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
They say music is the soundtrack of our lives. And Siamese Dream is the soundtrack of my sophomore year in college. It’s the music behind the all-nighters. The lazy afternoons. The post-study, pre-game, always-on music of that year. Siamese Dream kept the grunge era interesting for me. The drums and bass were in perpetual attack mode. The guitars were on fire. And Billy Corgan sang these incredible melodies with some fire of his own. The opening track had a curious name. “Cherub Rock”. The title made me want to listen.
The song itself was a rude awakening. A swift kick in the head. It could’ve been a great closer as well. But you can’t argue with the sequencing of an incredible album like Siamese Dream. “Cherub Rock” is like a pot of boiling water overflowing. Corgan, almost demonically, repeatedly implores, “Let me out.” “Today” and “Disarm” were bigger hits. But “Cherub Rock” was the most potent. An assuring sign that rock & roll was alive and well – and that grunge didn’t have to be cut the same exact way every single time.
“As long as there's some money, who wants that honey?”