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Best Song Intros

#1 Steely Dan - Don't Take Me Alive. Superb lead intro. Even Jimmy Page commented on how that is one of his favorites.
#2 Gotta give it up for tshoe's choice of Layla. Great layering of guitars in the intro.
#3 Pink Floyd's - Sheep. I'm Scottish. If you were Scottish, you'd understand. :banana:

OK - a hint: Why do Scotsman where kilts? 'Cause sheep can hear zippers!
 
screenersam said:
obscure 70s single 'as the years go by' by (? Mashmakhan?) organ solo like a haunted house.
jazz bass from 'Theme from Barney Miller'
from '90125' (I think), the gradually slowing guitar morphing into synths for 'Soon'.
the guitar/drum into 'White Rabbit'. chills me to this day.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's Mashmakhan. A surprisingly good LP, but that opening is fine. I think the drummer in Mashmakhan went on to Loverboy.
 
Some more Rush :D

(Sorry, but since I know them so well I can easily think of many of their openings and I truly feel that they have some very good, creative, and unique song intros whether one likes them or not :D)


A Farewell to Kings (about a minute of quiet classic acoustic guitar and then an explosion of electric guitar and drums)

Xanadu (synths and a lazy background guitar that builds and builds to a great opening)

Cygnus X-1: Book I: The Voyage (a spacey intro that builds and builds: great intermittent bass guitar)

Cygnus X-1 Book Two: Hemispheres (just great musicanship from the start, after a "rush" of air sound emulated by a synth; the intro: I. Prelude, itself is the best part of the song imo)

Natural Science (quiet acoustic guitar and distant echoey voice over the sound of the tide, perfect set up for the song which starts with a guitar leading into a quick explosion of guitar, vocals, bass, and drums)

The Camera Eye (heavy synth opening with guitar and drums gradually building to a powerful opening that is then ended and followed by yet another synth opening that starts the song proper off, with amazing electric guitar work)

Witch Hunt (sets the perfect mood with an opening of spooky synths and voices of a mob growing more and more frenzied and louder...which was actually recorded outside of the studio on a snowy night with Neil leading friends and crew in a drunken rant :D)

Countdown (synths with announcer voice overlay builds the excitement of a shuttle launch, another perfect mood setter for the song)

Distant Early Warning (guitar with "fuzzy" synths to a full synth opening, sets the tone to this cold, synth driven, dense album)

Big Money (powerful guitar and synth opening right away)

Mahattan Project (powerful synths and drums that then quiet for the start of the song proper)

Mystic Rythms (starts with just Neil's drums then a classic acoustic guitar and then mysterious sounding synths accompany...perfect mood for the lyrical content of the song)

Force Ten (odd fake synth chorus sound with military sounding drums then coming in and then bass and guitar)

The Pass (soft bass guitar with intermingling acoustic guitar and vocals set the tone for this passionate anti-suicide song)

Scars (from the start unique "African" sounding drums and bass)

Presto (few second start of full guitar and drums with brief vocal that then fades to a great acoustical guitar with vocals and synths coming into the song)

Heresy (very quiet military sounding drum lead in then synths and guitar start the song proper)

Double Agent (wicked bass and vocals start off this odd song)

Limbo (sounds of chains and a bubbling cauldron start off this instrumental)


No other bands' songs that I can think of that haven't already been mentioned!
 
OH.. another song I can name in one note of the intro...

Sweet - Fox on the Run

Pretty far ahead of it's time for when it was written.
 
Gotta mention "Sweet Child O' Mine." Starts with Slash's solo guitar riff, then Izzy Stradlin's rhythm guitar for a few bars, and then the bass line comes in. About a 45 sec intro, and IMO, it's still the best thing Guns N' Roses has done.
 
Eh.. While I'm on that 80's Intro kick...

Berlin - Metro along with Tainted Love...

Maybe not ones that are the best, but sure are very well known..
 
eeeerrr.. which got me to have to add one more....

Ministry - Every Day is Halloween... Gotta love the drums, along with the clave..
 
oh oh oh.. anyone mention Iron Maiden - Trooper? What a hell of a riff..

Speaking of riffs, and being on a roll now....

Green Jello - 3 Little Pigs...

and then if we are going to take the "Strange" tangent there is

King Missile with Detachable Penis.
 
OK.. I lied.. once I got on the 80's dance music kick, now I gotta add this...

Microchip League - New York New York...

Now I'm done :D
 
Actually a correction from my previous post in this thread -
Steely Dan - Reelin' in the Years. Grrrrreat lead in the Intro.
Earlier - I mentioned Don't Take me Alive. Reelin's FAR better! (IMHO).
 
Man, Old Thread here. I was going to post something similar here at AK but decided to do a search first.

Many great songs mentioned and I honestly did not scan the whole of every page but betting this one is not already posted.

I really love this Intro to Ana Popovic Live in Amsterdam. The whole concert and recording is awesome but the Intro really gets it going.
 
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