Whoa that’s a scary sight – almost as bad as a shot of dad-dancing - but come on all you guitar fans, you’ve all done a spot of shadow-playing in the bedroom with the door shut and I’ll bet you’ve even used the tennis racket or hairbrush when you’ve felt really serious about a song…
Good news. MusicRadar have released their list of the 50 Top Guitar Riffs which should have you all heading back to the bedroom for some serious Van Halen or Thin Lizzy moments. Of course the master of the guitar riff, Jimi Hendrix, topped the list with Voodoo Child – those of you who worshipped the master will be left in no doubt that this was the correct choice but he is a little before my time so I cannot say either way. But it is not just the guitar that has been favoured with the riff and I can think of several instrumental moments that stand out on their own for sheer hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck stuff:
+ The sax solo in Gerry Rafferty’s ‘Baker Street’
+ The flute solo in Men At Work’s hit ‘Down Under’
+ The sax solo (once again) in George Micheal’s ‘Careless Whisper’
+ The incredible trumpet solo during the ballet sequence of the film version of George Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’ – played by MGM’s resident orchestral musician Uan Rasey – it lasts just a few bars but once heard it is never forgotten. That guy played those few bars with every fibre of his being. Pianist Oscar Levant noted at the time that had the late Gershwin been alive to have heard it he would have adored it as that is exactly how he wanted that riff played.
+ The piano ‘cadenza’ in Eric Carmen’s seventies hit ‘All By Myself’ – and yes, the tune was taken from Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 5, the second movement in fact.
Got any of your own favourites…? then share them with us!
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What is commonly known is true that the song “All By Myself” is basically derived from Rochmaninov’s concerto, however the piano part in the middle of the song, that long bridge of it, is actually an original composition by Eric Carmen, according to the artist himself. You can find information at Eric Carmen’s fan website.
Thanks for that – I do recall reading that Eric Carmen wrote his own bridging section but it led beautifully back into the main theme as if it were part of it. That was a landmark song and I remember it so well being a school child at the time – ahhh, the 70′s…
Thanks for your comment
You might want to add a few from this album. Sometimes the “magic” just seems to come togther. For example, guitar players (and want-to-be’s) will appreciate this Pink Floyd-sounding clip from TULL, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qe9mrBWEZg&feature=channel