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Zaenos View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: the most technically impressive song?
    Posted: October 13 2007 at 13:38
Oh, this is bound to start problems Disapprove but I hope people can take this seriously...

I want your opinions on what song/demonstration by what artist you believe is the greatest display of technical guitar skill in music. Yes, this is a tall order and it may be akin to choosing which of your children you love more, but I'd like to try.

Here are some guidelines:
-This is not a popularity contest. We're judging on technical playing skill, not your musical tastes. Sorry.
-Be civil about it. I won't restrict chatter about suggestions but flaming and spam are no-no-nos.
-Try to avoid long debates too, those will come later. consider this a brainstorming phase.
-Remember, we're looking for guitar playing skill here, not songwriting skill
-Know what you're talking about... please.

And if you happen to have a link to a video of what you're talking about, that'd be wonderful. Wink

Current Nominations:
  • -In the Name of God (Dream Theater)
  • -[this] (Mick Barr & Zach Hill)
  • -Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch (Frank Zappa)
  • -On Reflection (Gentle Giant)
  • -Obsession (Jack Bruce (with Allan Holdsworth))
  • -Metropolis Pt.1 (Dream Theater)
  • -The Dance of Eternity (Dream Theater)
  • -Erotomania (Dream Theater)
  • -Fire Garden Suite (Steve Vai)
  • -Sleep Terror (Dream Theater)
  • -Yours Is No Disgrace (Steve Howe)
  • -Fresh Air (Akkerman)
  • -Sound Chaser (Yes)
  • -Tarkus Suite (ELP)
  • -I (Meshuggah)
  • -YYZ (Rush)
  • -Close to the Edge (Yes)
  • -La Villa Strangiato (Rush)
  • -Cirkus (King Crimson)
  • -Albion, Awake! (Art Bears)
  • -Watchtower (Energetic Disassembly)
  • -Soul Cages (Steps)
  • -Psychotic Waltz (A Social Grace)
  • -Fracture (King Crimson)
  • -Celebration on the Planet Mars (Ron Jarzombek)
  • -Mystical Potatohead Groove Thing (Satch)
  • -Sails of Charon (Uli Roth)
  • -Sequencer (Di Meola)
  • -Attitude Song (Steve Vai)
  • -Freak Show Excess (Steve Vai)
  • -Unquestionable Presence (Atheist)
  • -Ink Complete Spastic Ink
  • -Obscura (Gorguts)
  • -The Gates of Delirium (Yes)
  • -Lizard (suite) (King Crimson)
  • -Generale (PFM)
  • -Black Cat (Gentle Giant)
  • -Kill the Guy With the Ball (Steve Vai)
  • -Eugene's Trick Bag (Steve Vai)
  • -Cliffs of Dover (Eric Johnson)
  •  -I Can't Play the Blues (Ron Thal)
  • -Tonus Diabolicus (Greg Koch)
  • -There's No Money in Jazz (Mattias IA Eklundh)
  • -Groove or Die (Andy Timmons)
  • -Mafalda (Bumblefoot (Ron Thal))
  • -Hillbilly in the Band (Scott Henderson)
  • -Tri-7/5 (Shawn Lane)-Death of Balance/Lacrymosa (Symphony X)
  • -Chaser (Terj Rypdal)
  • -Tomorrow Never Knows (Dave Fiuczinski)
  • -Tomorrow Never Knows (Wayne Krantz)
  • -The Extremist (Joe Satriani)
  • -Octavarium (Dream Theater)
  • -Rivers Dancing (Gordian Knot)
  • -Yours Is No Disgrace (Live) (Yes)
  • -[This] (Robert Glasper Experiment)
  • -Rite of Spring (Stravinsky)
  • -Nameless (Martyr)
  • -Faceless (Martyr)
  • -Neverborn.(Martyr)
  • -Silent Science (Martyr)
  • -Enchidna Arf (of you)/Don't You Ever Watch That Thing (Frank Zappa)0
  • -Short Tales of The Black Forest (McLaughlin, DiMeola, Delucia version) (Chick Corea)
  • -FraKctured (King Crimson)
  • -Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz (Mr. Bungle)
  • -Stub (a Dub) (Mr. Bungle)
  • -ACRONYM (Spastic Ink)
  • -Mosquito Brain Surgery (Spastic Ink)
  • -Insect (Spiral Architect)
  • -The Magician (Return to Forever)
  • -Replica Dawn (Theory in Practice)
  • -Cogs in Cogs (Gentle Giant)
  • -So Sincere (Gentle Giant)
  • -UFO TOFU musical palindrome (Bela Flek and the Flektones)
  • -The Guitar Chapter (Michael Romeo)
  • -Eve of Seduction (Symphony X)
  • Instrumedley (Dream Theater)
  • -Fountains of Light (Starcastle)
  • -Alcoholocaust ( Behold...The Arctopus)
  • -Time (Pink Floyd)
  • -Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd)
  • -Gates of Delirium (Yes)
  • -America (Yes)
  •  -Dazed and Confused (Led Zeppelin)
  • -Through The Fire and the Flames (Dragonforce)
  • -Aproximate(Frank Zappa)
  • Purple Lagoon (Frank Zappa)
  • -St.Alphonzos Pancake Breakfast (Frank Zappa)
  • -Inca Roads (Frank Zappa)
  • -The Adventures of Greggary Peccary (Frank Zappa)
  • -Vroom (King Crimson)
  • -Eleanor Rigby (Stanley Jordan)
  • Awake (Dream Theater)
  • The Mirror-Lie (Dream Theater)
  • Lifting Shadows Off a Dream (Dream Theater)
  • The Divine Wings of Tragedy (Symphony X)
  • Seven (Symphony X)




Incomplete Nominations:
  • -Some song off of the Di Meola, Paco de Lucia, McLaughlin live album
  • -Some song off of Romantic Warrior (Return to Forever)
  • -Something off of The New Tristano (Lennie Tristano)
  • -Something off of Birds of Fire (Mahavishnu)
  • -Something by Psyopus
  • -Something by Behold... The Arctopus
  • -Something by Mahavishnu Orchestra
  • -All but two mysterious tracks from Feeding the Abscess by Martyr
  • -Something by Unexpect
  • -Something off of Control and Resistance by Watchtower
  • -Something off of Machinations of Dimentia by Blotted Science w/ Zelany & Jarzombek
  • -Spmething off of Purpendicular (Deep Purple)
  • -Something off of Rapture of the Deep (Deep Purple)
  • -Something by I
  • -Something by Dragonforce
  • -Something by Hella
  • -something by Joe Satriani
  • -something by Steve Vai
  • -some Smashing Pumpkins song
  • -something by Derek Bailey
  • -something by Trace Bundy
Note: I've been adding things to this list en masse, so there may be a few errors here and there. If you see one, lemme know and I'll fix it Wink

EDIT: Note: Try to give the band name with your song/album names, it makes things a lot easier Dead


Edited by Zaenos - October 30 2007 at 19:55
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stonebeard View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 13:41
"In the Name of God" by Dream Theater or many Dragonforce songs
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 14:34
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


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 14:44

I won't chose a particular song, but two albums that I've heard lately that really struck me were the Di Meola, Paco de Lucia, McLaughlin live album and Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior....basically any of the top-tier fusion albums feature an insane amount of technical skill.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 14:48
It all depends on which techniques you're looking for;
 
If you mean precision execution techniques, then Dragonforce are very impressive.
 
If you mean pure rock and roll techniques, then AC/DC take some beating.
 
For songwriting, The Beatles all the way.
 
For metal+jazz improvisation techniques, then you want John Zorn.
 
Of course, Zappa and many of his musicians had a huge arsenal - the song "Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch" is packed with amazing techniques, from Zappa and Steve Vai, notably.
 
Then there's the entire album "The New Tristano" by Lennie Tristano - if you've never heard it, then you've probably never heard modern jazz technique like it: Absolute precision, amazing speed, far-out modes, yet pristine jazz performance. 
 
 
For me, one of the most technically impressive songs in rock is "On Reflection" by Gentle Giant.
 
To date I've heard very little in Rock music that approaches it's technical level or complexity in composition - much less in recent years - only in the 1970s was composition at such a high standard in rock (and I'm not talking about personal preferences!).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 14:54
Allan Holdsworth's guest solo on Jack Bruce's Obsession (ex. A Question Of Time album). A relatively short one from Holdsworth, but check out and consider Bruce'/Brown's lyrics and hear how well the solo and the tensions it generates fits the subject.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 15:14
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

"In the Name of God" by Dream Theater or many Dragonforce songs


Why that one? I'd pick Metropolis Pt. 1 - or The Dance of Eternity.Big%20smile
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 15:15
Originally posted by jimmy_row jimmy_row wrote:

I won't chose a particular song, but two albums that I've heard lately that really struck me were the Di Meola, Paco de Lucia, McLaughlin live album and Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior....basically any of the top-tier fusion albums feature an insane amount of technical skill.



I find Romantic Warrior to be a deception. I've listened to it more than 20 times, and it seems to me like a forced to sound technical album, with very few feeling, except for the Magician and Duel Of The Jester And The Tyrant, which is awesome and saves the album from being a very non essential. I know many of you may disagree with me, but it's just my opinion.

Back on subject, I can't choose an all time most technical guitarist. Dream Theater has a lot of extremely har to play songs (specially The Dance Of Eternity, Metropolis Part 1 and Erotomania), Mahavishnu has very technical stuff on Birds Of Fire (I don't like their debut very much), and, yeah, how can we forget Fire Garden Suite by Steve Vai! Clap


Edited by Barla - October 13 2007 at 15:16
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 15:17
Originally posted by MikeEnRegalia MikeEnRegalia wrote:

Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

"In the Name of God" by Dream Theater or many Dragonforce songs


Why that one? I'd pick Metropolis Pt. 1 - or The Dance of Eternity.Big%20smile


The solo. Just...so.....many......notes.....Shocked
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 15:22
^ http://www.myspace.com/bumblefoot Listen to "Guitars Suck" ... let me know what you think about it!Smile
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 15:43
In the Name of God is technical as hell but many things have surpassed it. Spastic Ink for one.....Behold...The Arctopus for another, Sleep Terror, it goes on.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 16:12
Originally posted by chamberry 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 Hillhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-plG6mmyI_I


Sweeeet! Thanks for the link!

But I don't think it's that technical - it can't be very clean, for one - it's more about relentlessness...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 16:17
There are many others who I’d consider to be better guitarist but Steve Howe on “Yours Is No Disgrace” (The Yes Album) to me demonstrated some of the most technical versatility on guitar of any body, on any one song. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 16:22
Try Akkerman's solo effort Profile (1972), and get into the first side, filled with a long 19-minutes piece called Fresh Air. Quite insane...
The best you can is good enough...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 16:31

I never listen to music from that point of view, the technical most challenging song, so that is a challenge in itself.

From the somewhat limited range of music that I know Embarrassed I think I mention Sound Chaser by Yes, not one of my favourite songs, but with some breakneck soloing by several members, and Squire and White are impressive in keeping up with each other in their very fast moves.
 
I'm also inclined to mention the Tarkus Suite by ELP, which has a lot of virtuosity displayed by Emerson and Palmer in particular, and the harmonies and the metres are also a good showcase of their virtuosity.


Edited by Moogtron III - October 13 2007 at 16:34
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 17:05
Surely it is I by Meshuggah. That song is just pure technicality for 20 whole minutes.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 17:21
from wikipedia's list of musical works with unusual time signature combinations:

(1999) "The Dance of Eternity" by Dream Theater - incorporates an incredible number of time signature changes (in order, each entry written once): 4/4, 7/8, 3/4, 13/16, 15/16, 17/16, 14/16, 5/4, 6/8, 2/4, 5/8, 11/4, 9/4, 7/16, 6/16, 5/16, 10/16, 9/8, 15/8, 12/16, 16/16 (3+3+3+3+2+2), 3/8



and it's one of my favourite Dream Theater songs!
The scattered jigsaw of my redemption laid out before my eyes
Each piece as amorphous as the other - Each piece in its lack of shape a lie
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 17:48
What's the use of technique without emotion?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 17:59
Originally posted by fuxi fuxi wrote:

What's the use of technique without emotion?


depends... 

you can get  Dream Theater...

but you also get King Crimson

emotion is nice but not  necessary

same with technique


Edited by micky - October 13 2007 at 18:03
The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2007 at 18:02
Technicality is NOT impressive.

BTW, the meter signature changes you list are NOT, in actual fact, meters at all. The definition of meter according to the Harvard Dictionary of Music is "the pattern in which a steady succession of pulses is organized."

Since the example you've given is neither steady nor forms any kind of repeated succession it, by definition, is NOT METER. It is music written without meter to be more specific. Since the mallest beat value in the sequence listed is a 16th note, all that can be said for the passage in question is that it proceeds with a 16th note "pulse". It has no meter and therefore no meter changes.

Additionally meter signatures with a number of beats larger than 7 or 9 also really don't exist. they can all be broken down into samller repeating beat groupings which would make them much easier to read. The first thing any self-respecting musician does when faced with a piece written in these "false" meters is break down the beat groupings and re-draw the bar lines.   15 or 15/16 doesn't exist in musical reality. So-called complex meters are just another way for the moderately musically educated to "feel superior" about our abilities or knowledge.

Edited by Trademark - October 13 2007 at 18:19
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