Best Ever Albums

Re: Instrumental openers

Mother Nature's Son — Fri, 2 Mar 2012 12:25:38 GMT

Author: Mother Nature's Son

Posted: 03/02/2012 17:25

Speaking of Pink Floyd, nobody has mentioned One Of These Days from Meddle.

Life In Technicolor by Coldplay is also a great instrumental opener from Viva La Vida.. and Queen's Procession from Queen II.

Personally I love opening instrumentals. They make me feel that I listen to a coherent album, not just a greatest hit collection or another collection of songs

Re: Instrumental openers

Facetious — Fri, 2 Mar 2012 11:56:31 GMT

Author: Facetious

Posted: 03/02/2012 16:56

Applerill wrote:

"Speak To Me"-Pink Floyd

One o' my faves from Dark Side. That heartbeat, that maniac laughter at the end...........just perfect.

Re: Instrumental openers

Chemical Smile — Fri, 2 Mar 2012 11:49:49 GMT

Author: Chemical Smile

Posted: 03/02/2012 16:49

And You Will Know Them By The Trail Of Dead have a habit of starting all their albums with instrumental songs:

And You Will Know Them...(Madonna)
Invocalion (Source Tags & Codes)
Ode To Isis (Worlds Apart)
Intro (A Song Of Fire & Wine) (So Divided)
Giant Causeway (The Century Of Self)
Introduction: "Let's experiment" (Tao Of The Dead)

- i think its a great thing to do - really sets up the feel of the album and also has the feel of a concert with a build-up to the first 'proper' song!

Re: Instrumental openers

TrekkiELO — Fri, 2 Mar 2012 01:50:14 GMT

Author: TrekkiELO

Posted: 03/02/2012 06:50

Fire on High by Electric Light Orchestra from Face the Music
Sirius by The Alan Parsons Project from Eye in the Sky

Re: Instrumental openers

Applerill — Wed, 2 Feb 2011 20:29:24 GMT

Author: Applerill

Posted: 02/03/2011 01:29

"Speak To Me"-Pink Floyd

Re: Instrumental openers

acb27 — Wed, 2 Feb 2011 20:09:28 GMT

Author: acb27

Posted: 02/03/2011 01:09

I don't know too many albums with instrumental openers, but I do really love the Smashing Pumpkins' "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness".

Re: Instrumental openers

teodor_matz — Tue, 7 Dec 2010 16:49:00 GMT

Author: teodor_matz

Posted: 12/07/2010 21:49

Not really instrumental but the first track on Biggies first album is probably the best opening track ever!

Re: Instrumental openers

Anonymous — Tue, 7 Dec 2010 09:17:23 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 12/07/2010 14:17

19loveless91 wrote:

I can't really remember anything else.. Intro by the xx?

definitely that was actually probably my favourite song off that album could play it on repeat for ages.

Re: Instrumental openers

sleepwalker87 — Tue, 7 Dec 2010 08:01:30 GMT

Author: sleepwalker87

Posted: 12/07/2010 13:01

Oh yeah, I don't know how I didn't think about Pink Floyd. But yeah, a lot of the time, their instrumental tracks were much better than a lot of other stuff on the album.

Re: Instrumental openers

19loveless91 — Tue, 7 Dec 2010 04:01:54 GMT

Author: 19loveless91

Posted: 12/07/2010 09:01

Instrumental intros to A Momentary Lapse of Reason (=Signs of Life) and The Division Bell (=Cluster One) by Pink Floyd are the best thing on those two albums.. I can't really remember anything else.. Intro by the xx?

Re: Instrumental openers

Anonymous — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:42:01 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 12/07/2010 01:42

definitley agree in regards to 'Speed of Life'.
Most recentley i thought the 'orchestral intro' on the Gorillaz' Plastic Beach was a fantastic way to start the album.

Re: Instrumental openers

Anonymous — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 17:58:09 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 12/06/2010 22:58

Not really instrumental openers, but discussing hip hop intros: I do feel they can either really add to the album or just be that annoying track that you always find yourself skipping. A couple of intros that really add to the album might include those from Ready to Die and Illmatic, while one that's in my mind that takes away (kind of) would be those off of Late Registration, Paul's Boutique, or Lucious Left Foot Son of Chico Dusty (have rap intros gotten shittier since the 90s?).

The only instrumental intros for guitar music that springs to mind are Speed of Life, which is truly great and adds to the albums distanced persona, and the Horn Intro off of Good News for People Who Love Bad News, which doesn't add anything to the album. Not many great (lyrically focused) albums have instrumental solos, but as Low shows, it definately is possible.

Instrumental openers

sleepwalker87 — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 16:22:58 GMT

Author: sleepwalker87

Posted: 12/06/2010 21:22

What are your thoughts on non-instrumental albums whose first tracks are purely instrumental? Do you like the idea or dislike it? I'm probably indifferent, but I do think it's a pretty ballsy move, since I feel like opening tracks are often the most important.

The two albums that come to my mind at the moment are Hope of the States's The Lost Riots and Ambulance LTD's LP. Both openers are great introductions to the albums, and incidentally, I love both albums, but... I don't know if that's related or not.