What Are Your Favorite Instrumentals?*

Gotta be Fracture by King Crimson

 

David Axelrod - The Human Abstract

 

I tend to listen and prefer a lot of music with vocals, so literally hundreds. Have the whole Boards of Canada catalogue for a start.

Thinking of bands though, this one instantly came to mind. First track off their first album, for me they didn't nothing better afterwards, started off too strong with this.

 

Bigod 20-Retortion (Green Eye Instrumental), 1993

 

Another great one:

 

If I got started on my favorites from Michael Hedges, I'd be here until next Thursday. The one that comes to the top of my head:

 

Lush-Light From A Dead Star (Instrumental), 1997

 

ELO- Fire on High, Daybreaker
Dick Dale-Misirlou, Nitro, The Victor
Link Wray-Rumble, Genocide
Lonnie Mack-Chicken Pickin', Wham!, Memphis
Freddie King-The Stumble
Love Sculpture-Sabre Dance

My favorite instrumental, any version....Harlem Nocturne.

 

Seems like the late 80's to early 90's was filled with them, at least from the guitar gods. Steve Vai, Satriani, Eric Johnson, etc. My favorite from that era though is "Tears of Sahara" from Tony MacAlpine.

 

The Lilac Time

 

I'm loving this lately

 

This is one of them for sure:

 

Eric Clapton's "Peaches and Diesel"

 

I always thought Trent Reznor of NIN had a great knack for instrumental writing, so it was no surprise to me when he started scoring movies. "A Warm Place" off TDS, "La Mer" off the Fragile, and "Leaving Hope" off AATCHB spring to mind.

 

Outside of a live Sparks, I'd plump for:

 

La Villa Strangiato edges out YYZ for me. Still great.

 

I've always had a soft spot for this:

 

Passing By (Beach Boys)
Sunny Side of Heaven (Fleetwood Mac)
Great Gig in the Sky
Love is Blue (always had a soft spot for this one...sorry)