Ranking the Intros to Each Album Options

[LiveForNow]

Rank your favorite intros to each Live album. Intro has a loose definition, but I'll attempt to define it anyway but providing specifics for each album.

Mental Jewelry - The opening music/"aaahhh" on the Pain Lies on the Riverside before the lyrics. (First 25 seconds)
Throwing Copper - The music before the lyrics on The Damn at Otter Creek (The first 40 seconds)
Secret Samadhi - The music before the lyrics on Rattlesnake (The first 22 seconds)
The Distance to Here - The first verse of The Dolphin's Cry (The first 40 seconds)
V - The track "Intro"
Birds of Pray - The first verse of Heaven (The first 31 seconds).
Songs From Black Mountain. - The La da da da/music of The River (First 18 seconds)
The Turn - The music before the lyrics on Siren's Call (First 32 seconds).

Here's my order:

TC
SS
TT
MJ
TDTH
V
BOP
SFBM

I really hope with the new album the first track has a long musical intro before the lyrics come in. Nothing beats that in my opinion. Every time I listen to TC, SS, TT, and MJ I really feel like I'm about to go on a journey. Same can be said for V, but I'm less crazy about that specific journey.

[Wambangalang]

SS - Just has that punch in the gut that is lacking from TDAOC

TC - this is still a fantastic intro

TT - as is this

MJ - This could have gone higher or lower on the list.

V - on its own and pretending its not live, I love this track and I think its a very interesting and different introduction for an album.

TDTH, BOP - meh, don't start an album with lyrics right off the bat, Live!

SFBM - I actually think its better than the last two and it still plays around in my head from time to time...but I had to put it at the bottom because, despite being quite memorable, those la da da da's were basically a metaphor for the lost creativity and general suckiness that the band had sunk to, not to mention a sign that the end was nigh!

This post has been edited by Wambangalang: Apr 24 2017, 6:29 pm

[Voodoo Lady]

Secret Samadhi
Throwing Copper
Mental Jewelry
The Distance to Here
The Turn
V
Birds of Pray
Songs From Black Mountain

I've been flip-flopping V and BoP for the last 15 minutes, but I think I've finally made up my mind.

[mfitz804]

Secret Samadhi
Throwing Copper
Mental Jewelry
The Distance to Here
The Turn
V
Birds of Pray
Songs From Black Mountain

I've been flip-flopping V and BoP for the last 15 minutes, but I think I've finally made up my mind.

I'd flip flop the first two but otherwise this is my list.

TDAOC is underrated as an opening song. Slow fade in, builds the anticipation, then it opens up completely. Perfect opener in my opinion.

[andymbj]

Throwing Copper
Secret Samadhi
V
Mental Jewelry
The Turn
Distance to Here - I love Where Fishes Go as a concert opener and think it would work better as the album opener too
Birds of Pray
Songs From Black Mountain

[Wambangalang]

TDAOC is underrated as an opening song.

I completely agree that as a song it would be on top of the list for me. But the OP stated that we are just talking about the first 40 seconds of the song, before the lyrics begin. Its still great for me, but I never forget the first time I heard rattlesnake with my headphones and that BAAAAM made me spill my coffee all over my desk

[Bremang]

Throwing Copper
Secret Samadhi
V
Mental Jewelry
The Turn
Distance to Here - I love Where Fishes Go as a concert opener and think it would work better as the album opener too
Birds of Pray
Songs From Black Mountain

I agree with this list, but WFG as an album opener I am not sure about. We heard the extended version and I think the power of the intro got lost in the production. But it was a nice surprise opener in concert, I had no idea what they were playing until the main guitar melody and Ed walked out in slow-mo during the TDTH tour. NYC, Hammerstein Ballroom '99. Crowd erupted.

This post has been edited by Bremang: Apr 24 2017, 11:13 pm

[LiveForNow]

I'd flip flop the first two but otherwise this is my list.

TDAOC is underrated as an opening song. Slow fade in, builds the anticipation, then it opens up completely. Perfect opener in my opinion.

An underrated opening song? Who thinks it's anything less than a perfect opener?

I also think The Distance should have been the first song on TDTH. "Let him come into the city let him find his lucky penny..." If "he" is the person going on the journey that is this album, then these are the perfect first lines. And while I usually like musical intros more than lyrical intros, for some reason this would for me.

[Merica]

Fun topic! Here we go:

Mental Jewelry
Throwing Copper
Secret Samadhi
The Turn

Really tough to order these, tbh. I'd be tempted to say MJ/TC are equals, with SS just behind and TT a little after.

The Distance to Here - Decent stuff, but I prefer a musical opening I think.
V - It's not bad tbf, but I can't in good conscience put it above the others.
Birds of Pray - Wimpy, basically.
Songs From Black Mountain - Bottom of the list by a distance because it's embarrassing garbage.

This post has been edited by Merica: Apr 25 2017, 4:51 am

[alexou]

TC
TT
SS
MJ

TDAOC is a very good song. Glad I heard it in concert once with Shinn. It was one he had very well. It is a perfect song to know how can Ed sing nowadays. They need to make a statement and scream the hell out of that song again.

Rattlesnake is one of my favorite from the band, but as an intro I will take Siren's call riff over it.

This post has been edited by alexou: Apr 25 2017, 3:10 pm

[Voodoo Lady]

TDAOC is a very good song. Glad I heard it in concert once with Shinn. It was one he had very well. It is a perfect song to know how can Ed sing nowadays. They need to make a statement and scream the hell out of that song again.

Ed sounded pretty darn good 3 years ago in Australia singing it. I don't see him getting any worse.
Ed TDOAC

[LiveForNow]

Ed sounded pretty darn good 3 years ago in Australia singing it. I don't see him getting any worse.
Ed TDOAC

Wow you're right, Ed sounds great in that video.

That was also the best version of Ed's band. Zak Loy, Christopher Heerlein, and Ramy Antoun (even if Ramy did look like a cartoon character the way he smiled when he played the drums). Chris especially was light years better than any other bassist Ed toured with.

[Bremang]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwCIIMAMMG4

[Bremang]

the real version






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p6_jjE_frU

[mfitz804]

An underrated opening song? Who thinks it's anything less than a perfect opener?

The four people in this thread who didn't list it first, for starters...