Tbinns’ Top Ten Favorite Rock Instrumentals
Dear The Correct…go get your headphones and meet me back here in five.
Oh good, you’re back!
This was a tough one to narrow down. As a Prog Rock fan there are tons to choose from, but after much thinking and humming and hawing I think I found my faves. Again I would like to point out the difference between “The Greatest” and “My Favourites” keep that in mind when you rip me a new one in the comments section. But yes, do let me know what I’ve missed. Let’s start with a few…
Honorable Mentions
Sparks (The Who) Green Onions (Booker T and the M. G.’s) Pipeline (The Ventures) Wipeout (Surfaris) What Mamma Said- Jeff Beck Jessica (The Allman Brothers) Sirius (Alan Parsons Project)
aaaand the Top ten is (Drumroll please)
10. Journey of the Sorcerer(The Eagles)
The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Has THIS to say about “Journey of the Sorcerer”. It’s awesome. Not JUST because it is , in fact, the Guides theme song, but also because it is ritualistically worshiped as a God on a planet called Myranius 7, a quaint little planet with lots of green spaces and pleasant things to eat. The Myranians also have their version of Satan, which is “How You Remind Me” by Nickleback. There was a curious case of a young Myraniun who claimed to be possessed by this song…but it turns out it was just an ear worm. They killed him immediately just to be safe.
Okay, Faux Douglas Adams aside This song is tremendously atmospheric, trippy and fun… and hardly recognizable as an Eagles song, which for many of us is a good thing.
9. Frankenstein- Edgar Winter
I actually saw Edgar Winter perform this live when I went to see Ringo’s All Star Band. It was an impressive feat of multi tasking to say the least…with Winter on Keyboards, doing the drum solo and more. Awesome retro funky with a rockin guitar riff. Love it.
8. Eruption –Van Halen
Is it a song, or is it a guitar solo straight out of Spinal Tap? While many would argue the latter I say either way it’s a blistering way to start an album. Plus, when you combine it with the opening chords of “You Really Got Me”? Mmmmm two great tastes that taste great together.
7. La Villa Strangiato – Rush
You can’t have a greatest instrumentals list without some of rock’s greatest instrumentalists. Neil and Geddy get a lot of praise, so Alex tends to get overlooked but this is his turn to shine…and boy does he. Songs like this are the reason Rush has a large number of awestruck musicians in their fan base.
6. Miserlou- Dick Dale
The first time I heard this was Pulp Fiction and I’ve loved it ever since. Fuck ME that guy can play. I deeply resent Black Eyed Peas sampling this…please…enjoy it in it’s purest form.
5. Fucking in the Bushes – Oasis
This one first came to my attention in the movie “Snatch”. It’s a hard rocking,wonderfully ugly little number that once again gives very little indication that it is an Oasis song. I suppose one could argue that the sound bites mean it’s not an instrumental, with some drama about a music festival playing out in the background, but I maintain that if no one is singing, it’s an instrumental.
4. Moby Dick- Led Zeppelin
On the one hand it’s not so much a song as an excuse for a John Bonham drum solo. On the Other hand…IT’S AN EXCUSE FOR A JOHN BONHAM DRUM SOLO!!
3. One of These Days – Pink Floyd
Rising slowly from an echoing, galloping baseline, the guitar comes screaming up like a jet engine to take over the song. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more awesome…a little nod to Doctor Who. Pink Floyd is tricky, lots of songs you think might qualify as instrumentals end up having a few lyrics somewhere around the ten minute mark, but I’m pretty sure this one qualifies and I’m DEFINITELY sure it kicks serious ass.
2.Steppin Out- Cream
I could write about this high rocking mind bender, but the guy introducing it sums it up so much better than I could. Just click play and see why “Clapton is God” was a thing for awhile
1. YYZ- Rush
When people complain to me (and God Almighty, they do) about Geddy’s voice, I always fire this one up on youtube. The Bass riffs are jaw dropping, the guitar is swift and pure and the drums…don’t even get me STARTED on the drums. Yes, that’s two Rush songs, and there is probably a Primus song out there that I’ve missed or something but for pure instrumental rock your socks off joy…you just don’t get much better than this!
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you have a problem with Tbinns' #1 choice? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my Awesomeness."
So there it is. What did I miss folks?
