Awesome short moments in songs

Cafe Society
1

I’m not necessarily thinking of awesome guitar solo’s or stuff like that, I’m more referring to quick, one or two note instances. Or maybe just an exclamation or background sound in a song.

A couple examples and favorites of mine…

Metallica -* Enter Sandman*. Towards the end. "We’re off to never Never land … yeah heh! guitar riff, then “BOOM”.

That “Boom” sounds awesome, made even more awesome when you watch the video, as its the scene where the semi truck is barrelling down the street chasing the kid and it smashes into the bed in the street just at the “BOOM” part.
Another example is Queensryche - Silent Lucidity. During the drawn out guitar solo 3/4 of the way in, with the eerie distorted voices talking about “dream control”, at the end is a ghostly voice that says “Help me,” then the song comes back in.
Any more from you guys?

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When the lead singer for the Shirelles sings the word “surrender” in What a Sweet Thing That Was. Timing and intonation is so good.
Also in We Wont Get Fooled Again, the interplay between the rhythm guitar and the drums for about four beats in the instrumental break towards the end of the recording is terrific. I love listening to that song because I know I’m gonna get a rock 'n roll rush at that moment.
Also the little grace notes that Keith adds to his solo fills in the Ya Ya’s version of Carol.

3

I can think of many. Today, I was listening to Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice” and love the way that they stop for a measure before ending it.

There’s the nice little eight-note part played in a lower register in Lynryd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps.”

In “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” there’s the place where the chorus suddenly gives way to a solo piano.

The scream in Pink Floyd’s “Careful with That Axe, Eugene.”

4

A few of them:
Another Brick In the Wall, Part 2, skip to 46 seconds. I’m counting about 10 [high] chords just a few beats after Roger says ‘hey, teacher, leave them kids alone’. (note, the chords start just a few seconds after :46). I melt into my chair when I hear those…from the first time I heard them. Sometimes I still rewind it that riff and listen to it 3 or 4 times.

While we’re on Pink Floyd, there’s the ‘opening’ part of something that I love…turns out it’s the entirety of In The Flesh, I suppose that doesn’t count then.

Not really a ‘short moment’, but Mamas and the Papas, California Dreamin’, as much I a sing along (when I’m alone), for some odd reason, I sing along with the back up on that song, love it. While that also goes for Come See About Me by the Supremes, I rarely sing along with Supremes songs, Diana Ross’ voice…I can’t even.

Led Zeppelin, Whole Lotta Love, after Bonzo’s solo, Jimmy does…something…to me it always sounded like a swarm of bees, it’s the part that moves from L to R if you’ve got it on Stereo instead of mono (and no, it wasn’t a bow, that was other songs). Gives me the shivers, I love it.

Led Zeppelin, the opening bass riff of Dazed and confused…you just know you’re in for a great song that you don’t hear often.

As long as I’m on opening riffs, I’ll toss two more your way, The Immigrant Song and Roadhouse Blues. Again, you just know what’s coming and especially with The Immigrant Song, it’s a great pick me up. Oh and BTW, if you like that song, I encourge you to check out the lyrics, they’re really interesting (in a lyrical sense). I love that song but really never knew them, even knowing them know they’re too tongue twisty to sing along with them. As a confession I never knew them until I saw this (warning, autoplays, and kinda loud, but if you like it, check out more stuff from rathergood).

I could go on and on.

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2:03 into AC/DC - Inject the Venom: the sliding note at the beginning of the guitar solo.

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The banjo freakout in Country Death Song

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It was a fine moment in my life when I learned to play that riff (not by ear, I assure you). Oh, and that’s David singing, not Roger.

I would add:

  • Warren Zevon’s “UHHNHH!” after the second “Send lawyers, guns and money” in the coda of “Lawyers, Guns and Money”

  • The way Dylan sings “To play tricks when you’re trying to be so quiet” in the live version of “Visions of Johanna” on Biograph.

  • The tiny little drum fill leading from the bridge of “I Wish” back into the last verse, played by Stevie himself

  • Steve Winwood’s organ in the final chorus of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child”

  • When the 12-string guitar enters on the second verse of XTC’s “Dear Madam Barnum.” It’s like hearing the sun come out.

OK, if I keep this up I’ll be up all night …

8

You sure?
I came to love those handful of notes by watching the concert PULSE about 85 bazillion times in my teenage years which is just David and I luuurve Roger’s semi scremy voice (seen him in concert twice). I believe they both sang on The Wall, but Roger’s voice is higher. Wiki says they both had vocals on Wall2. I’m not saying you’re wrong (I’m just questioning you), while I’m quite familiar with both their voices, sometimes it can be hard to tell, but that line specifically sure sounds like Roger.

BTW, if it makes a difference, not what I’ve written all this, and gone back and compared a bunch what it to other videos, I realize it should be noted that if you cue up to :46 and listen to those notes David does come in after those notes (all in all it’s just another brick in the wall), it’s Roger that I’m claiming is singing just before that mark.

Welp, nothing like some Wall to get me going for the morning. :smiley:
Off to fight the establishment…or jump into a meat grinder or something.

9

Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved the little paradiddle (or whatever it is exactly) fill in Sultans of Swing (occurs at 4:25.) Kind of comes out of nowhere – the rest of the song has a pretty nice little drum groove all the way through, and this little fill breaks up the predictability and adds a kick of energy to the last verse.

10

In the Shirelles’ “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” the delivery of the lines “I’d like to know that your love / Is a love I can be sure of” gets me every time. Equal parts of quiet confidence and vulnerability.

11

Yes! Just listened to it. The bass is great to focus on the whole way through. As the years go by, my appreciation for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s music continues to soar. If not for that plane crash…

12

It’s sprinkled throughout the song, but the guitar part after every line of the original “Jingle Bell Rock” really sells it. Only one or two notes each time, but they are wonderful.

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It is an 80’s thing but the “COME OUT SCREAMING!” line in Big Country by Big Country gets me every time.

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One of the things I love about the band Trip Shakespeare and especially their album “Lulu” (not to mention the exercise in over-the-top Minnesotan ridiculousness that is “Toolmaster of Brainerd”) is that it’s just full of (what are to me) awesome short moments. I guess one semi-random example would be the bass and piano bits at about 0:53 of “Jill Can Drive.” Followed by the harmony vocals on “Men blow horns…” and the ethereal background “oooh.”

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFeqtXMKZ4U

The song, Both Ends Burning by Roxy Music. In the third verse he says the line…“The fire’s raging in my soul tonight.”

He says that line throughout the song, but specifically in the third verse, when he says the word “soul” he extends it to 6 or seven syllables, but singing the whole time and I get goosebumps when I hear it.

I love to sing that part and do it just like he does. Start the video at 2:55 for the beginning of the third verse.

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The guitar fill that George plays right after “… you know you should be glad” in She Loves You is what made me want to play guitar.

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I was going to say that, but you did it for me! Big Country was WONDERFUL, and was background music to some of the best times of my life.

18

Good one!

I always have to play along with the little timbale riff towards the end of Hotel California.

19

Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” where the guitar picks up after the soft bridge. Gives me chills every time. There’s just something so… definite about it.

Just a few moments later, there’s just three notes on a percussion instrument - glockenspiel? xylophone? - and it repeats the effect on me.
Funny, I used to have a dream about Seger where he was playing at some punkin’ doin’s and no one there knew who he was any more.

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OK, another one: Chrissie Hynde’s “fuck off” in “Precious”, and the compressed line leading into it “but not me, baby, I’m too precious [and/I had to] fuck off!”