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Dismissing Bands without any Vocals....


tangy

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IMO no one faces a greater challenge than those who chose to go the instrumental route. i think vocals make it easier to like music, its something to build upon?

 

It seems to me that while it is far harder to get into music without vocals the rewards can be great.

 

do you agree and what are some of your favorite instrumental or near instrumental bands and players? rock, jazz or whatever....

 

I listen to a lot of instrumental guitar music but think my favorite instrumental group is Ozric Tentacles.

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QUOTE (Imaginos @ Oct 20 2010, 11:57 AM)
As for Ozric Tentacles... I only have "Strangitude", "Jurassic Shift" & "The Yumyum Tree". What else do you recommend?

I think Erpland would be a good choice from their earlier years, that or Pungent Effulgent. Become The Other is also very good. Erpland probably is the definitive early recording.

 

In terms of newer stuff, The Hidden Step and Waterfall Cities are great IMO.

 

here is Erpland live from 1991-

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Most of us here are fans of progressive music, so we're used to long instrumental sections in our music, or bands releasing instrumental albums or mostly instrumental albums (Camel comes to mind here).....

 

I think groups like LTE, or Joe Satriani do well amongst the progressive community..

 

But that's just it, among us.... unfortunately full instrumental music I think will never take hold in any mainstream state of mind

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Ozrics are awesome. I've been a fan of their stuff for quite some time now. My favorites are Strangeitude, Jurassic Shift, Waterfall Cities, The Floor Is Too Far Away, and the Yum Yum Tree. Honestly, most of their albums are awesome; you'd be safe with anything they did between 1989 and now. Although, it should be noted that their last couple efforts are more electronic than usual.
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QUOTE (marblesmike @ Oct 20 2010, 01:29 PM)
Ozrics are awesome. I've been a fan of their stuff for quite some time now. My favorites are Strangeitude, Jurassic Shift, Waterfall Cities, The Floor Is Too Far Away, and the Yum Yum Tree. Honestly, most of their albums are awesome; you'd be safe with anything they did between 1989 and now. Although, it should be noted that their last couple efforts are more electronic than usual.

goodpost.gif I agree. Unless you go the amazon route, buy what you can find except for Floating Seeds. Save the one for last as it a remix by others of OT music. last i checked amazon was doing some good combo deals and i think the 25th anniversary edition of Erpland comes with a DVD. I have seen them 4 times and they have always been great .

 

other instrumental groups i have seen in recent years

 

animals as leaders ( last night ! )

scale the summit

behold the arctopus

martin medeski and wood

bela fleck and the flecktones

 

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Explosions in the Sky is pretty much amazing.

 

 

Ozrics, LTE, Pelican and God is an Astronaut are also great rock instrumental bands.

 

I also listen to A LOT of Jazz and World stuff. I'll make lists. laugh.gif

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My favorite all-instrumental bands are mostly in the Jazz field. In fact, I hate Jazz that DOES have vocals!

 

Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Miles, Coltrane, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, John Pattituci...

 

And some rock guitar (or bass) shredders: Satch, Vai, Eric Johnson, Stu Hamm, Randy Coven...

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World Stuff, may have some vocals:

 

Afro Cuban All Stars (Latin)

Arturo Sandoval (Latin/Jazz)

Buena Vista Social Club (Latin)

Irakere (Latin/Jazz)

Sergio Mendez (Latin/Jazz)

Poncho Sanchez (Latin/Jazz)

Tito Puente (Latin/Jazz)

The Spanish Harlem Orchestra (Latin)

The Caribbean Jazz Project (Steel Band/Jazz)

Ravi Shankar (Indian)

Capercaillie (Irish)

The Chieftans (Irish)

The Kilfenora Ceili Band (Irish)

Leahy (Irish)

Lunasa (Irish)

Neill Lyons (Irish)

The Oliver St. John's Gogarty Band (Irish)

The Abbey Tavern Band (Irish)

Planxty (Irish)

 

Jazz:

Louis Armstrong

The Bad Plus

Count Basie

Louis Bellson

Bix Beiderbecke

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Chris Botti

Dave Brubeck

Chase

Coleman Hawkins

John Coltrane

Jim Cullum Jazz Band

Miles Davis

The Guitar Trio: Di Meola, McLaughlin, and De Lucia

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

The Dixieland Ramblers

Duke Ellington

Don Ellis

John Faddis

Maynard Ferguson

Red Garland Quintet

Stan Getz

Dizzy Gillespie

Benny Goodman

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

Vince Guaraldi

Herbie Hancock

Woody Herman Big Band

Hiromi

Steve Houghton

J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding

Stan Kenton

Mahavishnu Orchestra

Wynton Marsalis

Pat Metheny Group

Glenn Miller

Charles Mingus

Thelonius Monk

The Original Dixieland Jass Band

Charlie Parker

Nicholas Payton

Return to Forever

Buddy Rich

Roy Hargrove Quintet

Doc Severinsen

Jimmy Smith

The Yellowjackets

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Ozric Tentacles is a great one, and as Tangy suggested, Erpland is an EXCELLENT place to start. The only problem with them is they get a bit repetitive after awhile.

 

Other completely awesome instrumental bands/artists:

 

Prog:

 

Finch (Dutch 70's prog - their 2nd and 3rd albums especially are excellent)

S.F.F. (aka Schicke, Furhs & Frohling) - later recorded as just Frohs & Frohling - the first two SFF albums and the FF album Ammerland are excellent - German

Electronic/prog

Shylock (French progressive - made two excellent instrumental albums in the late 70's)

Mike Oldfield - UK prog/electronic

Heldon (French) - made some mindblowing prog/electronic albums

Solaris (Hungarian) - 80's/90's prog band

Gryphon (UK 70's prog) - they weren't instrumental except for their excellent album Red Queen to Gryphon Three

Dzyan (German) - their album Electric Silence

Quiet Sun (UK) made one album Mainstream - singing on last track, but otherwise excellent instrumental prog album - contained members of Roxy Music

Camel (UK 70's prog) - they also weren't instrumental except for their excellent The Snow Goose

 

Electronic:

 

Tangerine Dream (German electronic artists/pioneers - ventured a bit into prog)

Jean-Michel Jarre (French electronic artist)

Cluster (German, ventured slightly into prog)

Harmonium (German, made two albums that weren't brilliant, but had great stuff)

Klaus Schulze (another German artist - varies in quality, but a lot is excellent)

Vangelis (Greek electronic artist) - varied in quality, but had a lot of excellent material

Kraftwerk (German) - early albums

Hans-Joachim Rodelius - especially the album Durche Die Wuste (German)

Peter Bumann - especially the album Romance 76 (German, formerly in Tangerine Dream)

Edgar Froese - early albums (solo artist from Tangerine Dream)

Conrad Schnitzler (was on the first Tangerine Dream album, very avant-garde German electronic)

Synergy (American - especially the album Electronic Realization for Rock Orchestra)

David Van Tieghem (American - especially the album These Things Happen)

 

Jazz:

Sun Ra

John Coltrane

Miles Davis

Ornette Coleman

Herbie Hancock

Mahavishnu Orchestra (when they did sing it was awful, thankfully mostly instrumental)

Brand X

 

Ambient:

Paul Schutze

Pete Namlook

Future Sound of London

O Yuki Conjugate

Steve Roach

Robert Rich

Vidna Obmana

Woob

Terre Thaemlitz

Bill Laswell

 

New Age:

Iasos

Mike Rowland

 

 

etc. wink.gif

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I'm a huge fan of instrumental music, especially electronic & ambient.

 

Favorites:

 

Ozric Tentacles

Behold the Arctopus

Scale the Summit

Mogwai

Tangerine Dream

 

Two of my all-time favorite groups are an electronic duo, Autechre, & a single electronic musician, Aphex Twin.

Their music is highly unique:

 

 

Aphex Twin - "Mt. Saint Michel & Saint Michael's Mount" (2001)

 

 

Autechre - "Rotar" (1995)

 

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QUOTE (Rush! @ Oct 20 2010, 08:09 PM)
Two of my all-time favorite groups are an electronic duo, Autechre, & a single electronic musician, Aphex Twin.

That reminds me - a truly excellent album is Selected Ambient Works Volume 2 by Aphex Twin - very mellow and otherworldly 2-disc set. yes.gif new_thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

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QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 21 2010, 11:23 AM)
QUOTE (Rush! @ Oct 20 2010, 08:09 PM)
Two of my all-time favorite groups are an electronic duo, Autechre, & a single electronic musician, Aphex Twin.

That reminds me - a truly excellent album is Selected Ambient Works Volume 2 by Aphex Twin - very mellow and otherworldly 2-disc set. yes.gif new_thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

Nice Goob!

I had no idea you knew about Aphex Twin

 

Definitely check out his albums & grab Autechre's first three records (when you have the chance tongue.gif ).

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QUOTE (Rush! @ Oct 21 2010, 09:27 AM)
QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 21 2010, 11:23 AM)
QUOTE (Rush! @ Oct 20 2010, 08:09 PM)
Two of my all-time favorite groups are an electronic duo, Autechre, & a single electronic musician, Aphex Twin.

That reminds me - a truly excellent album is Selected Ambient Works Volume 2 by Aphex Twin - very mellow and otherworldly 2-disc set. yes.gif new_thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

Nice Goob!

I had no idea you knew about Aphex Twin

 

Definitely check out his albums & grab Autechre's first three records (when you have the chance tongue.gif ).

I have a few early Aphex Twin albums and the first two Autechre ones I think. Honestly though, I don't listen to them too often. That particular Aphext Twin one for me is a standout.

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QUOTE (Mystic Slipperman @ Oct 21 2010, 02:19 PM)
I'm more of a jazz guy anyway...

Miles
Coltrane
Weather Report
Pat Metheny Group
Thelonious Monk
Mahavishnu Orchestra (exp the first two albums)
Bill Evans
Keith Jarrett

etc etc etc etc

Miles & Coltrane are classics, they both have numerous material that is highly enjoyable.

 

Also a fan of Bill Evans & Keith Jarrett here.

 

Jarrett's The Koln Concert record is highly recommended.

Completely improvised solo piano music, & at a live show!

Incredible.

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Though now disbanded (or on permanent hiatus) Godspeed You! Black Emperor. I love this band so much, I wish they'd get back together and record. I heard they were going to do some live performances soon (or perhaps they already have).
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