the most technically impressive song? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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aprusso

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 07:46

1) The gates of delirium - Yes

2) Lizard (suite) - King Crimson

3) Generale - PFM

4) La Villa Strangiato - Rush

5) Black Cat - Gentle Giant

sean

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 10:03

I think a lot of stuff by The Dillinger Escape Plan is really technical, as is Mastodon, I haven't seen either of those mentioned yet.
As an aside, I've seen DragonForce mentioned a few times. I just have to say that I don't really find them that technically impressive. Yes, they can play fast, but it seems like it's all just 4/4, and I think it's more impressive for bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X, Behold...The Arctopus, and the ones i mentioned above, along with a ton of others, that are able to play at these insane speeds but they also did with some really odd rhythms. That's just my opinion, I've always seen technicality more in the ability to use odd rhythms than the ability to play at high speeds, and I think the ultimate technicality is the combination of those two elements.

proger

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 10:14

fuxi wrote:

What's the use of technique without emotion?

good question...

not all the technically impressive songs are by prog metal...

genesis, GG, king crimson and even camel... did a very impressive technically songs at the time...

can u consider don cab". to a technically impressive band?

Edited by proger - October 14 2007 at 10:15

...live for tomorrow...

MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 10:31

Atavachron wrote:

^ good call.. other guitar ones;

'Celebration on the Planet Mars' (Ron Jarzombek)
'Mystical Potatohead Groove Thing' (Satch)
'Sails of Charon' (Uli Roth)
'Sequencer' (Di Meola)
'Attitude Song' (Vai)

Let me add a few more guitar "extravaganzas":

Steve Vai - Kill the Guy With the Ball
Steve Vai - Eugene's Trick Bag
Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover
Dream Theater - Erotomania
Ron Thal - I Can't Play the Blues
Greg Koch - Tonus Diabolicus
Mattias IA Eklundh - There's No Money in Jazz
Andy Timmons - Groove or Die
Bumblefoot (Ron Thal) - Mafalda
Scott Henderson - Hillbilly in the Band
Shawn Lane - Tri-7/5
Symphony X - Death of Balance

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Dick Heath View Drop Down

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 11:51

Terj Rypdal's Chaser - a guitar tour de force, ranging from Hendrix to Marvin, plus his own specilities.
Dave Fiuczinski and Wayne Krantz's separate and startlingly dfferent interpretations of Tomorrow Never Knows which bookend the Beatles' tribute: Come Together Volume 2 (NYC Records)

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proglil49

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 12:13

Is it just the guitar that has to be technically or is it the whole musicianship? For the guitar, I'd go with The Extremist, by Joe Satriani, or some Dream Theater song (like Octavarium), but if we consider every instrument, I say Zappa's The Grand Wazoo.

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darkmatter View Drop Down

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 12:25

Maybe not the most technical song, but I think Gordian Knot's "Rivers Dancing" is an excellent song technically. The guitars (or Chapman Stick(s)?) and bass are very well done, and the solo is sick!

puma

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 13:02

Personally, I think some of the most technical guitar music can be heard on the live Yessongs version of Yours is No Disgrace. Steve Howe is a Beast on that track.

And don't forget Mahavishnu Orchestra, with their crazy modal workouts in 18/8 time

But Fracture, guys. Seriously, stop playing around. Fracture. The fact that the song was only ever recorded live, never recorded in a studio makes it even more a testament to how amazing King Crimson really is.

MusicForSpeedin View Drop Down

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 18:41

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx0wp2noAeQ this is the best example i could find

but Robert Glasper Experiment is the craziest thing I have ever heard. This video has the drummer in it.

Tapfret

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 21:49

MusicForSpeedin wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx0wp2noAeQ this is the best example i could find

but Robert Glasper Experiment is the craziest thing I have ever heard. This video has the drummer in it.

Tasty, but not the most technical. Guitarist has some mean comps.

On the subject at hand.

Hmmmm.....a chance to be arrogant. Although any attempt at it has already been usurped by the anti-tech guy.

Anyway, I see some stuff listed here that is technical, but not near the most technical. And then some that are real head scratchers. And of course some that have not crossed my ears that I'm eager to hear. And this is limited to ensembles, not just a single player.

The only Dream Theater that realy qualifies is Dance of Eternity and Erotomania. The others that have been mentioned have some technical parts, but also some LaCheese.

My list:

Stravinsky - Rite of Spring

Martyr - Nameless, Faceless, Neverborn. Silent Science....all but 2 songs from "Feeding the Abscess"

Frank Zappa - Enchidna Arf (of you)/Don't You Ever Watch That Thing, anyhthing using the "Sinister Footwear" theme. And of course countless others.

Chick Corea - Short Tales of The Black Forest, The McLaughlin, DiMeola, Delucia version

King Crimson - FraKctured

Mr. Bungle - Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz, Stub (a dub)

Spastic Ink - ACRONYM, Mosquito Brain Surgery

Spiral Architect - Insect

Return to Forever - The Magician

Theory in Practice - Replica Dawn

Unexpect - How do you pick a song?

Gentle Giant - Cogs in Cogs (Though the slower "So Sincere" from the same album is probably harder to play due to the vocals).

Watchtower - All of "Control and Resistance"

Bela Flek and the Flektones: UFO TOFU musical palindrome

Edited by Tapfret - October 14 2007 at 21:51

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el böthy

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Posted: October 14 2007 at 22:49

chamberry wrote:

This is the craziest guitarist I've ever seen. I don't know what you consider technical, but this looks pretty technical to me:

Mick Barr & Zach Hill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-plG6mmyI_I

wow... that was incredibly boring! Sleepy

"You want me to play what, Robert?"

Zaenos

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Posted: October 15 2007 at 00:43

Well, I guess it's time I put my own two cents in.

Through all my searching I still see Symphony X on top.My best example is The Guitar Chapter video (the first part of which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuOXqsQo0ko The subsequent parts should be found in links on the page).

Also, you may want to check out a piece from their new album, Paradise Lost, called Eve of Seduction: (hear here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc6BdT1J9nY Just bear with YouTube's bad quality and that the idiot spelled it wrong :-P)

russellk

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Posted: October 15 2007 at 02:36

I'm a little puzzled by the claim that certain bands are technical but 'play without emotion'. Are we setting up some sort of binary here? You know, like you can't be handsome and intelligent at the same time? is what people really mean that the music doesn't generate any emotion in them?

I'm no Dream Theater fanboy, but I can't quite work out how they're 'emotionless'. They've moved me plenty of times. Perhaps not always they way they intended, but I'll put up with a few failures in order to experience their successes.

Atavachron View Drop Down

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Posted: October 15 2007 at 02:39

well put

The Whistler View Drop Down

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Posted: October 15 2007 at 02:48

russellk wrote:

I'm a little puzzled by the claim that certain bands are technical but 'play without emotion'. Are we setting up some sort of binary here? You know, like you can't be handsome and intelligent at the same time? is what people really mean that the music doesn't generate any emotion in them?

I'm no Dream Theater fanboy, but I can't quite work out how they're 'emotionless'. They've moved me plenty of times. Perhaps not always they way they intended, but I'll put up with a few failures in order to experience their successes.

Well, no, but that doesn't mean the opposite is true. All those faceless Iron Maiden heavy metal dudes can craft some real mean, and technically impressive, guitar solos, but it takes a Ritchie Blackmore to "take me there."

"There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson

MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down

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Posted: October 15 2007 at 03:01

^ Since when are Iron Maiden a particularly technical band?

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The Whistler View Drop Down

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Posted: October 15 2007 at 03:06

Uh, since I heard 'em and went, "Holy crap dude, this is awesome?"

I mean, they ain't King Crimson, but heavy metal bands have to be, by default, technically skilled to a certain degree, and I think that the Maiden's brand of high octane riffage is impressive.

"There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson

MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down

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Posted: October 15 2007 at 03:27

^ ok, Iron Maiden are impressive ... but IMO not primarily because of their technicality. As a matter of fact Steve Morse runs circles around them. Big%20smile

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Slartibartfast View Drop Down

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Posted: October 15 2007 at 04:52

Dick Heath wrote:

Terj Rypdal's Chaser - a guitar tour de force, ranging from Hendrix to Marvin, plus his own specilities.
Dave Fiuczinski and Wayne Krantz's separate and startlingly dfferent interpretations of Tomorrow Never Knows which bookend the Beatles' tribute: Come Together Volume 2 (NYC Records)

By the way why the hell isn't Rypdal here anyway, yet? I haven't even heard that one, but I have several of his albums:

Rypdal, Terje    Waves    1977    Sep.    879        6/1/03
Rypdal, Terje    Undisonus    1990        880        8/5/03
Rypdal, Terje    Skywards    1997        881        6/1/03
Rypdal, Terje    Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away    1974                12/5/06
Rypdal, Terje    After the Rain    1976    Aug.    678        2/8/01
Rypdal, Terje    Descendre    1979    Mar.    981        1/5/04
Rypdal, Terje    If Mountains Could Sing    1995        679        1/8/01
Rypdal, Terje    Lux Aeterna    2000    Jul.    1189        12/23/05
Rypdal, Terje    Vossabrygg    2006                3/24/07
Rypday, Terje    Singles Collection, The    1988    Aug.    178
Superb Jazz-Rock/Fusion

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Raff

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Posted: October 15 2007 at 05:01

Terje Rypdal is on our addition list, and he will be added by Alucard ASAP. BTW, I'd be grateful if people could ask about such things without implying someone is keeping a given band or artist out of PA on purpose.