What is the best album opener ever?

[Orbited insanitarium]

Genesis - dancing with the moonlit knight (from 'Selling England By The Pound')
Nuff said..

[jcnporter]

Debaser.

[jcnporter]

Solid Air.
Race For The Prize.
Enter Sandman.
Movin' on up.

[Sherbet Head]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - The Dead Flag Blues from F#A#. The opening monologue.
Modest Mouse - Horn Intro/The World at Large/Float On, from Good News for People Who Love Bad News.

Talking Heads - Born Under Punches.

Also, the title track from Bowie's Station to Station.

The slow burn of the Roses' I Wanna Be Adored

Good call on the Queens of the Stone Age track.

Race For The Prize.

^ Yes to all of these. You lot know what's up. (The QOTSA link doesn't work for me but I'm assuming it's Millionaire from SFTD?)

I'mma throw in:

Aphex Twin - Acrid Avid Jam Shred (...ICBYD)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Bon Iver - Perth (self titled)
Cocteau Twins - Cherry-coloured Funk (Heaven or Las Vegas)
Metallica - Battery (Master of Puppets)
Modest Mouse - Dramamine (Long Drive)
OPN - Intro/Ezra (Garden of Delete)
Pink Floyd - Speak to Me/Breathe (DSOTM)
The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Women - Can't You See (Public Strain)
Frank Zappa - Peaches en Regalia (Hot Rats)

Not only amazing tracks in their own right, but they all do a perfect job of 'setting the scene'.

[SamuraiDrifter]

Besides BOC's, which always set the mood perfectly, I'd have to say:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - f#a# infinity. The opening monologue of "The Dead Flag Blues" still gives me chills.

Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News. "Horn Intro" into the gorgeous "The World at Large" into "Float On" kicks the record off exactly right.

I'll also second Pink Floyd's "Speak to Me/Breathe in the Air" for Dark Side of the Moon.

[NTFMTS]

^ Yes to all of these. You lot know what's up. (The QOTSA link doesn't work for me but I'm assuming it's Millionaire from SFTD?)

I'mma throw in:

Aphex Twin - Acrid Avid Jam Shred (...ICBYD)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Bon Iver - Perth (self titled)
Cocteau Twins - Cherry-coloured Funk (Heaven or Las Vegas)
Metallica - Battery (Master of Puppets)
Modest Mouse - Dramamine (Long Drive)
OPN - Intro/Ezra (Garden of Delete)
Pink Floyd - Speak to Me/Breathe (DSOTM)
The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Women - Can't You See (Public Strain)
Frank Zappa - Peaches en Regalia (Hot Rats)

Not only amazing tracks in their own right, but they all do a perfect job of 'setting the scene'.

Yep Millionaire is the Qotsa track in question, it's such a banger.

Dramamine absolutely sold Modest Mouse for me - I had heard other newer stuff and didn't dig it, then bought their first record on a whim. After hearing Dramamine I listened to the whole thing countless times over.

[rodox_head]

The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

I feel ashamed I forgot about that one, and if we include "Tonight, Tonight" with it then it's no question.

[kakanara]

i use 7zip myself. not sure if it's the best one ever but it works for me

[NTFMTS]

lol same

[In_The_Annexe]

wildlife analysis on mhtrtc
bar none

[DEVICE]

Radiohead - "Everything in Its Right Place"

[Mafache]

i'm in love with this .

[Jonse]

As much as I love BoC's openings (including and past the vignettes) and as much as part of me wants to say 2+2=5 by Radiohead, I just won't bother lying anymore:

3:20 onwards is what does it. Completely different song from the first three minutes. It remains the most plainly honest expression of anger and disappointment over the last person you've ever trusted I've heard recorded. I wish the rest of the record were not so spotty.

rodox_head, I would agree with your 2nd as it opens for a far better album, though things have changed as I've gotten older.

[rodox_head]

As much as I love BoC's openings (including and past the vignettes) and as much as part of me wants to say 2+2=5 by Radiohead, I just won't bother lying anymore:

3:20 onwards is what does it. Completely different song from the first three minutes. It remains the most plainly honest expression of anger and disappointment over the last person you've ever trusted I've heard recorded. I wish the rest of the record were not so spotty.

rodox_head, I would agree with your 2nd as it opens for a far better album, though things have changed as I've gotten older.

Assuming you're referring to my mention of The Downward Spiral. I actually go back and forth sometimes on whether which of those two I like better, and Somewhat Damaged was considered there. I think ultimately for me the heavy tracks hit harder than Fragile's heavy ones despite the latter's great quieter and somber ones, Ripe With Decay especially. As someone with clinical depression, tracks like Mr. Self Destruct, The Becoming, and Eraser perfectly capture that feeling when it all just takes over and starts almost screaming at you.

[dp]

I'm gonna go with The Premise by Wagon Christ from the album Musipal

[Orbited insanitarium]

Wishbone Ash - Time Was (from "Argus")

Induct this one in as well!

[IanRedpoint]

A few I've listened to recently...
Caterina Barbieri - Fantas (Ecstatic Computation)
Underworld - Juanita (Second Toughest In The Infants)
Stereolab - Metronomic Underground (Emperor Tomato Ketchup)
Radiohead - Airbag (OK Computer)
Husker Du - Crystal (Candy Apple Grey)

[bungler666]

All of you are wrong.
Right answer is: STRAP AOOON THAT JAAAMMY PAAAAACK

[Remulo]

The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

I feel ashamed I forgot about that one, and if we include "Tonight, Tonight" with it then it's no question.

We must not forget about how good of an opening "Where Boys Fear To Thread" followed by "Bodies" is too, how an album has TWO great openings is beyond me.

[Remulo]

Angel by Massive Attack