Topic: Greatest Guitar Riff Ever.....(and from which song)

[cochyn]

Joe Satriani has soul.

Stop it please! 

I own two of his albums, and I'd put Satriani in the same group as Vai and Malmsteen: purveyors of soulless plank-spanking wankery. I mean, what's the point in being able to arpeggiate a mixolydian scale in 1/64ths to the beat of your wife's vibrator, if it sounds shite? Yes, Satch may be a nice bloke, but you have to wonder why he's not in a band?

EVH my be just a technician to you, but he rocks, and that's exactly what a riff has to do. (for me, at least ).

Oh, and If you want soul, listen to BB King, Buddy Guy, Emmet Ray or Bert Jansch. 



Nothing persoanl, just my opinion. 

[man in brown]

it may be just your opinion..............but its right

neil young conveys more soul in a one note solo than vai, satriani etc etc have done in a lifetime.

[AndyJ45]

Stop it please! 

I own two of his albums, and I'd put Satriani in the same group as Vai and Malmsteen: purveyors of soulless plank-spanking wankery. I mean, what's the point in being able to arpeggiate a mixolydian scale in 1/64ths to the beat of your wife's vibrator, if it sounds shite? Yes, Satch may be a nice bloke, but you have to wonder why he's not in a band?

EVH my be just a technician to you, but he rocks, and that's exactly what a riff has to do. (for me, at least ).

Oh, and If you want soul, listen to BB King, Buddy Guy, Emmet Ray or Bert Jansch. 



Nothing persoanl, just my opinion. 

Ok, agree with alot of that.  But id like to point out that malmsteen is not in the same league as Vai or Satch.   Malmsteen IS a technician and nothing more.

If you own two of satchs albums then i think you have enough information to form a valid opinion. Although i think 2 out of his 4 albums are much better than than the others.

Which two have you got?  " The extremist" and "Surfing with the alien" are his best albums, and what i base my opinion on.

[Barney_Rubble]

I'd put Satriani in the same group as Vai and Malmsteen: purveyors of soulless plank-spanking wankery. I mean, what's the point in being able to arpeggiate a mixolydian scale in 1/64ths to the beat of your wife's vibrator, if it sounds shite? Yes, Satch may be a nice bloke, but you have to wonder why he's not in a band?

You hear much of Steve Vai then? He's got more fucking soul than most of the above.

Have you heard his stuff with Zappa for instance?

Listen to 'The Blood and Tears' for instance, off The Ultra Zone album, then tell me Steve Vai has no soul.

Or the solo in 'Fuck Yourself'.

Steve Vai has a fantastic sense of humour, which is also sadly missing from some of the po-faced pricks mentioned above...

[AndyJ45]

You hear much of Steve Vai then? He's got more fucking soul than most of the above.

Have you heard his stuff with Zappa for instance?

Listen to 'The Blood and Tears' for instance, off The Ultra Zone album, then tell me Steve Vai has no soul.

Or the solo in 'Fuck Yourself'.

Steve Vai has a fantastic sense of humour, which is also sadly missing from some of the po-faced pricks mentioned above...

Its only described as "plank spanking wankery" by the people who cant manage to replicate it, and feel inferior.  I dont think he actually thinks its soulless.

[Barney_Rubble]

Its only described as "plank spanking wankery" by the people who cant manage to replicate it, and feel inferior.  I dont think he actually thinks its soulless.

And he knows.

And he gives a fuck...

Fuck yourself with your grunge rock noise
Stuff those albums in your groin
They come down on me because I know how to play,
HEY! Fuck Youuuuu

Fuck yourself with a copy of Rolling Stone
or are they too holy for your holiest of holes?
now those people think they're holier than Moses
but I think just a bunch of fucking posers

 

[cochyn]

I own 'Surfing with the Alien' and 'The Extremist' on CD, along with Vai's 'Passion and Warfare' on tape (worn-out from over-use) LP picture disk (cos' it was rare) and CD, along with his first album. I've listened to very little of his stuff with Zappa, so I'll bow to your superior knowledge, Barney . But suffice it to say I think he was out of place with PiL .

The problem I have with both, is that I did idolise them about 12 years ago when I was big into learning the guitar. It was disappointing for me to hear Vai turn from the wonderful musician on "Passion..." into someone who'd completely disappeared up his own arse for the next album (I mean come on; inventing your own 16-note octave and expecting to be adored for it when Indian sitar players have been trained for centuries to differentiate between the 500 intervals in a semi-tone). I borrowed Satriani's next albums off a mate and I felt he was treading water creatively - the baldy get  .

I guess I've just grown out of 'shredd' and feel there's infinitely more warmth and soul in a beautifully excecuted JJ Cale phrase, or a Zoot Horn Rollo solo. And as for playing the guitar; I'll just say the best guitarists I've known we're more concerned with what to play and when, rather than how fast. Shredd has its place, and it's in a teenagers bedroom as far as I'm concerned.

[BillobShaisley]

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Little Wing

[Barney_Rubble]

I'll bow to your superior knowledge, Barney

  Nah, it's all subjective innit. I agree to a certain extent about Satriani, but there's far far more to Stevie Vai than just widdlywiddly. And it's a bit of a cliché with him now, but undeserved imo.

Try and listen to Frank Zappa's 'You Are What You Is' album. Most of the guitar on there is him.

And one of my nominations for best ever riff would have to be the track, 'You Are What You Is'.

Agree about being a bit out of place with the PIL stuff, that was Bill Laswell got him in to do that, but 'FFF', for one, on that album is magic.

 

[afc tukrish]

"Achy breaky heart" Billy Ray Cyrus

 

Ricky Gervais, Free Love on the Free Love Freeway?

[hooded claw]

Ricky Gervais, Free Love on the Free Love Freeway?

Ah where the love is free and the freeway's long....

[Roddysul]

Lenny Kravitz -  Are you gonna go my way

Hendrix -  Crosstown Traffic

[AndyJ45]

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Little Wing

Good call.

But its 3 minutes too long.

[saint1969]

Ralph Macchio? and he has a guitar duel with Steve Vai?

And the music (I believe) was by Ry Cooder. Film was directed by Walter Hill 

yup Ry Cooder played most of the guitar stuff on Crossroads

Stevie Vai played the last part iit is called "Eugenes' trick bag",  too fcukin classical for a movie based on blues music imho
but none the less an awesome piece of guitar playing

[AndyJ45]

yup Ry Cooder played most of the guitar stuff on Crossroads

Stevie Vai played the last part iit is called "Eugenes' trick bag",  too fcukin classical for a movie based on blues music imho
but none the less an awesome piece of guitar playing

Now that was the epitomy of guitar "wankery"

[Rox]

In general, "Guitar Heroes" such as Vai and Satriani are much better when they're in a band.

Vai's work with David Lee Roth is his best - full of power but condensed into 3 minutes of rock - instead of those 12 minute opuses.

Look at Brian May - superb in Queen, but terrible as a solo artist.  Guitarists don't know when to stop unless reined in by a band.

Anyhoo, here's my initial choices..

"Paranoid" Black Sabbath
"Boys Are Back In Town" Thin Lizzy
"Thunderstruck" AC/DC
"Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" Van Halen

[Barney_Rubble]

In general, "Guitar Heroes" such as Vai and Satriani are much better when they're in a band.

Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music being a classic case. Him and Andy Mackay in The Explorers anyone?

Top riff in Street Life though and Trash is a cracker, and his album Primitive Guitars is defo worth checking out.

 

Oh and while I remember, I gotta give a mention to Blue Oyster Cult's 'Don't Fear The Reaper'...

[Barney_Rubble]

Oh and Happy Mondays's 'Loose Fit'.

There's hundreds...

[Drobs]

Im really liking "Substitute" The Who at the minute so......i'll throw that one in there.

[Kinch]

Can I just take a moment to say that Richard Hell's lead in "foxhole" by Television is IMO the best thing to ever come out of a guitar? Some of you will think I'm crazy but I stand by my statement

[jokka]

The Beatles: All my loving........lovely

[Big Ig]

Like fret tapping do you?

Followed by some sweep picking.

EVH is more of a technician



Joe Satriani has soul.

That's exactly what he don't got... loved by technicians and the tone deaf only...

A better guitarist was shot to death recently, Dimebag Darrell of Pantera... now THAT man could write a riff!

And none of this widdly-widdly bollocks that the solo guitarists you mention churn out...

[America's Sweetheart]

Can I just take a moment to say that Richard Hell's lead in "foxhole" by Television is IMO the best thing to ever come out of a guitar? Some of you will think I'm crazy but I stand by my statement

Um. I don't think you're crazy, but I think you've got your Richards confused. Richard Hell had already left Television, formed and broken up his Heartbreakers and released "Blank Generation" before Television recorded "Adventure". Richard Lloyd is the Johnny you're thinking of.

But as mistakes go, it's no biggy.

Not on a thread where half the posters don't know what a riff is, and the other half don't see anything remotely silly about claiming Noel G's T-Rex ripoff as the best riff of all time.

In other news, there is no riff in Stairway To Heaven, it was Derek And The Dominos who recorded "Layla" and an Allman Brother (Duane?) who played lead guitar and I'm far from convinced that the "Sweet Child Of Mine" motif actually qualifies as a Proper Riff. Oh, and Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoades et all suck serious ass for filling up the space between the notes and destroying the beauty in the music.

For me, at the time of typing, the five undeniable Kings Of The Riff are:

Keith Richards - Effortless cool, from "Satisfaction" to "Jumpin' Jack Flash" to "Start Me Up" and back again

Ritchie Blackmore - I don't much like his work. In fact, I find Deep Purple abhorrent, and only enjoy Rainbow for the irony factor. But you can't deny his ability with a riff. "Smoke On The Water" is prolly the definitive metal riff. And he has plenty of others to offer. "Strange Kind Of Woman", "Woman From Tokyo", "Man On The Silver Mountain" ...

Tony Iommi - Very Heavy. Very Mental. Riffs like "NIB", "Snowblind", "Sweet Leaf", "Hole In The Sky", "Into The Void" ... they set the standard for sledgehammer guitar lovers everywhere.

Angus Young - He would've been so much cooler and perhaps even likeable if he didn't look like such a twat. But musically, as natural and as inspired as Richards

Jimmy Page - "Whole Lotta Love" is a cliche precisely because it was That Damn Good. But immense riffs about all over Led Zeppelin's work - without, and this is important, dominating to the point of suffocation. My personal favourites are songs like "Custard Pie" and "Sick Again". But I think that his very best riff, a serious contender for the single greatest riff of all time, is the one that Page gave away to John Bonham - the guitarage that bookends the otherwise worthless "Moby Dick".

Here's a quick top(ish) ten of personal favourites:

Led Zeppelin - "Custard Pie
The Cult - "Love Removal Machine"
Black Sabbath - "Snowblind"
Beatles - "Paperback Writer"
David Bowie - "Rebel, Rebel"
Cream - "Sunshine Of Your Love"
Sonic Youth - "100 %"
Motorhead - "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
Ted Nugent - "Cat Scratch Fever"
Free - "Alright Now"

Oh, and the very best riff of all time, better than any of the above? It's "Blue Eyes" by the Wedding Present. Seriously.

[BlackandWhitePaul]

Just listened to Kite by U2, the Edge plays a blinder. 

[anfield_reds]

oh well, some of you really need to learn what a riff is. Where is the riff in Stairway to heaven?  Where is the riff in SRV's cover of Little Wing  

a riff is a short rythmic piece of a few notes that is repeated at the begining of the song to introduce it, or later on to re-boost (??) the rythm. IE : FREE- All righ now or AC/DC - Highway to Hell.
First riffs were made and used in Jazz music but then became the trade-mark of rock n'roll songs from the 50/60's as the use of the electric guitar starting to grow. Master of the riff was Chuck Berry. Giant. Most of his songs started with an amazing riff. Link Wray used the riff quite often as well.


Anyway, here is my list of some fine riffs.


Chuck Berry - Guitar Boogie, Johnny B. Goode, Roll over Beethoven  just no name a few

Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple) - Burn, Flight of the Rat, Smoke on the water, Black Night

Angus Young (Ac/dc) - Highway to Hell, Back in Black, Whole lotta rosie, Rocker, Riff Raff, Got you by the balls, Honey roll, Down Payment Blues, Shot down in flames, Walk all over you, Hells Bells, It's a long way to the top... most of ac/dc's songs start with a powerful and stuning riff, probably the band with the best riffs ever...

Keith Richards (Rolling Stones) - Start me up, Satisfaction, Got me rocking, Jumping Jack flash (and the Motorhead cover, tanx to Ms Santa Cruz County of whatever she's called herself at the moment  )

Michael Schencker (Ufo, MSG) - Rock Bottom (powerful, fast, amazing), Too hot to handle, Prince of Kajuku, Fighting man, Lights out, Let it roll, Shoot shoot

Joe Perry (Aerosmith) - Rats in the cellar, Draw the line, Walk this way, Toys in the attic, Same old song & dance, Let the music do the talking

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Love Struck Baby, Couldn't Stand the weather, Mary had a little lamb, Cold Shot


Free - All right now
Rush - Bastille Day (one of the best riff ever)
Boom boom - John Lee Hooker
Racer X  - Golden God
Thunder Express - MC5
Whole lotta love - Jimmy Page
Heartbreaker - Jimmy Page
Sedan Delivery - Neil Young
Hey hey, my my - Neil Young
Burnin' - Accept
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Moonchild - Rory Gallagher
Heatwave - The Jam
Stranglehold - Ted Nugent
Stormtroopin' - T. Nugent
Cat scratch fever - T. Nugent
Cities on flame with rnr - The Blue oyster cult
Sharp dressed man - Zz top
Purple Haze - J. Hendrix
One Vision - Brian May
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Iron Man - Sabbath/Osbourne
The Seeker - Pete Townsend
Ace of Spades - Motorhed
2 minutes to midnight - Maiden
Charlotte the Harlot - Maiden
The Trooper - Maiden
Wicker man - Maiden
Money for nothing - Mark Knopfler
Wild side - Motley Crue
Blitkrieg Bop - Ramones
The KKK took my baby away - Ramones
Layla (who ever cover it)
Bad to the bone -   "
Black Betty -           "
Fell in love with a girl - White Stripes
Hate to say I told you so - The Hives
Sittin' Pretty - Datsuns

* last 3 is to prove you that I do listen to some new stuff as well 

[Kinch]

Um. I don't think you're crazy, but I think you've got your Richards confused. Richard Hell had already left Television, formed and broken up his Heartbreakers and released "Blank Generation" before Television recorded "Adventure". Richard Lloyd is the Johnny you're thinking of.

Right you are, I should really look at the release dates on my albums. So so many Richards, it all gets so confusing. I picked up that live Heartbreakers album a while back, it's ok. Sound quality isn't the best.

[Drobs]

     "
Fell in love with a girl - The Libertines
Hate to say I told you so - The Hives
Sittin' Pretty - Datsuns

* last 3 is to prove you that I do listen to some new stuff as well 

Have they covered That then because i only know of the White Stripes and that annoying slut (though i would) Joss Stone doing that?

And people.....i love my music, i really do... but deary me some people need to get their heads out of music magazines, books whatever! Toooooo much! 

[anfield_reds]

oh Libertines, White Stripes... whatever, same new young crap band to me 

(joking people!)

[PortlandRed]

Who do you love - George Thorogood

Let me Drown - Soundgarden

[Fanxxxxtastic]

Oh and while I remember, I gotta give a mention to Blue Oyster Cult's 'Don't Fear The Reaper'...

Good man!

One of my all time favourite songs, and Buck Dharma is one of my all time fave guitarists.

Loved Chris De Garmo's work on Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime and Empire albums too.  The guys a genius.

[crownpaints]

This Charming Man by the Smiths

Fuckin' too right.

[Mavis Cruet]

Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Just a classic.

[Party Phil]

smoke on the water - deep purple
Start me up - rolling stones
almost anything by ACDC

[Sasquatch]

Jimmy Page - "Whole Lotta Love" is a cliche precisely because it was That Damn Good.

Can't believe more people haven't gone for Whole Lotta Love. That's got to be the most well known rock riff ever. It works because it's so basic and simple and soooooooo bloody good and that's why I'd consider it the greatest. When that came out in 1969 in ushered in a new level of sonic pleasure which set up the following decade nicely. Whole Lotta Love for sure.

[Terry de Niro]

Loads spring to mind..

But Black Night by Deep purple is a cracker

[FinnishRed]

Theres been some great rock riffs around....

Noel Gallaghers(Oasis) the opening cords from Cigarretes and  Alcohol is my choice.

I like that one too. Famous riff which Noel admitted stealing  from T- Rex´s "Get It On."

[Dar]

Quite a good guitar riff on coldplays new tune 'talk' although they basically stole it from 'kraftwerk - computer love'

Sweet Child O' Mine is the obvious choice but their are so many.

[The Cappuccino Kid]

Waterfall- Stone Roses

[Rob Jones Maybe?]

You hear much of Steve Vai then? He's got more fucking soul than most of the above.

Have you heard his stuff with Zappa for instance?

Listen to 'The Blood and Tears' for instance, off The Ultra Zone album, then tell me Steve Vai has no soul.

Or the solo in 'Fuck Yourself'.

Steve Vai has a fantastic sense of humour, which is also sadly missing from some of the po-faced pricks mentioned above...

Vai is one of the few people with the talent and knowledge to express the full range of emotions through his guitar playing.

[Redundalk]

Lenny Kravitz and Slash Mama said

Now that boys and girls is a riff!!