# Rock Instrumentals **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741 "2006-06-30T11:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/1 "2006-06-30T11:41:33Z")
A friend of mine is looking for a list of Rock Instrumentals to play at a party. What do you suggest? ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/2 "2006-06-30T12:12:20Z")
The first ones that come to mind: **Rush** - _YYZ_ **Allman Brothers** - _Jessica_ **Pink Floyd** - \*The Great Gig In The Sky \* (basically instrumental even though there are vocals, just no actual lyrics) **Edgar Winter Group** - _Frankenstein_ _Peter Gunn Theme_, but I don’t know who does it. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/3 "2006-06-30T12:13:58Z")
Cliffs of Dover, by Eric Johnson, is awesome. It’s on his album Ah Via Musicom. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/4 "2006-06-30T12:17:33Z")
Well, “rock instrumentals” is a pretty wide category. I could name dozens (maybe hundreds, if I had time), but I don’t know your crowd and don’t know what kind of party this is. What goes over well with male classic rock fans may not go over well with a bunch of women who like to dance (some of my favorite rock instrumentals would clear a dance floor in a hurry- most women are NOT going to sit still though a lengthy King Crimson jam). So, you might want to give us a feel for the crowd, and the styles of music you think they’d like. ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/5 "2006-06-30T12:41:24Z")
Layla By Derrick and the Domions (Eric Clapton) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/6 "2006-06-30T12:45:59Z")
**astorian** ’s right, of course - we need more to go on. The ones that come to mind, simply as great instrumentals, though, include stuff that is arguably more bluesy than rock, but the overlap is big: **Hideaway** - I prefer Freddie King’s original, but Clapton’s cover off of John Mayall and the BluesBreakers featuring Eric Clapton (aka the Beano Album) is good. **Beck’s Bolero** - off of Jeck Beck Group’s Truth - Jimmy Page on Rhythm, Moon and Entwhistle in the rhythm section - questions? **SRV Stuff** - his cover of Little Wing, Scuttlebuttin’, Rude Mood - anything where Stevie stretches it out. To get a little heavier, you have **Surfing with the Alien** by Joe Satriani - melodic shredding and wonderful use of a whammy bar. One of the last hits (minor, but a hit) that I can think of that is just great guitar. Eddie’s stuff - Eruption, Spanish Fly, etc… - fine, but not great. Older stuff: **Rumble** - Link Wray - amazing tone; what a great late 50’s rockabilly mood piece **Rebel Rouser** - or any of Duane Eddy’s twang stuff. You should actually get his version of the **Peter Gunn theme** that he did with Art of Noise - twang-a-licious! **Apache** - by Hank Marvin and the Shadows. Changed everything for rockers in the UK. **Walk, Don’t Run** - by the Ventures. Classic 60’s hit. **Miserlou** - Dick Dale - the cool, surfer/Spanish instrumental from Pulp Fiction. Dick Dale is a master. I could go on, but you get the idea. \*\*Brian Setzer \*\* has some instrumental work - his version of Sleepwalk off his Live in Japan DVD is a master class in guitar virtuosity and flat-out coolness… WordMan ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/7 "2006-06-30T12:46:12Z")
> [@McNew](#): > > The first ones that come to mind: > > **Rush** - _YYZ_ > **Allman Brothers** - _Jessica_ > **Pink Floyd** - \*The Great Gig In The Sky \* (basically instrumental even though there are vocals, just no actual lyrics) > **Edgar Winter Group** - _Frankenstein_ > _Peter Gunn Theme_, but I don’t know who does it. Good Choices: ELP does a great version of Peter Gunn. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/8 "2006-06-30T13:25:45Z")
> [@percussion](#): > > Layla By Derrick and the Domions (Eric Clapton) Are you referring to the coda? Layla isn’t an instrumental. Metallica’s Orion from Master of Puppets (that 'Tallica thread has me listening to them again right now) is an awesome instrumental, but probably not for a work party. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/9 "2006-06-30T14:22:43Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Well, “rock instrumentals” is a pretty wide category. Hmm. Sure is. **Egyptian Reggae** – Johnathan Richman and the Modern Lovers **Careful with that Axe Eugene** – Pink Floyd (does the screaming disqualify this?) **Albatros** – PeterGreen era Fleetwood Mack. **Peaches and Regalia** – Frank Zappa **East St. Louis Toodle-oo** – Steely Dan, does this squeeze in? It’s jazz really. A bunch of tunes with nothing in common apart from being instumentals by rock bands, and totally crap as party music. Oops. If you really want to scare people away how about Interstellar Overdrive :eek: Apart from the stuff in **WordMan** ’s list I can’t think of any _rock_ instrumentals that would make tolerable party music. OK, one more, Floyd’s **One of these Days** might actually work, the outro is pretty swinging, tho’ it’s got a minute or so of weirdness in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/10 "2006-06-30T14:26:06Z")
Eric Johnson, previously mentioned, has a great tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan (the song is _S.R.V._) on his album Venus Isle. **Art of Noise** also did a great cover of the Peter Gunn theme. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/11 "2006-06-30T14:29:35Z")
A Flock of Seagulls - “D.N.A.” Cream - “Toad” Dream Theater - “Erotomania” Genesis - “The Brazilian” Iron Maiden - “Losfer Words”, “Transylvania” Jethro Tull - “Dharma for One”, “For Later” Journey - “Nickel and Dime” Led Zeppelin - “Bron-Y-Aur”, “Moby Dick” Rush - “YYZ”, “La Villa Strangiato”, “Where’s My Thing?” The Pretenders - “Space Invader” The Who - “Underture” (from Tommy) ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/12 "2006-06-30T14:29:40Z")
Forgot one of my favorites-\*\* Samba Pa Ti \*\* by Santana. Some beautiful guitar work there. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/13 "2006-06-30T14:44:11Z")
**Faith No More** - “Woodpecker from Mars” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/14 "2006-06-30T14:45:27Z")
> [@McNew](#): > > The first ones that come to mind: > > **Rush** - _YYZ_ > **Allman Brothers** - _Jessica_ > **Pink Floyd** - \*The Great Gig In The Sky \* (basically instrumental even though there are vocals, just no actual lyrics) > **Edgar Winter Group** - _Frankenstein_ > _Peter Gunn Theme_, but I don’t know who does it. You picked my favorites. Here are some more: **Allman Brothers** - _In Memory of Elizabeth Reed_ **Dick Dale** - _Pipeline_ **Jimi Hendrix** - _Little Wing_ **Booker T. and the MGs** - _Green Onions_ **The Surfaris** - _Wipeout_ **Jeff Beck** - _Beck’s Bolero_ **Mason Williams** - _Classical Gas_ **The Champs** - _Tequila_ ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/15 "2006-06-30T14:57:29Z")
If you’re looking to stick with 60s instrumentals, you could do worse than this [album](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000003385/ref=pd_sim_m_1/103-1129607-5931832?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=5174). I’ve enjoyed it for many years – it’s got many of the songs listed in this thread, and a couple – \*Telstar \* by The Tornados (saluting the launch of the first telecommunications satellite in 1961) and _Out of Limits_ by the Marketts (a version of the theme to the TV show _The Outer Limits_) – that are great fun. Actually, that whole series of rock instrumental albums is pretty good – the fifth one is devoted to 60s surf rock. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/16 "2006-06-30T14:59:33Z")
No CD of rock instumentals could be considered complete without **Funk #49** by James Gang! ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/17 "2006-06-30T15:01:45Z")
Umm, except it isn’t an instrumental. Sorry, still on my first coffee. Man, I am an idiot ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/18 "2006-06-30T15:07:44Z")
Check out a 70s band called Focus. All instrumental, all the time, unless you count the yodelling. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/19 "2006-06-30T15:57:54Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Check out a 70s band called Focus. All instrumental, all the time, unless you count the yodelling. [/QUOTE] It just doesn’t get better than Dutch progressive yodel rock! 🙂 You can use my version if you like. 🙂 🙂 🙂 Maybe Voodoo Lou will be here shortly to post some of his stuff, then you can have a SDMB rock instrumental party! **Khadaji** , what time zone are you in? 5 AM is hard core! ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741/20 "2006-06-30T15:59:11Z")
Progressive Dutch yodel rock? Dutch yodel progressive rock? Any way, the name of the song is Hocus Pocus (by Focus). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-instrumentals/362741.md?page=2)