Album opener

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Trace your way back fifty years...
...to the glow of Dresden, blood and tears!

Climb into the sky! Never wonder why! Tailgunner!
 
Hmm, that's a tough one...

Prowler - Catchy tune, but I hate the lyrics and I think it's better live with Bruce.
The Ides of March - I haven't listened to this much (can't even remember how it goes - all I remember is it's an instrumental), so no comment.  It's the only opener which is also an instrumental, I think.
Invaders - One of my early Maiden favourites, great song and wonderful introduction to Bruce's vocals (Invaaaders!).  Lyrics are good, tune is great, no complaints about this one.
Where Eagles Dare - Great introduction to Nicko's drumming skills, plus great song.  Again, no complaints, though there are many better album openers.
Aces High - Great song and great introduction to a great album - Need I say more?
Caught Somewhere In Time - I like it, but no comments really.
Moonchild - Err... I actually don't remember this song very well either, so I won't comment.
Tailgunner - Ok song, no complaints really but it's not a great song either.  One of the weakest album openers.
Be Quick or Be Dead - See Tailgunner; I don't like Bruce's vocals here that much, and it just doesn't cut it with me.  Perhaps my least favourite opener.
Sign of the Cross - This is a great epic that I have only recently begun to appreciate.  I prefer Blaze's voice to Bruce's on Rock in Rio.  However, I think it shouldn't really be an album opener.
Futureal - Fast and furious, Blaze's speed of vocals is great.  An excellent song on an otherwise sub-par (in my opinion) album.  Excellent as an opener, though I'd like to hear Bruce try it too (though I think Blaze would still be better in this case).

The Wicker Man, Wildest Dreams, and Different World are also some of my favourites, but I can't really describe them in much detail because they are quite similar IMO. 

My favourite is either the Wicker Man, Wildest Dreams, Different World, Aces High, Invaders, or perhaps Sign of the Cross.  Sign of the Cross is perhaps musically the best, but it doesn't serve well as an album opener.  If I had to choose, I would say Wildest Dreams right now, but that changes pretty often.
 
Hmm...difficult to decide...

It would have to between:

"Sign Of The Cross", "Different World", "Aces High" or "Where Eagles Dare"
 
Well, do we consider the opener being fast-paced short energic piece? Well, this kills the Sign of the Cross, my favourite :-) (well, maybe Tailgunner - I love the chorus there, or Ides of March - I love instrumentals, no no no, the Wicker Man - especially on Rock in Rio! Ah, gosh, this is a terrible poll, all of them are great!)
 
Different World. It's a fast opener with an excellent intro riff and instrumental section that kinda sets the tone (of wanting change in a negative world and going back to the simple things that make life worthwhile) for the whole album.
Close 2nd is Where Eagles Dare
 
Mmm...Donuts said:
Hands down Sign Of The Cross. It doesn't get as heart pounding as that.
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The X Factor was Maiden's response to the pressuring of the record companies, I feel.  Perhaps Steve was tired of the 'You must have a fast-paced, quick opener to catch the listeners' mentality that had been used on nearly every other classic metal album up until then.  Certainly, someone coming off Fear of the Dark expecting another rapid-paced 'Be Quick or Be Dead' would have been more bewildered than joyed at hearing nearly two minutes of Gregorian chanting/guitar harmonics before the first bars of distortion hit...a great way to break Blaze in to the listeners, I feel.  Incidentally, does anyone know what Intro was used for the X Factour tour?  The bootleg I have just goes straight into Man on the Edge.
 
So does mine.  Quite strange, seeing as there's also Lord of the Flies on the bootleg and that comes later, despite being before Man on the Edge on the album...
 
Invader said:
So does mine.  Quite strange, seeing as there's also Lord of the Flies on the bootleg and that comes later, despite being before Man on the Edge on the album...
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Man on the Edge was the first single from the album, which probably explains it.
 
I am not 100% sure but I think there was no intro in 1995/1996.
At least I don't remember it and checking some bootlegs I can't find one either.
 
That's a hard one for me, but since I first listened to Maiden in 2000, and that was the BNW year, I'd say Wicker Man. But Aces High and CSIT are right behind it

"Your time will come!" That's the only thing I sang at that show *ashamed*  :(

I hardly knew anything then, I was only 19...that was only my 2nd concert ever....
 
Maiden have some excellent fast paced openers that really hook the listener in (Aces High, Tailgunner, Be Quick of be Dead, Different World) but i'd have to give it to the Sign of the Cross. To open an album with a 10+ minute song (complete with monks chanting at the start) is a very brave move and the band pull it off effortlessly with this song.
 
Two years after my original post in this thread, I have to officially say that I truely believe Moonchild is the greatest album opener in the history of Rock music. It's as simple as that. It's fucking brilliant.
 
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