# Help me choose Instrumentals for a playlist **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056 "2009-03-02T20:33:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/21 "2009-03-03T20:30:15Z")
Jethro Tull – Bouree Pink Floyd – One of These Days The Who – Underture Blues Project – Flute Thing Winter Consort – Icarus Hot Tuna – Water Song Jefferson Airplane – Embryonic Journey King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Trio, much more Brian Eno – The Big Ship, Sombre Reptiles, Here Come the Warm Jets, many more Phil Manzanera – Lagrima Allman Brothers Band – In Memory of Elizabeth Reed Traffic – Glad Beatles – Flying Davie Allan & the Arrows – Blue’s Theme ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/22 "2009-03-03T20:46:29Z")
White Summer by Led Zeppelin. Eruption by Van Halen too I guess… Oh and Jimi Hendrix does the Stars Spangled Banner. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/23 "2009-03-03T21:03:29Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > You gotta have some Rush in there. YYZ… Lots of great suggestions but I can’t believe I forgot YYZ on my first pass through my itunes playlist :smack: ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/24 "2009-03-03T21:53:01Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Another NFL Films piece is one of my very favorites: > Heroes of War / David Robidoux More Sam Spence: The Linemen ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WApopnLTk18/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/WApopnLTk18?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque Pony Soldiers: ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CuJhxMGZR4s/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/CuJhxMGZR4s?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque Sungha Jung 1. Mission Impossible Theme [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IXa2pNGVj8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IXa2pNGVj8) 2. Come Together [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS0QjEeNYpM&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS0QjEeNYpM&feature=related) 3. More than Words [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xRARmrorGU&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xRARmrorGU&feature=related) If we’re not limiting genres: Larry Adler (harmonica)/Summertime: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoCM_NLQTcs/hqdefault.jpg "Larry Adler plays Summertime in three arrangements") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoCM_NLQTcs) (He does a killer job on “Rhapsody in Blue” but I can’t find a youtube for it). Eumir Deodato (Strauss): Also Sprach Zarathustra ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PmH6kmG_vEw/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/PmH6kmG_vEw?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque Bob James (Mussorgsky) Night on Bald Mountain [http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1236116939/ref=sr\_pg\_5?ie=UTF8&rs=324382011&sort=titlerank&keywords=Bob%20James&rh=i%3Adigital-music%2Ck%3ABob%20James%2Ci%3Adigital-music-track%2Cn%3A324382011&page=5](http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1236116939/ref=sr_pg_5?ie=UTF8&rs=324382011&sort=titlerank&keywords=Bob%20James&rh=i%3Adigital-music%2Ck%3ABob%20James%2Ci%3Adigital-music-track%2Cn%3A324382011&page=5) Can’t find youtube: Bob James (Pachelbel) In the Garden ---
**Author:** ![bytheway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bytheway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bytheway)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/25 "2009-03-03T22:15:09Z")
Liquid Tension Experiment Gary Hoey ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/26 "2009-03-03T23:27:50Z")
**Aerosmith** - _The Movie_ The instrumental version of _Cells_ by **The Servant** - used in the trailers for Sin City. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/27 "2009-03-04T00:31:25Z")
How about a little old funk? Tower of Power [Squib Cakes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDdBgxGUcOg) (live version w/ a little David Garibaldi drum solo in the middle Tower of Power - [Ebony Jam](http://www.imeem.com/lanier2/music/QdG9Uqht/tower-of-power-ebony-jam/) (just the audio from the album version) BTW, any doper drummers should listen and learn from these two songs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/28 "2009-03-04T00:37:07Z")
> [@Flander](#): > > BTW, any doper drummers should listen and learn from these two songs. 🙂 I’m only an ‘air’ drummer but I love some good drumming. Another band from this thread that all drummers should listen to, IMO, is Don Caballero; the drumming carries that band into so many stops and starts and twists, I never get tired of listening to them. Very underrated. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/29 "2009-03-04T00:43:51Z")
Ummm, how about: **Gwar** - _A Short History Of The End of The World (Part VII (the Final Chapter (abbr.)))_ No love for terrifically terrible costume bands? ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_Clock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Shot\_Clock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_Clock)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/30 "2009-03-04T00:46:13Z")
Something from the alternative/atmospheric/indie end of the street: **“Red Carpet Blues”** by **A Northern Chorus** [Check 'em out](http://www.myspace.com/anorthernchorus) ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/31 "2009-03-04T00:53:59Z")
> [@HongKongFooey](#): > > I’m only an ‘air’ drummer but I love some good drumming. Another band from this thread that all drummers should listen to, IMO, is Don Caballero; the drumming carries that band into so many stops and starts and twists, I never get tired of listening to them. Very underrated. My brother is a pretty damn good drummer but still stumbles over some of the “simple” things he does with syncopation and rhythms. “How can he be so good when he only hits one drum at a time?!?!” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/32 "2009-03-04T04:20:22Z")
**King Crimson** : Red, Discipline, The Sheltering Sky, Satori in Tangiers, A Sailor’s Tale **Yes** : The Fish ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/33 "2009-03-04T04:32:32Z")
Acid Mother Temple - “Pink Lady Lemonade” ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/34 "2009-03-04T04:38:14Z")
Jeff Beck does some really great instrumental covers: [Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3H1XDswBBA) [A Day In The Life](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toMTAHsz26I) ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/35 "2009-03-04T05:30:53Z")
Some great suggestions here. I enjoy lots of instrumental music myself, and often create instrumental playlists. I know this thread has focused on rock music, but I’m going to mention two non-rock pieces: **The Koln Concert (Part I)** by Keith Jarrett. If it’s possible to classify this at all, it’s a wholly improvised piece of solo jazz piano. But it doesn’t really belong to any classification. It’s just wonderful. Even people who hate jazz, don’t like jazz, would never go near jazz… have bought and loved this amazing piece of music. If you’re looking for great instrumental music, it doesn’t get any better than this. Bach Cello Suites: **Suite 6 D Major, Prelude** Yep, it’s classical music, and it’s one part of a cello suite. Doesn’t sound too exciting? Well, give it a try. I’m not really into classical all that much, but I will always have this piece in my music collection and I just love listening to it. It just drips with genius, and stirs the soul. I prefer the Paul Tortelier recording, but there are many to choose from. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/36 "2009-03-04T09:27:04Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The Clap / Yes (technically a Steve Howe acoustic piece) It’s also just called “Clap,” despite what the album jacket says. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056/37 "2009-03-04T10:00:13Z")
Peaches en Regalia - Frank Zappa Momma Miss America - Paul McCartney Embryonic Journey - Jefferson Airplane Careful With That Axe, Eugene - Pink Floyd Filthy Habits - Frank Zappa Guaglione - Perez Prado (not rock, but still good) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-instrumentals-for-a-playlist/488056.md?page=1)