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Post by B.E. on Apr 23, 2023 23:30:59 GMT
Welcome to a new weekly thread series. Moving forward I plan to post the new Top 10 each Sunday morning. This week will be album openers, next week album closers. If there's enough interest to continue on, I'll surely be open to topic suggestions.
As the title suggests, vote for your top ten openers. Whether that means 'best' or 'favorite' is up to you. The more I've thought about this topic in recent days, the more interesting I've found it. I think there's much room for discussion as well. I think we all have our own ideas of what makes a great opener. Obviously, the quality of the song itself will carry a lot of weight, but is it necessarily a great opener? Was it the best choice for that album? Do you prefer upbeat openers or can an album kick off with a ballad? What if the track is great, but it's not representative of what follows? And what about the context of where the group was at the time? All things to consider, I think.
In addition to voting anonymously, I also plan to rank my top 10 and post it for discussion. Obviously, participate to whatever level you see fit. Hopefully, this topic will be of interest to both active members and readers. OK, voting is open!
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Post by jk on Apr 24, 2023 8:35:45 GMT
Cool idea for a thread, B.E. . I decided to vote for: - "Surfer Girl", a ballad to open, which was pretty daring in those days - "LTD", their greatest car song in my view -- and despite its earlier release on the Surfer Girl album - "DYWD", a deceptively complex take (see JH's partial re-creation) on the Bobby Freeman song that was given short shrift at the recent tribute show - "WIBN", one of the greatest album openers by anyone - "Slip On Through", a solid Dennis song that deserves more credit than it generally gets Not to forget "TGFNYC", "Wild Honey", "Meant For You", "Do It Again" and "SOS".
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 24, 2023 11:26:34 GMT
Being a "sequence nut", this comment by B.E. carries the most weight in my decision-making - Obviously, the quality of the song itself will carry a lot of weight, but is it necessarily a great opener? As I look at the list of album openers, all of them have musical merit. They're all good, many are great, but which ones sound/fit as an opener? B.E.'s other comments - Was it the best choice for that album? and And what about the context of where the group was at the time? also deserve consideration. So, these are my three choices:
"Surfin' Safari" - I think this is the best album opener of them all. It checks every box.
"Wild Honey" - While the song isn't close to an all-timer (actually I think it's terribly overrated), it is representative of Wild Honey and it's about the only song on the album that fits as an opener.
"Still Cruisin'" - It's the album title track, it has Mike's familiar voice, the BB sound, and especially the lyrics (Come on let's cruise...) etc. It's not a bad song; it could eek into...good.
Honorable mention to "Getcha Back". I would vote for it but "California Calling" might be a better choice for that album. Maybe.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 24, 2023 12:58:06 GMT
I definitely think there is more to being an album opener than being a good song--though that certainly helps! But there is something to setting the tone of the album, either being representative of what's to come, or cleansing the palate for what's to come, or somehow getting you read (or surprising you, getting you un-ready). There are plenty of approaches, but it's not just "best song first." At least that's now how I'd sequence.
To me, the Beach Boys had a remarkable run of choosing album openers during--surprise surprise--their golden mid-60s heyday. That's where most of my choices come from.
But I thought I'd try to rank my top 10, too. So here's that.
1. Wouldn't It Be Nice. I do also happen to think this might be the best Beach Boys song of all time, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a great opener. However, it's a great opener, too! (And in fact, I think it's a mini-album with its own opener in that intro...)
2. Fun Fun Fun. Iconic Chuck Berry-style intro and a great song that more or less sums up a good portion of what the Beach Boys music is. Fantastic.
3. I Get Around. I prefer this song to Fun Fun Fun, but think FFF is the slightly better opener. Slightly. Almost a coin toss.
4. The Girl From New York City. Underrated as a song, and fantastic as an opener. It's kind of funny considering the other, better known tunes on the album, but I wouldn't have kicked it off any other way. (You could have argued for California Girls to kick it off, but I also like that opening side two.)
5. Little St. Nick. Not even a question for that album.
6. Do You Wanna Dance.
7. Do It Again. This might be my least favorite song of the openers I chose, but I cannot argue how effective it is to open an album (and, as we saw with C50, a concert). That beat starts things off the right way.
8. You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone. Guessing I'll be the only one picking this... But I do love it, including as an opener. I like how it has elements of the classic Beach Boys music to it, but also is a startling introduction to a new Beach Boys sound.
9. Rock and Roll Music. Could this have been a better performance and mix? Sure. But I love it as the album opener. (It's OK would have been a great opener, too.)
10. Meant For You. This is what I meant by palate cleanser. I think it works great for Friends, but actually think it would work great for an entirely different album, too.
The two that didn't make the cut but were in strongest contention were Surfer Girl and Heroes & Villains. I love both songs, but don't necessarily like them as openers. Meanwhile, two more that would have been in my top 10 were ineligible because they weren't released as album openers! Our Prayer and Life is For the Living, from the unreleased Smile and Adult/Child.
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Post by kds on Apr 24, 2023 13:06:51 GMT
In chronological order
Surfin USA Surfer Girl - I usually wouldn't think of a ballad as an ideal opener, but I'll make an exception here because said ballad is just so good. Fun Fun Fun I Get Around Little Saint Nick Wouldn't It Be Nice Heroes and Villains Sail On Sailor Getcha Back This About the Days - I think it's a perfect mood setter.
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Barco
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Post by Barco on Apr 24, 2023 14:29:55 GMT
Great thread, B.E. My criteria for ranking them was going from what I considered to be from the least to most effective tracks as openers out of the ten I've chosen. So, not necessarily from the one I like the least to the one I like the most. As always, these are my thoughts at the current moment and will most likely change over and over in the future.
1. Wouldn't It Be Nice 2. I Get Around 3. Heroes and Villains 4. Meant For You 5. Don't Go Near The Water 6. Wild Honey 7. Do You Wanna Dance 8. The Girl From NYC 9. Surfin U.S.A 10. Surfer Girl
Wouldn't It Be Nice and I Get Around are amongst the strongest album openers of all time by any musical act. Both songs are absolute all-timers while also setting the tone exceptionally for their respective albums. They have two of the greatest song introductions as well. Coincidentally, both intros are about just 7 seconds long, and still they're so memorable. 'Round, round, get Around, I get around, yeah...' and that beautiful guitar intro to WIBN...
H&V is a very personal pick, but I do really think it's the perfect opener for Smiley Smile. I never thought of it as a forced inclusion of this mega production into a generally sparsely arranged album, I just think it just fits in well with the tracklist and, in my opinion, shows the listener what the album's about right from the start.
5 to 8 could be shuffled and I'd still agree with any result. The four show exactly what their albums are about.
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Barco
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Post by Barco on Apr 24, 2023 14:51:56 GMT
2. Fun Fun Fun. Iconic Chuck Berry-style intro and a great song that more or less sums up a good portion of what the Beach Boys music is. Fantastic. 4. The Girl From New York City. Underrated as a song, and fantastic as an opener. It's kind of funny considering the other, better known tunes on the album, but I wouldn't have kicked it off any other way. (You could have argued for California Girls to kick it off, but I also like that opening side two.) 9. Rock and Roll Music. Could this have been a better performance and mix? Sure. But I love it as the album opener. (It's OK would have been a great opener, too.) 2 and 9 are the biggest surprises on the thread so far. I know FFF is great as an opener and it almost made my list, but I don't think I'd ever rank this song that high, even though I completely agree with your comment about it. 9, on the other hand, is one of my least favorite openers of their entire discography. I just don't get what they were trying to achieve with this version. I also 100% agree with 4. What a way to start an album, with that saxophone and hi-hat and (very quick!) build-up to the first verse. Really underrated.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 24, 2023 14:53:40 GMT
2. Fun Fun Fun. Iconic Chuck Berry-style intro and a great song that more or less sums up a good portion of what the Beach Boys music is. Fantastic. 4. The Girl From New York City. Underrated as a song, and fantastic as an opener. It's kind of funny considering the other, better known tunes on the album, but I wouldn't have kicked it off any other way. (You could have argued for California Girls to kick it off, but I also like that opening side two.) 9. Rock and Roll Music. Could this have been a better performance and mix? Sure. But I love it as the album opener. (It's OK would have been a great opener, too.) 2 and 9 are the biggest surprises on the thread so far. I know FFF is great as an opener and it almost made my list, but I don't think I'd ever rank this song that high, even though I completely agree with your comment about it. 9, on the other hand, is one of my least favorite openers of their entire discography. I just don't get what they were trying to achieve with this version. I also 100% agree with 4. What a way to start an album, with that saxophone and hi-hat and (very quick!) build-up to the first verse. Really underrated. I think that sax riff is really, really cool! (And I'm usually not much of a fan of saxes in rock music.) And yes, that driving beat is fantastic. As for surprises, I think your own "Don't Go Near the Water" is right up there! I love it, personally, but I don't think that is a common opinion. I was a little shocked to see a vote for "Still Cruisin," myself.
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Post by B.E. on Apr 24, 2023 23:44:09 GMT
Here's mine:
1. Wouldn't It Be Nice 2. I Get Around 3. Surfin' U.S.A. 4. Heroes and Villains 5. Fun, Fun, Fun 6. Sail On, Sailor 7. Good Timin' 8. Wild Honey 9. Surfin' Safari 10. Meant For You
I initially had "Surfer Girl" and "Little Deuce Coupe" on my list but ended up opting for "Good Timin'" and "Meant for You". I also would have loved to include "Little Saint Nick" (had they used the single mix, I wouldn't have been able to leave it off).
Thus far, two things have shocked me: 1) 4 votes for "The Girl From New York City" (tied for 8th) and 2) only one vote (mine) for "Good Timin".
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 25, 2023 0:32:49 GMT
Thus far, two things have shocked me: 1) 4 votes for "The Girl From New York City" (tied for 8th) and 2) only one vote (mine) for "Good Timin". I love "Good Timin'". It's one of my all-time favorite Beach Boys' songs, a song I never get tired of. But I couldn't vote for it as a great opener. I keep thinking of one of your comments, and one that I agree with - "What if the track is great, but it's not representative of what follows?" To me, "Good Timin'" falls into that category, and even before this thread/topic, I felt the same way. One, it's too good to put as an opener, because it's all downhill after that. Seriously, other than "Baby Blue", I don't think there's a song on L.A. (Light Album) that approaches it quality-wise. And, two, with the exception of most of "Lady Lynda", no other song has those good ol' Beach Boys' harmonies and "the simple joy of living" lyrics. In many ways, "Good Timin'" doesn't even belong on L.A. (Light Album). Oh, and on most of my alternate album versions, I actually put "Good Timin'" as the closing track, utilizing the "life's lessons learned" lyrics - you need good timin'. I like the fade, too.
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Post by B.E. on Apr 25, 2023 0:58:33 GMT
Thus far, two things have shocked me: 1) 4 votes for "The Girl From New York City" (tied for 8th) and 2) only one vote (mine) for "Good Timin". I love "Good Timin'". It's one of my all-time favorite Beach Boys' songs, a song I never get tired of. But I couldn't vote for it as a great opener. I keep thinking of one of your comments, and one that I agree with - "What if the track is great, but it's not representative of what follows?" To me, "Good Timin'" falls into that category, and even before this thread/topic, I felt the same way. One, it's too good to put as an opener, because it's all downhill after that. Seriously, other than "Baby Blue", I don't think there's a song on L.A. (Light Album) that approaches it quality-wise. And, two, with the exception of most of "Lady Lynda", no other song has those good ol' Beach Boys' harmonies and "the simple joy of living" lyrics. In many ways, "Good Timin'" doesn't even belong on L.A. (Light Album). Oh, and on most of my alternate album versions, I actually put "Good Timin'" as the closing track, utilizing the "life's lessons learned" lyrics - you need good timin'. I like the fade, too. I actually focused more on the "context" factor. That this track/single/opener was the closest the group had gotten to its classic sound in many years. That it was arguably their best track since at least "Sail On, Sailor". I'm actually not quite as high on it lately, but I still think of it, and hear it, as something of a statement track. I take notice - just as I excitedly did the first time I heard the album. And while I agree that there's not much on LA that equals it, I don't think the disparity is that great and there's at least plenty of "good stuff" on LA. And I think due to Bruce's production (for better or worse), LA's got a pretty consistent sound. Actually, as I relistened to my selections earlier, after my final listen of "Good Timin'" I ended up just letting LA play (with the exception of "Here Comes the Night", of course ) and I enjoyed it. I had "Heroes and Villains" more in mind with my "not representative of what follows" comment. Now there's a great disparity. But the track is just such a jaw-dropper, that I still went with it. To me, it lived up to the legend of Smile. The vocal harmonies just knocked me out. I marveled at them and I'd play it the song for people. And I liked the album as a whole, with the music feeling like it belonged together even if it didn't always sound like it (e.g. "Good Vibrations"). EDIT: Also, while many of my top 10 have great intros, I like the effect of having no intro to "Heroes and Villains". I like how it launches in. There's so much going on in that track, and they don't ease you into it!
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 25, 2023 11:53:42 GMT
I also struggle with "Fun, Fun, Fun" as the best opener for Shut Down Vol. 2. Yes, with the guitar intro and the lyrics, it is a fine opener. However, I think with years and years of hearing "Fun, Fun, Fun" as the closing song at Beach Boys' concerts, I've come to...expect it...as a closing track. I'm become so comfortable with it there that it now sounds out of place as the opening track!
I really think "Fun, Fun, Fun" would be more valuable as the closing track on Shut Down Volume 2. As is, the ending of that album is terribly weak. And, you have a song in "Keep An Eye On Summer" that could use a strong follow-up song. "Fun, Fun, Fun" could be that song. I think closing Shut Down Volume 2 with "Keep An Eye On Summer" into "Fun, Fun, Fun" would be much more effective and climactic. With "Fun, Fun, Fun", you would have to get rid of the abrupt, album version ending and go with the extended, falsetto-led, single version ending. And, then, the new opener? "In The Parking Lot". Think about it.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2023 11:59:55 GMT
I don't agree, but I see where you're coming from. But I think they were right to start it off with a clear hit.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 26, 2023 11:53:34 GMT
I've posted this about a dozen times through the years...what's a thirteenth...
"Meant For You" is a terrible opening track for Friends. Due to the lyrics - and lyrics mean something - "Meant For You" should've either been the closing track, or preceded "Transcendental Mediation" as the two closing tracks. And the opener? "Be Still".
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 26, 2023 11:56:49 GMT
I've posted this about a dozen times through the years...what's a thirteenth...
"Meant For You" is a terrible opening track for Friends. Due to the lyrics - and lyrics mean something - "Meant For You" should've either been the closing track, or preceded "Transcendental Mediation" as the two closing tracks. And the opener? "Be Still".
On that one, I totally disagree. I think it's the perfect opener for Friends, and one of my top 10 of their openers ever. There is nothing in the lyrics that I think would disqualify it, either. To me, it is like a little meditation, which of course can be considered like a little prayer ... and prayers precede things all the time! Meals, games, etc. It is a mind-clearing, soul-cleansing reflection on peace and love to prepare the listener for the album.
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