Wasn’t it Keith Richards that said an album was one great song, along with 10 tracks of shit?
Iron Maiden’s brilliant Number of the Beast album – containing such timeless classics as “Run to the Hills”, “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, “The Prisoner”, “22 Acacia Avenue”, etc. – starts off with the less-then-spectacular “Invaders”.
I wouldn’t say it’s awful, but I almost always skip “I Feel You” when listening to Depeche Mode’s “Songs of Faith and Devotion”. It’s just got a different feel than most of the rest of the album.
A lot of electronic bands also include intros that often are tedious and useless. The opening track to VNV Nation’s “Matter + Form” is a prime example.
Checked my ipod and found a few.
Tom Waits - the opening track to swordfishtrombones is always skipped in favour of the sweet ‘Shore Leave’
The Walkmen - Bows and Arrows I can sit through a couple minutes of their noodling around with the opening track ‘What’s In It for Me?’ or I can skip to the awesomeness of ‘The Rat’. Hmmm, decisions decisions.
I used to do this, and then one day decided to give Dam at Otter Creek a listen when I had time to pay attention to it, and now I love it nearly as much as the rest of the album.
What??!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63gdZAsl62E
Of course I’m A huge Maiden fan.
King Crimson’s “Court of the Crimson King” starts with “20th Century Schizoid Man”. I’m sure many people like this song. I could see the argument made that it provides a contrast to the rest of the album, and I’m sure that the band and producer knew how it sounded and exactly why they wanted it there, but to me, it just seems out of place. It’s not really representative of the rest of the material. When I listen to that CD, I invariably start with track 2.
Just for me personally (I have no sense it’s a widely shared opinion or anything), the track “Custard Pie” is, if not the rock-bottom worst track on Physical Graffiti, at least in the bottom 2 or 3.
(Yeah, I guess it’s better than if they’d led off with “Down by the Seaside” but still…)
Pearl Jam’s **No Code **opens with Sometimes, a sort of quiet, weird little song that doesn’t have a lot to it. I still quite like it (and **No Code **is a kind of different album, too), but the second track (Hail, Hail) would have been a more grabbing opener. Knowing Pearl Jam, this was probably the effect they were going for.
If Keith thinks 10 out of every 11 Stones songs are shit, that probably explains why I’m not a fan.
I seriously doubt that, from such an album oriented band.
Phil Spector did say something similar.
“Cluster One” on Pink Floyd’s Division Bell is unlistenable, and of course the first track. Of course, I know a lot of folks who think the whole album is unlistenable anyway, but I disagree with that.
And I LOVE Billion Dollar Babies.
I second (or third) the “Dam at Otter Creek” song. In the days of cassettes, songs like this made me not listen to the whole album because I didn’t want to have to fast forward to get to the good stuff.
Both Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! albums. Just awful…these guys hide the gold in all of the other tracks.
I just don’t know what they’re thinking.
In the U.S., Rubber Soul had I’ve Just seen a Face as the first track. Drive My Car was the first track on Yesterday… and Today. But that album didn’t really get started until Nowhere Man (Track 3)
Speaking of the Beatles:
Abbey Road - Track 1, Come Together; not bad, but Track 2 is Something
Sgt. Pepper - Sure, you need Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band to introduce it, but it’s completely forgotten with Track 2 - A Little Help from My Friends
The US release of The Clash’s self-titled debut opens with “Clash City Rockers,” the worst song on the album.
I beg to differ! Hello Hooray is one of my favorite Alice tracks, although I’ve got to say that first note is a bitch to hit live. It’s a powerful song. The line, “God, I feel so strong!” has brought me up many times when I needed a boost.
I love “Underground.” One of the songs that got me into Tom Waits, actually.
I don’t quite think the whole album is unlistenable, but “Cluster One’s” unlistenability is exacerbated by the following track, “What Do You Want From Me,” being arguably the album’s best.