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Nelskie
January 14th, 2006, 10:36 PM
Over the past twenty years, the evoluton of guitar-based instrumental rock has seen tremendous ebb and flow. In some instances, it has followed popular musical trends. In other cases, it has happened purely by accident. Many of today's best-known rock "lick-meisters" were part of the explosion of this particular genre, which also coincided with the influx of metal music into mainstream listening back in the early 1980's, and then, throughout that decade. While this period has often been heralded by both players and critics as the "heyday" of this musical style, instrumental guitar was a key element in popular music long before spandex pants and big hair. With that, let us begin.

Chet Atkins was perhaps one of the very first prominent guitar instrumentalists. A dazzlingly deft artist, Chet would advance the rgus genre of music by leaps and bounds, with his amazing command of the fretboard, and light, silky-smooth touch. Atkins' standards have been a mainstay amongst his fans and fellow guitarists for well over five decades. Sadly, Chet Atkins passed on in 2001, but left an incredibly vast catalog of phenomenal work, and a trophy case any guitarist would be proud of. Some of his honors include being elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973. And between 1967 to 1988, he claimed the CMA’s (Country Music Association) Instrumentalist of the Year honor (11) times! Chet's close friend, Les Paul, was also an early pioneer in instrumental guitar music, and has already been featured in previous HYH review (Les Paul & Friends).

Surf music was part of the burgeoning 60's music & car culture, and at the "point break" of this style of music were two largely instrumental bands. One of the definitive sounds of the day belonged to Dick Dale, who has long been considered the originator of surf guitar music. Dale's daring and dynamic use of staccato picking techniques and cavernous reverb soon became the trademark tone of many surf-sound bands. Also making "waves" (pun intended!) at the same time were The Ventures, an instrumental group featuring the dual-lead stylings of Don Wilson and Nokie Edwards (later be replaced by Gerry McGhee in 1968.) The hypnotic surf beats of "Pipeline" (Chantays) or the swingin', up-tempo "Wipe Out" (Surfaris) became instant classics, and not only a hit with radio listeners, but also with young, up-and-coming guitar players, who were affixed to surf music's incredible sounds and diverse playing styles. In fact, The Ventures became so big, Mosrite Guitars (a California-based company) decided to capitalize on the ever-growing popularity of surf music by developing a signature "Ventures" style guitar. These particular guitars are now highly collectible, and pristine examples often fetch several thousand dollars! At a point further down the road, a Mosrite Ventures II model would later land in the hands of a young Johnny Ramone (aka John Cummings) - and eventually become the signature sound of the American punk revolution. Funny how that stuff works, isn't it?

As the 60's wore on into the 70's, and the 70's into the 80's, there were other artists and bands who would successfully infuse the instrumental rock sound into their own material, whether it be acoustically or electrically-based. Some of these artists included: Jimi Hendrix ("Driving South"), The Grateful Dead ("Sage & Spirit"), Led Zeppelin ("White Summer / Black Mountain Side"), The Allman Brothers ("In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"), Carlos Santana ("Samba Pa Ti"), and Frank Zappa ("Rat Tomago"). (*Author's Note - This is by no means a "complete" list of instrumental bands / artists - just a few that readily came to mind while writing this review.)

The 1970's were a creative high-point for various forms of instrumental guitar alchemy, and two of the forerunners in this sound revolution included Steve Howe of the rock group Yes, and Jeff Beck, formerly of Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group fame. Yes was a prominent player in the progressive rock movement of the early 70's, and featured a collection of superbly talented, studio-minded musicians - among them Steve Howe. With his band counterparts, Howe formulated new and exciting approaches to guitar arrangements, as well as structural movement within songs. Although vocals were often a key feature of their material, their extended instrumental jams within songs were abound with detail, and infused with creative energy.

Following Rod Stewart's departure to Faces, and the marginally successful "Beck - Bogert - Appice", Jeff Beck was eager to explore new ground. Spanning a period of of five years (1975-80), Beck released (3) phenomenal rock-fusion instrumental albums: "Wired", "Blow By Blow", and "There And Back", all of which incorporated a guitar-heavy, vocal-less approach. But what was most interesting about Beck's work during this period was that his guitar tone had a uniquely "vocal" feel to them. Even tough there weren't any vocals, it "felt" like there were. Add into that equation Beck's penchant for aggressively exploring tonal boundaries, firm groundwork had now been laid for other artists to follow. Although I am no expert in the field of instrumental rock music, I have read plenty of reviews that point to Jeff Beck as an integral contributor to this genre of music, and his work a keypoint in the transition of this style into both harder rock, and jazz-fusion based music.

Then - it happened. The instrumental rock guitar equivalent of the atomic bomb: it was called "Eruption". Ground zero: the 1977 blockbuster debut of southern California rock sensations "Van Halen". The song title was ever-so-fitting of the furious, six-string supernova that it was, and one that had every awe-struck guitar player's jaw bouncing off of the ground. And the axe-wielding madman behind this stunning display of fretboard mastery: a young player named Edward Van Halen. Granted, there had been other players who had appeared on the music scene amidst the clamor of critics and fans. But few had done so with Van Halen's masterful panache' - chops so tight, phrasing so intricate, and technique so fully developed. Not since Hendrix's explosion on the U.S. music scene at the Monterey Pop Festival in June '67 had a new guitar-playing revolution been so firmly placed on the horizon. Van Halen's unfathomable virtuosity set off a flurry of activity in technical realms that before, had been unchartered waters - things such as string harmonics, fret-tapping, and string / locking vibrato - all became a standard part of the modern player's arsenal. And while Eddie Van Halen would routinely include an instrumental guitar piece on each of Van Halen's albums that followed, the band's sound was not so entirely dependent his guitar. And how could it be? With raucous, whiskey-swilling frontman David Lee Roth firmly at the helm of the Van Halen pirate ship, the band would eventually pillage and plunder their way to the arena rock throne, and rule their kingdom as party kings par excellance'.

Although Eddie Van Halen would continue to be the prototype of the modern rock player throughout the 80's, around 1987, something very interesting happened. Another rock artist appered on the scene, and almost overnight, re-invented the instrumental guitar genre. That man: Joe Satriani. A former guitar instructor from Van Halen's southern California, Joe had made a name for himself first as a guitar teacher. Among Satriani's past pupils: Steve Vai (Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth Band); Kirk Hammett (Metallica); Alex Skolnick (Testament); and Larry LaLonde (Primus). When Satriani's "Surfin' With The Alien" hit the airwaves in '87, it coincided perfectly with pop metal's dominance on the charts. And like its surf-music predacessors, the catchy, hook-based riffwork was an instantaneous hit with listeners and players everywhere. Satriani's music was almost wholly instrumentally-based: rich with tonal structure, amazing fretwork, and a melodic, intimate feel. Yes, guitar work that was so good, vocals would have been an after-thought. I was one of the first on my block to own "Surfin'", and I will tell you that it made a HUGE impression on me. Not only from the aspect of technique and skill, but that the music had such a "listenable" quality to it, much like the previously-mentioned Jeff Beck material. Steve Vai had tread similar ground as Satriani with his "Flex-able" release in 1982, though it perhaps lacked the more radio-friendly saviour fare' of Satriani's material. Swedish-born Yngwie Malmsteen would also make new inroads to the instrumental hard rock arena in 1984, with the mind-numbing, classical movement-based fury of "Rising Force". It is perhaps every bit as technically impressive as Van Halen's "Eruption", and earned him a Grammy Award nomination that same year. But just as fast as this new rock / instrumental movement rose to prominence, it would be soon be snuffed out to a smoldering ember by the onset of grunge and industrial hard rock.

Throughout the 90's, and the early part of the millenium, there have been a number great instrumental players who have continued to carry the torch - among them: Warren Haynes (Allman Bros. / Gov't Mule), Eric Johnson, Derek Trucks, and Trey Anastacio (Phish). Bands in other genres have followed their own cues, as well, and have made instrumental guitar rock part of their sound.

It would be interesting to hear from other Fret.Net members about other bands / artists / albums that have embraced this style of music - especially some of the newer artists / groups, as well as those outside of the rock, progressive rock, and hard rock genres. Remember - "style points" to the best responses, so c'mon - let's see your "A" game on this one!!

Wishing everyone good listening ;) - Nelskie (1/14/06)

Spudman
January 15th, 2006, 12:34 AM
One group of guitar artists that come to mind is the Hellecasters (Will Ray, Jerry Donahue, and John Jorgenson). Before I even knew of the Hellecasters I had met John Jorgenson at a guitar clinic in New Orleans. It was an afternoon clinic that I had heard about just after arriving in town on a Friday and the clinic was the next day. I made my way to the famous club Tipitina's and sat around the stage with a small group of guitarists. I was floored by his style and tone. I was fresh out of the midwest and had never heard anything like it. It was so authentic and tonefull. I had no idea who he was or was to become.

Afterward I got to spend some time talking equipment with him. He was very gracious and patient. I still own the Fender Lace pickups that he recomended to me and was playing that day. He told me that he had been giging with the Meters. Of course I had never heard of them and the thought quickly left me. Some months or maybe a year or so after that day I saw a performance by Elton John on the Tonight show, and guess what? John Jorgenson was playing in Elton's band and has been for some time now. Then I remembered that John said he played with the Meters. Turns out the Meters were like the founding fathers of funk in the USA. That in turn led me to the Hellecasters which are not like the Meters at all, but boy can those three guys play. Amazing!

If you haven't listened to the Hellecasters then you owe it to yourself to do so, but be afraid. Be very afraid because their playing will scare the pants off of you. It is hard to discribe their style except to say that it is essential listening for every guitarist with any ambition what so ever.

Katastrophe
January 15th, 2006, 07:59 AM
Don't forget Al Dimeola! "Land of the Midnight Sun" is one of my faves. For jazz fuzion, that album ROCKS!

Nelskie
January 16th, 2006, 03:52 PM
Spud - Nice call on Hellecasters. Indeed, they are all astounding playing talents individually - but together . . . WHOA! It's like getting on the "Octopus" at the local carnival, and having the dude run it wide open for thirty minutes! A dizzying array of high octane guitar playing.

Kat - Right on with Al DiMeola. Fabulous player. I only have a few CD's in the jazz-fusion genre, but am still hopeful that some of our other FN members who listen to jazz might be able to pipe in with some different artists and / or material.

One thing I thought of following my initial post was the number of popular bands that use extended instrumental arrangements to bridge their vocal verses, which in turn, has added some interesting body and dimension to their established material. The Black Crowes are a band that I've seen several times that likes to "jam" stuff out. Again - using the "instrumental" approach for creative exploration. And how about the Grateful Dead? When you talk about the art of "instrumental jamming", this is a band that raised it to another level - truly one of the benchmark acts for this style of music. It's hard for me to believe that there isn't a single Deadhead amongst us. Or, at least one that would wave his / her tie-dyed flag proudly.

Although my initial post may have tapped on some of the more prominent instrumental bands / players, I can't help but think of the vast, undiscovered realms of instrumentally-based guitar music.

Tim
January 17th, 2006, 06:43 AM
Nelskie - Nice write up. You have one heck of a talent my friend. You definitely should write of a guitar magazine.

Can you put together a list of what you would consider the best top 30 guitar instrumentals? As soon as you submit it, I am going to go have 2 CDs made with all the ones you list.

Nelskie
January 17th, 2006, 09:22 AM
Tim - I appreciate the compliment, and am glad that you enjoy reading my posts. As for compiling a list, esp. with (30) songs - that might be tough for me to do, mostly because of time constraints. As well, what I like may not be what you'd like, and vice versa. That being said, I'd encourage you to do a little exploring yourself, and perhaps you'll discover some new stuff beyond what has already been posted. Who knows, you might even find something interesting that you could share with other Fret.Net members, including myself!

I've listed a number of songs, bands, & artists in my post, so that would be a good starting point for your own exploration. If you wanted to listen to samples, or perhaps get a bit more information about those that I've listed, you could check out the music section at www.amazon.com. Just list the band or song name in the search box, and it'll take you to that page. Or, maybe do a Google search on "instrumental guitar music", or something along those same lines. You might be surprised with what you find.

Finally, you might wait a week or two, to see what other Fret.Net members responses to this post are. I think between what has already been listed in my original post, Fret.Net member responses to it, and a bit of your own exploration, you'll be able to put together a couple of fine instrumental CD's. And when you do get that list put together, it'd be great if you could share it with us!! I'd enjoy seeing where your search takes you. ;)

Tim
January 17th, 2006, 09:37 AM
Nelskie - Sorry about that. It was not suppose to be thirty but only 20. It was a typo mistake. Actually it should be only 10 with the samples you already gave in your original post.

Thanks for the starting list.

Robert
January 17th, 2006, 03:02 PM
Great article Nelskie, you are such a writer! Tidbit - I saw Nokie Edwards here in Edmonton a couple of years ago, at the Guitar Extravaganza. He had a super clean tone - very impressive. Albert Lee and Johnny Hiland was there too - great show.

Nelskie
January 17th, 2006, 10:07 PM
Thanks Robert - glad you enjoyed the post. I am envious that you were able to see not only Nokie Edwards, but also Albert Lee, whom I consider one of the finest players and session men ever. Albert's resume' of bands and artists reads like a "who's who" of 20th century music - including (but not limited to): Buddy Holly's band "The Crickets", Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Bo Diddley, The Everley Brothers, and Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones bassist) just to name a few. If you'd like some more info on Albert Lee, you can check out this link at the CMT website:

http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/lee_albert/bio.jhtml

Albert is one of those players who kinda' "flies under the radar", but when you have a chance to listen to his playing, you'll marvel at his fabulous technique, and unbelievable tone. A "player's player", that's for sure.

6STRINGS 9LIVES
January 17th, 2006, 10:36 PM
Albert ...on your knees ....Lee .. check him out on the strat pack dvd ..smokin
Nelskie nailed it a players player ... 6S9L

dougb415
March 17th, 2006, 02:31 PM
It would be interesting to hear from other Fret.Net members about other bands / artists / albums that have embraced this style of music - especially some of the newer artists / groups, as well as those outside of the rock, progressive rock, and hard rock genres. [/I]

Definitely check out Jim Weider's "Project Percolator". All instrumental all the time :R Oh, and don't forget the Steve Kimock Band!