Favorite album openers and closers

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u2popmofo

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I'm a really big fan of great album openers and closers. A sweet opening track can really set the tone for the album, and a great closing track can sum the whole thing up perfectly.

What are some of your favorite opening and closing tracks???


Here are some of mine to start things off:

Openers:

'London Calling' by The Clash from the London Calling album
'Hopeless Romantic' by the Boucing Souls from the Hopeless Romantic album
'Beautiful Day' by U2 from ATYCLB (like I needed to tell anyone what it was from!)
'Now It's On' by Grandaddy from the Sumday album
'Fight Test' by Flaming Lips from the Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots album
'You Held the World In Your Arms' by Idlewild from The Remote Part album
'Strenght Through Wounding' by AFI from the Black Sails in the Sunset album
'Miseria Cantare' by AFI from the Sing the Sorrow album
'2+2=5' by Radiohead from the Hail to the Thief album
'Debaser' by Pixies from the Doolittle album
'() #1' by Sigur Ros from the () album
'A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours' by The Smiths from the Strangways album
'Caring is Creepy' by The Shins from the Oh, Inverted World album

Closers:

'Gone' by Bouncing Souls from the How I Spent My Summer Vacation album
'() #8' by Sigur Ros from the () album
'Motion Picture Soundtrack' by Radiohead from the Kid A album
'Train In Vain' by The Clash from the London Calling album
'Take It or Leave It' by The Strokes from the Is This It album
'Fight' by The Cure from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me album
'Good Night' by The Beatles from the White album
'A House' by Doves from the Lost Souls album
'Morning Star' by AFI from The Art of Drowning album

I'll leave it at that (I'll save the others for a later date)
 
Openers:
Bored (Deftones, Adrenaline album)
Any Day Now (Elbow, Asleep In The Back album)
Hello Sunshine (Super Furry Animals, Phantom Power Album)
Alternate Route To Vulcan Street (Super Furry Animals, Rings Around The World album)
A Sort Of Homecoming (U2, TUF album)
I Will Follow (U2, Boy album)
WTSHNN (U2, JT album)
Black Dog (Led Zeppelin, IV album)
2 + 2 = 5 (Radiohead, Hail To The Thief album)
Untitled (Interpol, Turn On The Bright Lights album)
It's Only Them (Pain, Nothing Remains The Same album)
Honey (Moby, Play album)

etc....

I can't think in some good closers, I just remember Love Is Blindness
 
Openers:

You Held the World in Your Arms - Idlewild, The Remote Part
Bulletproof Cupid - Placebo, Sleeping With Ghosts
Streets - U2, The Joshua Tree
Ugly Side - Blue October, History for Sale
Everything In Its Right Place - Radiohead, Kid A
Pure Morning - Placebo, Without You I'm Nothing
Zooropa - U2, Zooropa
Taste in Men - Placebo, Black Market Music



Closers:
In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction - Idlewild, The Remote Part
...But Home Is Nowhere - AFI, Sing the Sorrow
Amazing - Blue October, History for Sale
Gold Dust - Tori Amos, Scarlet's Walk
The American - Angie Aparo, The American
(Love Is A) Blind Ambition - Concrete Blonde, Mexican Moon
Burger Queen - Placebo, Without You I'm Nothing
Love Is Blindness - U2, Achtung Baby
The Answer - Blue October, Consent to Treatment

I think I'll have to think on this some more and come back later, too. :musicnerd:
 
i agree with quite a few on your list, mofo, but that's to be expected


not a complete list, there's bound to be something i'm forgetting...

openers:
dropkick murphys--cadence to arms (do or die)
dropkick murphys--for boston (sing loud sing proud)
street dogs--savin hill (savin hill)
bad religion--supersonic (the process of belief)
the pogues--transmetropolitan (red roses for me)
the beatles--help! (help!)
stiff little fingers--suspect device (inflammable material)
silverchair--emotion sickness (neon ballroom...i don't even like the song much, but i like how it opens the album)
rancid--indestructible (indestructible)
dave matthews band--the best of what's around (under the table and dreaming)
u2--zoo station
live--rattlesnake (secret samadhi)
live--the dam at otter creek (throwing copper...another one i'm not a huge fan of but i like the wayit opens the album so i don't always skip right to 'selling the drama'
american lesion--opinion [greg graffin's solo album)
bruce springsteen--lonsesome day (the rising)
everclear--so much for the afterglow
george harrison--any road (brainwashed)
paul mccartney & wings--band on the run (band on the run)
bruce springsteen--born in the usa (born in the usa)

closers:
roger miret & the disasters--ny belongs to me (self-titled)
dropkick murphys--skinhead on the MBTA (do or die)
dropkick murphys--the gang's all here (the gang's all here)
barenaked ladies--when you dream (stunt)
barenaked ladies--shoe box (born on a pirate ship)
barenaked ladies--last night is the night i fell asleep at the wheel (maroon)
bad religion--bored & extremly dangerous (the process of belief)
bouncing souls--i'm from there (anchors aweigh)
street dogs--modern day labor anthem
punk o rama vol. 6--the business: takers and users (cos it's important for compilations to be well put together)
the clash--garageland (self-titled UK version...don't know about the american version off the top of my head)
joe strummer & the mescaleros--silver and gold (streetcore)
joe strummer & the mescaleros--minstrel boy (global a go-go)
agnostic front--bullet on mott street (dead yuppies)
bruce springsteen--my hometown (born in the usa)

and i can't not list worst opener :wink:
dropkick murphys--walk away (blackout)

YES i still am bitter about that.

and worst closer for the hell of it:
barenaked ladies--have you seen my love (everything to everyone) :shudder: i have yet to listen to that entire song...
 
mofo and heartlandgirl have reminded me how much i love in remote part

need...album....:angry:
 
Here are some bands I like who tend to always do good openers and closers on their albums:

U2
AFI
Weezer
REM
Idlewild
Rage Against the Machine & Audioslave
 
rem--what's the frequency kenneth

i like that as an opener, even though that seems to be the rem album "that everyone hates"
 
OK, this is pretty much what I can think of right now:

Openers

Streets--U2, Joshua Tree
Zooropa--U2, Zooropa
Beautiful Day--U2, ATYCLB
Janie Jones--The Clash, The Clash
London Calling--The Clash, London Calling
Everything In It's Right Place--Radiohead, Kid A
Teen Age Riot--Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
Blitzkrieg Bop--The Ramones, The Ramones
Deceptacon--Le Tigre, Le Tigre
Burning Down the House--Talking Heads, Speaking in Tongues
Pop Song 89--REM, Green
I Wanna Be Adored--The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses
What's Going On--Marvin Gaye, What's Going On
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay--Otis Redding, The Dock of the Bay
Thunder Road--Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Born to Run
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart--Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes--Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Crosby, Stills, and Nash


Closers

A Day in the Life--The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper...
The End--The Doors, The Doors
Train in Vain--The Clash, London Calling
40--U2, War
Street Spirit--Radiohead, The Bends
Release--Pearl Jam, Ten
Won't Get Fooled Again--The Who, Who's Next
Love Reign O'er Me--The Who, Quadrophenia
Only in Dreams--Weezer, Weezer (Blue)
Reservations--Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)--Talking Heads, Speaking in Tongues
Can't Hardly Wait--The Replacements, Pleased to Meet Me



I think that's good enough for now...phew
 
OPENERS
Steets - U2, The Joshua Tree
I Will Follow - U2, Boy
Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2, War
Zooropa - U2, Zooropa
Badlands - Bruce Springsteen, Darkness on the Edge of Town
Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA
Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye, What's Going On
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II
Black Dog - Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana, Nevermind
Airbag - Radiohead, OK Computer
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes, Elephant
Let's Go Crazy - Prince, Purple Rain
London Calling - The Clash, London Calling

CLOSERS
40 - U2, War
MLK - U2, The Unforgettable Fire
Mothers of the Disappeared - U2, The Joshua Tree
All I Want Is You - U2, Rattle and Hum
Love Is Blindness - U2, Achtung Baby
Keep Me In Your Heart - Warren Zevon, The Wind
Let It Be - The Beatles, Let It Be
Dream Brother - Jeff Buckley, Grace
Satisfied Mind - Jeff Buckley, Sketches For My Sweetheart
Inner City Blues - Marvin Gaye, What's Going On
 
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mofo, there's some clash loving in randoooom and it's not just me.

i also support the mass amounts of clash loving. which probably doesn't even need to be said anymore. i think you all know.
 
Openers-
Mission Drive-The Wonder Stuff, Never Loved Elvis
Wake Up-The Boo Radleys, Wake Up Boo
Hush-Jellyfish, Spilt Milk
New Decade-Verve, Northern Soul
Zooropa-U2
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band -Beatles
Cherub Rock-Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream
Sunflower-Paul Weller, Wildwood
Whole Lotta Love-Zeppelin, #2

Closers-
Hung Up-Paul Weller, Wildwood
Rock Of Ages-Grant Lee Buffalo, Mighty Joe Moon
Little America-REM, Reckoning
Sing The Absurd-Wonder Stuff, Construction for the Modern Idiot
Suede-The Next Life, Suede
WUDM-U2
Descending-Black Crowes-Amorica
Moonlight Mile-Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers
Age Of Innocence-Smashing Pumpkins, Machina/Machines Of God
 
Great question - it requires a mental catalogue of the hundreds of Cds we all own...hmmmm.

Openers

Streets (U2 - J Tree)
Killing in the Name (Rage against the Machine)
The Ocean (Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking)
American Music (Violent Femmes; Why do birds sing)
Nirvana (Smells like teen spirit - Nevermind)

Closers

All I want it You ( U2 - R & H)
 
Travis did a good job with the openers/closers on The Man Who and The Invisible Band albums. :up:
 
openers:

U2 - A sort of homecoming from The Unforgettable Fire
The Beach Boys - Wouldn't it be nice from Pet Sounds
U2 - Where the streets have no name from The Joshua Tree
John Coltrane - Acknowledgement from A Love Supreme
Gram Parsons - Still feeling blue from GP
Miles Davis - So what from Kind of blue
AC/DC - Highway to hell from Highway to hell
Belle & Sebastian - Step into my office from Dear Catastrophe waitress
The Oblivians - Christina from Popular Favorites
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Bell bottoms from Orange
Antonio Carlos Jobim & Elis Regina - Aguas de Marco from Elis & Tom
Tindersticks - Another night in from Curtains
R.E.M. - Begin the begin from Life's rich pageant


closers:
Will Oldham - Idea and deed from Joya
R.E.M. - Find the river from Automatic for the people
The Oblivians - Mary Lou from The Oblivians play 9 songs with Mr. Quintron
U2 - The Wanderer from Zooropa
The Beach Boys - Cuddle up from So Tough
The Darkness - Holding my own from Permission to Land
U2 - All I want is you from Rattle & Hum
R.E.M. - Falls to climb from Up
Laika - King sleepy from Wherever I Am I Am What Is Missing
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Hard Life from Master and everyone
R.E.M. - You from Monster
Gram Parsons - In My Hour Of Darkness from Grievous Angel
The Jayhawks - 10 little kids from Tomorrow the green grass
 
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Openers:

Radiohead- 2+2=5 (Hail to the Thief)
R.E.M.- Begin The Begin (Lifes Rich Pageant), Drive (Automatic for the People), What's The Frequency, Kenneth? (Monster)
The Shins- Caring Is Creepy (Oh, Inverted World)
U2- I Will Follow (Boy), Where The Streets Have No Name (Joshua Tree), Zoo Station (Achtung Baby), Beautiful Day (ATYCLB)

Closers:

Radiohead- Street Spirit (The Bends)
R.E.M.- Wendell Gee (Fables of the Reconstruction), Find The River (Automatic for the People)
The Shins- The Past And Pending (Oh, Inverted World), Those To Come (Chutes Too Narrow)
Travis- The Humpty Dumpty Love Song (The Invisible Band)
U2- 40 (War), Mothers Of The Disappeared (Joshua Tree), All I Want Is You (Rattle & Hum), Love Is Blindness (Achtung Baby)

As you can see, I like closers a lot more than openers. :wink:
 
OPENINGS::::
U2-Zooropa
MB20-Real World (Yourself Or Someone Like You)
Bruce Springsteen-Lonesome Day (The Rising)
U2-Where The Streets Have No Name (JT)
Five For Fighting-NYC Weather Report (The Battle For Everything)

CLOSINGS:::::::
U2-Grace (ATYCLB)
Five For Fighting-Nobody (The Battle For Everything)
MB20-You Wont Be Mine (Mad Season)
REM-Find The River (Automatic For The People)
Beatles-Let It Be

Those are all the real good ones I can think of right now.
 
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