Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: psy on November 27, 2009, 01:39:44 PM
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The BBC News site has a story up about the best guitar riffs. ---> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8382171.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8382171.stm)
Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child came top in the poll. I was wondering what the list would look like if the BKP forum had looked at it from a players point of view. The same? a little different? So what do you guys think?
My top 3 would have to be...
Free - All Right Now
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade
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Right now...
1. Sabbath - Sweet Leaf
2. Sleep - Dragonaut
3. Corrosion of Conformity - Albatross
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I would argue that a lot of the BBC ones aren't riffs. A riff to me is a short, often repeated phrase, and part of the 'rhythm' of a musical composition - not the lead. That rules out Voodoo Chile, Sweet Child O Mine etc in my eyes. They're lead lines.
My top 3 riffs are:
1. Whole Lotta Rosie - AC/DC
2. Girl's Got Rhythm - AC/DC
3. Whole Lotta Love - Led Zepplin
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something by loudness i guess
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I agree with Whole lotta love. Not so sure about what I would have as the other two
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I'm not saying these are the best, but they were the first that sprang to mind and they're certainly some of my favourites:
Mississippi Queen - Mountain
Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer
Shot Down In Flames - AC/DC
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Hows about (for now)....
Sunshine Of Your Love-Cream
Born Under A Bad Sign-Albert King
I'm A Mover-Free
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The voting seems to have been by the readers of Music Radar website rather than a BBC thing. I don't think I could answer this very easily-I'd have to give it some thought.
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^ agreed, i hate these things, i can never decide. off the top of my head, layla, la grange and highway to hell would be up there, but i'm liable to change my mind at any moment...
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It cant be done. I'd have to make my own top 100 and it would change daily.
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yeah, pretty much. immediately after i posted i realised i'd forgotten about van halen, for example. :lol:
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I can't decide either, but I do have a theory about good riffs
in the context of a song, bad riffs make good riffs better due to the contrast :D
so if a whole song is all good riffs, they become average riffs and therefore no longer good
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Faves that come to mind
Pavlov's Dog - Song Dance
Zappa - Muffin Man
Rainbow - Stargazer
Jan
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^ agreed, i hate these things, i can never decide. off the top of my head, layla, la grange and highway to hell would be up there, but i'm liable to change my mind at any moment...
La Grange :o Can't believe I didn't put that in my list!!!
It's hard to come up with a "top few" in a short space of time.
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The greatest riff of all time is Funeralopolis by Electric Wizard. 2nd place up to infinity are debatable.
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La Grange :o Can't believe I didn't put that in my list!!!
It's hard to come up with a "top few" in a short space of time.
hehe, at least it's not just me it happens to.
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I had imagined an English forum would collectively praise Ritchie Blackmore, but nope. I think he's one of the most influential rhythm guitar players in rock. With this guy around I have no idea how Jimmy Page managed to get so famous.
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Hell ain't a bad place to be
That's the only one I can think of at the moment. Very poor effort on my behalf but am stuck with so many to choose from. This one will nearly always be in any "best riff" list that I come up with. The version on if you want blood.... is fantastic. Such great tone.
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We're not all English.
And even if we were, I'd still find that a bizarre post.
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For classic riffs I vote:
Black Sabbath - Wizard
Iron Butterfly - In a Gadda Da Vida
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
I guess some of this might be giving my age away, as a more modern set I have:
Alice In Chains - Man In The Box
Motorhead - Ace Of Spaces
ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man
Of course this is jsut what I can think of now!
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I had imagined an English forum would collectively praise Ritchie Blackmore, but nope. I think he's one of the most influential rhythm guitar players in rock. With this guy around I have no idea how Jimmy Page managed to get so famous.
I love Blackmore, but it's hard for me to pick out any particular riff of his as being "better" than all the others.
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Forget about best or better. Just bang up some riffs that we can check out. Like Sylvian/Fripp Jean The Birdman.
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it depends...
but symptom of the universe by black sabbath is never a bad choice :twisted:
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Argue with this for a riff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J5CFiv-bvQ
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With you on that one choucas09 :D
I'm also with Twinfan on what is or isn't a "riff" - hard to draw the line though. And like Philly says about Blackmore, who for me was an "all-star" riffer, you can't really pick many of them out as recognisable in their own right! I have to admit that the "Smoke on the water" intro is a part of "riff history", but his playing under the verses is more jaw-dropping for me, both in its simplicity and effectiveness.
Anyway "Riffs" that I go for a lot:
Tie Your Mother Down - Queen
Gone Shooting - AC/DC
Love me like a reptile - Motorhead
I Feel Fine - The Beatles
Living Loving Maid, Bring it on home, The Ocean, etc, etc - Led Zeppelin
Bought and Sold - Rory Gallagher
Smoke Stack Lightnin - Howlin Wolf
Shakin all Over - Johnny Kid and the Pirates
There's also loads of "fab and groovy" jangly riffs on 60s stuff - the Searchers, the Hollies, etc... or the Georde Harrison parts on things like Ticket to Ride... They don't show up as "riffs" like us rockers think of, but they are mighty fine :D
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Gone Shooting - AC/DC
Shakin all Over - Johnny Kid and the Pirates
Good calls! (as were the rest of your list) :D
I was trying to think of something from Powerage, as it's my favourite AC/DC album. I think you're right with "Gone Shootin'".
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Yeah, I love loads of the early AC/DC riffs - Ian's "Hell ain't a bad place to be" is very high on my list, it was the one that got me into them (it was the b-side of the live Whole Lotta Rosie single, WLR was ok, but the riff on the b-side was fab!), but Gone Shooting is my all-time AC/DC favourite.
Since earlier, I've also come up with:
Jumping Jack Flash - Rolling Stones
In my Chair - Status Quo
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl - Ten Years After
Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
And then Luther Perkins on the early Johnny Cash stuff...
But the "best guitar riff in the world"... is "the one I played just now" - should be for all of us! :D :lol:
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Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
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The greatest riff of all time is Funeralopolis by Electric Wizard.
I'm tempted to agree here!
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Rolling Stones - Satisfaction/ paint It Black/ Brown Sugar etc etc
Kinks - You Really got me
Beatles - Daytripper
Sabbath _Iron Man
Ozzy - Crazy Train
Kiss - Cold Gin
Van Halen - Aint Talking Bout Love
ZZ Top - Tush
Deep Purple - Burn / smoke on the water/
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My top 3:
Stranglehold - Ted Nugent
Always on the Run - Lenny Kravitz/Slash
Whole Lotta Love - Pagey
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Burn, Stargazer, Gates of Babylon, Black Night are my favourites of Blackmore's. He really knew how to base a good song around a good riff.
Others:
Megadave: Symphony of Destruction, Hangar 18, She-Wolf (verse), Reckoning Day
Jon Schaffer: Setian Massacre, I Walk Alone, Infiltrate/Assimilate (Tim, if you wrote that riff, credits go to you), Dracula, Phantom Opera Ghost, Frankenstein. Heck, when he's not singing Star Spangled Banner to European journalists, he's galloping out the best riffs in metal, by the bulk.
John Petrucci: About to Crash Reprise. THAT is one rockin' riff.
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Jeff Beck Scatterbrain
Jimi Hendrix Foxy Lady
The Sex Pistols Holidays In The Sun
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When I started trying to think about this, I quickly realised that my favourite riffs are actually bass riffs.
Not necessarily the best, but the first three that spring to mind:
Black Sabbath: NIB
The Violent Femmes: Breakin' Up
The Sisters of Mercy: Lucretia My Reflection
When it comes to guitar riffs, again, the first three that leap out at me:
Iggy Pop: The Passenger
Tracy Chapman: Fast Car
PJ Harvey: Teclo
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So many great riffs have been mentioned already and I can't say the following list is final.
The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (almost a mythic riff. Why didn't anyone come up with this earlier?)
RATM - Ending of Bullet in the Head
Incubus - Sick Sad Little World
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Yes, La Grange is a great riff (John Lee Hooker was a talented lad), but I think the best ZZ Top riff is often overlooked - Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings.
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but I think the best ZZ Top riff is often overlooked - Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings.
Yesssss (indeedy! :D)
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I was gonna say dude looks like a lady.
I don't really listen to all that old school music but I think as far as riffs go i'de have to say;
Roots bloody Roots http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEZwA9i-XzM
Ich will http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlPhAmaFtVE
Because this is what got me playing guitar haha.
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How about Reef. I would have left you baby...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLowZHyPV6I
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Robin Trower --- Bridge of Sighs
Ritchie Blackmore --- Man on the Silver Mountain
Pat Travers --- Snortin Whiskey
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NIB - yes, most definitely.
I remember hearing that song as a kid and it scared the sh!t out of me - love everything about it though.
To be honest I could probably bypass most of the angst and say that my favourite riff of all time is Iommi...
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Yes, La Grange is a great riff (John Lee Hooker was a talented lad), but I think the best ZZ Top riff is often overlooked - Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings.
Oh yes - I was playing this today. I must say that it sounds better on an Esquire (that I sold) than a Strat (that I have). Great song, great riff.
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Great riff, and one I learnt after hearing Ian play it!
Oh, and it still sounds great on the Esquire matey ;)
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Great riff, and one I learnt after hearing Ian play it!
Oh, and it still sounds great on the Esquire matey ;)
It sounds great no matter how bad I play it!
I'm loving having a Strat but missing having an Esquire. If I get the job I have just gone for I may well be in the market for an Esquire at some point in 2010.
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No mention of The Who's My Generation?
Has to be the most influential riff of the sixties. It was what every aspiring guitarist back then learned first.
Jus two notes and in it all the rage and frustration of a teanager growing up.
Brilliant!
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Everyone knows the best ZZ Top riff is 'Brown Sugar' or 'Sharp Dressed Man'... >shakes head<
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I always thought the riff in Black Sabbath's Megalomania that comes in the second half of the track was killer. Its just come on my headphones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iEsz3Scqng
3m20 or so
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If we're talking Sabbath riffs, I love the one that kicks in about half way through "Johnny Blade" (2'35" on this clip). It's absolutely..... titanic!
One of my all-time favourite Iommi solos on this track too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WmaJRC9gck (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WmaJRC9gck)
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Can't argue with that choice PQ.