The two mini bass solos in the Beatles’ “I’ll Cry Instead” make that song for me. Without those two little bits, the song would be largely forgettable, imo.
This line from the Turtles’ “Happy Together”
I asked someone who had taken a couple of music theory classes, what makes it so striking? I think they said something about chromatics or key change?
JohnT, I love that bit from Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante!
Good god, yes! I love, love, love that guitar play between John and George!
I also like finding the mistakes or oddities in older rock recordings (some people have mentioned the fret hand squeaks) and will often replay them. Things like when they physically turn on an overdrive box. Modern recordings are too squeaky clean so I like hearing the more raw, put down on tape recordings from the 60’s and 70’s.
Are you talking about the transition from the verses to the chorus? The song goes from minor tonality to major tonality, so that might be what you’re picking up on.
Another song from the same era or thereabouts that pulls a similar trick is “Things We Said Today” by the Beatles. The verses are mostly a hypnotic Am-Em strum, and when the B section kicks in (not really a conventional chorus, more like a bridge), it modulates into a rocking A major progression.
Actually, that song does contain one of my favorite harmonic moments, when the Am-Em strum is broken up by the line “someday when I’m lonely wishing you weren’t so far away,” I always get a little shiver from the change in mood that chord progression brings to the song (along with the chromatic melody decent on the first half of that line.) I just love the harmonic “color” there.
The first thought that came to me is the little paradiddle-esque drum fill on “Sultans of Swing” after the verse “And says at last just as the time bell rings”. Ever since I first heard that song back in high school or earlier, that fill has always tickled me.
Annie Lennoxs “Into the West” kicks into the chorus faster then you think it will…makes it feel more heartfelt.
IMO music theory is never needed, or enough, to explain why something sounds good.
But I can say that the major 7th chord is always interesting to me because it provides a kind of wistful feel. It’s not really unusual, but it’s a bit uncommon to get there by dropping a whole step from the tonic and inverting it like they do. Uncommon things are always interesting. That’s a fun thing to listen to, thanks for bringing it up.
The main reason to listen to “November Rain” is the instrumental ending.
I like the random “woo hoo” inserted into Dire Straits “Walk of Life”.
The ending of the Beatles “I Am The Walrus” where they quote Shakespeare. “Sit down, father, rest you.”
The one-bar pause at the beginning of “Waiting Room” by Fugazi.
The part of “Flor Palida” by Polo Montanez where they play what to me sounds like a violin.
New Pornographers “This is the World of the Theater”
At 1:36. Glorious. (I can’t figure out how to post the actual link from my iPhone)
Maybe this will work?
In What a Sweet Thing that Was. the Shirelles singer slightly delays singing “Surrender” in the middle of the song–brings a smile.
The Who in Won’t Get Fooled Again–the interplay between the rhythm guitar and drums about 3/4 of the way through the recording on Who’s Next–so cool. It really rocks.
Dylan in Sooner or Later One of Us Must Know (B on B) he draws out the “…for gooooood” in the first verse–the guy is a genius+. Listening recently to his 60s albums amazes me not just for all the little gems I have stumbled across but the quality and creativeness in the arrangements and over-all sound are just something else.
Love Richards’ acrobatic lead break in Ya Ya’s Sympathy for the Devil. And the groove they get in towards the end of Honky Tonk Women, and ALL of Carol.
I always liked it when the bass came in on Smoke on the Water. Just recently listened to Enter Sandman, and the intro with its little variations are great to focus on–due mostly to the drumming.
I could go on…
Oh yeah I menitoned this in a similar thread here years ago–the lead guitar intro to the Kingsmen’s Money.
And the snideness in the song titles: Check Out Her Mama, and First I Look at the Purse!
Not exactly itty-bitty, but seven seconds of transcendent beauty.
Back in the early days of the 70’s ragtime revival I studied Scott Joplin’s work for a while. I’ve listened to all of his pieces at least once, some of them hundreds of times. For me his most breathtaking harmonic moment occurs in Fig Leaf Rag. Now I’ve gotten old, and can no longer name one of the chords in the passage I’m about to reference, so I’ll designate that one chord as xxx. If any of you can identify the chord for me (and correct other errors I might have made) I’d appreciate it.
In one seven-second passage the rag progresses through E-flat MAJ, G-flat MAJ, G-(natural) DIM, A-flat MIN, E-flat MIN, xxx, B-flat 7, E-flat MAJ. I’ve always found the effect to one of powerfully moving bittersweet nostalgia.
The magic moment occurs twice, at 3:45 and again at 4:15. Hope you like it. If you don’t, be nice anyway.
Two come to mind for me; perhaps mundane (I have minimal musical knowledge, just know what I like).
First is John Mellencamp “Paper in Fire”, which is my favorite of his songs, but the fiddle part which reoccurs several times during the song just gets me. At 1:08 John Mellencamp - Paper In Fire - YouTube
And "The Devil Went Down to Georgia with the unforgettable “I done told you once, you son of a bitch, I’m the best thats ever been” followed immediately by the fiddle playing expertise of Mr. Daniels. At 2:50 The Devil Went Down to Georgia - YouTube
The second guitar solo in Television - Elevation. (3:01)
When the titular part of Stone Roses - I am the Resurrection finally kicks in.
Led Zeppelin - When the Levee Breaks (2:41)
Raconteurs - Carolina Drama, at the later part of the build-up (3:43)
The XX - Infinity, “Give it up” part at the end.
Weezer - Say It Ain’t So, “This bottle of Stevens” part
Coldplay - Fix You, 3:02 forward
Metallica - Creeping Death, “Die by my hand” part, including the guitar just before.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - You Should’ve Lied, 3:20-3:40
Tool - Reflection, 8:50 and forward.
Tool - Schism, “between supposed lovers”
Wilco - The Late Greats (Live In Chicago), solo at 1:33
Isis - Carry, 4:04
David Bowie - 5 years, The titular part, first time.
(From https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14135006&postcount=107)
Related : hearing a cellist’s fingertips tapping the fingerboard when playing. Sexy.
I haven’t checked this particular link, but I remember this being quite noticeable in Pieter Wispelwey’s second recording of the Bach Cello Suites
This break in Mask by Bauhaus.
The way Joy Division’s Ian Curtis sings “There’s nothing there at all” in 24 Hours
The trumpet coming into Billy Bragg’s Levi Stubbs’ Tears
Another Queen One from “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”: When Mercury sings the final chorus “Until I’m ready” and there’s the response “Ready Freddie”.
Dire Strait’s Industrial Disease has this snippet of verse: “Two men say they’re Jesus; one of them must be wrong…”
Mark Knopfler’s deadpan delivery of the second part just kills me every time I hear it.
the end of Billy Joels “it’s still rock n roll to me” the very end you hear whooo hoooo!
The little yodel in the song Amie.