i'm sitting here at work jamming some Zep, and i'm just wondering what songs blow you away in terms of musical talent/ degree of difficulty? i really dont know squat about what really constitutes as a truly impressive and difficult guitar solo or rif is, nor do i understand music well enough to know what truly great drumming is. for instance, i absolutely love page's "delta blues" guitar work on "In My Time of Dying", but i have no clue as to whether that's even considered all that impressive by true guitarists. same with bonham in "When The Levee Breaks." i like it, but is that really considered remarkable drumming? so, especially to all you musicians out there, what songs do you think required immense skill and ability? songs that make you wonder whether the artist is even human.
in a rock sense..... all of Dream Theater Steve Harris' bass playing most of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani's catalog Yngwie Malmsteen's playing there is a few more...but Im short on time...
Dr. Know's guitar work Bad Brains first album, the "ROIR" album. The album as a whole is a true work of art. There is nothing pretentious about it. It is so raw and real. They were inventing the genre of blitzspeed hardcore punk and didn't really realize it. They play so fast it goes to a level of jazz or something. The music trandscends rock. Dr. Know's solo on "The Big Takeover" gives me goosebumps every time.
Voodoo Chile, from the film Jimi Hendrix. Fifteen minute version. Machine Gun (long version) is also fantastic. Kashmir, Led Zeppelin. When I was a kid, I was blown away by the exotic layering and subtle textures. Still am. Rain on Tin, Sonic Youth. This song just hypnotizes me. Lotsa Radiohead stuff. Brilliant.
In terms of sheer musical technical ability in rock music ONLY... The drum break/solo in the middle of the video version of I Burn for You from the film Bring on the Night (Sting). That is the only version that has that drum thing. (Omar Hakim) The short little bass riff in the verse following the solo section of Children's Crusade from Dream of the Blue Turtles by Sting. (Darryl Jones) The bass and drum groove on Pete Townsend's song Give Blood from the White City album. (Simon Phillips and Pino Paladino) The guitar playing on the song Flying in a Blue Dream by Joe Satriani. (Joe Satriani) The guitar solo from Big Trouble on the David Lee Roth album Eat Em and Smile. (Steve Vai) The bass and drum break in Agrionia from the Tony MacAlpine record Edge of Insanity. (Steve Smith and Billy Sheehan) The outro/sax solo at the end of the song Jimi Thing by Dave Matthews Band on Under the Table and Dreaming. It took a LOT of musical sophistication to make that left of a turn into that part. (Carter Beauford) The seriously sick bass guitar fill in the last verse of Badman's Song from the Tears for Fears record The Seeds of Love. (Pino Paladino) The drums on the song Aja from the same album by Steely Dan. (Steve Gadd) The rhythm guitar playing of Eddie Van Halen on Van Halen I and II. The bass playing on Song Remains the Same from the album Houses of the Holy by Led Zepplin. (John Paul Jones) The bass part from Something by the Beatles. (Paul McCartney) The drum fill at the very end of Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by the Police right before they go into the "Eee-oh-oh" part. (Stewart Copeland) The bass parts from Xanadu and Digital Man by Rush. (Geddy Lee) The guitar solo from Desert Rose by Eric Johnson. The bass solo from Michelle by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. (Victor Wooten) The drums from Roundabout by Yes. (Bill Bruford) --- A lot of times, it is the little stuff that gets me, not the flashy stuff. Often, it is that little stuff that requires so much sophistication for it to just happen as it does. That is just amazing to me. That's all I can think of...for now.
Is that the Isle of Wight concert? That's a good one, but if you can find "Jimi At Woodstock" you will be blown away. Jimi at his best. Machine Gun from Band of Gypsies is flat out incredible.
Not a musician ... but ... The songwriting, playing, singing, arranging, etc. on "A Night at the Opera" by Queen and "Strength" by Enuff Z Nuff are perfect. Almost any hook or melody written by the Wildhearts. I always thought a lot of "Angel Dust" by Faith No More sounded impressive.
I think you're thinking of Voodoo Child (Slight Return). Voodoo Chile is the fourth track on the same LP, Electric Ladyland. Stevie Ray Vaughn's Little Wing trumps the original for me...the only time he ever got Hendrix right.
most of Mr. Bungle (especially the Disco Volante and California albums)- these guys are pretty amazing musicians. If Jeff is allowed to use something by Bela fleck and the flecktones, I'll say most of Victor Wooten's bass playing, and most of Bela's playing as well. Also Bela's guest on "scent of a mule" by Phish. plenty from Radiohead- a few random choices: the guitar on "sail to the moon", "paranoid android" (of course), the second part of the guitar solo (the non-distortion part) on "Just". some of the things Tom Morello is able to do with a guitar are impressive to me. The guitar parts on "Hey" by the Pixies "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed "Stratford-on-guy" by Liz Phair (please don't get this confused with the new, crappy album) Some of these last ones are not really technically all that impressive- I guess I find them more "musically impressive".
Built to Spill is the band, Keep it Like a Secret is the album. Some of the coolest guitar arrangments ever! Some Smashing Pumpkins songs are pretty impressive too. Jimmy Chamberlain was an incredible drummer!
I picked Bela because it was tough to define. I guess, arguably, it's fusion, but there is a lot of rock in it. And, the one I picked was a cover of the Beatles song, so...
da-ga-da-ga....da-ga-da-ga-dat..da-ga We were just talking about that fill on a drum board I visit. One of my all-time favorite Stewie fills. A few of mine... The vocal parts at the beginning of Missing the War (Ben Folds Five) They actually pull that off live. The beginning instrumental interlude of Rapunzel (Dave Matthews Band). Carter's polyrhythms make my head spin. The drums in Sting's Seven Days. (Vinnie Colaiuta) Grooving in 5/4. The ending of Silverfu** from the Earphoria album. (Smashing Pumpkins) Jacobs Ladder (Rush) The middle part of Only In Dreams (Weezer). Don't laugh. The massive drum fill before the guitar solo in ZZ Top's Tush. (Frank Beard) It comes out of nowhere. And finally, the cowbell in Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper. (Will Farrell) Explore the space!!
The one song I immediately thought of when I saw this topic was actually all of "Heart of the Sunrise" by Yes. In terms of difficulty "Roundabout" sounded tame in comparison (not to say it was easy), but maybe I'm wrong...
