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ROCK AND ROLL! => Black Sabbath => The Ozzy Years => Topic started by: Charger on March 23, 2018, 04:17:04 AM

Title: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Charger on March 23, 2018, 04:17:04 AM
Okay you knew this was coming.

So lets pit all the opening tracks against each other.

Also let's not JUST review the tracks here BUT how well they actually work as an opener...as even the best of songs don't always work well as an opner (War Pigs being the case in point here), so which track not only is good but kicks the album off in a very special way..

I have always said that best album openers are fast rockers that open the album with a bang. Sabbath has also opened a lot of album with a mid to slow tempo songs as is evident here with 50% of songs being slow tempo ones.

War Pigs obviously is a fantastic track and probably the best track in the list BUT it is NOT the best opener though. Paranoid actually would have been a better opener for the album.

So with that in mind there can really be only one song that ticks all the boxes needed for a brilliant opener and that is SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH!
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Zzzptm on March 23, 2018, 07:50:36 AM
You misspelled "Hole in the Sky", my friend. The groove is low and slow and does the best job not only of drawing me in, but getting me ready for the next song. It's the "Sgt. Pepper" of Black Sabbath.
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Charger on March 23, 2018, 07:56:15 AM
Have to say for me Hole In The Sky is #2 for sure! Kick ass opener too!
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Typhon on March 23, 2018, 08:00:13 AM
It may take me several days to make a decision on this one.
Thanks a lot, Charger!  >:(
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Charger on March 23, 2018, 08:07:16 AM
It may take me several days to make a decision on this one.
Thanks a lot, Charger!  >:(

No Problem! I am here to make people's lifes bit more difficult! :smug:
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Billy Underdog on March 23, 2018, 10:43:16 AM
Hole In The Sky, definitely. No! Black Sabbath. Or... War Pigs..? Wait a minute...  :think:
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Zzzptm on March 23, 2018, 10:48:51 AM
Hole In The Sky, definitely. No! Black Sabbath. Or... War Pigs..? Wait a minute...  :think:

Charger's second victim, from the looks of it...
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: KiloDeltaCharlie on March 23, 2018, 12:31:25 PM
Hole in the Sky is a top 10 track for me. War Pigs and SBS are Top 5 tracks, but as an opener Hole in the Sky is unmatched (does that make sense?!).
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Billy Underdog on March 23, 2018, 02:05:19 PM
Hole in the Sky is a top 10 track for me. War Pigs and SBS are Top 5 tracks, but as an opener Hole in the Sky is unmatched (does that make sense?!).

Absolutely. A song standing on it's own is one thing, how it fits to open it's respective album is another. If this was just about the song standing on it's own this would be an easy picking for me, War Pigs is among the overall Sabbath top. When considering it as an album, one also have to consider the whole album that follows, and how they relate together.
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: BOGBLAST on March 23, 2018, 02:19:30 PM
Rather difficult choice. You can't ignore Hole in the Sky, I almost went with War Pigs but decided upon SBS. I like the shades of light and dark. Starts heavy, refrain mellows out, and then after the solo it just blows your ass out of the water.
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Typhon on March 23, 2018, 09:42:57 PM
I'm just not going to be able to vote on this.  A strong case can be made for 6 of them.

 Black Sabbath - not only a terrific opener, but it's for the debut album!  Fade in the rain, the bell, add the thunder, then the first note slams you.  Brilliant idea.

 War Pigs - strong from note #1, establish the tone, fad in the sirens.  Brilliant again.

 Wheels of Confusion - the strong guitar seems to glide right in on you to begin this powerful number.  This one is in my top 5 best.

 Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - hard and strong with a more sinister tone.  Another one in my top 5 best.

 Hole in the Sky - praised by others already.  I couldn't say it better.

 Never Say Die - despite some others not liking this album as much as I do, if you need, as Charger put it: "fast rockers that open the album with a bang" , then this won is made to order.

I need to vote for all 6!  :excited:
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Sicko FanAtic on March 23, 2018, 10:08:09 PM
Only one says to me: you have entered an alternate realm, welcome to hell! "Black Sabbath", the ultimate opener not just to an album, but to a career! I wouldn't want to open a live show with it, fast and heavy works better there, but as far as album/ career opener, can't beat "Black Sabbath"!

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Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: BOGBLAST on March 23, 2018, 10:21:47 PM
Did you vote above Sicko?
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Sicko FanAtic on March 24, 2018, 06:36:38 AM
Did you vote above Sicko?
How does one vote above oneself?

I don't see a poll somehow

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Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Jack the Stripper on March 24, 2018, 06:51:27 AM
Only one says to me: you have entered an alternate realm, welcome to hell! "Black Sabbath", the ultimate opener not just to an album, but to a career! I wouldn't want to open a live show with it, fast and heavy works better there, but as far as album/ career opener, can't beat "Black Sabbath"!

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
Nailed it
Agree wholeheartedly!
 
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Billy Underdog on March 24, 2018, 07:03:23 AM
Did you vote above Sicko?
How does one vote above oneself?

I don't see a poll somehow

It's pretty much the same as the polls are at the other place. Could it be it's not visible when using Tapatalk?
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Charger on March 24, 2018, 07:33:02 AM
Did you vote above Sicko?
How does one vote above oneself?

I don't see a poll somehow

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
I just installed tapatalk to check it out myself but yes it seems tapatalk does NOT show the polls....quite unfortunate indeed..

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Axefiend on March 24, 2018, 05:18:26 PM
War Pigs! The crème de la crème!!
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: JSTHECONQUEROR on April 03, 2018, 12:02:46 AM
Cough Cough I voted Sweet Leaf
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Zzzptm on April 03, 2018, 08:28:32 AM
Cough Cough I voted Sweet Leaf

That's my second choice. The cough is so iconic!
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Ted Sallis on April 03, 2018, 09:55:12 AM
War Pigs! The crème de la crème!!

Ted
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Tyr66 on April 03, 2018, 10:47:03 AM
Black Sabbaaaaaaaaaaaath !! (Ronnie James Dio '82)
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Zzzptm on April 03, 2018, 11:26:59 AM
Honestly, it's hard to argue that any of these songs, in and of themselves, start things off on the wrong foot.

That being said, it took a while for me to truly appreciate "Wheels of Confusion" as a starter. Seeing as how it has 0 votes, I'd say that everyone else here had a similar time accepting it as a way to kick things off.
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Charger on April 03, 2018, 04:00:18 PM
Wheels is a good track but a horrible opener...Tomorrow's Dream should have been the opener and Wheels should have closed side A.
Title: Re: Album Opener Battle!
Post by: Zzzptm on April 03, 2018, 04:40:23 PM
Wheels is a good track but a horrible opener...Tomorrow's Dream should have been the opener and Wheels should have closed side A.

How about Supernaut as an opener, get everyone on their feet, yeah~!

:ozzy: