Favourite Intros

Cafe Society
21

The Beatles’ “Come Together” has what might be the most distinctive intro, ever.
Sugarloaf - “Green Eyed Lady”
Sweet - “Love Is Like Oxygen”

OK, can’t do just three.

Gerry Rafferty - “Baker Street” was brought to mind by Spoons’ mention of “Year Of The Cat.”

22

Also Dead and Bloated!

[low-fi voice]I AM smellin’ like a rose that somebody gave me on my birthday deathbed…[/low-fi voice]

23

Hotel California- Eagles

I am talking about the “Hell Freezes Over” version. Although I also really like the altered version on the “Live from Melbourne” DVD.

24

Gotta add:

Beatles: Here Comes the Sun

Led Zeppelin: Immigrant Song

Guns & Roses: Welcome to the Jungle

25

Top three, huh? I can think of a couple more good ones.

In no particular order:

  1. The Great Gig in the Sky- Pink Floyd

  2. Sun King- The Beatles

  3. Everyone Who Pretended to Like me is Gone- The Walkmen

  4. Go it Alone- Beck

  5. Humming- Portishead

26

Oh yeah, and how could I forget? The opening to the David Bowie track “Space Oddity”, is one of my all time favorites.

27

Well, all this talk about “intro’s” reminded me of the great but seldom heard: The Intro and the Outro!

Shhhh . . . listen up.

28

Totally.

Of the 3 selections from the OP, Time comes in at about 120 secs (excluding the clocks), Do It Again at 65 seconds and Won’t Get Fooled Again 40 seconds (from Who’s Next), which I actually recall as being longer. The intros so far can be divided into (a) songs I’ve never heard (b) those I’ve heard but forgotten somehow and (c) songs I’ve heard and remember well. Some of the latter are on the short side but it doesn’t diminish the quality.

Spoons has just motivated me to play Year of the Cat (68 secs) and his description of the piece as an overture nails it for me. I love a long, complex intro which builds to the opening vocal.

The Immigrant Song and Riders on the Storm are conundrums. I’m a big fan of Led Zeppelin but only for some of their work and I’ve always hated The Immigrant Song. In fact, I’d give an honourable mention to Black Dog if Robert Plant hadn’t come in too soon on the vocals. Stairway to Heaven and Kashmir have fine intros though, IMO. Similarly with The Doors - Riders on the Storm just doesn’t do it for me.

I’m looking to make a couple of discs of favourite intros and many of those nominated upthread but not mentioned in this post will get a listen from me at some stage. Thanks for all the tracks submitted so far.

29

Please be careful.

Any reference to Adolf Hitler in threads like this tends to attract unwelcome attention.

30

Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones

31
  1. Johnny B Goode by anyone…
  2. “Black Satin” by Miles Davis
  3. Miles’ ferocious solo at the opening of “ESP”
  4. “All Along the Watchtower/ Voodo Chile (Slight Return)/ Purple Haze/ Hiway Chile” Jimi Hendrix
    and that tiny little lick Jeff Beck plays to open Donovan’s “Goo Goo Barabajagal”
32

Handel: Messiah.

33

The nice thing about the original album version is, it’s almost exactly 1 minute long. Great to hum to yourself while timing steaks, and only half as many repeats as the Jeopardy! music.

34

Allow me: :smiley:

Linoleum
The Desperation’s Gone
Dying Degree (a minute-long intro that’s actually a seperate track - The Quass - on the CD)

35

Angry Young Man, by Billy Joel.

He’s hitting those piano keys so quickly, it’s a wonder they don’t burn up.

36

While I agree “Gimme Shelter” is a fabulous intro, my personal fave is the percussive intro to “Sympathy for the Devil” off Beggar’s Banquet.

37

Thought of another one: “Fairies Wear Boots” by Black Sabbath has a great intro that’s long enough that it gets its own title - “Jack The Stripper.”

38

Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull, featuring the criminally overlooked John Evan on piano. Evan’s piano sound is crucial to the sound and mood of the whole Aqualung album.

Formentera Lady by King Crimson

Close to the Edge by Yes…but come to think of it, Heart of the Sunrise is even better.

39

I’m weird. Besides the classical intros Max the Vool listed. I like:

1.) Billy Joel Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

2.) Rick Wakeman Return to the Centre of the Earth (also the original Journey to the Centre of the Earth. And Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.)
So sue me.

40

I’ll second Locomotive Breath
Since Aqualung is just a few notes, as great as they are, I’ll hold that in reserve.

Crazy Train

Broadsword (another Tull) - the synthesizer pulls you in, almost reluctantly. Overwhelmed briefly by the drum beat that so nearly matches the rhythm of your own heart, causing the synth to respond, protesting the martial nature of the drum…