Yes, the intro and outro on GI is what I had in mind. I’m not big on Styx. I CAN’T STAND Dennis DeYoung’s voice. Just something about it totally grinds my gears.
I like Styx alot. One of those guilty pleasures of mine. But I like Tommy Shaw on lead vocals.
I like Styx alot. One of those guilty pleasures of mine...
Mine too. I was a big fan of them in my teens and I still like them, especially their first eight albums.
The Serpent Is Rising, Equinox, Grand Illusion - all thoroughly enjoyable as far as I'm concerned.
Having said that, I don't hear anything reminiscent of Styx on ATTW3 or any other album by Genesis.
Yes, the intro and outro on GI is what I had in mind. I’m not big on Styx. I CAN’T STAND Dennis DeYoung’s voice. Just something about it totally grinds my gears.
Grinds your Ears, perhaps? 
Grinds your Ears, perhaps?
Even better (or worse )
This has to be Watcher … play it loud!!! What an atmosphere!
From the later albums I’d pick Behind the lines!
OK, here's a question related to opening songs: Do you prefer "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" or "Calling All Stations"?
For me, it's the first one -- best song on FGTR IMO.
I almost didn't buy CAS because of the initial impression I had of the title track. It's one of those songs that took me a while to warm up to. (Once I heard the whole album I was glad I bought it, though.)
OK, here's a question related to opening songs: Do you prefer "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" or "Calling All Stations"?
For me, it's the first one -- best song on FGTR IMO.
I almost didn't buy CAS because of the initial impression I had of the title track. It's one of those songs that took me a while to warm up to. (Once I heard the whole album I was glad I bought it, though.)
I like both. To me CAS, like many of the opening tracks in their canon, is a strong statement. I actually think it was a strong promise for an album opener, which didn’t quite live up to the rest of the album. That being said, I don’t dislike the album, I mostly enjoy it. The album as a whole though does drown in mid tempo bloat though by ‘If That’s What You Need’. But overall, the dark, grittiness of the title track does set the mood.
Also, my favorite track on FGTR is In the Wilderness. Great 60’s pop tune.
OK, here's a question related to opening songs: Do you prefer "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" or "Calling All Stations"?
For me, it's the first one -- best song on FGTR IMO.
I almost didn't buy CAS because of the initial impression I had of the title track. It's one of those songs that took me a while to warm up to. (Once I heard the whole album I was glad I bought it, though.)
I like both, but CAS is better - it's a good, dramatic, emotional song. (But it's not in the same league as e.g. Behind the Lines, Watcher, TLLDOB.) My opinions are kind of the reverse of yours - for me CAS is one of the best songs on that album, and WTSTTS is one of the weaker songs on FGTR
OK, here's a question related to opening songs: Do you prefer "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" or "Calling All Stations"?
...
Easy choice.
The intro to "Where the Sour ..." draws me in with this haunting, hollow sound and plaintive voice that conveys to me a sense of innocence — very fitting for that particular album.
It's also my favourite track on FGTR.
CAS is more of a jarring intro - and for me, if you're going to go that route, the first sounds you hear should grab you by the shirt collars and pull you in.
The opening title track on CAS doesn't do that for me — there's no immediate hook or riff, and overall it's just not one of my favourites on the album.
There have been so many great ones, all for different reasons, but i'm gonna go with Mama, because it really is such a dark song, caught people by surprise and sounds awesome and it has lasted all this time as a tour great.
Hey Guys. I think Watcher of the Skies is probably the most epic, although not necessarily my favorite. My favorite would be Dancing with the Moonlight Knight. Just an amazing opening track.
DOAV has the best opening moment although overall I prefer Musical Box as a song so it has to be MB for me. Generally it's a fan favourite so am surprised at how few. mentions.this has.
Other day I started Supper's Ready as soon as I got on my train, the song literally finished as I reached my destination.
Will play this every time now I get on.
DOAV has the best opening moment although overall I prefer Musical Box as a song so it has to be MB for me. Generally it's a fan favourite so am surprised at how few. mentions.this has.
But I think there's a difference between how much you like it and how good an album opener it is. I think Earl is a good album opener but I don't like it as a song. I like TMB as a song but I don't think it's particularly good as an opener. Perhaps others feel the same way, hence its lack of presence here.
Going to have to say Dance on a Volcano. Mind-blowing. I adore Eleventh and Watcher so much, too. But also one would have to be insane not to love Lamb!!
some genesis album openers have a lengthy introduction that goes in crescendo: watcher of the skies, dance on a volcano, eleventh earl of mar, behind the lines, mama... some others are the opposite: looking for someone and dancing with the moonlit knight start with peter's voice, but they work great as well.
by the way, there goes a fun fact: 'wind and wuthering' is the album whose first two songs have the greatest sum of lengths. eleventh earl of mar is nearly 8 minutes long, one for the vine is 10 minutes long. there isn't another genesis album that you start to play and, after nearly 18 minutes, is still in the second track. 
There are a few personal choices and some have been used as openers, each one stands out on its own merit:
Deep in the Motherlode
A side-opener on vinyl but not an album opener, unless there's a different edition of ATTWT? I have this as my opener in the album rearranging thread though and it was a good show opener on the 1980 tour.
