controversy99 said:

What are your favorite and least favorite opening songs on albums? Favorite = 1999 "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I only what you to have some fun." is a brilliant opening. The song itself is spectacular: drum programming, guitar, and the shared vocals. Least Favorite = Jam of the Year. "I got a new Puerto Rican score, and she's doing it on the floor." Is that really a good way to describe your wife? And please don't declare a song to be a jam -- make a great jam, and the audience will declare it.

I couldn't agree more about JOTY. You'd think his first album after being "emancipated" would jump out and smack you on the first track. Then he goes and calls the song "Jam of the year," lifting expectations that it's gonna rock. Instead, we got a mid-tempo song with mediocre lyrics.

"Can't Stop' is a good album starter, except for the 'dear dad' part. It slowly works up then rocks, like 1999.

some of my fav openings, said very low in the deep voice, a bit dangerous

The Black album:Le Grind

So, U found me
Good, I'm glad
This is Prince - the cool of cools
Some of U may not know this, but some of U may know
Some of U may not want 2 know
We are here 2 give U service
Please don't try 2 stop us 4 we come regardless
4 we are as strong as we are intelligent
So come vibe with us
Funk Bible - the New Testament

Favorite would be a toss up between "Let's Go Crazy" and "1999."

My least favorite is "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got." I never cared for the track, but to open the album is a bad idea to me.

The intro of "I no" is still the best to me. "Pussy control" is pretty cool too.

Favorite: "1999"----this is such an epic intro! It lets you know that are in for something spectacular.

Least Favorite: "Around The World In A Day"---a very odd intro/opening song

Best:

P Control.

It's so slammin', so euphoric, so phat. Love it.

Worst:

Probably Another Like Me, although I enjoyed most of MPLSound.

.

[Edited 11/15/12 12:38pm]

best: christopher tracy's parade

worst: new power soul

Good choices for best opening so far but for me nothing tops the kick ass simplicity of Controversy

Thunder killed me .

IstenSzek said:

best: christopher tracy's parade

worst: new power soul

I forget about that one.

I think we have our winner!

Best: Let's Go Crazy or ATWIAD? (CTPs a goodun too)

Worst: Can't stop this feelin I got or Thunder, or many more..

He's had some real stunners, but 1999 is the cream of crop for me, with maybe Sign O' The Times a close 2nd.

Worst is probably New Power Soul, just hard to sit through it these days...

Giveit2mebaby said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

millwall said:

Worst rave 2 the joy fantastic. Loved the album but hate that song

Funny, I have exactly the opposite opinion. That track remains one of my all-time favorite Prince songs, whereas the album was (to me) depressing when it came out and although there are a couple gems on there (Eye Love U... and Strange But True come to mine immediately) it remains one of my least favorite Prince releases.

I would have to say that although he has many, many great opening songs, one that pops to my mind instantly is 3121...hearing that for the first time made me literally tingle, and the beginning of it still makes me happy. The worst is easily Planet Earth ... it's not a great album, granted, but that track is so far below all the rest, having essentially no redeeming qualities as far as I'm concerned.

millwall said:

Surprised no-one's mentioned For You. As a worst of course.

robertlove said:

The intro of "I no" is still the best to me. "Pussy control" is pretty cool too.

alphachannel said:

Good choices for best opening so far but for me nothing tops the kick ass simplicity of Controversy

Y'all are reminding me how awesome some of P's opening tracks are. Eye Know is epic in its brilliance, and Controversy is the jam!

Fonkyman said:

Surprised no-one's mentioned For You. As a worst of course.

Interesting. I always thought the song "For You" was a great way to open a career. "All of this and more is for you" with a multi-layered vocal. How cool is that?

Best: 'Sign O' the Times' or '1999'. 'The Future' is good too.

Worst: 'North' or 'Planet Earth'

I think he had his 3 best album openings in succession..

Controversy

1999

Let's Go Crazy

And this is probably up for debate, but I was never crazy with Around The World In A Day and Planet Earth opening their respective albums.

herb4 said:

Best: 'Sign O' the Times' or '1999'. 'The Future' is good too.

Worst: 'North' or 'Planet Earth'

SOTT as a title track and opener kinda set me up to expect something other than what i heard on the album

understanding the album is a collage of 3 different album concepts, I don't really think SOTT is a good opener

Planet Earth is a killer track, I think the best on the album, so it 2 set me up, either it's not a good opener or doesn't have good follow up tracks

OldFriends4Sale said:

herb4 said:

Best: 'Sign O' the Times' or '1999'. 'The Future' is good too.

Worst: 'North' or 'Planet Earth'

SOTT as a title track and opener kinda set me up to expect something other than what i heard on the album

understanding the album is a collage of 3 different album concepts, I don't really think SOTT is a good opener

Planet Earth is a killer track, I think the best on the album, so it 2 set me up, either it's not a good opener or doesn't have good follow up tracks

That's what I liked about SOTT as an opener. It had a sparse, minimal and sort of eerie feeling about it. The album shifted gears a lot and the title track was lick pop starting a car in third.

The entirety of Planet Earth is horrible and, unfortunately, told me exactly what to expect from the rest of the album.

best: let's go crazy

worst: new power soul

herb4 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

SOTT as a title track and opener kinda set me up to expect something other than what i heard on the album

understanding the album is a collage of 3 different album concepts, I don't really think SOTT is a good opener

Planet Earth is a killer track, I think the best on the album, so it 2 set me up, either it's not a good opener or doesn't have good follow up tracks

That's what I liked about SOTT as an opener. It had a sparse, minimal and sort of eerie feeling about it. The album shifted gears a lot and the title track was lick pop starting a car in third.

The entirety of Planet Earth is horrible and, unfortunately, told me exactly what to expect from the rest of the album.

SOTT the song I love, yes the sparse minimal almost lonely feel to it,

since he released a double album it might have been cool to seperate the songs according 2 certain vibes

side 1 SOTT Ballad of Dorothy Parker, It, Starfish & Coffee, Slow Love, Forever In My Life, I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, the Cross,

side 2 Play in the Sunshine, Housequake, Hot Thing, U Got the Look, If I Was Ur Girlfriend, Strange Relationship, Adore, It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night

It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night could have been a cool B side as well or released as a bonus song

A studio version of the live rendition of SOTT would have been hotttt

R U saying you don't like the song Planet Earth?

I really enjoy the following opening tracks:

3121 (3121 album)
Compassion (20Ten album)

My Name Is Prince ( album)

Thunder (Diamonds and Pearls album)

P-Control (The Gold Experience album)

1999 (1999 album)

Cristopher Tracy's Parade (Parade album)

Can't Stop This Feeling I Got (Graffiti Bridge album)

The Future (Batman album)

New Power Soul (Nwe Power Soul album)
Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (Rave album)

All good to me!!

OldFriends4Sale said:

herb4 said:

That's what I liked about SOTT as an opener. It had a sparse, minimal and sort of eerie feeling about it. The album shifted gears a lot and the title track was lick pop starting a car in third.

The entirety of Planet Earth is horrible and, unfortunately, told me exactly what to expect from the rest of the album.

R U saying you don't like the song Planet Earth?

I'm saying I hate the song and almost the entire album. Can't remember the last time I played it or even looked for it. But let's not de-rail the thread here.

Back on topic: I never really thought about it much, but Prince albums generally have strong openers as a whole (now the singles on the other hand...):

Good:

I Wanna Be your Lover

Dirty Mind

Controversy

1999

Let's Go Crazy

Around the World in a Day

SOTT

The Future

My Name is Prince

P Control

Come

New Power Soul

Chaos & Disorder

When Eye Lay My Hands on U

Silicon

3121

Musicology

Le Grind

One Nite Alone

Bad:

Christopher Tracy's Parade

Eye Know

Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic

North

Planet Earth

From The Lotus

The rest are sort of average. Anyone else notice that Prince's wikipedia discography page is missing 'New Power Soul'?

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...iscography

Of course many here would argue that that's a good thing but I think the disc is underrated and either way, it seems like an odd omission. Maybe someone here should get in there an edit that page?

Upon further reflection, I'm not so sure that 'Controversy' might not be his strongest opening track. It really thumps, has very provacative lyrics and is probabaly the best song on the album aong with 'Let's Work'.

herb4 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

R U saying you don't like the song Planet Earth?

I'm saying I hate the song and almost the entire album. Can't remember the last time I played it or even looked for it. But let's not de-rail the thread here.

Back on topic: I never really thought about it much, but Prince albums generally have strong openers as a whole (now the singles on the other hand...):

Good:

I Wanna Be your Lover

Dirty Mind

Controversy

1999

Let's Go Crazy

Around the World in a Day

SOTT

The Future

My Name is Prince

P Control

Come

New Power Soul

Chaos & Disorder

When Eye Lay My Hands on U

Silicon

3121

Musicology

Le Grind

One Nite Alone

Bad:

Christopher Tracy's Parade

Eye Know

Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic

North

Planet Earth

From The Lotus

The rest are sort of average. Anyone else notice that Prince's wikipedia discography page is missing 'New Power Soul'?

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...iscography

Of course many here would argue that that's a good thing but I think the disc is underrated and either way, it seems like an odd omission. Maybe someone here should get in there an edit that page?

Upon further reflection, I'm not so sure that 'Controversy' might not be his strongest opening track. It really thumps, has very provacative lyrics and is probabaly the best song on the album aong with 'Let's Work'.

it's listed as an NPG album. i looked it up right before my post

cborgman said:

herb4 said:

opening tracks

it's listed as an NPG album. i looked it up right before my post

Oh yeah. That would explain why Exodus wasn't there either. I love that album and that's another strong opening cu ('Get Wild').