Clearly pivotal to a really strong album. I personally think IBE lacks a really strong opener.
But what to do you think, whats their best opener?
I'll have to go with Poets, I'd say its as close to a perfect opener as they come. Just marvelous.
Although Lil bones still smacks me in the face and sends chills up and down my spine after all these years...
I sooo want to say "Poets".
One of my favorites. If not, my absolute favorite.
>BUT<
Nothing will beat "Small Town Bringdown"!
How ironic on a first record?
AND as the opener!? A superintroduction...
"I want my life to please me..."
I've always loved Poets and M@W as openers, and I thought (and think) that IBE would have benfitted with VS as the open, just as I would have prefered IVL with "Use It Up" off the top.
i love heaven as an opener...the "tribute" to tom petty (could be..sounds to similar not to be, and i once remember gord saying he loved petty growing up)..but grace, too is by far the best...you knew the band had grown up the second you heard it...and a classic album was about to be heard...
I'm going with Grace as the best as well, though Little bones, M@W, Blow and Poets are great too.
Grace reigns supreme, no questions asked...
To me, it's Little Bones all the way.
Blow and Poets are my favs!!
IBE opener, if I were to choose - Heart of the Melt
why no mention of courage
For me its Grace Too by a mile. Followed by Little Bones and M@W.
I will say Grace. Although I have been enjoying VS as an opener.
I'd go with Courage, because while I like most of their openers, a lot of them ease into the song (Grace, Poets, Blow, even Bones). On balance, I prefer the "taa-daaaaah" aspect of Courage's opening notes. It sure gets your attention. Heaven, Ready and Music all do that too, but I don't think they're as strong as Courage
That said, Gift Shop has a special place in my heart too, because of how swirly it is. For a long time, it was my album of choice to listen to on plane rides, so Gift Shop feels like travel and possibility to me.