Just curious what people think are some good mostly or all instrumental rock albums. I have Blow By Blow by Jeff Beck (on vinyl which is nice) which I really like. I also really like a lot of the Pink Floyd sings with mostly instrumentals (One of these Days, Shine On Me Crazy Diamond).

Dig up some classic Yes

Well, Yes's Relayer comes to mind...the playing is mind boggling!

A couple of minutes of Beefheart's "vocals" (on Willie The Pimp) aside, I'll put forward Hot Rats by Frank Zappa.

Mark Knopfler- Local Hero

I have a bunch of Yes albums (Close to the Edge, Fragile on Vinyl, Going for the One on CD) but I will have to check out Relayer. I will have to check out that Knopfler album. I really like Dire Straits (have almost all their albums on vinyl).

What about Tubular Bells?

Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans, and Relayer are the holy trio of Yes albums for me. A lot of their other stuff is great, like Yes Album, Fragile, Drama, etc. but nothing touches those three.

Not sure of a specific album, but Tangerine Dream, Jade Warrior, Gryphon, Ozric Tentacles, Popul Vuh and Neu! are some great (mostly) instrumental bands that come to mind. Godspeed You! Black Emperor is fantastic too, really epic and emotional, but I haven't heard much post-rock that I enjoyed quite as much (maybe Sigur Ros and A Silver Mt Zion).

edit: and Henry Cow! had to look at my avatar to remind me :P, but In Praise of Learning, which is probably my favorite by them, has quite a lot of Dagmar Krause's 'unique' vocals ;)

Al Di Meola : Elegant Gypsy

Here's a cut
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atz9vzTAUh0

A couple of minutes of Beefheart's "vocals" (on Willie The Pimp) aside, I'll put forward Hot Rats by Frank Zappa.

Absolutey. Great album.

Zappa - Waka/Jawaka & The Grand Wazoo
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Inner Mounting Flame & Birds Of Fire
Billy Cobham - Spectrum
Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior

Cheers

Al Di Meola : Elegant Gypsy

:thmbsp:

The Ventures......Surfing

Steve Morse Band - High Tension Wires is a good one.

The Dixie Dregs/The Dregs have a few good ones.

Ill have to look into some of these. I have the Zappa albums mentioned. Di Meola seems pretty interesting. Might have to try'n get a copy of that. I am surprised no one has mentioned Satriani. I have a few albums of his that I like too.

What about Santana's first album. I just jammed, or somewhat on a quad copy of Illuminations. Joe Farrell, Upon This Rock, (Never Released On CD). The Title Track Jams! You really start to get into Jazz/Rock Fusion with this one. I think you could put Miles Davis, Bitches Brew in this. How about that Jeff Beck Jan Hammer Live Album. Like three sentences of lyrics, otherwise all instrumental. And then Jeff Beck's Wired, and Blow By Blow. I will have to dig a bit through my stuff. Unless it's early blues, everything else I listen to is instrumental mostly.

Ill have to look into some of these. I have the Zappa albums mentioned. Di Meola seems pretty interesting. Might have to try'n get a copy of that. I am surprised no one has mentioned Satriani. I have a few albums of his that I like too.

I have a couple of his records and they are excellent. Anybody have Devotion by John Mclaughlin?

I'm partial to Julian Cope's "Rite" series of albums: Rite, Rite 2, Rite Now, and Rite Bastard.

Anybody have Devotion by John Mclaughlin?

:wave:

Zappa - Waka/Jawaka & The Grand Wazoo
...
Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior

Cheers

Oh yeah!!! Some of the instrumental tracks from "live at the Roxy and Elsewhere" by Zappa.

Weather Report "Mr. Gone".

or
Stanley Clark "School Days"

title cut
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctTX2M_mmp8&feature=related

Ventures best of
Link Wray best of
Dick Dale and the Del Tones Greatest Hits
Booker T and the MG's. Green Onions

Most anything by Glen Phillips, formerly of The Grease Band, would be some great no vocals tunes.

I saw the Dixie Dregs live, awesome stuff, Dregs "Unsung Heros" is fantastic.

Satriani:thmbsp:
Ventures best of
Link Wray best of
Dick Dale and the Del Tones Greatest Hits
Booker T and the MG's. Green Onions

On that note Roy Buchanan backed by the MG's the album is "Loading Zone".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYNeWu7zezU

Edit.. I have an EP of Dick Dale and Stevie Ray Vaughan doing "Pipeline".

Oh yeah!!! Some of the instrumental tracks from "live at the Roxy and Elsewhere" by Zappa.

Weather Report "Mr. Gone".

or
Stanley Clark "School Days"
title cut
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctTX2M_mmp8&feature=related

How about Journey To Love? That's the best thing Stanley ever did.

Fun thread when I was old enough to start picking my own music this was the stuff of choice.

Glad I was able to start an interesting thread that lots of people could respond to. Its a lot easier for someone without a lot of equipment like myself to respond to a musical preference thread. Hopefully others feel this way.

Good suggestions from everyone, will start looking into these. Keep em coming!

Overall, I think that some of the best instrumental music is from the rock-jazz, jazz-rock fusion bands...especially like Bill Bruford's band, stuff by Allan Holdsworth solo work, Steve Howe (yes) solo LP's (especially Turbulence and Quantum Guitar).

Popcorn by Hot Butter:D

Uriah

Pete Carr - Not a word on it
Al diMeola - Land of the midnight sun

How about the Shadowfax albums?

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Inner Mounting Flame & Birds Of Fire
Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior



Essential fusion, all three of these.

Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans, and Relayer are the holy trio of Yes albums for me. A lot of their other stuff is great, like Yes Album, Fragile, Drama, etc. but nothing touches those three.

Yeah, those three are definitely high on my list. I like Fragile, too, even if it is a little more "pedestrian" than the others. As far as instrumentals go, in regards to the OP, the track "Schindleria Praematurus" is a knockout--everything but the drums and the vocal fadeout is performed by Chris Squire's bass guitar. It's a mind-blowing concept.

While we're on the subject, I'm surprised Rick Wakeman and Steve Hackett haven't come up. Both had solo careers from their respective bands (Yes and Genesis, respectively) rich in instrumental music. Wakeman's The Six Wives Of Henry VIII is a long-time favorite of mine, and Hackett's Please Don't Touch has its moments (few, though; his first solo album--Voyage Of The Acolyte--from what I've heard of it might be better).

I have a bunch of Yes albums (Close to the Edge, Fragile on Vinyl, Going for the One on CD) but I will have to check out Relayer. I will have to check out that Knopfler album. I really like Dire Straits (have almost all their albums on vinyl).

If you do try Relayer, be prepared for a shock. It's completely different than anything you might have heard before, Yes or otherwise. It took me a long time before I liked anything on that album, and even then I only really ended up liking the first track, "The Gates of Delirium." It's a phenomenal work, but like the album in general, it's dense and very, very unique. You should have some fun with it, though, even if your neighbors might not. :D:music:

Jon & the Nightriders.........Charge of the Nightriders

Very hard to find, great for surf lovers.

There are a few, more jazz oriented, things I like in addition to the rock (Jeff Beck being my first choice there).

My fave's include some Earl Klugh and James Newton Howard titles.

Anything by Satch.

Liquid Tension Experiment I & II

http://www.yesiknow.com/lte/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jeva6nuzElA

Liquid Tension Experiment I & II

:thmbsp:

Try the group Kinski, their 2005 release Alpine Static is wonderful.

Joe Satriani "The Extremest" :yes:


c-ya
ToddG

Can't go wrong with anything by Zappa.

Anything by Satch.

:yes:

Steve Vai (Satriani student, former Zappa guitarist), also.:thmbsp:

I've got Focus - moving waves on CD - That's pretty interesting but wouldn't categorize anything with yodeling as a "Best Of"

Jason Becker ~ Perpetual Burn

Steve Vai "Passion and Warfare"

Jon & the Nightriders.........Charge of the Nightriders

Very hard to find, great for surf lovers.

Good call, bordeno, I got Surf Beat '80 on the TT as we type...

Gary Hoey Endless Summer II Soundtrack

Eric Johnson - Ah Via Musicom
Dixie Dregs - What If
Jean Luc Ponty - Enigmatic Ocean

Jean Luc-Ponty - Imaginary Voyage
Ronnie Earl And The Broadcasters - Still River

I've got Focus - moving waves on CD - That's pretty interesting but wouldn't categorize anything with yodeling as a "Best Of"

Focus was a great band! Anybody familiar with Jade Warrior?

Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans, and Relayer are the holy trio of Yes albums for me. A lot of their other stuff is great, like Yes Album, Fragile, Drama, etc. but nothing touches those three.

;)

It's ironic that the Tales album caused so much dissension in the band and its probably their best work..

Lots of good music mentioned, but most of it I would not call rock albums. Great stuff, but more art stuff than rock and roll. Maybe its just me, but albums by artists like Al Dimeola And John McLauglin aint quite R n R. I love that stuff, big fan, we used to call it "Fusion" what ever that meant. Even Zappa "Shut Up And Play The Guitar" is in question. I think some of the early Link Wray is the real roots of rock and roll, and most of it is instrumental. (They say he invented the power chord). Surf music is another genre that is true rock music, mostly instrumental. Maybe I'm being picky, it's all good to me. Just a note on a record to check out "Savvy Show Stoppers" by Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet. Great instrumental tunes, lots of twangy guitar, surf influenced.

The Jeff Beck album I really like is Wired, mostly because of the track Blue Wind.

:yes:

Steve Vai (Satriani student, former Zappa guitarist), also.:thmbsp:

Can't believe I forgot Vai. I just heard an interview with Satch, And learned Kirk Hammet was also a student of his. Kinda surprised me.

It's prog rock- but great none the less- Camel- The Snow Goose, both original and the live versions! ( Please get well,Andy!)

John McLaughlin's "Devotion" gets my vote (and his "My Goal's Beyond" would also, except it's obviously jazz).

How about Harvey Mandel's "Christo Redentor"? It's early, jazzy, rocky, western-y and totally kills from start to finish.

What exactly does "Surf Music" entail. I like the sound of that. Theres a ton of music in here, really need to look into a lot of it more.

I got an indie CD about a year ago by a guy that calls himself Joboj. The album I got was called X. If Satriani and Beck had a kid, it'd probably sound kinda like this. I played it again today and remembered why I got it in the first place! You can get some clips here:
http://www.myspace.com/joboj
Unfortunately I don't think there's an analog version available.

What exactly does "Surf Music" entail. I like the sound of that. Theres a ton of music in here, really need to look into a lot of it more.

I have a hard time explaining what a genre is, but if you love guitar, you love surf. Most of it is instrumental, lots of twang, very rhythmic, cruising, screeching, reverb-drenched, sometimes melodic, sometimes out of control. Dick Dale is credited with making the sound famous in the early '60s, (and again with Pup Fiction soundtrack) but he borrowed a lot from Link Wray. The Ventures, of course, were popular (Hawaii 5-0, book 'em Danno). The Shadows were another popular band, and surf spawned "Space Rock", which my favorite is Man Or Astro Man. If you want to hear some, go to AOL radio and somewhere in the menu you open up (eclectic?, oldies?) they have a Surf station. In any event, it is very easy to listen to, and oh so cool. Henry Mancini wrote "Banzai Pipeline" , James Bond
used "Peter Gunn, remember "Wipeout" with the kick-butt drum track?