Great album openers get the listeners to keep on listening. They can do this in any number of ways. Some openers set the tone by easing us in. Others jump right in and blow our minds from the very beginning. A great album opener isn’t an easy thing to create. More than a great song, it’s all about the sequence. Track 1 has to be the perfect starter. This month, I’m highlighting my favorites. #AlbumOpeningSongs
Zeppelin is such a massive part of my journey as a music fan. I remember listening incessantly to the album simply named after the Roman numerals IV in my early high school years. My mind was blown instantly. I couldn’t believe lead guitar could be so vicious and audacious. And I couldn’t believe someone could sing like that – practically howling like an animal at times. “Black Dog”, as most true music fans already know, is Track 1, and Plant, Page, Bonzo and Jonesy opened things up with a giant-sized can of whupass.
Not sure exactly how blues and hard rock can be so easily intertwined to the point where you can’t tell which element is which? Just listen to “Black Dog”. The song uses space and pregnant pauses as good as any other to make the guitar riff explosions that much more explosive. I really like the fact that Page’s guitar almost feels like it’s lagging because the riff is so friggin’ fast. On to Robert Plant. His vocals on this song, in particular, really brought me into the fold. It didn’t just usher me into IV, it brought me into the entire Zeppelin catalog.
“I gotta roll, can't stand still. Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill. Eyes that shine burning red. Dreams of you all through my head.”