FIRSTS ON FIRSTS


it's five for one on tuesday.

Yesterday's Rolling Stone online list of the day was an interesting one: Best First Songs on First Albums. It was difficult to argue with at least five of the choices...

The Beatles: “I Saw Her Standing There” on Please Please Me
Joy Division: “Disorder” on Unknown Pleasures
Van Halen: “Runnin’ With the Devil” on Van Halen
The Ramones: “Blitzkrieg Bop” on Ramones
Jimi Hendrix: “Purple Haze” on Are You Experienced

...even if I do hate The Beatles. And even if I happen to think Van Halen's album-closing "Ice Cream Man" is a much better song than "Runnin' With the Devil."

But I liked the idea, and it got me thinking about my own first-on-first favorites. After some brainstorming and CD-checking and iTunes scanning, just to make sure I didn't forget anything, I assembled my own little list of top-five first songs on first albums. One of my first (first) thoughts, the Indigo Girls' "Closer to Fine," gets disqualified because it appeared on their major-label debut (Indigo Girls), not on their first album (Strange Fire). I stuck with the site's steer clear of bands with debut EPs rule (which eliminated REM's "Radio Free Europe,"), and I decided to avoid artists like Ryan Adams ("To Be Young is to Be Sad") or Neil Finn ("Souvenir") or anyone else who recorded solo work after recording a brilliant body of work with another band.

With those guidelines in place, here are my TWM Top Five Firsts on Firsts...

1) Son Volt: “Windfall” on Trace
As brilliant a three-minute country-rock song -- or any kind of song -- as you'll ever hear. It's perfect. And one of my favorite songs by anyone, anywhere, any time.

2) Living Colour: “Cult of Personality” on Vivid
Eighteen years later -- has it really been that long? my God, I'm old -- it sounds as fresh and as tough (and, sadly, as fitting) as ever.

3) U2: "I Will Follow" on Boy
Stunning and original. They didn't have it all figured out yet, but they were pretty damned close. And you just knew they were gonna be great.

4) Bruce Springsteen: “Blinded by the Light” on Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ
The sounds of ambition and passion and raw hunger. And maybe just a hint of vulnerability. At 100 words a minute.

5) Kathleen Edwards: “Six O’Clock News” on Failer
Not often do critics invoke the likes of Neil Young, Lucinda Williams, and The Replacements to describe a debut CD. Three years ago, they did. And they were right.

What do you say, music fans? Got any more great firsts on firsts? I'd love to hear 'em...

Posted: Tue - August 1, 2006 at 10:38 PM          

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