Do you have a fave instr track?
“Journey of sorcerer” by the Eagles
2112 Overture by Rush. Technically there’s one sung line at the very end, but I always took it to be the segue into the next part of the suite. However, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they had some other group play the Overture and Geddy Lee came on at the very end to deliver the line as if it was 100% an important part of the piece even though they didn’t go on to play Temples of Syrinx. I thought that was rather odd.
Well, the classic rock era now ends around 1998, I think. That thing keeps moving forward in the past. Since that’s the case, I’ll nominate Sonic Youth - Death to Our Friends.
Oh, and the instrumental from the 90’s that I find to be the equal of any is Tortoise’s Djed. 14 minutes or so of krautrock-y groovy and mellow, stuff, and like an epic novel, that part sets the stage for it to go off the rails. At that point it sounds like the song has a glitch, then the glitch becomes the song.
If we’re going to extend the timeframe into the 80s, the late great Michael Hedges needs to be on the list. Here he is at Wolftrap playing Because It’s There on his harp guitar.
IRS Records issued a whole series of “No Speak” instrumental albums. Tons of great stuff on those, including Pete Haycock’s Down To Bay Six and Wishbone Ash’s Tangible Evidence
Booker T and the MGS: Time Is Tight, Green Onions and Hang 'Em High
Hugh Masakela: Grazing in the Grass
Billy Preston: Outa Space and Space Race
Young-Holt Unlimited: Soulful Strut
The Mar-Keys: Last Night (It does have a tiny bit of vocal, but I think it qualifies.)
I don’t recall Yes’s Mood For a Day being mentioned.
Not really “classic rock”, despite it coming out in that era, but I’d rather go with Fripp’s Breathless. Narada Micheal Walden’s drumming here is near-orgasmic.
Actually there’s even another instrumental Breathless(Atomic Rooster) whose jib-cut I also dig. For this second Breathless, you’ll have to start at the 24-second mark (past the vocal intro) because for the strangest, fucked-up-est reason, the “copy video URL at current time” function will not work on this video.
Wow that’s bringing back a flood of memories. Thank-you:)
I think I’ve mentioned Jeff Beck’s Space Boogie more than any other song at the dope. (I guess like it shitloads). Star Cycle, also off his “There and Back” album, also deserves mention.
King Crimson’s Fracture and Lark’s Tongues in Aspic. Pt. 2 are instrumentals beyond the most superlative hyperbole.
Lots of great ones already mentioned. I reviewed the thread and hopefully didn’t miss it, but I’m surprised no one has yet named Love is Blue.
It didn’t really have legs, but for a couple of years, it seemed you couldn’t turn on the radio that it wasn’t playing.
Jessica is great, but to me In Memory of Elizabeth Reed is the go-to instrumental.
Of course, if you edit out the drum solo, nothing can match Mountain Jam. Especially the monstrous power of the bit right after everybody wakes up from the drum solo. Duane kills it.
Yeah cool, I preferred Moby Grape’s interpretation of the Caine Mutiny myself.
I think the line between what an instrumental is and is not is defined by Archie Bell’s Tighten Up. Is is a song without the vocal?
But I don't know if T.U. is or not. It's on the line.Moody Blues, “Beyond”
I’m going to go back to my quicksilver and listen to those and the Fool esp.
The Flute Thing is in the top 10 classic rock instr of all time!
Also known for being the theme music for the original radio version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
ETA: I should add that it was appropriated rather than composed for that purpose.
Boy when you take on a challenge you’re a regular Tom Brady! Let us know when the book tour is.
Two classics deserve mentioning:
Black Sabbath - Laguna Sunrise
La Düsseldorf - Rheinita
Man that’s what made it an instrumental for a while there. Neil young did it, Flat Duo Jets did it. The Title stated at the end don’t mean its not an instrumental song.
Grazin in the grass is one of the all time greats. Billy Preston is very prominent instr hitmaker. Weird that Space Race reminds me of the rockford files theme.
you mean 68-9 or later?
I don’t know if it counts as rock, but Meco’s Star Wars medley was huge. It outsold the soundtrack recording by John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra.