Nick's Top 25 Track One's

Some posts you start and never finish. Some you write in like ten minutes. Others, you start and work on forever. This is one of those. I think I started writing this a year ago and from time to time when a song came to mind I would pick it back up. This is a list that has taken me a considerable amount of time to compile and I put a lot of thought into it. I am sure many will disagree but that is what is great about music. No one can really have a wrong opinion as it is your own. (With the exception of liking Bon Jovi, sorry you are just plain wrong.)

Sadly in the IPod age what track is where on an album is becoming less and less relevant. I don’t want to sound like I am anti-technology because no one uses their IPod more than me. However, with the accessibility and ease of use it affords one, the trade off is you lose that feeling you get when first cracking open an LP, cassette tape or CD. Album art is also a thing of the past. Back in the day when I would run out to my local music store and purchase whatever record I was anxious to get that day, there was something special about it. The anticipation of hearing it for the first time, the reading of the liner notes stuff like that is lost. An album tells a story and that story has a track one. It is like when I used to make mixed tapes. (And man did I make a lot of them.) That first song sets the whole thing in motion.

Before I go any further, let me state some of the rules for my list. I limited this to one track per artist. I also excluded best of efforts and soundtracks. Also, no live albums, I would love to list Psycho Killer off of Stop Making Sense but it is a live effort. This list is my 25 favorite in no order other then alphabetical.

AC/DC, Highway to Hell – Highway to Hell – Other then maybe Smoke on the Water is there a more familiar guitar riff then the opening to Highway to Hell? Angus sets the mood and alerts you to get ready to rock. It takes off from there.

The Beatles, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band- Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band – It was 20 years ago today, Sgt. Pepper told the band to play. First you have that crazy guitar from George and then the vocals and bam. This is not my favorite Beatle LP, but this is my favorite track one from the boys.

Black Sabbath, War Pigs – Paranoid – What a game changer this record was. This came out in 1970 and there was nothing else like it at the time. It literally created a new genre in rock. I know others will argue but to me this is the birth of metal. War Pigs is the perfect beginning to a near perfect record.

David Bowie, Let’s Dance – Modern Love –First it starts off with the amazing guitar work of Stevie Ray Vaughn. And then the synthesized catchy beat and it hooks you in. This is again not my favorite Bowie record but, this is my favorite start to any of his efforts.

The Clash, London Calling – London Calling – I have talked ad nauseam about my love for The Clash and in particular London Calling. So, obviously this one was an obvious choice. I won’t repeat what I have written before. If you haven’t by now 31 years later discovered its brilliance, then I’m sorry.

Crosby, Stills and Nash, Suite Judy Blue Eyes – Crosby, Stills, and Nash – Okay maybe I will get some shit for this one but what the hell. I am not sure I want to meet the person who doesn’t like this song. Those guys were born to sing with each other and this is the first track on their first LP together. It all built from there.

Franz Ferdinand, Jacqueline – Franz Ferdinand – This is the perfect beginning to the in my opinion best record of the 2000’s. Starts off slow, starts walking a tight bass line and then hooks you in with the guitars. It’s always better at holiday. I could not agree more.

The Flaming Lips, Turn it on -Transmissions from the Satellite Heart – When I first heard this song I was hooked on this record and this band. I think this is the last record I was really into, in that fanboy adolescent way that you only be when you are in your 20’s. I dare you to listen to this song and not start tapping a toe.

Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway – This whole record is one huge accomplishment. The title track starts one off onto a musical journey that has a little bit of everything. This was the record where Gabriel first showed his musical genius.

The Grateful Dead, Box Of Rain - American Beauty – Just a beautiful song off of a beautiful record. I have for awhile now stated how wrong I was about the Dead back when they had that resurgence of popularity in the early 90’s. At the time I didn’t get it. Now I do and this record is the main reason why.

Jamiroquai, Canned Heat – Synkronized – Long before Napoleon Dynamite popularized this song, I was jamming to it. I was a big fan of the previous Jamiroquai record. Based on that I went out and grabbed a copy of Synkronized when it first was released. The record itself is so-so, however the title track is get off you feet boogie down good. Even the most rhythm challenged cannot resist it.

Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nevermind - As much as it has been overplayed and as much as it has lost a lot of its street cred over the years it is still an amazing accomplishment. Sure Cobain admittingly rips off Boston. But he somehow makes it his own and comes up with an anthem for a musical genre.

N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton – Straight Outta Compton – It is a rare thing were a record unleashes a new genre and here in my opinion was the genesis of gangsta rap. Cube, Ren, Eazy and Dre just spew anger on this record. Sadly living in suburbia I would not find this record until years later. Rap and hip hop have not been the same since its release.

The Police, Message in a Bottle – Reggatta de Blanc – It is tough to pick just which opening I like from The Police the most. In the end I can’t get away from Message in a Bottle. Copeland as usual is simply masterful on this record. Have I ever mentioned just how much I love The Police?

Rage Against the Machine, Testify - The Battle of Los Angeles – We need more bands like Rage. The in your face lyrics and anger wasn’t phony. They put a new social spin on hard rock and they created a void with their breakup. When you hear Testify you want to run through a god dammed brick wall.

The Reverend Horton Heat, Big Sky -Liquor in the Front –Big Sky and its sister song Baddest of the Bad might my favorite two songs to open a record. Even if you are not a rockabilly person you cannot deny the greatness of the Rev here.

The Rolling Stones, Mothers Little Helper - Aftermath – For all the great Stones records, I don’t think they ever opened an album better then when they opened Aftermath with Mother’s Little Helper. I think Mick and Keith have a whole different view to what a drag it is getting old means.

Run DMC, Run’s House- Tougher than Leather – Who’s House? Run’s House. While I am more of a fan of Raising Hell, I don’t think you can beat Run’s House as an opening track. Run DMC were not the social rappers of Public Enemy or the Gangsta rappers like NWA. However, for what they did, they did better than anybody else out at the time.

Sevendust, Black – Sevendust – This is not normally my type of genre. I am not sure where and when I heard this but I remember thinking this f’in rocks. The record itself is very uneven. But the opening track, Black is simply a hard rock masterpiece. This is what metal should be, it’s not screaming for the sake of screaming.

Bruce Springsteen, Badlands -Darkness at the Edge of Town – You look at the work Bruce did pre Born in the USA and you forget just what a great songwriter he was at one time. Badlands is one of my favorites from Bruce and the E Street Band. The record itself is like all 1970’s Bruce material, in its New Jersey feel goodness. Badlands, would work as a poem the lyrics are that good.

Talking Heads, Burning Down the House - Speaking in Tongues – While this is by no means my favorite Talking Heads record, I must admit this is my favorite beginning to any studio album they did. No band on earth sounds like Talking Heads. Burning Down the House is probably their most recognizable effort and that isn’t a bad thing.

U2, Sunday Bloody Sunday – War – Over the years I have had an on again, off again relationship with U2. I still love all their early stuff. I really despise the Joshua Tree era but, I do like some of their later efforts. Sunday Bloody Sunday is Bono and Edge at their rebellion best. In reality U2 kind of peaked here with this record but damn if it still doesn’t sound good.

Stevie Ray Vaughn, Scuttle Buttun - Couldn’t Stand the Weather – The story has been told many times on how Stevie was taken away way too early. On Couldn’t Stand the Weather he opens it just shredding it on this instrumental gem.

The Who, Baba O’ Riley – Who’s Next –Limiting this to one per artist, made picking only one Who opening rather difficult. I could have gone in a number of different directions. But, in the end I think you have to go with which may be their most recognizable song off of one of the top five records of all time. There is really no wrong answer with The Who.

Neil Young, Tonight’s the Night – Tonight’s the Night – Bruce Berry was a working man, he used to load that Econoline van. From that line on this song grabs a hold and doesn’t let go. There are some that can’t hear the beauty in Neil Young’s voice. For those I feel sorry.