Theme from Midnight Cowboy by Faith No More. I used to fall asleep to that song every night.
Keyboardists Rick Wakeman (Yes) and Keith Emerson (ELP) have done quite a bit of this in their solo careers, and both have used full orchestras in albums. Is Keneally’s work anything like theirs?
If you want some twisted surf insrumentals, try The Reventlos. Link. They bill themselves as a “death-surf-afro-hillbilly” group or something to that effect. Wonderful alternative experimental surf music!
Two of my favorites are very old (surprise!):
Apache by the Shadows (1960)
Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny (1959)
Well, actually “Third Stone” DOES have lyrics, almost all the way through it, but recorded at a lower RPM speed. Back in the days of vinyl, you could play your LP at 45 rpm speed and hear Hendrix speaking - “Starship to star command…” well, to paraphrase: the “lyrics” are two aliens debating whether or not the third stone from the sun (Earth) ought to be destroyed.
Hendrix recorded thousands of hours of instrumental music at his “electric ladyland” studio, much of which that was released after his death by his label. But since instrumental music doesn’t often get airplay (radio stations just like vocals, I guess), the label shamelessly grafted a sparse number of recorded vocal tracks onto multiple instrumental pieces. Thus, one “song” might have entirely different backing music behind identical vocals!! (Not the same lyrics recorded twice, but the same vocal track being used & reused!)
I have to put a plug in for Jefferson Airplane:
“Embryonic Journey”
“Spare Chaynge”
“Hey Fredrick” (two & a half minutes of vocals by Grace Slick give way to an intense eight minute jam)
“Wild Turkey”
“Sandalphon” (one of a very few worthwhile Jefferson Starship bits)
and the Airplane’s spinoff group “Hot Tuna”:
“Mann’s Fate”
“the Water Song” (already mentioned, but seconded)
I spent most of high school and college thinking that Kieth Emerson was God Incarnate. But I was never all that impressed by his solo work, and his Piano Concerto No. 1 from Works is college-music-major-level stuff. Now, although I admire Emerson’s and Wakeman’s achievements, they were both WAYYYYYYY too full of themselves - and it showed in their work. (All IMHO of course…)
Keneally is down-to-earth and self-effacing, but he creates some very imaginative work. He is much more in the tradition of Frank Zappa, except that where FZ was jaded, MK is optimistic and even exuberant. Sean Westergaard of All Music Guide gave The Universe Will Provide the only five-star review he’s ever granted.
(It’s here.)
I should also recommend Birds of Fire by the Mahavishnu Orchestra if you’re into fusion jazz.
BTW, while we’re on the subject of “Stevie’s Spanking,” is there anyone who likes Dweezil’s guitar solo (the second solo in the song) better than Steve Vai’s (the first)? Maybe it’s just the excessive whammy bar, but I think it’s excellent, especially since Dweezil was about 16 and had been playing the guitar for like two years at that point. Dweezil’s piece “Fwakstension” is also cool (I haven’t heard the entire album, Automatic, that it’s on, but I probably should).
I like the second one much better than the first, but I’m not positive it is Dweezil, as opposed to Frank. I’d have to check the video to be sure.
I like Dweezil’s solo in Sharleena quite a bit.
Oh, sorry, I meant to say that I was referring to the version on Them Or Us, which credits Dweezil for the second guitar solo, rather than the YCDTOSA4 version.
“Emotions”… LOVE
off their debut self-titled 1966 Album
1:55 minutes of crisp,clean genious
(and Arthur didn't have to sing)When I posted to this thread previously, I had completely forgotten that a few months back I had put together an instrumental mix CD for my wife to play at the store she works at. Here are some of the tracks I included (in no particular order):
**Santana **- the opening track from *Abraxas *(I forget the name)
**Bluesbreakers **- *Hideaway *and Stepping Out
**Dick Dale **- Miserlou
**Camel **- Earthrise
**Rush **- La Villa Strangiato
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Lenny
Pat Metheny - Last Train Home
Steve Hackett - Spectral Mornings
Frank Zappa - Zoot Allures