Inspired by Mark Prindle's review of Kid A where he makes a similar 5-second claim, and brought to life by hearing Wire's 154 for the first time. As soon as I heard the opening chord-cycle of "I Should Have Known Better" it hit me just what level the band were operating at.
I don't want "stunning intros" that could be flashes in the pan, I want albums that demonstrate within their opening few seconds a stunning and arresting musical agenda that promise amazing things to come.
― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Monday, 10 November 2008 17:12 (seventeen years ago)
Presence
― Rock Hardy, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:14 (seventeen years ago)
Keep It Like a Secret did this for me.
― kingkongvsgodzilla, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:15 (seventeen years ago)
Hex Enduction Hr.
― GamalielRatsey, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:16 (seventeen years ago)
Monster Movie.
― Mark G, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:16 (seventeen years ago)
Stars of the Lid - And the Refinement of their Decline (honestly, 10 seconds in I knew what I was in for).
Ekkehard Ehlers - Plays
Galaxie 500 - This is Our Music.
― Their time's limited, hard rocks, too (mehlt), Monday, 10 November 2008 17:18 (seventeen years ago)
Trout Mask Replica, of course.
― Trip Maker, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:19 (seventeen years ago)
The Cure - Disintegration
― Funky Buddha Lounge (Curt1s Stephens), Monday, 10 November 2008 17:20 (seventeen years ago)
Metal Box
― nerve_pylon, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:20 (seventeen years ago)
i can totally hang with trip maker's and curtis' choices
― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Monday, 10 November 2008 17:21 (seventeen years ago)
Nevermind
― sonderangerbot, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:22 (seventeen years ago)
The Millennium - Begin
― Stankonia Notch (unregistered), Monday, 10 November 2008 17:25 (seventeen years ago)
on the mouth
― mookieproof, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:26 (seventeen years ago)
"Appetite for Destruction"
― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Monday, 10 November 2008 17:26 (seventeen years ago)
Moon Safari
― Granny Dainger, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:27 (seventeen years ago)
Three Feet High and Rising
― 2for25, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:32 (seventeen years ago)
Bee ThousandBorn to Run
― Kevin Keller, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:33 (seventeen years ago)
i feel in love with Technique immediately. later came to hate Fine Time and more recently fell in love with it again. so, uh, Technique!
― brotherlovesdub, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:37 (seventeen years ago)
Slanted and Enchanted
― kornrulez6969, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:39 (seventeen years ago)
Dragnet
― nerve_pylon, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:41 (seventeen years ago)
Nation of MillionsStands for Decibels
― WE ARE ALL GEETIKA (PappaWheelie V), Monday, 10 November 2008 17:43 (seventeen years ago)
Sung Tongs
― slagterm, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:55 (seventeen years ago)
Kill Em AllEnter the Wu Tang
― national oracle BIG HOOS (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, 10 November 2008 17:59 (seventeen years ago)
Avalon
― at once ultrahip and painfully earnest (Euler), Monday, 10 November 2008 18:00 (seventeen years ago)
Watery, Domestic
― Mr. Que, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:00 (seventeen years ago)
Las VegasFrom Here We Go SublimeUntrueNo Way Down
― Treblekicker, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:02 (seventeen years ago)
sung tongs!
― poortheatre, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:22 (seventeen years ago)
The Queen Is Dead, give or take a few seconds
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:25 (seventeen years ago)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d2/N.W.A.StraightOuttaComptonalbumcover.jpg
"you are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge."
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:27 (seventeen years ago)
I wonder what the quickest one is, subjectivity granting.
― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Monday, 10 November 2008 18:28 (seventeen years ago)
That would surely be Nevermind
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:29 (seventeen years ago)
nah it takes almost 10 seconds for the drum entry! sure we can do better than that
― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Monday, 10 November 2008 18:31 (seventeen years ago)
I knew I was going to love Vitruvian Pan by Thee Majesty ~0.2 seconds into the first track
― Funky Buddha Lounge (Curt1s Stephens), Monday, 10 November 2008 18:35 (seventeen years ago)
Sticky Fingers
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:52 (seventeen years ago)
Exile On Main Street
― henry s, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:54 (seventeen years ago)
I wonder what the quickest one is, subjectivity granting.― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Monday, November 10, 2008 1:28 PM (27 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Monday, November 10, 2008 1:28 PM (27 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
Opening snare crack and on Highway 61 Revisited
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:58 (seventeen years ago)
Led Zeppelin III: well under a second
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 10 November 2008 18:59 (seventeen years ago)
october rust
― the sir weeze, Monday, 10 November 2008 19:01 (seventeen years ago)
OK maybe longer than 20 sec but: Paul's Boutique
― sexyDancer, Monday, 10 November 2008 19:03 (seventeen years ago)
oh shit there's a rly obvious one that nobody's said yet probably because it is too obvious
― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:03 (seventeen years ago)
Out of the Blue?
― Black Seinfeld (HI DERE), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:04 (seventeen years ago)
nono it is mbvious than that
hang on where did i put my oreo
― restraint and blindness (Just got offed), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:07 (seventeen years ago)
Vanilla Ice? No wait, that's reverse oreo...
― Pantheism F. Mohair (res), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:08 (seventeen years ago)
no wait, he's a reverse oreo with white cream on the inside too
― Pantheism F. Mohair (res), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:09 (seventeen years ago)
a custard cream
― ledge, Monday, 10 November 2008 19:09 (seventeen years ago)
I'd actually argue that In Utero is a better choice for this than Nevermind.
― Pantheism F. Mohair (res), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:11 (seventeen years ago)
I was going to say that the obvious one is Kick Out The Jams - but that's track two
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 10 November 2008 19:13 (seventeen years ago)
2112
― Have Your Sega (Noodle Vague), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:17 (seventeen years ago)
SIAMESE DREAM?
― Pantheism F. Mohair (res), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:17 (seventeen years ago)
http://www.metrolyrics.com/images/albums/8900thesundays_reading.jpg
― DavidM, Monday, 10 November 2008 19:18 (seventeen years ago)
Nirvana - Unplugged
― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Thursday, 11 October 2018 20:47 (seven years ago)
Eldorado/Out of the Blue/Face the Music/Third Day/Discovery by ELO.All the classic era Moody Blues albums.Every Girls Aloud album.One Step Beyond/Absolutely/Seven/Rise and Fall by Madness.1000 Years of Trouble by Age of Chance.
I just knew within seconds each album would be perfect for me.And they have been.There is something about a consistent production crew and a band that I love.
― mark e, Thursday, 11 October 2018 21:14 (seven years ago)
New Pornographers, Electric Version
― alpine static, Thursday, 11 October 2018 21:33 (seven years ago)
The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike
― daavid, Thursday, 11 October 2018 21:34 (seven years ago)
any solex album
― Ross, Thursday, 11 October 2018 21:40 (seven years ago)
exactly my point.within seconds you know this is an album that's going to hit the spot.
― mark e, Thursday, 11 October 2018 22:09 (seven years ago)
OvalprocessRadian - tg11Aerial M - s/t
― braunld (Lowell N. Behold'n), Thursday, 11 October 2018 23:42 (seven years ago)
Pixies - Doolitle
Debaser
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 11 October 2018 23:49 (seven years ago)
bob drake's arx pilosa. "Many years ago - billions actually..." - sold.
― dub pilates (rushomancy), Thursday, 11 October 2018 23:50 (seven years ago)
Kraftwerk - Computer World
Took this out from the library c 1986; nodding gladly along to the initial electro perc and bass, then utterly sold when THAT little synth riff came in at 0:15. Still works.
― anatol_merklich, Friday, 12 October 2018 09:43 (seven years ago)
John Martyn / Solid Air
― fetter, Friday, 12 October 2018 09:59 (seven years ago)
I've heard less than a minute of Current 93's Sleep Has His House and I know this is going to be the best album of all time
― imago, Wednesday, October 10, 2018 3:40 PM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
about halfway through this album and loving it
― rip van wanko, Friday, 12 October 2018 14:30 (seven years ago)
weezer blue album btw
― rip van wanko, Friday, 12 October 2018 14:33 (seven years ago)
Master of Reality.
Blues for the Red Sun.
In A Silent Way.
― Have the Rams stopped screaming yet, Lloris? (Chinaski), Friday, 12 October 2018 14:37 (seven years ago)
Copper Blue.
― campreverb, Friday, 12 October 2018 15:05 (seven years ago)
I think this factor is what sealed Source Tags and Codes as the breakthrough Trail of Dead album, honestly
― wayne trotsky (Simon H.), Friday, 12 October 2018 15:36 (seven years ago)
Snakes for the Divine
― Duke, Friday, 12 October 2018 15:44 (seven years ago)
I have a recollection of the 3 big trip hop albums (maxinquaye, dummy, mezzanine) being mindblowing for me when I played them for the first time. Mezzanine in particular but they all tell you what you need to know about what’s ahead in 20 seconds.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 12 October 2018 16:19 (seven years ago)
30 seconds: Leftism
― StanM, Friday, 12 October 2018 16:26 (seven years ago)
Agreed, Moka. Hearing those albums for the first time was transfixing and transformative from the get-go.
― pomenitul, Friday, 12 October 2018 16:29 (seven years ago)
Dinosaur jr - You're Living All Over Me
― Herb Achelors (NickB), Friday, 12 October 2018 16:30 (seven years ago)
monster magnet god says no
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 12 October 2018 16:45 (seven years ago)
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
― brush ’em like crazy (morrisp), Friday, 12 October 2018 18:32 (seven years ago)
― wayne trotsky (Simon H.), Friday, 12 October 2018 15:36 (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
isn't there a silly intro before 'it was there that i saw you' blows the house up
― imago, Friday, 12 October 2018 18:36 (seven years ago)
Straight Outta Compton
― Οὖτις, Friday, 12 October 2018 19:20 (seven years ago)
Heh, that one's a classic instance of 'Albums that you know you're never going to get within the opening 20 seconds of the first track' for me.
― pomenitul, Friday, 12 October 2018 19:35 (seven years ago)
first one to mind is from the choirgirl hotel
― lowercase (eric), Friday, 12 October 2018 19:36 (seven years ago)
Breeders' "Last Splash"
― Οὖτις, Friday, 12 October 2018 19:40 (seven years ago)
aye
― mookieproof, Friday, 12 October 2018 20:04 (seven years ago)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"
― Οὖτις, Friday, 12 October 2018 20:05 (seven years ago)
crikey, Hancock's Crossings rather tears out of the gate doesn't it
― imago, Wednesday, 23 August 2023 17:11 (two years ago)
Low.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 23 August 2023 17:30 (two years ago)
Ok, how about the "Hard Days Night" referencing "Serve the servants" of Nirvana's "In Utero"
― Mark G, Thursday, 24 August 2023 07:34 (two years ago)
Haha, never noticed that before
― Stomp Jomperson (dog latin), Thursday, 24 August 2023 07:44 (two years ago)
Faust, s/t
― Monthly Python (Tom D.), Thursday, 24 August 2023 07:56 (two years ago)
The Orb - The Orb's Adventures Beyond the UltraworldRosalía - El Mal QuererBjork - Homogenic
― octobeard, Thursday, 24 August 2023 08:01 (two years ago)
Steely Dan - Aja
there is so much going on in just the first bar of Black Cow. first heard it in my parents' car when i was 17 - about 9 years ago - and i don't think anything has hit me as hard as that first bar
― tremolo, Thursday, 24 August 2023 08:11 (two years ago)
master of reality
― is he disgruntled adrian? (voodoo chili), Thursday, 24 August 2023 12:35 (two years ago)
Ritual De Lo Habitual
― beard papa, Thursday, 24 August 2023 18:53 (two years ago)
Bauhaus, The Sky's Gone Out
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Thursday, 24 August 2023 18:56 (two years ago)
American Music Club, Mercury
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Thursday, 24 August 2023 18:58 (two years ago)
T.I. - King
― I can't turn a fart into a question (Neanderthal), Thursday, 24 August 2023 19:06 (two years ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58IDj9a6szM
― out-of-print LaserDisc edition (sleeve), Thursday, 24 August 2023 19:08 (two years ago)
was about to answer this, when i checked, and yeah, my answer is the same as 4 years ago.
― mark e, Thursday, 24 August 2023 19:23 (two years ago)
R.E.M. - ReckoningAphex Twin - RDJ Album (...prob others too)
― Clientless (Scooter's Version) (morrisp), Thursday, 24 August 2023 19:30 (two years ago)
Royal Trux - Sweet Sixteen
― Clientless (Scooter's Version) (morrisp), Thursday, 24 August 2023 19:32 (two years ago)
Opening 20 seconds: Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend - swirling guitar effects resolve to a confident psychedelic blues. It had my number.
Opening 2 seconds: Tom Waits, Rain Dogs - (Squawk!)
― Moniker? I barely know 'er! (SlimAndSlam), Thursday, 24 August 2023 20:50 (two years ago)
the Pussy Galore is better :D ;)
― out-of-print LaserDisc edition (sleeve), Thursday, 24 August 2023 20:51 (two years ago)
Opening 5 seconds: Destroyer - Streethawk
Opening 90 seconds: Can - Future days
― H.P, Friday, 25 August 2023 01:00 (two years ago)
Rain Dogs yes. I can remember the moment! My friend slapping it on the turntable, me vaguely aware of Waits as a seventies singer songwriter of some kind, maybe like Randy Newman. The squawk like a closet door opening, all these strange tools stuffed inside clattering to the floor
― Terrycoth Baphomet (bendy), Friday, 25 August 2023 12:52 (two years ago)