Top 10 Album Openers

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   (Forgive me if someone else has done this before.  I couldn't find any others for a few pages.)
What are your Top 10 album openers?  This isn't necessarily your favorite first track on an album, but songs that you think do a great job in getting you in the mood for an album.  Here are mine:

1. "Watcher of the Skies" from Foxtrot - Genesis (What else?)
2. "21st Century Schizoid Man" from In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson
3. "Appena Un Po'" from Per Un Amico - Premiata Forneria Marconi
4. "The Revealing Science of God" from Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes (not necessarily the whole song, but the first five minutes of it where the chanting builds up and the synths come is chilling.)
5. "Aberinkula" from The Bedlam in Goliath - The Mars Volta
6. "Pilgrims" from Still Life - Van Der Graaf Generator
7. "One of These Days" from Meddle - Pink Floyd
8. "Jerusalem" from Brain Salad Surgery - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
9. "Villa Doria Pamphili" from Il Tempo Della Gioia - Quella Vecchia Locanda
10. "Intruder" from Peter Gabriel III - Peter Gabriel

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UndercoverBoy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: November 10 2009 Location: Tulsa, OK, U.S. Status: Offline Points: 5148	Topic: Top 10 Album Openers Posted: March 28 2010 at 16:45
	(Forgive me if someone else has done this before. I couldn't find any others for a few pages.) What are your Top 10 album openers? This isn't necessarily your favorite first track on an album, but songs that you think do a great job in getting you in the mood for an album. Here are mine: 1. "Watcher of the Skies" from Foxtrot - Genesis (What else?) 2. "21st Century Schizoid Man" from In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson 3. "Appena Un Po'" from Per Un Amico - Premiata Forneria Marconi 4. "The Revealing Science of God" from Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes (not necessarily the whole song, but the first five minutes of it where the chanting builds up and the synths come is chilling.) 5. "Aberinkula" from The Bedlam in Goliath - The Mars Volta 6. "Pilgrims" from Still Life - Van Der Graaf Generator 7. "One of These Days" from Meddle - Pink Floyd 8. "Jerusalem" from Brain Salad Surgery - Emerson, Lake & Palmer 9. "Villa Doria Pamphili" from Il Tempo Della Gioia - Quella Vecchia Locanda 10. "Intruder" from Peter Gabriel III - Peter Gabriel

Lizzy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: March 15 2010 Location: Schnitzelland Status: Offline Points: 4675	Posted: March 28 2010 at 17:13
	Let's see: 1. Hortz Fur Dëhn Stekëhn West - MDK - Magma (hands down) 2. 21st Century Schizoid Man - In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson 3. Songs From the Wood - Songs From the Wood - Jethro Tull 4. Heaven Heath - Swaddling Songs - Mellow Candle 5. Yours is No Disgrace - The Yes Album - Yes 6. The Future Won't Be Long - St. Radigunds - Spirogyra 7. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight - Selling England by the Pound - Genesis 8. Procession - Queen II - Queen 9. Carry On Wayward Son - Leftoverture - Kansas (just finished listening to it and it is indeed a great opener) 10. North Sea Oil - Stormwatch - Tull again
	Property of Queen Productions...

Raff Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 29 2005 Location: None Status: Offline Points: 24429	Posted: March 28 2010 at 17:41
	Too many to mention... For me, opening tracks are often a make-or-break factor for an album. Anyway, I'll give it a shot, listing ten of my favourites, in no particular order - and trying to mention different ones from those already mentioned by the previous posters: Aqualung - Jethro Tull Eleventh Earl of Mar - Genesis Astronomy Domine - Pink Floyd The Barbarian - ELP Lemmings - VDGG 21st Century Schizoid Man - KC Impressioni di Settembre - PFM Share It! - Hatfield and the North Tenemos Roads - National Health Son et Lumière/Inertiatic ESP - The Mars Volta I'd also like to mention some Proto-Prog and Prog-Related ones - seen my penchant for those two often-neglected categories: Black Blade - Blue Oyster Cult Highway Star - Deep Purple Neon Knights - Black Sabbath Man on the Silver Mountain - Rainbow The Ides of March/Wrathchild - Iron Maiden

TGM: Orb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: October 21 2007 Location: n/a Status: Offline Points: 8052	Posted: March 28 2010 at 18:01
	Well, hardly a top ten. Rather, ten less well known things I love. Lost In Moments - Ulver Long Live Man Dead - Gnidrolog The Mercy - Peter Hammill Rope Ladder To The Moon (live) - Colosseum Quadrant 4 - Billy Cobham Kobaia - Magma Le Rafiot - Maneige All Time, All Time - Keith Tippett (substitute This Is What Happens if you think that doesn't really count) Transylvanian Express - Steve Hackett Casablanca Moon - Slapp Happy

micky Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 02 2005 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 46838	Posted: March 28 2010 at 19:25
	man alive so many good ones... and have seen them mentioned early and otten arlready. PFM had 3 classic album openers for their first 3 album. The haunting female vocals of YS are surely an opening classic as well.... along with the BEASTLY Introduzione.
	The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip

halabalushindigus Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: November 05 2009 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 1438	Posted: March 28 2010 at 23:09
	1. Away From Asgard - "Magic Is A Child" Nektar 2. Any Road - "Brainwashed" George Harrison 3. Behind The Lines - "Duke" Genesis 4.Yell Help/Wednesday Night - "Rock Of The Westies" Elton John 5.Eleventh Earl Of Mar - "Wind And Wuthering" Genesis 6.Tweedley Dee and Tweedley Dum - "Love And Theft" Bob Dylan 7. Every Day - "Spectral Mornings" Steve Hackett 8. Eternity's Breath Pt 1 - "Visions Of The Emerald Beyond" Mahavishnu Orchestra 9.Going For The One - "Going For The One" Yes 10. The Grand Scheme Of Things - "The Grand Scheme Of Things" Steve Howe no way would this be in order seeing how Howe and Hackett would be immediately up there on top
	assume the power 1586/14.3

richardh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 29593	Posted: March 29 2010 at 15:42
	ELP - Jerusalem IQ - The Wrong Side Of Weird Genesis - Dance On A Volcano Yes - Roundabout Rush - Tom Sawyer Porcupine Tree- Deadwing Aphrodites Child - Babylon Kate Bush - King Of The Mountain Muse - Take A Bow Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place

Mr. Maestro Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: March 05 2010 Location: Knowhere, USA Status: Offline Points: 918	Posted: March 30 2010 at 10:10
	1. One of These Days - Pink Floyd (Meddle) 2. Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas (Leftoverture) 3. Roundabout - Yes (Fragile) 4. Hope This Finds You - Big Big Train (The Difference Machine) 5. Watcher of the Skies - Genesis (Foxtrot) 6. 2112 - Rush (2112) 7. Hocus Pocus - Focus (Moving Waves) 8. The Thirst - Enchant (A Blueprint for the World) 9. South Side of the Sky (Yes cover) - Glass Hammer (Culture of Ascent) 10. Peace Among the Ruins - Presto Ballet (Peace Among the Ruins) Edited by Mr. Maestro - March 30 2010 at 10:12
	"I am the one who crossed through space...or stayed where I was...or didn't exist in the first place...."

yanch Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: January 03 2010 Location: Lowell, MA Status: Offline Points: 3247	Posted: March 30 2010 at 13:08
	In no particular order since they are all great openers and pull you into the rest of the album: 1. Watcher of the Skies -Genesis(Foxtrot) 2. Minstrel in the Gallery-Jethro Tull(Minstrel in the Gallery) 3. Just the Same-Gentle Giant(Freehand) 4. Jerusalem-ELP(Brain Salad Surgey) 5. Elephant Talk-King Crimson(Discipline) 6. Close to the Edge-Yes(Close to the Edge) 7. Blackest Eyes-Porcupine Tree(In Abstensia) 8. Proclamation-Gentle Giant(Power and the Glory) 9. Dancing With the Moonlight Knight-Genesis(Selling England By the Pound) 10. Aqualung-Jethro Tull(Aqualung)

sleeper Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: October 09 2005 Location: Entropia Status: Offline Points: 16449	Posted: March 31 2010 at 06:35
	Lets see, off the top of my head: Sansara- Indukti (Idmen) Yearning th Seads of a New Dimension- In the Woods... (Heart of the Ages) I Could Never be a Soldier- Gnidrolog (Lady Lake) Indigo- Pendragon (Pure) Script for a Jesters Tear- Marillion (Script...) Gemini Becoming the Tripod- Kayo Dot (Dowsing Anamone with Copper Tongue) The Undercover Man- Van der Graaf Generator (Godbluff) The Wrong Side of Weird - IQ (The Seventh House) April Etheral- Opeth (My Arms, Your Hearse) Breaker of Worlds- Madder Mortem (All Flesh is Grass)
	Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005

Blacksword Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: June 22 2004 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 16130	Posted: March 31 2010 at 10:54
	Dance on a volcano - Genesis Dancing out with the moonlit knight - Genesis Pilgrims - VDGG Tom Sawyer - Rush Roundabout - Yes Can you understand - Renaissance 21st Century schizoid man - KC Service with a smile - Happy the man Peaches en Regalia - Frank Zappa Assault & battery - Hawkwind
	Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!

lazland Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: October 28 2008 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 13800	Posted: March 31 2010 at 11:05
	Hmm.. Difficult. Looking for Someone. Genesis - Trespass The Musical Box. Genesis - Nursery Cryme In the Eyes of the World. TFK - Stardust We Are Sacred Sound. IQ - Dark Matter The Invisible Man. Marillion - Marbles Man of a Thousand Faces. Marillion - This Strange Engine Shine on.. Pink Floyd - Wish you were Here. Intruder. PG III The Rhythm of the Heat. PG IV All of the Above... Transatlantic SMPTE Baba O'Reilly. The Who - Who's Next Probably piles more if I had time to think about them.
	Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time!

InfiniteWake Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: September 21 2008 Status: Offline Points: 28	Posted: March 31 2010 at 12:20
	1. Sacred Sound - IQ (Dark Matter) 2. Roundabout - Yes (Fragile) 3. Aqualung - Jethro Tull (Aqualung) 4. 2112 - Rush (2112) 5. Hyperventilate - Frost* (Milliontown) 6. Just the Same - Gentle Giant (Free Hand) 7. Script for a Jester's Tear - Marillion (Script for a Jester's Tear) 8. Blackest Eyes - Porcupine Tree (In Absentia) 9. We Are Sane - Twelfth Night (Fact and Fiction) 10. Assassing - Marillion (Fugazi)

elder08 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: February 25 2010 Location: Russia Status: Offline Points: 236	Posted: March 31 2010 at 13:27
	1. Power of equality-RHCP(BSSM) 2. Warped-RHCP-(One Hot minute) 3. One of these days- Pink floyd-(Meddle) 4. Pigs on the wing pt1-Pink floyd-(Animals) 5. Sgt peppers loneley hearts club band- Beatles 6. Easily-RHCP-(Californication) 7. Dani California-RHCP-(Stadium Arcadium) 8. 21st century schizoid man-King Crimson-(In the court of the crimson king) 9. Tom Sawyer-Rush-(Moving Pictures) 10.Lady Fantasy-Camel I know lady fantasy and easily arent the first track but they got me to listen to the rest of the album
	"There are people who say we [Pink Floyd] should make room for younger bands. That's not the way it works. They can make their own room."- David Gilmour

Pilkenton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: March 28 2010 Status: Offline Points: 72	Posted: March 31 2010 at 14:15
	Most of my picks have already been mentioned, so I had to dig deep for these. In no particular order. A Dream Within a Dream/The Raven----Alan Parson's Project---Tales of Mystery... I Believe---Triumvirat---Old Loves Die Hard Autobahn---Kraftwerk Tubular Bells---Mike Oldfield White Rock---Rick Wakeman Fire On High---ELO---Face the Music Achille's Last Stand---Led Zep---Presence Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft---Klaatu Young Americans---David Bowie Hold Out Your Hand---Chris Squire---Fish Out of Water Edited by Pilkenton - March 31 2010 at 15:35

Citizen Erased Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: April 25 2009 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 192	Posted: March 31 2010 at 15:02
	Oceansize - The Charm Offensive Genesis - Watcher of the Skies Sigur Rós - Untitled 1 Radiohead - Everything In It's Right Place Porcupine Tree - Deadwing Porcupine Tree - Blackest Eyes Dream Theater - The Glass Prison Opeth - The Leper Affinity Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond The Mars Volta - Son et Lumiere/Inertiatic ESP
	*And lo, the mighty riffage was played and it was good* <a href="www.last.fm/user/jonzo67" targe

Pilkenton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: March 28 2010 Status: Offline Points: 72	Posted: March 31 2010 at 17:10
	Here's #11 for me... Welcome To My Nightmare, by Alice Cooper.

Bitterblogger Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: November 04 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1719	Posted: April 01 2010 at 16:00
	Triumvirat- The Capital of Power (Spartacus) Rick Wakeman- Catherine of Aragon (The Six Wives of Henry VIII) King Crimson- LTIA Part 1 (LTIA) Impact- Patrick Moraz (The Story of i) Pink Floyd- Signs of Life (A Momentary Lapse of Reason)

MFP Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: March 31 2009 Status: Offline Points: 9451	Posted: April 01 2010 at 16:25
	Circus - KC Darkness - Peter Gabriel School - Supertramp Speed of Life - David Bowie Titties & Beer - Zappa Hope for Happiness/Joy of a Toy/Hope for Happiness (reprise) - The Soft Machine The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke) - Hawkwind Astro Cortex - Ozric Tentacles Tenemos Roads - National Health The Runaway - GG

TheLastBaron Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: April 07 2009 Location: CA Status: Offline Points: 206	Posted: April 03 2010 at 01:55
	in no particular order, just the order I thought of them Pull me Under- Dream Theater Roundabout- Yes Close to the Edge- Yes Overture/Whirlwind- Transatlantic 2112- Rush Dancing with the Moonlit Knight- Genesis Mirrors- Between the Buried and Me 21st Century Schizoid man - King crimson fight fire with fire- Metallica blood and thunder- Mastodon Edited by TheLastBaron - April 03 2010 at 01:57
	" Men are not prisoners of fate, but prisoners of their own minds." - FDR