# Rock instrumentals
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 1, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509 "2004-12-01T16:23:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/1 "2004-12-01T16:23:44Z")
I was looking at my son’s Wish List at Amazon this morning, and was surprised (and pleased) to see a bunch of rock instrumental CD’s on it. He’s 40, so he wasn’t born when these songs were popular, but he grew up listening to them.
Duane Eddy, The Virtues, Santo & Johnny, Bill Doggett, Link Wray – great stuff.
I haven’t kept up with today’s music. The radio is always tuned to NPR and I don’t watch any of the music channels on TV.
Does anyone still do them? I suppose there are instrumental _versions_ of songs, but does anyone still produce original instrumentals?
And while I’m here, what are some of your favorites? Anyone still listen to them?
'scuse me while I put my 45 of Apache on the turntable. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/2 "2004-12-01T17:03:52Z")
There is still an underground scene of instrumental surf bands out there, some of which are fantastic. Los Straitjackets perform in Mexican wrestling masks and matching suits, Man… Or Astroman? bring a sci-fi theme to their bizarre surf-inspired music, and even the great Dick Dale is still out there, playing reverb-drenched Stratocasters through Fender tube amps. The Volcanoes, Laika and the Cosmonauts, and the Hellbenders (who play more of “spaghetti western”-style music, like Ennio Morricone’s soundtracks to the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood westerns) also come to mind as great instrumental bands–and we can’t forget the original Ventures.
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/3 "2004-12-01T17:29:57Z")
I have Hellbenders and some Dick Dale but hadn’t heard of those other bands. Cool!
It’s good to know someone is still doing it. I keep hoping instrumentals will make a comeback and be as popular as they were in the 50’s.
My mind is wandering again – why are some groups strictly instrumental? None of them can sing? They didn’t want to write lyrics? The music is more important to them, the words get in the way? Silly questions, probably, but it seems like most instrumental bands were never as popular as bands with singers, even if the more popular bands with singers had less talented musicians. Something to think about.
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### Author:  [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/4 "2004-12-01T17:45:01Z")
Dickie Dale blew through my area this summer - definitely glad I finally was able to catch him live.
And there’s a guy based here that records new rockabilly stuff, [Dexter Romwebber](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/102-2096159-6534513). His stuff, especially _Chased By Martians_ should fit in well with your son’s tastes.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/5 "2004-12-01T17:59:40Z")
If he’s into good rock instrumental music, you’d do him a huge favor if you got him some [Liquid Tension Experiment](http://www.yesiknow.com/lte/). Those guys are just _ **sick** _ (and I mean that in a good way 😉 ).
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### Author:  [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/6 "2004-12-01T18:01:20Z")
Showing my age a bit, I suppose, but the first thing that came to mind from reading the OP was [The Raybeats](http://www.bar-none.com/bios/raybio.html). If the Ventures had been over-educated New York club scene veterans in the late 1970s, they’d have been the Raybeats. Bassist Danny Amis went on to feature in Los Straitjackets, mentioned by Big Bad Voodoo Lou.
In a somewhat different vein, but from roughly the same era, were [Love Tractor](http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=love_tractor). They came out of Athens, GA at about the same time as R.E.M. and the rest, but were somehow different from any of the other Athens bands – partly because they were strictly an instrumental group through their first few albums. Love Tractor rarely made use of the campy, sci-fi/surf/movie soundtrack cultural references of the Raybeats, but nevertheless were often interesting, usually appealing, and occasionally musically witty.
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### Author:  [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/7 "2004-12-01T18:34:53Z")
Check out [Mogwai](http://www.mogwai.co.uk/).
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### Author:  [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/8 "2004-12-01T18:46:38Z")
Let me second Laika and the Cosmonauts. Just terrific, terrific stuff inspired by surf-music. Full of whammy bar, Vox organ, and related touches. Best of all - they’re from Finland.
Also got to second Link Wray. “Rumble” is still a great song, even after all these years.
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/9 "2004-12-01T19:07:43Z")
Another good one from that genre - _The Mermen_. Not to mention that ‘Kids in the Hall’ fave, _Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet_.
- Tamerlane
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### Author:  [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/10 "2004-12-01T19:08:41Z")
In popular music, I’d say we don’t have nearly as much as back in the heydey.
That said, I work in bluegrass and jamgrass, and there’s definitely a long traditon of instrumentals there - starting with Bill Monroe and stuff like ‘Raw Hide’ or any of the thousands of filddle tunes we play.
Currently my average performance set is at least 1/3 instrumental, more if I’m including any jazz or gypsy stuff in there.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/11 "2004-12-01T19:33:16Z")
Are the **Mermen** still around? They were outta SF and played great surf instrumentals…
On purely hard-rock basis - there of course is **Joe Satriani’s Surfing with the Alien**
My all-time fave instrumental CD (that’s not jazz) is **Freddy King’s Just Pickin**. It packed his infamous Let’s Hideaway album onthe same CD with one from later in his career. It just doesn’t get any better than Freddy (also spelled Freddie) King for poppy-blues-y instrumentals from the 60’s.
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### Author:  [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/12 "2004-12-01T19:41:51Z")
IMHO it’s **Mountain Jam** from **Eat a Peach** by the **Allman Brothers**.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/13 "2004-12-01T22:15:32Z")
> [@Reeder](#):
>
> IMHO it’s **Mountain Jam** from **Eat a Peach** by the **Allman Brothers**.
Even if I could argue with that, I could only do it by talking about In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Hot 'Lanta, Les Brers in A Minor, and High Falls. 😉
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/14 "2004-12-02T02:01:44Z")
Lotsa names here I haven’t heard of – glad to see someone’s still doing this great music. ::toddling off to add to **my** Wish List:: 🙂
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### Author:  [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/15 "2004-12-02T02:46:51Z")
My favorite instrumental is **Wild Weekend by the Rockin’ Rebels"**.
It has a gritty, raw rock energy. You’d recognize it immediately if you heard it.
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/16 "2004-12-02T02:51:46Z")
I think my favorite is Tall Cool One, but I’m spacing on who recorded it. The Wailers?
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### Author:  [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/17 "2004-12-02T06:10:20Z")
**AuntiePam**
The Wailers? Wow I haven’t heard that group name in decades. They were popular in the US Northwest in the early 1960’s. Among other things, they did a rendition of “Louie, Louie” which the Kingsmen (another group from the Northwest) copied when they did their version. (The Kingsmen’s guitar solo is the same and the lead singer yells “Okay let’s give it to 'em right now !!” right before the solo).
I remember Paul Revere and the Raiders (yes, also from the Northwest) being interviewed and they said that in their early days, they were hoping that they might even become as famous as the Wailers. LOL
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### Author:  [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2004, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/18 "2004-12-02T06:29:02Z")
When I hear “recent rock instrumental”, I can’t help but remember Boston’s late, lamented **Concussion Ensemble**. Guitar, Bass, and _four drummers._
Insane rhythms, pounding beats, raw rock ‘n’ roll at its finest.
They released an album you might find on e-Bay, but it didn’t capture them well. They were an amazing live phenomenon around town in the mid-1990s
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### Author:  [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/19 "2004-12-02T06:38:11Z")
**King Crimson** in 1973-4 had some very cool instrumentals. Check out their albums _Larks Tongues In Aspic_ and _Red_, two of my all-time favourite albums.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/277509/20 "2004-12-02T14:34:13Z")
The early 80’s reincarnation of King Crimson had some great instrumentals, too… though I haven’t liked anything Fripp’s done in almost 20 years.
Check out “The Sheltering Sky” and “Discipline,” from the “Discipline” album, and “Satori in Tangiers,” from the “Beat” album.
And if you like their older stuff, you might like “A Sailor’s Tale,” from the “Islands” album.
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