Track 1 Side 1

duotone

Bad - Michael Jackson. (Bad album)
Taxman - The Beatles (Revolver)

Stuckfast

and of course The Modern Lovers, Roadrunner

But are there any great albums that *don't* open with a great first track? It's pretty much a basic requirement.

The only candidate I can think of is XTC's Apple Venus Vol 1, which gets the self-indulgent wanky song out of the way first and then goes on to be brilliant.

Sporky

Stuckfast said:

But are there any great albums that *don't* open with a great first track? It's pretty much a basic requirement.

Depends how you look at it. I could name a good number of albums I think are great if you ignore the first track, but you might reasonably say that if the first track is that bad it's not a "great" album.

If'n you see what I mean.

blobb

Soft Machine - Bundles: Hazard Profile Part 1.

in essence, this was how Alan Holdsworth was introduced to the world. Talk about making a statement.......

horse

bloodandtears

.. because I saw them last night..

Iron Maiden - Moonchild - 7th Son

Hattigol

Airbag - Radiohead
New York - Ryan Adams

Tenebrous

Y'all need some Björk in your life.

Debut - Human Behavior

Post - Army of Me

Homogenic - Human Behavior

Vespertine - Hidden Place

Medulla - The Pleasure Is Mine

Volta - Earth Intruders

Biophilia - Moon

Vulnicura - Stonemilker

Utopia - Arisen My Senses

That's a pretty damn good track record for album openers if you ask me.

RobDavies

Metallica - Fight Fire With Fire
Anthrax - A.I.R
Agnostic Front - The Eliminator 
Bad Company - Live For The Music
Suicidal Tendancies - Suicide's An Alternive. 

ICBM

Stuckfast said:

But are there any great albums that *don't* open with a great first track? It's pretty much a basic requirement.

I can think of a few...

Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel Of Love. Ain't Got You is OK, but not as great as the rest of the album which kicks off properly with Tougher Than The Rest.

Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms. Ditto for So Far Away and Money For Nothing.

Queen - Jazz. Mustapha... hmmm. Everything after that is great. (Well, maybe apart from More Of That Jazz.)

U2 - Achtung Baby. Zoo Station isn't terrible, but it's the least good song on the album.

BloodEagle

Slayer - Reign in Blood - Angel of Death 
Shellac - 1000 Hurts - Prayer to God
Butthole Surfers - Locist Abortion Technician - Sweat Loaf
Cro-Mags - Age of Quarrel - We Gotta Know 
Neurosis - Times of Grace - The Doorway (Technically track 2, but the 1st track is a short amtosphere building intro)

lasermonkey

Thought of a few more:

The Chameleons - Don't Fall - Script Of The Bridge

Cocteau Twins - Blue Bell Knoll - ditto

The Glove - Like An Animal - Blue Sunshine

Boards Of Canada - Wildlife Analysis - Music Has The Right To Children

Low - Monkey - The Great Destroyer

Mogwai - Hunted By A Freak - Happy Songs For Happy People

The Posies - Dream All Day - Frosting On The Beater

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Spellbound - Juju

Slowdive - Alison - Souvlaki

SPC ECO - For All Time - 3D

Serena Maneesh - Drain Cosmetics - S/T

Tenebrous

Really, has no-one mentioned Everything In Its Right Place from Kid A yet?!

lasermonkey

Tenebrous said:

Really, has no-one mentioned Everything In Its Right Place from Kid A yet?!

Actually, I was going to mention it above, but forgot!

richardhomer

WYWH - Shine On You Crazy Diamond

mudslide73

Skin and Bones - The Sundays

HAL9000

So - Red Rain
Hotel California - Hotel California 
London Calling - London Calling
Into The Great Wide Open - Learning to Fly
HTDAAB - Verigo
The Joshua Tree - Where The Streets Have No Name
Full Moon Fever - Free Fallin’

axisus

Most albums start with a strong first track. It's the done thing, you have to hook people in

Lodious

Billy Cobham - Quadrant 4 
Rush - Tom Sawyer
Miles Davis - So What
Oasis - Rock n roll star
Helmet - Wilma's Rainbow
Rollins Band - Low Self Opinion
Deconstruction (Eric A and Dave Navarro) - LA Song
Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E's in Love

Placidcasual79

I am going for

Movin' on up - Primal Scream - Screamadelica 
Tonights the night - Neil Young - Tonights the night 
Fisherman - The Congos - The heart of the Congos 
Melody - Serge Gainsbourg - Historie de Melodie Nelson
Maggot Brian - Funckadelic - Maggot Brian 
Movements - Roots Manuva - Brand new second hand
Release the Pressure - Leftfield - Leftism