What is the single coolest Second in the history of Rock 'n' Roll?

[jligon]

When I was a kid, I made a compilation of all of the coolest moments (split seconds) from my record collection. You know, those parts of your favorite songs that you could just keep playing over and over and never get sick of. These are, by no means, defining moments of Rock 'n' Roll but rather personal favorite parts of your personal favorite songs. It can be a few seconds or a single note.

For me, when John Lennon sings "you" at the end of the line "don't you think the joker laughs at you," in I Am The Walrus, is the coolest anyone has ever sounded on a Rock 'n' Roll record!

Anyone else have any favorite moments to share?

[Dave]

Would have to be:

"Hey hey Mama said the way you move.
Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove"

Led Zeppelin was the first hard rock band that really hit me between the eyes and Black Dog was my first encounter.

[Michael]

One of favs...The harmonic note on "Nowhere Man"...always loved that little ditty. Plus hundreds and hundreds of others to tedious to list.

[mazort]

The power chords at the end of "Pinball Wizard" before the broken chord that fades away...

... and the opening to "I Can See For Miles".

I just freaked the first time I heard these things on record.

[Patrick M]

Two jump to mind:

1) Hot for Teacher, right in the middle of that incredible solo. Of course, I can't very well describe it in words, but that's one of my favorite solos, and the video was killer!

2) Camel's Night Out by Eric Johnson. The whole track is instrumental, but there's one guitar part in the middle that is cool beyond words.

Maybe I'll pop in the CDs and figure out the time range for those two. :D

[jligon]

Originally posted by mazort


... and the opening to "I Can See For Miles".

I just freaked the first time I heard these things on record.


Yes, I love that one! Those first notes of My Generation get me too!

[Henry Love]

The beginning of Not Fade Away by The Rolling Stones.

[peterC]

All of the above and many many others.

Lots of obvious Beatles moments:
First chord of A Hard Days Night
Fade in on Eight Days a Week
Feedback note of I Feel Fine
John's falsetto note at the end of In My Life

When Ray Davies sings "I said I'll never do you wrong but then I go and do the same again" in Moments.

Vocal entry on Time Is On My Side.

That great drum bit half way through Black Night.

Numerous Beach Boy moments:
Does the whole of God Only Knows count as a moment?!
When Brian sings Cryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy in You Still Believe in Me.

Many magical high register vocal moments by Roy Wood.

ETC ETC!

[realjem1]

the coolest moment was when i bought led zep zoso . the drum intro to Rock and Roll was so cool, I had to Lift the tonearm and start the song over three times before listening to the complete song , just to hear the drum intro . The same thing happened with Aqualung, only it was an 8 Track and I had to play channel 1 over and over to hear the guitar solo.(try rewinding one of those) Alan

[mcow1]

When I was a kid and saw the Beatles on Sullivan. Something changed then.

[Gary]

Either when Roy put on his sunglasses on stage (the first to do so, I believe) or Alice's breakthough tour when he used coloured lights and other props for his performance.

On record? Skynyrd's Free Bird - either the beginning of the instrumental or 3/4 the way through when the guitars go 'fuzzy'.

[joelee]

Intro to Brown Sugar.

[TimM]

The auto-harp solo in "Do You Believe In Magic" by the Lovin' Spoonfull.

The opening of "California Girls" by the Beach Boys

[Bob Lovely]

All,

It was 1957. I was 6 years old. My mother gave me the money to go into the record store and purchase my first 45--Too Much by Elvis Presley. When we got home, I put the 45 on my 45 player and, for me, the rest is history. That one quintessential moment, as fresh in my mind as the day it happened, has influenced my life as much as the other significant, distinctive events that have shaped the fabric of my life. I was totally captivated by the sounds of Elvis and Rock n' Roll coming from my 45 player. The captivation has never stopped!

Bob :)

[floyd]

The first notes of "Layla" it made me want to play, there are lots of great intros somehow that one does it for me.

[Sckott]

The sound of John's guitar on "Revolution" (single version). Coming from an Apple single (B-Side of Hey Jude) and a "record player" with a speaker the size and girth of a peanut butter sandwich..... I was 4 then. Rock and roll!

Close second is the complexity and accidental beauty of the ARP syth of "Won't Get Fooled Again" coming out of a guitar chord at the beginning of the song. It has never failed to impress the crap out of me, every time I hear it. It was just sample and hold filters at the end of the syth, every 1/4 second or so. Genius.

[Beagle]

Just a few out of thousands...

Charlie's entrance on "Gimme Shelter"
The maraccas/instrumental break on "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
The piano/slide guitar break on "Monkey Man"
Joe Perry's guitar and the instrumental lead-out on "No More No More"
Instrumental/drum break in middle of Alice Coopers "Halo Of Flies"
The acoustic guitar/percussion/fuzz bass (?) climax of Mark-Almond's "The City"

Great topic!

[RetroSmith]

Some of you younger guys may not remember this, but I'm sure Steve Does....


There was a record called "Keep On Dancing" by a group called the Gentrys.

This record has the greatest fade out/fake out in the history of rock and roll.

Around midway thru the song, the song fades out to a complete stop. Out of nowhere, a snare drum roll comes in at full volume and the song continues.

For me, hearing that on my record player at age 6 was a defining moment.

I STILL get a thrill when that record comes on the oldies station.

Mikey

[John Oteri]

Yes! Great song! Sounds like it was recorded in someone's garage, and the vocals were miked on the PA system. Love it.

How 'bout the fantastic drum opening of "Double Shot Of My Baby's Love"?

Awesome!

[RetroSmith]

Actually, John, Keep On Dancing was recorded at RCA Nashville and produced by Chips Moman. Its def a professional recording.

My big regret is that they never did a stereo mix of this song, at it appears that the multis were thrown out in the MGM/Polygram takeover, along with alot of other tapes. This is one I'd love to hear in stereo with that great drum roll panned across the stereo image.

Mikey

[teaser5]

Gotta be the intro to "Teen Spirit".
When I heard that for the first time I knew that I had a lot of records on my shelf
that I wouldn't be listening to again for a very long time.
Kind of like what the dude from Loverboy said on VH1 "Behind the Music"
that Nirvana killed his career.
I also agree with someone above who mentioned the feedback intro to
"I Feel Fine"
Cheers!
Norm

[Vivaldinization]

I dunno why, but the beginning of the City of Tiny Lites solo on Zappa's Sheik Yerbouti has always gotten me...it's my favorite solo in his entire catelogue, short and sweet.

-D

[jligon]

Originally posted by Sckott
The sound of John's guitar on "Revolution" (single version). Coming from an Apple single (B-Side of Hey Jude) and a "record player" with a speaker the size and girth of a peanut butter sandwich..... I was 4 then. Rock and roll!


Yes, I remember that. I wore that one out. I think that's the single coolest sounding guitar ever on record!

[MagicAlex]

There are many great music moments for me...two that come to mind (I just heard them today) are the helicopter break into massive sound in 'Another Brick In The Wall' & David Gilmore's intense last solo in 'Comfortably Numb'; both off "The Wall".

Oh yeah...the radio fade into the song 'Wish You Were Here'. Also the psychedelic bit and break into 'Whole 'Lotta Love'...Zep!

Great ones!

[Wie Gehts?]

The guitar intro to Badfinger's "No Matter What"
Paul playing the note "A" and thereby setting up feedback as the intro to "I Feel Fine"
The stuttering chorus in David Bowie's "Changes"
and many more...