I recently ran across via Facebook VH1 Classics "Instru-Metal Symphony: The 20 Greatest Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Instrumentals" and found myself thinking how much excellent instrumental hard rock and metal music is out there that if you're a fan of musicians [and by that I mean artists who can actually play their instruments], that you may have missed...and there may be some music out there you will enjoy but may not have heard... Or... may have heard but haven't dusted them off in a while... so...
Counting down from 20 - 1, the VH1 list is as follows...
20. In Flames - "The Jester's Dance" [The Jester's Race/1996]
13. Black Sabbath "Rat Salad" [Paranoid/1970]
AC/DC - Chase The Ace [Who Made Who/1986]
With AC/DC back in the news due to Malcolm Young's ill health [the website stated that the band will continue working on a new album and tour...] we start off with "Chase The Ace" which was one of three tracks written for "Who Made Who", which served as the soundtrack to Stephen King's "Maximum Overdrive"...
Eric Johnson - Cliffs Of Dover [Ah Via Musicom/1990]
Johnson toured with Vai and Satriani on G3 and can keep up with those two masters of the guitar... great showcase of talent...
Michael Schenker Group - Into The Arena [Michael Schenker Group/1980]
Michael Schenker Group - Into The Arena [Michael Schenker Group/1980]
Surprised this didn't make the top 20...Schenker kicks serious ass on this tune... with help from session men Don Airey [keys], Mo Foster [bass] and Simon Phillips [drums]...and there is a great version of this on "The Michael Schenker Story Live"...
Liquid Tension Experiment - Universal Mind [Liquid Tension Experiment/1998]
Liquid Tension Experiment is the quartet of Dream Theater/Winery Dogs drummer Mike Portnoy, Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci, Dream Theater/Dregs keyboardist Jordan Rudess [who did the first record before he joined DT] and Peter Gabriel/King Crimson stick/bassist Tony Levin... So the caliber of the players is top notch... and they did the record in a week... not too shabby...
Rush - YYZ [Moving Pictures/1981 & The Main Monkey Business/Snakes & Arrows/2007]
I polled some of my friends...and "YYZ" was at the top of most of the lists... Mike Portnoy essentially once said that La Villa Strangiato was harder to play, but given the popularity of "Moving Pictures"... this one is always the one everybody mentions... "YYZ" is the airport code for the Toronto Pearson International Airport...played in Morse Code in the beginning of the song...
"Main Monkey Business" is more technically subtle than "La Villa" or "YYZ" but the band really does provide enough changes to keep things interesting...
"Main Monkey Business" is more technically subtle than "La Villa" or "YYZ" but the band really does provide enough changes to keep things interesting...
Impellitteri - Somewhere Over The Rainbow [Stand In Line/1988]
Shredder Chris Impellitteri and his band with their take on the Harold Arlen classic from "The Wizard Of Oz"...
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble -Riviera Paradise [In Step/1989]
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble -Riviera Paradise [In Step/1989]
It's not fast or flashy...but it is textured and beautifully performed... [and thanks to my friend Paul who reminded me of this one...]
Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Trilogy Suite, Op 5 [Trilogy/1986]
Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Trilogy Suite, Op 5 [Trilogy/1986]
Melodic...fast...and an acoustic piece in the middle...Malmsteen pulls out all the stops on this classic... helped out by Anders Johannson [drums]and his brother Jens Johannson on keys...
Iron Maiden - Losfer Words [Big 'Orra] [Powerslave/1984]
The chugging bass riff and some great soloing add this to the list... This is the last instrumental Iron Maiden has done... a good choice to end the trend perhaps...?...
Kansas - The Spider [Point Of Know Return/1977]
Kansas - The Spider [Point Of Know Return/1977]
The American counterpoint to the British progressive movement... take away the singles this band has generated [which weren't that simple either...], and listen to how well these guys can play...
Scorpions - Coast To Coast [Lovedrive/1979]
Scorpions - Coast To Coast [Lovedrive/1979]
Penned by and performed in a guest capacity by Michael Schenker after being released from UFO... the Scorpions had replaced Uli Jon Roth with Matthias Jabs for the "Lovedrive" album...and Schenker joined them for a handful of songs on the album as well as the tour [replacing Jabs] and then left again...so Jabs came back and the classic line-up that tore through the 80's was solidified as he now officially was replacing Michael Schenker...
The Corrs - Toss The Feathers [Forgiven, Not Forgotten/1996]
I had to include this instrumental from the Corrs first record... with some help from Simon Phillips on drums, Anthony Drennan [Mike + The Mechanics] on guitar and Keith Duffy [Boyzone] on bass...
The Corrs - Toss The Feathers [Forgiven, Not Forgotten/1996]
I had to include this instrumental from the Corrs first record... with some help from Simon Phillips on drums, Anthony Drennan [Mike + The Mechanics] on guitar and Keith Duffy [Boyzone] on bass...
Dream Theater - Ytse Jam [When Dream And Day Unite/1989 & Enigma Machine [Dream Theater/2013]
I had to choose one older and one new... "Stream Of Consciousness" from "Train Of Thought" is an excellent addition to the top 20... but "Ytse Jam" was the first instrumental Dream Theater did and it's quite the instrumental showcase... "Ytse Jam" is Majesty backwards...DT's original name before changing it...
The second track if off of the latest self-titled record from 2013... Once again these guys shine... New drummer Mike Mangini adds his touches to the prog showcase... [Guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung attended Berklee College of Music in Boston...Mangini gave up being a drum instructor there to join the band, and Jordan Rudess went to Julliard School of Music for classical piano training... would you expect anything less...]
Frank Zappa - Peaches En Regalia [Hot Rats/1969]
Recorded for "Hot Rats"....this jazz-fusion track has over 25 different versions in circulation due to the live versions and the sheer amount of times it has been covered by other bands...
Ace Frehley - Fractured Mirror [Ace Frehley/1978]
In 1978, when each member of Kiss released a solo record, we were treated to this guitar instrumental from Ace Frehley [Ace's record is considered the best of the bunch]... It's a great track that showed the depth of his playing and has far more maturity than anything he played with Kiss...
Edgar Winter Group - Frankenstein [They Only Come Out At Night/1972]
This song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May of '73 and went on to sell 1 million copies... It's here for neither of those reasons...it's a great track and it was originally not intended for the album but for a b-side...until dj's all over America and Canada were inundated with requests for the track... And the title "Frankenstein"... is because the original recording went on for at least twice it's length due to improvisation by the band...and it had to be judiciously edited to create it's form by using the standard razor blade and tape...to it was in effect patched together...
Well folks...if you made it with me this far I have officially taken up waaaayyyy too much of your time... And... Think we missed a few?... Check out Pt. 2 next week!!... To Be Continued...
New Releases... Coming Soon...To A Medium Near You!!...
Sebastian Bach - Give 'Em Hell
Bach is back following the very successful "Kicking & Screaming"... Joining him on this one is Steve Stevens, John 5 and Duff McKagen... [Frontiers Records] [Out 4/22]
Bach is back following the very successful "Kicking & Screaming"... Joining him on this one is Steve Stevens, John 5 and Duff McKagen... [Frontiers Records] [Out 4/22]
Winger - Better Days Comin'
Winger is also returning after their successful "Karma" record... Great melodies, harmonies...and as you know... this band can really play... [Frontiers Records] [Out 4/22]
Winger is also returning after their successful "Karma" record... Great melodies, harmonies...and as you know... this band can really play... [Frontiers Records] [Out 4/22]
Three Lions - Three Lions
Three Lions is guitarist Vinnie Burns [Asia/Ten/Dare], drummer Greg Morgan [Dare/Ten] and bassist/vocalist Nigel Bailey... great melodic hard rock... [Frontiers Records] [Out 4/22]
Three Lions is guitarist Vinnie Burns [Asia/Ten/Dare], drummer Greg Morgan [Dare/Ten] and bassist/vocalist Nigel Bailey... great melodic hard rock... [Frontiers Records] [Out 4/22]
Krokus - Long Stick Goes Boom-Live From Da House Of Rust
Switzerland's greatest hard rock export performing live in their hometown... [The End Records][Out 4/22]
Switzerland's greatest hard rock export performing live in their hometown... [The End Records][Out 4/22]
Joe Satriani - The Complete Studio Recordings
Satriani's complete studio output plus a bonus disc of unreleased material... need we say more... [Legacy Records] [Out 4/22]
Satriani's complete studio output plus a bonus disc of unreleased material... need we say more... [Legacy Records] [Out 4/22]
And Now...For This Week's Gratuitious 80's Hair-Metal Video...
Southgang - Tainted Angel
Thanks For Coming Along For The Ride...
J.
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