Q: How important is an album Opener (the whole song or just the first minute) versus a closer?
Can an Album open/close poorly but still be considered "great"? Can they open/close strongly but have a weak midsection and still be considered "great"? How Important are they compared to each other?
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I don't think any album can be considered "great" unless it's weakest tracks are nothing less than "good". Certainly if there are two or more songs less than good it just can't be a great album to me. A great album is a collection of great songs, not two or three great songs and a half dozen songs of junk. As far as openers and closers, I think the opener is slightly more important just because it sets a tone and formulates an early opinion. Even if the next few songs are great, the first one will still stick with me more. Closers are always important too just because it ties everything together and hopefully leaves you satisfied, not disappointed. My personal favorite opener/closer combination is Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. The opening title track is a beautiful piano piece, and at the end of Farewell and Goodnight the piano hook loops back in and brings the whole thing full circle. It gives me chills every time and leaves me totally contented.
I don't think it matters much to me about the beginning and the end.
Looking at some of my faves:
Loveless: Perfect beginning song and ends with my favorite song on the album.
In the Aeroplane: Neither the beginning nor the end are my favorites, but both our outstanding.
If You're Feeling Sinister: The first track is my least favorite on the album.
Kamelot in general have amazing finishers, but mixed starters.
So, yeah. It doesn't matter. Although I think having a really good first song makes it easier to get into the rest of the album.
Like with movies, I think ending well is more important than opening well. Sort of like if something is in focus then goes out of focus it's annoying, but if it starts out of focus then comes into focus it's satisfying.
In order for an album to work as an album, the opening track needs to build anticipation and excitement, and the closing track needs to leave the listener with a feeling of closure and satisfaction. The tracks inbetween tell the story.
I really dislike reissue albums that tack 4 or 5 extra tracks on to the end of the album... it ruins the story for me, by going on far longer than it should. It's much better when extra tracks are included on a separate CD.
Squishy and pearljammer make some good observations. Personally, rather than a collection of 'songs', I generally prefer albums as concepts conceived as a totality. There might be individual passages or songs that don't necessarily work in and of themselves, but to my way of thinking, the measure of a great album is whether the individual component parts come together as a satisfying whole. I don't generally find the traditional pop arangement or song format a very satisfying one. My favourite albums tend to be the ones that I initially thought "what the fuck was all that about?" 'Faust 1' and Resident's 'Not Available' come to mind.
Personally, I find it easier to forgive less than stellar tracks on an album if it has a real strong intro and closer. My personal favorite bookend songs are "Thunder Road" and "Jungleland" off Born to Run.
In order for an album to work as an album, the opening track needs to build anticipation and excitement, and the closing track needs to leave the listener with a feeling of closure and satisfaction. The tracks inbetween tell the story.
I really dislike reissue albums that tack 4 or 5 extra tracks on to the end of the album... it ruins the story for me, by going on far longer than it should. It's much better when extra tracks are included on a separate CD.
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