazy person.

Either that or someone with highly dubious taste in music.

Nodaisho · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 00:07 »

Quote from: edwinalink on 09 Oct 2009, 22:38

hirdy-girdys(or is it "urdy?...erdy?) and bagpipes will never look br00tal, I don't care how many goat skulls you hot glue to them.

I think it is hurdy-gurdy. The way they work is actually pretty cool, it was shown in the music appreciation class I am taking.

edwinalink · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 01:49 »

Oh, I'm not denying the awesomeness of them...

its just...

have you seen one played!?

O.o

it looks like someone is trying to make invisible sausage out of the invisible monkey that was on their shoulder...

and in the end... I guess maybe that is scary enough to be metal?

michaelicious · « **Reply #14 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 08:13 »

Quote from: Ptommydski on 09 Oct 2009, 12:30

Quote from: michaelicious on 09 Oct 2009, 04:40
I usually skip "Step Into the Light" when I listen to Vee Vee.

Gun and badge on my desk, Monday morning.

I know. I always feel so guilty. I like the song once it gets going, but I can't abide by the opening couple of seconds. It's also weird because the Archers generally have some of the best openers, like "Web in Front" and "Strangled by the Stereo Wire".

Harun · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 08:25 »

Hacride - "To Walk Amongst Them" from the album Lazarus

first song is over one fourth of the entire length of the album at fifteen minutes long. It feels like it drags longer than it has to for a first song, and honestly should have been the last or at least second to last track.

Tehz · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 10:32 »

Quote from: michaelicious on 09 Oct 2009, 04:40

I usually skip "Step Into the Light" when I listen to Vee Vee.

Glad to have another in the same boat.

Honestly, I really really dislike "Everyday" off of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out. The rest of the album is fucking gold, but I almost always skip the opener. I'm sorry.

Theriandros · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 11:39 »

Now for a paradigm shift:

Therion's Sirius B stars off with "Blood of Kingu", a pretty generic power metal track. I mean, it's not horrible, but it's really meh. Then it becomes shitting awesome symphonic stuff. Definitely one of my Top 10 albums ever.

pogonrudie · « **Reply #18 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 16:56 »

The first thing that came to mind was "Meet Me In The Dollar Bin" from Les Savy Fav's Inches LP.

Quote from: Inlander on 10 Oct 2009, 00:06

Quote from: gospel on 09 Oct 2009, 12:31
Black Sheep Boy

Are you saying that the song's bad, or that the Okkies' version of the song is bad? Because if it's the former then I think you might be some kind of crazy person.

Amen to that, that's a wonderful little song. Tim Hardin, respect.

scarred · « **Reply #19 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 20:17 »

De_El · « **Reply #20 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 20:25 »

Aww, I like "Small Stakes".

scarred · « **Reply #21 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 20:27 »

I've found that song is very love-or-hate.

Conversely, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga has a brilliant opening track, and followup "The Ghost of You Lingers" is just awful.

The rest of that album is fantastic though.

De_El · « **Reply #22 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 20:37 »

"The Ghost of You Lingers" is odd, because I guess I understand what they're trying to do, but it's only 3 and a half minutes and it can't really sustain it's length. Plus it's really out of place.

johnny5 · « **Reply #23 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 11:44 »

Quote from: karl gambolputty... on 09 Oct 2009, 13:45

Perfect From Now On

Moar like Perfect From Track 2 On amirite?

fuck you man. id say fuck your mother but she just left my house 20 minutes ago to get me a combo#14 from mcdonalds, with sweet n sour sauce

as for my own, atlas sound's LP - i hate songs that have children/people/whatever talking about retarded stuff to start off. the worst offender in my mind is bright eyes - i'm wide awake. that first song where he talks about some chick on an airplane and the guy next to her and its going down, OH GOD IT SUCKS SO BAD AND HIS STUTTERING DUSTIN HOFFMAN RAINMAN VOICE HURTS ME SO GOOD/BAD

Sox · « **Reply #24 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 14:25 »

So far we've had Vee Vee, Inches, Perfect From Now On and Black Sheep Boy.
None of those opening tracks are actually BAD. You guys are doin this wrong, you're just picking albums with second tracks that are stronger than the first.
Face it, you don't have any albums with a shitty first song! But you want to play in this thread anyway so you just pick the closest thing you got, which is albums with really great second tracks!

michaelicious · « **Reply #25 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 14:27 »

Yeah that is actually true. I just want to belong.

the_pied_piper · « **Reply #26 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 14:33 »

Pots & Pans from Let's Stay Friends by Les Savy Fav. The song sounds like it is supposed to be bad but i don't allow that as an excuse because it is a shitty idea to make a song you want to be bad.

Sox · « **Reply #27 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 16:02 »

We sure do like crack, here on the QC forums.

There was a band called the Pots and Pans.
They mad this noise that people couldn't stand
and when they toured all across the land...
...the people said "NO NO NO!"
But the drummer said, "YES YES YES!"
"THIS TOUR IS A TEST!"

Has your skin grown thick from bands that make you sick?
Has your skin grown thick from a thousand stinging pricks?
Have you been made dense standing upon the fence?
Have you been made dense from polish and pretense?
Well, this is where it stops, this is where it ends
Let's tear this whole place down and build it up again.
This band's a beating heart and it's nowhere near its end.

Touch Me Im Sick · « **Reply #28 on:** 21 Oct 2009, 10:18 »

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #29 on:** 21 Oct 2009, 16:55 »

Quote from: the_pied_piper on 20 Oct 2009, 14:33

Pots & Pans from Let's Stay Friends by Les Savy Fav. The song sounds like it is supposed to be bad but i don't allow that as an excuse because it is a shitty idea to make a song you want to be bad.

you are crazy. in the head.

that song is awesome

JD · « **Reply #30 on:** 21 Oct 2009, 16:58 »

Oh hey this may be a bit late but I agree with squawk

Kyros · « **Reply #31 on:** 21 Oct 2009, 17:23 »

Ok I think I've got some legit ones.

Contempt - Silkworm off of Lifestyle
Woody Woodpecker - Dan Deacon off of Spiderman of the Rings
Icky Thump - The White Stripes off of Icky Thump

This is really hard, I feel like opening tracks always end up being among my favorites.

Kyros · « **Reply #32 on:** 21 Oct 2009, 18:51 »

See I was really afraid to put that in my post. This board loves it some Silkworm(including myself). I had no idea that song was based on a film. I've just known it as the song before Slave Wages.

theoryC · « **Reply #33 on:** 22 Oct 2009, 00:24 »

Quote from: Kyros on 21 Oct 2009, 17:23

Icky Thump

noooooooooo

JD · « **Reply #34 on:** 22 Oct 2009, 00:33 »

The song isn't terrible but I prefer the rest of the album over it.

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Author Topic: Good albums with bad opening tracks (Read 12821 times)