Opening Tracks Trivia

1. Which iconic vocalist and frontman urged listeners to "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" at the opening of his band's self-titled, 1967 debut album?

From Quiz A Flying Start

Answer: Jim Morrison

Though "Light My Fire" may be the best-known track from The Doors' eponymous debut, released on 4 January 1967, opener "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" is no slouch either. Introducing the public to Jim Morrison's sensual yet menacing baritone, the song also showcases the pulsating rhythm of Ray Manzarek's bass keyboards in conjunction with John Densmore's drums, influenced by Brazilian bossa nova. Not surprisingly with anyone familiar with Morrison's lyrical approach, the lyrics veer between sheer romanticism and a keen sense of menace - likely reflecting the contrasting aspects of the use of psychedelic drugs referenced by the song's title. "Break On Through" was released on 1 January 1967 as the band's first single. Though at the time of release it did not make an impact in the charts, it quickly became one of The Doors' concert staples, and is often mentioned as one of the greatest rock songs of all time. In 2012, it was selected to be part of a playlist of "wake-up calls" for the remote-controlled Mars Curiosity robot during a NASA mission on the Red Planet. The Doors' debut album is also remarkable for boasting one of rock music's most iconic songs as a closing track - the epic (and scandalous) "The End", which was included in the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film "Apocalypse Now".

From Quiz A Few Opening Words

Answer: Sympathy For the Devil

Miamisammy called this the greatest piece of music ever written, and he knows his Stones! This was the first song on the Rolling Stones' 1968 album "Beggars Banquet". Aside from fantastic lyrics, this song has some of the most aggressive, raw, and just plain nasty guitar licks you'll ever hear.

From Quiz Opening Tracks

Answer: Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan's 1965 release saw him "plugging in" and moving firmly away from the folk scene.

From Quiz A Flying Start

Answer: Let There Be More Light

Pink Floyd started recording "A Saucerful of Secrets", the follow-up to their debut "The Piper of the Gates of Dawn", when guitarist/vocalist Syd Barrett was still part of the band. While recording the album, Barrett's mental health went downhill - so that the rest of the band were forced to recruit David Gilmour. Barrett left before the end of the recording sessions, and only one of his compositions - closing track "Jugband Blues" - appears on the album, which was eventually released on 28 June 1968. Written by bassist/vocalist Roger Waters, opening track "Let There Be More Light" continues in the space rock vein of songs from the previous album such as "Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive". Its title is a paraphrase of the well-known verse "Let there be light" in the Book of Genesis. Featuring vocals by Waters, Gilmour and keyboardist Rick Wright, the Eastern-flavoured song alternates quieter and louder passages to create a moody, hypnotic atmosphere. The lyrics, inspired by science fiction literature and cinema, describe the descent of an extraterrestrial spaceship at the RAF station of Mildenhall in Suffolk (England) - with a references to The Beatles' famous song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds". "Let There Be More Light" was also released as a single in August 1968. "One of These Days" opens Pink Floyd's 1971 album "Meddle", while the two parts of "Pigs on the Wing" open and close their 1977 album "Animals". "The Great Gig in the Sky", known for Clare Torry's stunning vocal performance, appears on "The Dark Side of the Moon" (1973), though not at the beginning.

From Quiz A Few Opening Words

Answer: Good Times Bad Times

This is one Zeppelin's greatest songs. Rumor has it that when Jimi Hendrix heard John Bonham's drumming on this tune, he launched a futile campaign to lure the maniacal drummer into his camp. "Communication Breakdown" was also on this record, which was released early in 1969. "Whole Lotta Love" opened up Led Zeppelin II, released in October of that year. "Black Dog" started the classic "Zoso" or "Led Zeppelin IV" album in 1971.

From Quiz Opening Tracks

Answer: Closer

"Closer" was Joy Division's second and final album, recorded shortly before lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide. "Unknown Pleasure" was the band's debut.

From Quiz A Flying Start

Answer: King Crimson

Considered by many the first full-fledged progressive rock album, "In the Court of the Crimson King" by English band King Crimson was released on 10 October 1969. The album contains only five songs, which already display most of the distinguishing features of the genre - long tracks (often divided into sections), influences from jazz and classical music, complex instrumentation, and intense, poetic lyrics. The album is also famous for its dramatic cover, a painting of his own face by Barry Godber, a friend of guitarist Robert Fripp (the only constant member of the band in its over 50-year history), who died shortly after the album's release. The album's iconic artwork is frequently identified with its devastating opening track, the 7-minute "21st Century Schizoid Man", written by Fripp, bassist/vocalist Greg Lake (of Emerson, Lake and Palmer fame), saxophonist/keyboardist Ian McDonald, and drummer Michael Giles. Peter Sinfield's vividly visionary lyrics - presenting images of violence and suffering in short, disconnected sentences - offer a strong indictment of the Vietnam War. Blaring saxophone, Lake's heavily distorted vocals, and Fripp's dissonant guitar solo contribute to creating a song that has often been referred to as proto-heavy metal. "21st Century Schizoid Man" was also released as the B-side of the single "Epitaph" (another of the album's iconic songs) in 1976, as a companion to a compilation of King Crimson's early output. The song has also been a staple of the band's live performances for most of their career.

From Quiz A Few Opening Words

Answer: Custard Pie

This song is blues/rock at its finest and features a short but brilliant solo from guitarist Jimmy Page. The band often opened live shows with "Rock and Roll", but it was the second song from "Zoso". "Kashmir" was the sixth song on "Physical Graffiti". "Immigrant Song" is the first song from "Led Zeppelin III", released in 1970.

From Quiz Opening Tracks

Answer: The Final Cut

Pink Floyd's war "memorial" from 1982 was written and co-produced by lead singer, Roger Waters. The album was dedictated to his father, who had died during the Second World War.

From Quiz A Flying Start

Answer: Let It Bleed

Released on 28 November 1969, "Let It Bleed" was recorded at a time of turmoil in The Rolling Stones' history. The band's lead guitarist and founding member, Brian Jones (who died only a few months later in mysterious circumstances), was fired in the midst of the recording sessions because of his heavy drug use. Jones's replacement was 20-year-old Mick Taylor, who would remain with the band until the end of 1974. The album's iconic cover depicts the record being played in the foreground, with a stack of disparate round objects in the background - the most prominent of which is an elaborately decorated cake topped by figurines of the band. Though never released as a single, opening track "Gimme Shelter" is one of the Stones' most enduringly popular songs. Written by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards (who played most guitar parts on the album), the song is strongly influenced by gospel music, and features tense, punchy lyrics evoking scenarios of fear and violence (reportedly inspired by the Vietnam War). American singer Merry Clayton, who was known to the Stones for having provided backing vocals to a number of major artists, was drafted in to perform a barnstorming duet with Jagger. So powerful and physically taxing was her contribution that Clayton (who was pregnant at the time) suffered a miscarriage soon afterwards. The following year, Clayton recorded her own version of "Gimme Shelter" for her debut solo album. The song was also covered by American band Grand Funk Railroad on their 1971 album "Survival". "Sticky Fingers" was released in 1971, "Goats Head Soup" in 1973, and "Some Girls" in 1978.

From Quiz A Few Opening Words

Answer: Runnin' With the Devil

All of these songs were on the album, which was released in 1978.

From Quiz Opening Tracks

Answer: Shoot Out the Lights

Richard and Linda Thompson's 1982 album dealing with the break-up of their marriage. Although the album tried to tell the story from the man and woman's point of view, eight of the nine songs were written by Richard Thompson.

From Quiz A Flying Start

Answer: Black Sabbath

The phrase "statement of intent" seems to have been coined expressly for the opening track of Black Sabbath's debut album - which bears the same name (taken from a 1963 horror film) as the album and the band. The enormously influential debut from the Birmingham-based quartet nicknamed "the godfathers of heavy metal" was released on 13 February 1970 (a Friday). The eerie cover art (depicting a water mill on the Thames with a mysterious, black-cloaked female figure in the foreground) added to the album's sinister allure. The visual aspect, however, paled in comparison with the sheer impact of the opening song. Written by the four members of the band - vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward - "Black Sabbath" was inspired by a weird occurrence experienced by Butler a few years earlier. Butler (who at the time was interested in the occult) related waking up one night and seeing a large black figure standing at the foot of the bed, staring at him; before going to sleep, he had been reading an occult book with pictures of Satan. The sound effects that underlie Iommi's guitar riff at the beginning of the song, combined with Osbourne's wailing vocal delivery, make for a rather disturbing experience even over 50 years later. The riff in question - one of the most recognizable in the history of rock - makes use of the notorious tritone interval, known as "diabolus in musica" (the devil in music). "Black Sabbath" was a regular staple of the band's concerts (even with other singers than Ozzy) until they disbanded in 2017. Of the bands listed as wrong answers, Iron Maiden also released a self-titled debut album (1980) that contained a song named after the band. The song "Iron Maiden", however, is the album's closing track.

From Quiz Opening Tracks

Answer: What's Going On?

Marvin Gaye's 1971 album is my personal favourite. Released on the Motown record label its gloomy themes saw Gaye battling the studio bosses to get it recorded. In essence, Gaye sat back and looked at a troubled America fighting a war in Vietnam, and racism and inner city poverty back at home, and asked "What's Going On?"

From Quiz A Few Opening Words

Answer: Exile on Main St.

That's a line from the song "Rocks Off" from the Stones' 1972 release "Exile on Main St.". It's one of the better moments of a fine record.

From Quiz Opening Tracks

Answer: Blood Sugar Sex Magik

The Red Hot Chili Pepper's multi-platinum selling album from 1991 saw them transform from a cult band to genuine rock stars.

From Quiz A Flying Start

Answer: Baba O'Riley

The Who's fifth studio album, "Who's Next", was released on 14 August 1971. Eight out of the nine songs on the album (with the exception of "My Wife", penned by bassist John Entwistle) were originally written on a multi-media rock opera, "Lifehouse", conceived by guitarist and main songwriter Pete Townshend as a follow-up to "Tommy" (1969). With its iconic cover - referencing the monolith in the film "2001: A Space Odyssey", though in a parodic sort of way - the album is considered one of the greatest rock albums ever produced, as well as The Who's finest hour. One of the distinguishing features of "Who's Next" is the prominent use of synthesizers (played by Townshend), particularly evident in "Baba O'Riley". The song's title pays homage to Indian spiritual master Meher Baba and American composer Terry Riley - two of Townshend's major influences at the time. "Teenage Wasteland" was the song's working title when it was still part of the "Lifehouse" project: according to Townshend, it was a reference to the rather dispiriting appearance of teenagers high on drugs at Woodstock Festival (where The Who performed in the morning of Sunday, 17 August 1969). The violin solo at the end of the song was played by Dave Arbus of progressive rock band East of Eden. "Baba O' Riley" was released as a single in Europe in October 1971. It has often been used in soundtracks to films and TV shows, and appears on four of The Who's live albums.

From Quiz A Few Opening Words

Answer: Come Together

This was the first song on the Beatles' "Abbey Road" album in 1969. This song has been covered numerous times, probably best by Aerosmith, but I've always thought the Beatles did it best.

From Quiz Opening Tracks

Answer: Blonde on Blonde

Bob Dylan's second appearance on this quiz. And, yes, there really is an album called "Boing". It is by British band, Airhead.

From Quiz A Flying Start

Answer: Highway Star

Released on 25 March 1972, "Machine Head" is Deep Purple's best-known most commercially successful album - partly thanks to the inclusion of their signature song, "Smoke on the Water", based on the events that transpired during the album's recording sessions at Montreux (Switzerland). Featuring the classic lineup (also known as Mark II) of Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Ian Gillan (vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards), Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums), "Machine Head" is also considered one of the most influential albums in the development of heavy metal. With its fast tempo and aggressive vocals, "Highway Star" has been called a forerunner of the speed metal embraced by the likes of Metallica and Megadeth in the mid-1980s. Besides Ian Gillan's unearthly screams, however, the song also features stellar, classically-influenced solos by Blackmore and Lord. A stunning live version of "Highway Star" opens Deep Purple's legendary live album "Made in Japan" (December 1972); the song has been included in the band's live sets ever since its first release. It has also been covered a number of times - notably by Faith No More and Dream Theater. "Woman From Tokyo" is the opening track of "Who Do We Think We Are", the last studio album recorded by Deep Purple Mk II before Gillan and Glover's departure in 1973. "Stormbringer" is the opening track of the eponymous album, released in 1974 with David Coverdale on vocals and Glenn Hughes on bass.

From Quiz Opening Tracks

Answer: Zen Arcade

Released in 1984 "Zen Arcade" was a double album by "Husker Du", an American punk band from Minneapolis. It told the story of a young man leaving home and discovering the uglier side of life. "Zen Arcade" sold just 20,000 copies on original release. One of the band members, Bob Mould, would later form the band Sugar.

From Quiz A Flying Start

Answer: Gloria

Released on 10 November 1975, Patti Smith's "Horses" is famous for its cover - a stunning black-and-white photo of the singer-songwriter by legendary photographer Robert Mapplethorpe - as well as its ground-breaking combination of gritty, minimalistic rock and visionary poetry, which has earned the album the label of "first art-punk record". Opening track "Gloria" encapsulates much of the album's aesthetics: a vastly expanded and reimagined cover of Them's 1964 garage rock anthem (written by Van Morrison) that incorporates an adaptation of Smith's poem "Oath", it starts out slowly and builds up to an exhilarating crescendo in which Smith and the other band members shout out the name "Gloria". Now widely held as one of the greatest rock debuts ever, "Horses" was hugely influential in the development of a whole generation of women musicians. U2's second album, "October", was released on 12 October 1981. It was deeply influenced by religious and spiritual themes, which reflected the involvement of vocalist Bono, guitarist The Edge and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. in a Christian group. Because of that, it was more nuanced and low-key than their high-energy debut, "Boy". The album's opening song, however, is a rousing, riff-based rocker that doubles up as a prayer: the "Gloria" of the title does not refer to a woman, but is part of a phrase that means "Glory be to you, Lord" in Latin. Besides Bono's impassioned vocals, the song also features some remarkable bass work by Adam Clayton. Released as a single a week before the album, "Gloria" also opens U2's only live album so far, "Under a Blood Red Sky" (1983). Interestingly, in a book released in 1994, Bono stated that their own "Gloria" - a love song to God rather than to a woman - was in part inspired by Van Morrison's "Gloria", since Morrison (a Belfast native) enjoys iconic status in the whole of Ireland. The three songs listed as wrong answers are by Simon and Garfunkel ("Cecilia"), Derek and the Dominoes ("Layla"), and Fleetwood Mac ("Sara").

From Quiz A Few Opening Words

Answer: The Wall

These are lyrics from "In the Flesh?", the first song from Pink Floyd's "The Wall", released in late 1979. This album is quite depressing but brilliantly written from beginning to end.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:50 AM

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