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March 25, 2005
Song Beginnings: An Unscientific List
Inspired by Jen's post: my five favorite beginning to songs. She seemed to mostly go with first lines; mine seem to be opening chords or instrumental beginnings that let you know you're in for a musical treat.
In no particular order:
1. "Round Here", Counting Crows. The fact the music doesn't start until about 15 seconds into the track. The quiet guitar. The first line: "Step out the front door like a ghost into a fog where no one notices the contrast of white on white."
2. "Orange Crush", REM. when in doubt, start with some fast drumming.
3. "Won't Get Fooled Again", The Who. Drums and keyboard, setting the stage for eight minutes of maybe my favorite pure rock song of all time.
4. "Cherub Rock", Smashing Pumpking. Speaking of opening drumrolls...
5. "Yellow Ledbetter", Pearl Jam. Picture it, Hartford, 1996. First time ever seeing my favorite band (it was a limited run of dates -- the 'FU, Ticketmaster' tour). Concert ends. Encore ends. we stay behind, not wanting to leave. The band comes back out and plays this song. Unbelievable.
I reserve the right to heavily edit and change this list as more stuff comes to me.
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Comments
I just wanted to chime in here, because I like to rock as much as the next guy.
1) "Couldn't Get Ahead" by the Fall. Drums galore!
2) "Back in Black" by AC DC. Brump!...Brum-a-brum! brum-a-brum!
3) "Waiting Room" by Fugazi. There may never be a better bass line.
4) "Schizophrenia" by Sonic Youth. Simple drums and guitar, but I still get goose flesh sometimes when I hear it.
5) "Sonny's Burning" by the Birthday Party. "Hands up! Who wants to die?"
Posted by: Churchill | March 25, 2005 09:24 PM
here are mine...in no particular order... (1) new slang - the shins: it's like a lullaby (2) everything in its right place - radiohead: just like the song title says, it makes me feel like everything's okay (3) blister in the sun - violent femmes: you gotta love the call and response of the guitar and drums (4) american woman - the guess who: gets me ready to rock (5) i'm on fire - bruce springsteen: so haunting
Posted by: amy | March 25, 2005 09:46 PM
Oh, "Won't Get Fooled Again" is good. I hadn't thought of that one. I also support your choice of "Orange Crush."
And I mention the opening lines more, but really it's the whole package for me: the clasic synthesizer opening to Journey's "Separate Ways," the organ on "Your Time is Gonna Come" ... oh, I love it all.
Posted by: Jen | March 26, 2005 03:35 PM
Good call, Churchill, on AC/DC...I'd have to go with "Hell's Bells", though - the way the bell slowly builds into the song is good stuff - particularly when your team is about to make a big defensive stand.
And I'm appalled, chagrined, and disappointed in myself that I didn't pick anything from G'n'R's "Appetite For Destruction". At gunpoint I'd go with "Welcome to the Jungle", but it's very hard to pick.
Posted by: Michael | March 26, 2005 04:05 PM
"Born to Run" and "Yesterday" are the first song starts that popped into my old(er)-fashioned mind.
Posted by: Vin | March 30, 2005 09:12 AM
