Face to Face was intended to be the first concept album with 18 songs connected with sound effects. Pye records wouldn't let them and the Kinks didn't have the clout to get it done. Rainy Day in June with the thunder open was an example that remained.
Really glad you’re getting into Blur. You should give Modern Life Is Rubbish a listen if you haven’t already. That was the beginning of the Britpop trilogy (the other two being Parklife and then The Great Escape.)
i was suprised to hear you weren't a blur fan in the "things i bought for a quarter" video but things like "the universal", "to the end", "this is a low", "tender", "out of time" and were like ray davies songs for me long ago so you have plenty to look forward to!
@@marcyfan-tz4wj yes, they’re probably my favourite band (definitely when I was a teenager) and I had the privilege of seeing them live at Wembley last year. Wow. I saw them on their reunion tour in 2009 which was brilliant but that gig was something else. What made it extra special was ‘The Narcissist’ around the end of the set. I won’t lie, I cried a little. It is rare bands this late into their career still produce great songs so that was a cherry on the cake.
I’ve listened to The Great Escape and it’s awesome! Parklife is just amazing. Just listened to Modern Life Is Rubbish. Fantastic! Also listened to the self titled album from ‘97 and that’s a nice departure from the other 3 albums. I like the moodier, darker aspect. Reminds me of Big Star 3rd. An all time fave. Again, can’t believe how great Blur is. Had no idea. That “21” box set looks intriguing. Kinda pricey though…also ordered “13” I’m all in. 😉
@@tomrobinson5776 glad to hear it! I’ll be very interested to know what you think about 13. It is, by far, their most experimental album but very worth a listen. You may consider their ‘Kid A’ which is funny as it was a released a year before that album.
@@harrypmay I thought of Kid A immediately as I heard it, but really intriguing in some bizarre way just like Kid A. Great sound textures. I have to say Graham Coxon is phenomenal. Like a Johnny Marr for the nineties, but both have super unique styles.
”Rainy Day Women” from Dylan’s ”Blonde on Blonde” comes to mind. It works as a framing device for the album, but it’s quite annoying and I don’t think it should have been this long. The 2nd track ”Pledging my time”, while not bad, is also quite grating. It’s only with track 3, ”Visions of Johanna”, we realize we’re in for a masterpiece.
Can't think of anything -- I guess I don't think of track sequencing this way. I was surprised by "Beyond Belief", since that's my favorite on Imperial Bedroom, and one of the high points in Costello's singing (no bellowing).
I dig the thought experiment. It's counterintuitive for me because I generally consider the album opener to be SO important to setting the stage for the whole experience. A quick browse through my collection gives a few options. Sheryl Crow's self-titled opens with Maybe Angels and I probably like it least of any track. Abacab is definitely my least favorite track on that album. Carry on Wayward Son off Leftoverture is a contender.
True, Bodhisattva isn't great as-a-song, but it works as a clarion call : "We're back! Remember us ?Here's our 2nd album!" Their simplest song? Boogie? But it gets the blood pumping.
The first Danzig album. I loved every song except Mother,which I bought the album based on,out of curiosity, because I'd never heard anything like that in and neither did most kids in Canton Ohio,in 1988. And yes,Teen Spirit/Nevermind is another, although I do think both are great songs. Station To Station is my favorite, but at first listen I thought it was just ok,so I SORT of agree with you,lol. I love Soft Parade. Good video!
So much trouble in the world is the first track on Bob Marley and the Wailers album Survival. I have no knowledge of Wake up and live being the opening track. It is the last track on the record. It really is an underrated album as you stated. I have recently found your channel and really dig your content.
I also have an R.E.M. nomination, but it's "Drive" from "Automatic For the People". Strictly speaking, I don't know if it's my LEAST favorite on that album, but it's up there. I just find the song structure a bit too repetitive, and it doesn't really "go anywhere". Apparently I'm in the minority, as I mentioned how I found Drive a little underwhelming in some other context and the responses I got basically questioned my sanity.
Notorious Byrd Brothers - The Byrds Tonight's The Night - Neil Young Abbey Road - The Beatles Black & Blue - Rolling Stones Some Girls - Rolling Stones
I agree with all of these picks, I’ll add The Queen is Dead. The rest of the album is perfect but the frenetic, slightly tuneless, opener feels more like a chore every time I spin it. Great idea for a topic!
@@tomrobinson5776 yeah... unfortunately Jay wants to establyhis punk tock credentials right up front every album(,you'll hear what Ieam)...And I started in a punk band...We were kind of the Beatles on speed, so we were punk....Terry Tutor
Here's a twist that I didn't see in the comments: I grew up with the Capitol Beatles albums, not knowing as an American kid in the 1960s that there was any other kind. So, for me, "Rubber Soul" began with "I've Just Seen a Face" and not "Drive My Car" (which was one of the singles that appeared on the Capitol "Yesterday & Today" collection). That, as many have observed, kind of lends the album a "folk rock" feel that otherwise might not otherwise seem so apparent. Today, it's commonly characterized as being influenced by Dylan and The Byrds. But with "Drive My Car" as the opener -- a bouncy pop tune totally out of character with the rest of the album -- and with "It's Only Love" added and "Nowhere Man," "It's Only Love" and "What Goes On" dropped, it's a different experience. The Beatles (who naturally resented Capitol's butchering of their albums for US release) say the whole "folk rock" thing didn't figure into their musical thinking at all. So, even though I really like "Drive My Car," sometimes I want to hear the Capitol version of "Rubber Soul" instead. That is NEVER true of "Revolver," from which most of John's contributions ("I'm Only Sleeping," "Doctor Robert" and "And Your Bird Can Sing") were unceremoniously yanked and likewise stuck on "Yesterday & Today."
Station to Station was a big change from Bowie's Diamond Dogs and then he did Young Americans after Station. He changed so fast that he lost his audience until he got back on commercial track with Let's Dance. I love China Girl! I saw him in Rochester NY in 1976 and he was busted after the concert by the Cops for hashish possession! Ironically I smoked hash at that concert! It might have been some of his stash! LOL! Good shows!
So you saw the ACTUAL ThinWhiteDuke?! I'd just about die! People mistakenly refer to him as that in general,like it was a nickname,but that character only existed around the time you were fortunate enough to see him. I know you know this if you saw him,but I was 2 in 1976, and didn't appreciate Bowie enough to go see him just yet.( I think I was into Kiss!😂)
Hey Guy, thanks for the response. So you were born in '74, the year I graduated from high school! Two years later I saw him on stage in Rochester, NY. I don't remember being totally aware of that persona although I heard of it. I think he should of held on to Ziggy for a longer time period or at least re-visit it later in his career. I remember him doing Station to Station and Young American stuff but it was a bit of a blur. As I said I smoked hash which I wasn't use to but was an interesting high compared to marijuana. And he was busted after the concert for having too much hash in his possession! I never saw Kiss! LOL! Cheers!@@guydammit3287
This is splitting hairs but I always skipped over Funeral for a Friend and dropped the needle on Love Lies Bleeding. As a 13 year old, Funeral was a tad boring. Like it now 'cause I'm a bit boring.
I wish R.E.M.'s Reckoning had opened with "Windout" instead of "Harborcoat", which is a fine song but doesn't quite hit as an opener. Peter Buck has acknowledged "Windout" SHOULD have been on Reckoning. That opening swath of feedback followed by power chords gets me every time.
It’s funny that you think that Bodhisattva doesn’t do it, as it’s the only really connection to the album title. But I mean honestly it doesn’t mesh TOO well with the rest, while as a stand-alone it works fine
The obvious one for me, in other words the first one that popped into my head, is the album Magic by Bruce Springsteen. Granted, the main problem with this record is the lousy production, which is a shame because it features some of the Boss' best songwriting, but I've never been in love with Radio Nowhere. Kind of mundane for a Springsteen opener. Remain In Light is one of my favorite albums, but for some reason I've always found Born Under Punches a somewhat odd opening track, jerky and even a bit off-putting whereas the rest of the record just really grabs me. In a similar vein is Party Out of Bounds from the B52s' Wild Party, just a really strange way to open an album. I thought about including the title track from Lou Reed's Berlin, but it isn't exactly a full song, just a moody intro to the rest of the album. But don't worry, Lou, I'm not leaving you out. I Love You Suzanne from New Sensations is a nice punchy song that did get lots of radio play in central Ohio, but it doesn't live up to the brilliance of the rest of the record. Graham Parker's Howlin' Wind is another of my favorite albums, one of the greatest debuts ever, but again, White Honey just seems like a pretty low key opener for a record that packs such a furious punch. Ian Hunter's solo albums often begin with straightforward rockers, but That's Where the Trouble Starts from Fingers Crossed is perhaps a bit too straightforward for a songwriter of Hunter's caliber. But then he follows the track with Dandy, his glorious tribute to the late David Bowie, and we know we're back in Hunterland. Finally, the album Hey Clockface by Elvis Costello got mixed reviews, but I really like it. The opening track, however, is maybe the worst song Elvis has ever recorded (at least without the Roots), a pretentious spoken word piece called Revolution #49 where even the lyrics, an area in which Mr. Costello is usually peerless, aren't very good.
Another addition is The Troggs' late 1967 UK album Cellophane. The opening track, the pseudo-Ska track Little Red Donkey is an absolute bore. Yet the remaining album except a couple of other weaker tracks is top drawer, really great songs including their hit single from it, Love Is All Around. It was on this album that they developed a more mature sound. Another example is The Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request album. I hate the two Sing This Altogether tracks, including the opening track, but still love the rest of the album. This album was their one-off delve into Psychedelia. One other example is The Kinks' debut album which started with their pale version of Chuck Berry's Beautiful Delilah. But the rest of the album, except for their slap-up cover of another Chuck Berry song Too Much Monkey Business is absolute stellar. But with so many other British made albums at that time, the U.S. release had a few tracks less than the UK releases. But the first, second and fourth UK albums by The Hollies all had duff opening tracks, all of which were slap-up covers of songs from U.S. artists, but otherwise had much better tracks, as well as other lesser goods. I may think of a few other examples.
My favorite album of all time is like this. Tame Impala's Lonerism. Be Above It is a decent high energy opener with a cool beat and some solid synth work, but compared to the other full songs on the album it's definitely the weakest. It's not saying a lot as it's still a solid song and just going up against masterpieces, but if the album began with Endors Toi I don't really think it would be a massive loss.
@@aidenbradley3726 it's a great tonesetter but it's the weakest full song on the album still imo I mean I'm talking like an 8/10 compared to mostly 9s and 10s the rest of the way, but still the weakest imo
innerspeaker and lonerism are so far above the rest of tame impala discog imo its not even funny. two of the best acid trip albums of all time hands down. @@tomrobinson5776
I'm having one of those hate kinds of days. Don't you have an album where you actually *hate* the first track (but like the rest)? Or maybe you like the artist, but you hate one whole album? Come on, it will make my hate-day.
@@tomrobinson5776 Oh, yes. Can't say I care for it, either, but then I've not found any Blur appealing, just going by what I've heard in the past. No particular reason, just not my thing.
Speaking of BOWIE...I always thought "Five Years" was a strange choice to lead off ZIGGY STARDUST. While "It Ain't Easy" is the worst song by a mile on ZIGGY, "Five Years" is not much better. It never seemed to fit on such a landmark high energy album. Being the longest song on the album doesn't help it either. "Five Years" might have been a better choice for an album closer rather than the opening track.
I don’t love ”Five years” but it does makes sense as an opener since it’s establishing the concept of the album. The idea is that humanity will be extinguished in some catastrophy within 5 years, the rest of the album is about what happens during these years. The concept is very abstract and maybe not fully realized on the album, but Bowie had quite interesting ideas behind it.
