# The Beginnings Epic Rock Songs



## smwilliamson (Jul 20, 2013)

Don't know about you guys and gals but I get goose bumps every time I listen to the first 2 minutes of, "Where the streets have no name" by U2

Really anything from the Joshua Tree or the live tour "Rattle and Hum"...brilliant work Eno did with them.

What's your favorite beginning of an epic rock song?


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## smwilliamson (Jul 20, 2013)

Bonno would have been about 25 then?


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## smwilliamson (Jul 20, 2013)

And the best song they ever wrote perhaps...not the greatest version but at 5:28 you get a pretty good look at Edge's guitar effects cabinet


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## smwilliamson (Jul 21, 2013)

Let's see what else is epic in the beginning...

The layers of this song completely make me shiver...how they ever came up with this album from The Bends...guess they decided they didn't want to be the radio success poster child from 1995...funny, this album probably gets more airplay. The bass tone in this is just so perfect


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## smwilliamson (Jul 21, 2013)

So when I was 25 I did lights for the Paradise in Boston. My very first night there I did the lights for these guys...they were like 15 years old and came out and just rocked...and rocked and rocked. I had no idea who they were and they just blew me away 100%, perhaps my very best live show ever.


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## DevilsBrew (Jul 21, 2013)

The Doors always had the best intros but this one...start the song off with a thunderstorm and killer bass line followed by a keyboard mimicking rain...so crazy good it makes me dizzy


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## Delta-T (Jul 21, 2013)




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## Jack Straw (Jul 21, 2013)

I know this song has been played to death, but to guys my age it's one of the greatest. Not only is it a tribute to the death of Duane Allman, but it's also a reminder of the tragedy  of Lynyrd Skynyrd who I regard as the greatest southern rock band ever.


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## BrotherBart (Jul 21, 2013)

Keith's riff opening Honky Tonk Women.

Keith's riff opening Start Me Up.

Keith's riff opening pretty much any tune.


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## BrotherBart (Jul 21, 2013)

And if ya like suffering in anticipation, Clapton.


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## DevilsBrew (Jul 21, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> Keith's riff opening Honky Tonk Women.
> 
> Keith's riff opening Start Me Up.
> 
> Keith's riff opening pretty much any tune.




The Rolling Stones are played so often that it is easy to dismiss the genius of Keith's use of the Open G tuning.  He is the bomb.


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## Shadow&Flame (Jul 21, 2013)

Classic...


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## Hearth Mistress (Jul 21, 2013)

Hands down....epic!


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## BrotherBart (Jul 21, 2013)

My favorite of all time. As much for the announcer as the music.


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## Jack Straw (Jul 21, 2013)

Crank this one up to 11


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## Dix (Jul 21, 2013)

I'm a huge Terry Kath fan !!


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## Shadow&Flame (Jul 21, 2013)

A few more...


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## 343amc (Jul 21, 2013)

Always been a big Cheap Trick fan. This song has a pretty good intro. Tom Petersson does some amazing things on that 12 string bass.

(Posted from my phone, apologies if the link doesn't work right).


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## bmblank (Jul 22, 2013)

The opening to round about by yes if pretty awesome. The whole song is awesome, but the intro is really cool.


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## Adios Pantalones (Jul 22, 2013)




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## lukem (Jul 22, 2013)

Not much of an "intro", but the first couple notes of this song are unmistakable.  I'm sure the big long epic intros sounded better on acid.  I'm more of a get down to business kind of guy.


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## Adios Pantalones (Jul 22, 2013)

lukem said:


> Not much of an "intro", but the first couple notes of this song are unmistakable. I'm sure the big long epic intros sounded better on acid. I'm more of a get down to business kind of guy.



I just listened to the full 20:30 of Built To Spill's good cover of "Cortez the Killer". I love that song, even though Neil had a fair number of specious ideas about pre-Columbian civilizations


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## ScotO (Jul 22, 2013)

One of my favorite intros, favorite guitar solos, (heck favorite songs) of all time.......the live version just kicks ass.



Then you have Zeppelin, who had TONS of great intros to TONS of great songs...They were the KINGS of classy intros.....just about every song they ever sang kicked ass.....


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## Adios Pantalones (Jul 22, 2013)

smwilliamson said:


> Don't know about you guys and gals but I get goose bumps every time I listen to the first 2 minutes of, "Where the streets have no name" by U2
> 
> Really anything from the Joshua Tree or the live tour "Rattle and Hum"...brilliant work Eno did with them.
> 
> What's your favorite beginning of an epic rock song?


I can't stop myself. Really, there is little that I hate more than this jackass.


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## smwilliamson (Jul 22, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> One of my favorite intros, favorite guitar solos, (heck favorite songs) of all time.......the live version just kicks ass.
> 
> 
> 
> Then you have Zeppelin, who had TONS of great intros to TONS of great songs...They were the KINGS of classy intros.....just about every song they ever sang kicked ass.....



When the Levy Breaks is one of the best intros EVER! Once again Scotty I bow down to you...


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## smwilliamson (Jul 22, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


> I can't stop myself. Really, there is little that I hate more than this jackass.


What? You're not fan hegh?


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## ScotO (Jul 22, 2013)

smwilliamson said:


> When the Levy Breaks is one of the best intros EVER! Once again Scotty I bow down to you...


I can't take credit, my good man.......it's all Zep.....
Hey, when you have a couple of the best guitarists that ever lived, THE best drummer that ever lived, and one of the best vocalists that ever lived all come together at the exact same moment in time and form a group like that, you're gonna have some good stuff!


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## smwilliamson (Jul 22, 2013)

Someone already posted it...love the beginning of Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith, too bad the rest of the song sucks.


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## smwilliamson (Jul 22, 2013)

Love the intro guitar riff here, dual stereo tremelo fender twins...Johnny Marr ROCKS! I completely understand if you don't like the Smiths or Morrisey or think I'm think I'm gay for liking it...I'm comfortable with my musical tastes.


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## ScotO (Jul 22, 2013)

Ok, lots of songs from the 70's had fantastic intros.....some were shorter ones. Another one of my favorite intro/guitar solo songs. Short intro, great song.....


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## Jack Straw (Jul 22, 2013)

This one goes out to Gamma Ray


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## Jack Straw (Jul 22, 2013)




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## ScotO (Jul 22, 2013)

Jack Straw said:


>


OOOH Good one Jack! Love that one!  Hard to believe that song is 39 years old!


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## smwilliamson (Jul 22, 2013)

another great riff and beginning


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## Hearth Mistress (Jul 22, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


> I can't stop myself. Really, there is little that I hate more than this jackass.


I'm guessing you are referring to Bono/U2 and not the OP? To be honest, I hesitated at first to post as I don't think much of Bono or U2 and couldn't share his passion over THOSE posts but knew there were WAY better examples out there so I got sucked right in


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## PapaDave (Jul 22, 2013)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> I'm a huge Terry Kath fan !!



What we need ......is more cowbell.


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## ScotO (Jul 22, 2013)

Ooops....almost overlooked these ones.....the intro's ain't real long, but you know the songs kick ass......


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## PapaDave (Jul 22, 2013)




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## PapaDave (Jul 22, 2013)




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## PapaDave (Jul 22, 2013)




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## PapaDave (Jul 22, 2013)




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## Shadow&Flame (Jul 23, 2013)




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## Shadow&Flame (Jul 23, 2013)

smwilliamson said:


> Someone already posted it...love the beginning of Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith, too bad the rest of the song sucks.


 
Gotta agree...intro is better than song to me as well.


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## JoeyD (Jul 23, 2013)

I love these music threads because I always find something  old that is new to me. I've always been a Joe Walsh fan and found this clip with him and three other great guitar players that I also have on my IPod.


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## Delta-T (Jul 23, 2013)

I liked U2 until I saw them live...Outside Broadcast Tour. I like how many Yes songs have been posted. I would post Close to the Edge, or And You and I, but those songs are crazy long. The birds at the beginning of Close to the Edge is crazy. Try this on for size.


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## PapaDave (Jul 23, 2013)

Speaking of Tull.....


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## PapaDave (Jul 23, 2013)

**


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## PapaDave (Jul 23, 2013)

Not sure how many know this guy, but........wow.
Also not really an epic rock intro, but.......wow.


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## PapaDave (Jul 23, 2013)




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## Dix (Jul 23, 2013)




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## Dix (Jul 23, 2013)




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## JoeyD (Jul 25, 2013)

PapaDave said:


> Not sure how many know this guy, but........wow.
> Also not really an epic rock intro, but.......wow.
> 
> I just picked up a live CD with him and Beth Hart, what they do together works for me.


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## Stegman (Jul 25, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


>




Damn! I was gonna say that. Love me some Highway Star.


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## Stegman (Jul 25, 2013)

You've got to love a song that _starts_ with a killer guitar solo. The Scorpions were the kings of that.


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## Badfish740 (Jul 25, 2013)

Always gets me going:


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## Shadow&Flame (Jul 25, 2013)

Fire with fire...


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## Huntindog1 (Jul 26, 2013)

I am a big Lynyrd Skynyrd fan.

Went to the Tribute Tour concert , 1987, Only concert I ever been to that the everyone in the place stood for the entire concert and sounded like every person was singing every word to every song. Spooky experience for sure.

Here is another Clip of Free Bird 1977 but watch this one and watch the crowd go completely bonkers at around the 6:05 mark.

The song has been played to death but for good reason.


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## Badfish740 (Jul 26, 2013)

Huntindog1 said:


> Went to the Tribute Tour concert , 1987, Only concert I ever been to that the everyone in the place stood for the entire concert and sounded like every person was singing every word to every song.


 
I've never been to a concert where that wasn't the case   Guess that means we both listen to good music.


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## Badfish740 (Jul 26, 2013)

Two of my fav intros from Metallica's "S&M" performances with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.  Man I wish I could have been there...


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## Don2222 (Jul 26, 2013)

Hi Scott

What about ELO's Comback Concert in 2001 that opens up with Smoke and singing Evil Woman?


Or
Elton John in Tommy with Pinball Wizard? ?


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## Don2222 (Jul 26, 2013)

How about?

The Epic Song released as a single in 1968 
Played in Concert  Live in Texas in 1972 and played again Live in the largest concert of all time to a record audience of 1.5 million people on Copacabana Beach in Rio De Janeiro Feb 12, 2006 by Mic Jagger and the Rolling Stones *Jumping Jack Flash*!


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## Don2222 (Jul 26, 2013)

Hey

No One mentioned?
The Eagles Joe Walsh - Life's been good!


How about the American Rockband Formed around Union City, New Jersey with their debut album in 1971 inspired by the eye patch called Dr. Hook and toured until about 1985!

Also, does anyone know how many songs Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show wrote?
How about - When you are in love with a beautiful woman?


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## MasterMech (Jul 27, 2013)

Badfish740 said:


> Always gets me going:



Nothing like a song that makes you want to rip the steering wheel off of your car/truck.


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## Don2222 (Jul 27, 2013)

Hello

Well, don't forget that cool video and song by English synthpop duo La Roux from their eponymous debut album, La Roux (2009)
Like that beginning! This time maybe, I'll be *Bullet Proof* !


Gosh, I almost forgot my absolute favorite in 1979!
It single by The Pretenders. It was written by Chrissie Hyndeand James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas.
Scoring number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1980 (making it the first number-one single of the 1980s)

Brass in Pocket! ! !


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