Good albums where the first track kinda sucks
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Topic: Good albums where the first track kinda sucks
Posted By: HolyMoly
Subject: Good albums where the first track kinda sucks
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 16:44
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The first track on an album is typically a spot where the band wants to make a great first impression - open with a Bang, as it were. But sometimes it just doesn't cut the mustard, even though the rest of the album picks up the slack. I was thinking about the Ultimate Spinach's second album "Behold and See" today, and thought the opening track made a bad first impression that might deter less patient listeners from the more savory goodness on tracks 2 and forward. What other examples of this can you think of? ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Replies:
Posted By: Luna
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 17:04
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Godflesh - Streetcleaner One of my favorite albums of all time and I almost always skip the first track. I wouldn't call it bad, but I find it forgettable and doesn't compare to the greater songs behind it. ------------- https://aprilmaymarch.bandcamp.com/track/the-badger" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 17:51
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IZZ - I Move |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 17:54
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that is a helluva interesting question. I can't think of any that jump to mind. Hard to be considered (I'm talking in a general sence) when a first track is not good. It has a way of turning people off. thinking...... thinking... thinking... drawing a complete blank.. I don't think I've run across an album that hit me like that. None that come that were not forgetable, thus I guess. not good. Great question. Curious to see what people might come up with. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 18:24
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Luna wrote:Posted By: Luna
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 18:59
Reversing the track order could do wonders (haven't tried it, but it's not a bad idea thinking about it) ------------- https://aprilmaymarch.bandcamp.com/track/the-badger" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Polymorphia
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 20:13
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Can't really think of one right now. ------------- https://dreamwindow.bandcamp.com/releases" rel="nofollow - My Music 
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Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 20:26
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I skipped 'I have been in You' off 'Sheik Yerbouti' for many years: Some very strong stuff on that album, some extremely boring too. ------------- |
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 20:42
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Good question, that actually hardly ever happens, though sometimes Bands do get arrogant or pretentious, like the intro song of The Masquerade Overture by Pendragon or Procession by Queen, but those are forgivven, cause they do get the show on the road. So no, in general I don't know of albums that start wrong, it would be a good idea though, just start with soemthing that's bullocks and get people to move away and like a rite of passage only leave the dedicated followers to absorb the true gems. ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 20:57
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Ooh, finally thought of another one, and it's good that I put this in "General" because it's not a prog album. If any of you remember a band named Love and Rockets, they were a cool gothic neo psychedelic band that grew out of Bauhaus in the 80s. Their 2nd album "Express" is possibly their best, and in its original LP format it was pretty unstoppable, with the great opening track "It Could Be Sunshine".. For some reason, though, when it was released on CD, they decided to add a new track at the beginning of the album, "Angels and Devils", which is a 6 minute waste of time. It's just atmospheric banging around that doesn't serve it's supposed purpose to build tension. It just drags, and I always skip it. They actually added another new 6 minute track in the middle of the CD, too, between sides one and two - actually a good song called "Holiday on the Moon". Problem is, it says all it needs to say in 2 minutes, and then repeats the chorus over and over again for the next 4. This was no Hey Jude, neither.
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 21:03
 ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 21:07
When I first got "Burnt Weeny Sandwich", I used to always skip the first and last tracks, which were doo-wop/R&B covers sandwiching the meat of the album, which was anything but that. I now see them as crucial parts to the album's overall flow. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Prog Sothoth
Date Posted: November 03 2014 at 21:11
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The one that popped in my mind (really the only one ATM) was "Atrocity Exhibition" from Joy Division's Closer. It doesn't necessarily suck, but I found it too long and pretty obnoxious to be honest. I actually think the album gets better as it goes along, with the last four tunes being incredible. When I had the LP, side two must have gotten 85% of the spins.
EDIT: A couple more: Procol Harum's Home starts of with a sorta standard rocker about drinking, and then gets more musically and lyrically interesting immediately afterwards for the album's duration. I always thought the opening track, "Invaders", from Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast was kinda silly sounding, especially the chorus. I dig the rest of the album though.
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: November 04 2014 at 00:02
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Pendragon - the opener off The Jewel. Everything after it is awesome, but that first song....... Even the beloved Finnish band Haikara - the opener off the S/T album is misleading, as the remaining tracks are incredible. |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: November 04 2014 at 02:22
I was gonna suggest greek band Axis awesome selftitled 1973 (their third) album which is seriously all over the place. Every track has a unique approach to progressive rock, but the opening track Waiting a Long Time is a straight forward rocker that I usually skip. But I just had to check before I posted this suggestion and this time I thought it was pretty cool. How about the opening track The Black Stone on Kayo Dot's Hubardo? I streamed it once and probably won't ever listen to it again. It might be responsible for me not ordering the album, so I don't really know it all that well. Peter Hammill's PH7 - My Favorite (opening track) is easily the worst song on that three-and-a-half/four star album. While Over is a flawed masterpiece and starting this cathartic work of art with a decent but generic rocker like Crying Wolf is the flaw. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: November 04 2014 at 03:26
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^ My Favourite.......????? I still insist that the Haikara album is a 5 Star, despite the semi-enjoyable opener, (though I haven't reviewed it yet for obvious reasons.......)....... I can't review any Hammill/VDGG/Ozric album because they're INSANE overalll. Who would believe a raving and drooling psychotic anyways................. |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: November 04 2014 at 03:31
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: November 04 2014 at 03:43
| ^ Yeah - My Favourite is much too 'normal' - even for Hammill's standards.....the album picks up from there........ |
Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: November 04 2014 at 03:53
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Doesn't really count but the Japanese psych-noise-rock band Boris have a running joke on many of their albums where the first track sounds nothing like the rest. Pink starts with a dreamy expansive vaguely shoegazy 10-minute track and then with the second gives way to extremely noisy garage punk, Akuma no Uta with a spacey doom metal piece a la early Earth but after that consists entirely of more 1970s-style psychedelic hard rock most of it quite fast-paced. ------------- "The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 04 2014 at 03:55
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I simply adore Morte Macabre's lone mellotron drenched take on old school horror flick scores, but the first track is such a misrepresentation of what follows that I tend to skip it. It's also the one thing that kept me from awarding it with the full monty. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: November 04 2014 at 05:03
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Yes - Going for the One ------------- 
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Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 05 2014 at 17:44
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 05 2014 at 17:47
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This will be a controversial choice, but the opening track on Caravan's "If I Could Do It..." album was always a bit annoying to me. I almost always start with track 2, and the rest of the album is jelly. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 05 2014 at 17:48
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: November 05 2014 at 19:12
Totally didn't think of that one - i agree. I typically skip it. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: November 05 2014 at 19:19
Anyone remember The Faust Tapes  Even the Devil shyed away from this. And believe me, he was trully dedicated. ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: November 05 2014 at 20:06
Mentioning Zappa wasn't the best example for the question you asked as there's so much variety in his work (esp. Sheik) and the first track on his records rarely give some hints of things to come... Go Ruben!! ------------- |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: November 05 2014 at 20:12
 ------------- |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 05 2014 at 20:52
 My CD programs it all as one track, so I guess if you don't like the whole album, it certainly qualifies for this thread! (it's technically the first track... ah nevamindnndnndd...) ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 05:55
Not a Caravan classic.
Love that track! ------------- https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album! http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385 |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 06:10
Wait what? Do you atually mean the hairraisingly stunning Apoteosi del Mistero? Agreeing about the rest though and its a fivestar album for me.
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Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 08:56
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Some examples of that Japanese band I mentioned earlier, because I quite like their music: The rest of the album's like this: The second of their albums I mentioned... Akuma no Uta is a bit more varied than Pink, but the very next song's like this: As you can see, they also have a penchant for intentionally misleading cover art. ------------- "The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 09:33
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You should try Herbie Mann's Push Push then.  ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 09:35
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I'm glad there's only one flute in that picture. Oh Mann.... ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 09:40
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Even if two flutes in any band is highly unlikely. GG Allin only had one as well. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: bloodnarfer
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 09:55
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These might be kind of controversial but: Hubardo - Black Stone Discipline - Elephant Talk Moonmadness - Aristillus I guesss elephant talk isn't that bad, but I do skip it a lot. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ramza1316" rel="nofollow - www.last.fm/user/ramza1316 https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845" rel="nofollow - https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845 |
Posted By: bloodnarfer
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 09:59
That's a great album, it got a lot of playtime for me this halloween season  The first track never really bothered me but I can kind of see what you mean I guess. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ramza1316" rel="nofollow - www.last.fm/user/ramza1316 https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845" rel="nofollow - https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845 |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 10:09
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I actually like The Black Stone, but admit that I do skip it often. |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 10:22
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I was thinking of mentioning Black Stone, and actually gave it another listen this morning. But I've concluded that it's a good (if not entirely pleasant) track and it makes sense on the album. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 10:25
It's definitely unpleasant. |
Posted By: bloodnarfer
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 10:56
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that cookie monster growl man... I just can't take it seriously. I suppose I should keep trying, but its been the most obtuse track on the whole album for me. But can we talk about how Aristillus sounds like it could be the intro theme to a pbs cartoon?? ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ramza1316" rel="nofollow - www.last.fm/user/ramza1316 https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845" rel="nofollow - https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845 |
Posted By: Polymorphia
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 11:25
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Black Stone's vocals, to me, sound like a demented old man giving prophecy deep in a dark, damp cave. ------------- https://dreamwindow.bandcamp.com/releases" rel="nofollow - My Music
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Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 11:45
As for Aristillus, I think I agree with you. My opinion of the entirety of side 1 of that album is not all that high anyway, however. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 11:46
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Polymorphia
Date Posted: November 06 2014 at 11:58
------------- https://dreamwindow.bandcamp.com/releases" rel="nofollow - My Music
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