Best Opening Song

    Okay, I did it for Phil and now I'm doing it for Genesis. Of course, it's a bit harder with Genesis because there are more albums to choose from, and everyone likes to divide the band's career into specific eras. Is it possible, then, to pick one favourite opening song from the band's entire career while resisting the urge to pick a favourite from each era? I think so.


    For me, the greatest opener also happens to be my favourite Genesis song of all time: Mama. It's a song that I never tire of hearing and, having just completed a fan edit of the song I've finally realised that, great googly moogly, this really is my all-time favourite Genesis tune. There's so much power and atmosphere in such a relatively simple song, from Mike's drum machine (which starts on the back-beat, unwittingly giving the song an off-kilter feel) to Tony's moody keyboards and Phil's heavily compressed vocals (channeling his inner John Lennon). It has a claustrophobic feel until the drums come in and the dam bursts open.


    In the book Chapter And Verse, both Mike and Tony talk of Phil and Peter's ability to give a little bit more in the final third of a song. Supper's Ready, The Musical Box and No Son Of Mine come immediately to mind. The most impressive example, though - for me - is Mama.

    It must be either The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway or Abacab, two tracks, which instantly grab you.


    I didn`t know, that Phil worked together with John Martyn. I have his albums Solid Air and One World. The fact that Phil worked with him clearly shows his enormous musical bandwidth.

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

    Like 1

    While Mama is not a favourite album opener, I love this track. It has to be one of the classic rock tracks of the 80s, if not ever. It is definitely my favourite use of a drum machine. Apart from laying down a big chunky rhythm track, its murky sound gives the song much of its steamy, claustrophobic atmosphere. As Collins said, it took a non-drummer to get it 'wrong' and result in such a good feel.


    I don't care what anyone says about the re-pitching, PC's performance of this one on the 07 tour was superb. Well, at the shows I went to.


    But anyway as to my choice of opener. Close contenders are Looking For Someone and Moonlit Knight, both very atmospheric in their own way. Volcano comes close too, though it might fall short due to my dislike of the second half. But the first part is one of their greatest song segments and the dynamism of it on stage was electrifying - I'll never forget it as the opener at the 1982 gig I went to.


    At that show, it segued into what is my top choice, Behind The Lines. For me it's the greatest adrenaline surge at the start of any of their albums. Then the change of pace and feel is one of my favourite dynamic shifts from a band who knew a thing or two about dynamic shifts. It gets a leg up to top spot partly from the brilliant merging into one of my top 5 Genesis tracks, Duchess. In a way, it's that pairing that's the whole opening sequence of Duke. Those two tracks are inseparable in my mind.


    I loved that the reunion tour set opened with BTL, but a shame they didn't go with the whole song. I read that Collins and Rutherford vetoed the second half. Ironic it's that bit which is the only Genesis track on a PC album!

    Abandon all reason

    Like 2

    People are so eloquent in giving their reasons for why they think something works. I can't do it.


    I suppose I have three - Abacab, Mama & No Son Of Mine. These would be followed by Dancing With The Moonlit Knight & The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway,. And Dance On A Volcano. And Calling All Stations.

    Mama is one hell of a song, arguably one of Phil's best vocal performances with the band and imo what the band should have sounded like in the 80s but for my money, as openers go, it doesn't come anywhere near to The Musical Box, DWTMK, Behind the Lines and Volcano.

    Quote from Backdrifter

    I don't care what anyone says about the re-pitching, PC's performance of this one on the 07 tour was superb. Well, at the shows I went to.

    I am glad you enjoyed it but I truly cannot agree there. The reason is simple, as I said before, I believe Mama is one of Phil's top vocal performances, both in terms of power and expression. It remains however a power song: the growling, the high pitched screaming, you try to sing along and you can literally feel the damage on the throat. if you take those elements away and he did it, because he didn't have them anymore, the song suffers and it sounds….'mutilated' to my ears. He did imo a fine job, he is after a consummate singer and knows how to work around his limitations with what he has at his disposal, but what he had was too little for that kind of song imo.

    Edited once, last by Fabrizio ().

    I would say either Watcher Of The Skies or Down & Out.


    There are other opening tracks that overall I actually like better, but none of them have that same mesmerizing, goosebump-inducing effect that the opening sounds of Watcher and D&O have on me.

    I'll go with Dance on a Volcano not because it's the strongest song that Genesis used to open an album with. Heck it's not even the strongest song on that album. But...given the context of this song and the "unknown" of what the first album without Peter would sound like, the first few notes of DOAV might be (for me at least), one of the most powerful moments that Genesis had. I imagine owning and loving the 5 previous albums and wondering if everything was going to be ok when the lead singer leaves and then buying Trick, coming home and putting the needle down...

    Quote from DavetotheB

    I'll go with Dance on a Volcano not because it's the strongest song that Genesis used to open an album with. Heck it's not even the strongest song on that album. But...given the context of this song and the "unknown" of what the first album without Peter would sound like, the first few notes of DOAV might be (for me at least), one of the most powerful moments that Genesis had. I imagine owning and loving the 5 previous albums and wondering if everything was going to be ok when the lead singer leaves and then buying Trick, coming home and putting the needle down...

    Excellent point actually. I think the band shared the same trepidation fans had and it must have been quite the relief when Volcano emerged from the first jam sessions. Sort of: 'OK, we still have it'. Very strong opener.

    Quote from Fabrizio

    Excellent point actually. I think the band shared the same trepidation fans had and it must have been quite the relief when Volcano emerged from the first jam sessions. Sort of: 'OK, we still have it'. Very strong opener.

    "Relief" is a pretty good word to describe it. Contextually, I think Down and Out is a similar song with Steve's departure. Although the band was seemingly more established with regards to the fans at that point. It conveys a similar power as well. And other than the little keyboard bit at the beginning has the same guitar riff-drums-pounding bass similar to DOAV.

    Quote from DavetotheB

    "Relief" is a pretty good word to describe it. Contextually, I think Down and Out is a similar song with Steve's departure. Although the band was seemingly more established with regards to the fans at that point. It conveys a similar power as well. And other than the little keyboard bit at the beginning has the same guitar riff-drums-pounding bass similar to DOAV.

    While I think there's always a certain level of anxiety when a member leaves and I certain don't mean to diminish Steve's contribution, I believe the degree of trepidation was not as high. I think they knew they could function as a band in the songwriting department, although Steve had began to contribute substantially on W&W and it speaks volume they never sought to replace him as guitarist. I am not saying it was a good move but it certainly clarifies what their frame of mind was. As for D&O, I like it a lot but as I said before, I think they would have done a better job with it on Duke, particularly with Phil's newly founded self-confidence and grit as a singer. He was still too 'bland' on ATTW3 imo.

    You know, I had a much easier time choosing Phil's opening songs! ^^


    But seriously (pun partially intended ;)), the difficulty arises from the fact that Genesis albums in general really have strong openings - and that is a testament to the band's choosing the right songs to lead off the albums.


    You know, this is quite difficult - it's easy just to pick the opening song that you like the most, which may or may not be the same as the song that is most effective as an album-opener (i.e., which opener sets the tone for the rest of the album the best). However, since I think they are all pretty much effective as openers (the rest of you seem to think the same), I'll have to go with preferred songs as well. (Strangely, the only opener between "Trespass" and "We Can't Dance" that I don't love is "Invisible Touch" - and that's not because I think it is a poor opener (it isn't); I just don't love the song in general. Yes, both the debut album and CAS have an asterisk by them in my mind - all apologies if you are a fan of one or both albums.)


    The openers I like the most: The Musical Box, Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, TLLDOB, Dance On A Volcano, Eleventh Earl Of Mar, Behind The Lines, and Mama.


    (And having given that list, I really like "Looking For Someone", "Watcher Of The Skies" (a song I prefer live), "Down And Out", "Abacab", and "No Son Of Mine". I just like the ones above that little bit more...)

    Stepping out the back way, hoping nobody sees...

    Like 1

    ATM, I would pick No Son of Mine as my favorite Genesis opener. Why? The lyrics are personal, the musicality is tight, focused, and has amazing build-ups and an even better resolution to them. I also have a complicated relationship with my father so I can kind of relate to the song as well. My runner-ups are The Musical Box and Mama.

    Quote from AsRael

    ATM, I would pick No Son of Mine as my favorite Genesis opener. Why? The lyrics are personal, the musicality is tight, focused, and has amazing build-ups and an even better resolution to them. I also have a complicated relationship with my father so I can kind of relate to the song as well. My runner-ups are The Musical Box and Mama.

    As the lead single from the new album, No Son of Mine really delivered the goods, I thought. Phil's newfound ability to write about social issues as opposed to just boy-meets-girl-boy-loses-girl-and-moves-into-a-house-where-the-roof-is-leaking resulted in one of his strongest lyrics. What makes the song even more dramatic is that there is no happy ending (at least in the song Vancouver the girl is welcomed back with open arms!).

    No son of mine is among their best singles IMO. They lyrics are very poignant and the music is powerful and memorable. It tops any of the sinlges off Invisible Touch, although I do have a soft spot for Land of Confusion... I just happen to prefer the cover by Disturbed.. ;)

    Quote from Blacksword

    No son of mine is among their best singles IMO. They lyrics are very poignant and the music is powerful and memorable. It tops any of the sinlges off Invisible Touch, although I do have a soft spot for Land of Confusion... I just happen to prefer the cover by Disturbed.. ;)

    I still haven't heard the Disturbed cover but I think I read that Phil quite liked it. When I first heard No Son Of Mine, though, I could not believe how powerful it was.