Lester Jonze
Lester Jonze
Follow

Favorite First Tracks

Posted over 4 years ago
The first track on an album is arguably the most important. Back in the days of a couple of singles and a lot of filler, the singles, the best songs, were first. The first song sets up the structure, it creaates the mood for the album. It draws you in, it's your first exposure. The First exposure to the album, maybe the first to an artist who you are checking out for the first time, and without a good first track, you're likely not to listen further.This example, from Dylan's _Nashville Skyline_ Shows Dylan and Johnny Cash reworking a number from Dylan's second album _The Freewheelin Bob Dylan_. Released at the end of the sixties, and the end of a tumultuous era for Dylan, this song carries the feeling of a wistful traveler out to see his world, passing the lonely miles passing under his feet recalling the love of a girl he once knew. It also sets the countryish tone for the whole album, in which Dylan strolled territory new to him, but essential to the americana folk of Guthrie and Seeger which inspired him to set out on the road away from home almost a decade before.
0

Comments (20)

  1. Groon
    Groon says What you touched on here is something that's been sort of an issue with me. It's sad that the traditional song structure of an album seems to have been tossed aside, instead albums being listened to piecemeal, reconstructed in any order according to the listener's preference. While there is a certain amount of freedom in that, I can't help but feel like an integral part of the artist's message is lost. It's almost a case of missing the forest for the trees. We get so caught up in the individual songs that we don't take a step back and look at the album as a whole, trying to get the whole "feel" about it. Good post.
    Permalink posted 10/17/2007
  2. Davis Presley
    Davis Presley says This is my favorite song off that album. You're absolutely right on how it sets the tone for the rest of the LP. The "Best Of The Johnny Cash Show" 2xDVD has them doing this song together on it. Bob also does a solo version of "I Threw It All Away". Both of these (and all the other) performances are solid stuff.
    Permalink posted 10/17/2007
  3. Cody B
    Cody B says Gosh darn it, MOG ate my very,very long comment... Cliff notes: Great post. Talked about how when real,thought out albums started to arrive; the first song was an invitation,especially for a known artist like Dylan. How you explained this well. Then I talked about the experience of hearing a record by someone you never heard before and how that first song better make an impression. I wondered what it would be like to crack the seal on Funkadelic's debut in '71 and hear Mommy, What's A Funkadelic? I guess you would run from the room or be a fan for life.. Then I posted the lyrics to Hungry Freaks Daddy as a back up on that point.. Then my screen went blank
    Permalink posted 10/17/2007
  4. ZZTodd
    ZZTodd says a more recent trend is for people to have a short intro track of ambience or some such and then have track 2 be the real first song of the album. in my opinion it's not the same.
    Permalink posted 10/17/2007
  5. Lyrikhan
    Lyrikhan says an ultimate first track for me is actually 2 tracks; that being the Allman Brothers first album with "Don't Want You No More" into "It's Not My Cross to Bear".....if that didn't just tell you what them boys were all about right from the beginning you missed something...
    Permalink posted 10/17/2007
  6. Regina Toowomba
    Regina Toowomba says One of my favorite songs, one of my favorite albums. Just hearing the opening notes makes me smile. And I agree with your post. The first track of an album is usually the best.
    Permalink posted 10/17/2007
  7. leftoverking
    leftoverking says nice.
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  8. deadmandeadman
    deadmandeadman says Great post. ZZTodd say "a more recent trend is for people to have a short intro track of ambience or some such and then have track 2 be the real first song of the album. in my opinion it’s not the same" Yeah, this is a favorite method of Bright Eyes.
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  9. El Monko and Son
    El Monko and Son says Actually, "Tell Me That It Isn't True" is my favorite track, but I do love the opener. You should check out the entire Cash/Dylan session, available in its entirety along with the entire Ginsberg/Dylan session on Alias: The Sideman Story Vol. 4 (or maybe 3). Some of it is pretty drunken-wreck sounding, and some of it (like Ring of Fire) is awesome, but it is all well worth hearing. Favorite openers of mine: Holidays in the Sun off Never Mind the Bollocks, We're Gonna Groove off Zeppelin's Coda (it starts the funeral off with a bang!) and Cold Brains from Beck's Mutations. I also think the ninth track is usually excellent.
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  10. Max Load
    Max Load says Thanks. Never listened to Nashville Skyline before. Will now. Truly excellent.
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  11. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says off the top of my head... Collision off FNM's Album of the Year - it literally hits like a collision & keeps kicking from there... Song for Someone off The Frames The Cost... ahhhhh The Hustler by Jeff Klein - album of the same name I adore Mojo Pin off Jeff Buckley's Grace Pixies - Bone Machine off Surfer Rosa & Whatever I Fear off Toad the Wet Sprocket's Coil
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  12. Max Load
    Max Load says What about second tracks on side 2? Traditional home of the duffest on the album?
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  13. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says good point... well played *Max* Can't forget the last song on the album either - what they leave us with...
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  14. Lester Jonze
    Lester Jonze says Word, thanks for the discussion peoples, much appreciated. Did I mention this was part one in a series? Hmmm, having said that...
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  15. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says dastardly... dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  16. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says sorry - thought I'd give you some Hallow's drama
    Permalink posted 10/18/2007
  17. division-ten
    division-ten says Well, I'm goign to go recent- REALLY recent- and have to say The Poet and the Pendulum on Nightwish's new album Dark Passion Play. The song is downright epic. Having seen their concert last week, it's even better live, although I wish they had a full orchestra playing with them.
    Permalink posted 10/22/2007
  18. ghostofunder
    ghostofunder says Going back in time to when albums were albums -- Side 1: _Rocks Off_ from "Exile". Side 2: The beginning of _Feel A Whole Lot Better_ from Tom Petty's "Wildflowers" album/cassette/CD where he explains to the CD listeners that there will be a minute of silence while the album/cassette listeners get up to flip to the other side. I don't think this one fits the theory of the worst song being first on side two. _Feel A Whole Lot Better_ in one of my favorites.
    Permalink posted 10/23/2007
  19. soultronica
    soultronica says I'm catching up on partner posts. This whole series of posts is tight. Sequencing and programming is *SO F'ING* important. Both will allow you to hear things you've never heard before in an album. To me, all things being equal, the sequence (and the mastering) is what makes an album special, since a good sequence can let an album play like a novel, while a good mastering session will let an album sound so good it seems like you taste the wood on the bass. Thanks for the series.
    Permalink posted 11/02/2007
  20. moovyphreak
    moovyphreak says I've been removing the track numbers from most of my albums in iTunes. I now realize that this is truly the dumbest mistake I've ever made when it comes to music. I found this tool in hopes that it will help me fix the problem. UltraTagger 2.3 http://www.ultratagger.com/ Anyone out there try it?
    Permalink posted 11/02/2007

Comment on this Post

Login using email and password below.

Forgot Password?

OR login using Facebook Connect

Connect

Don't have an account?
Join MOG. It's Free!

 

© 2006-2012 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved