Instrumental Music

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Mase

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What's your opinion on music that has no lyrics whatsoever?

IMO, They're pretty good. Focuses more on the song itself, rather than the lyrics. I especially love it when the instrumental song is Experimental.
 
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Zorak

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I presume you mean more in terms of instrumentals in popular music rather than say classical music.

I personally love intrstumental music, I can think of thousands of pioneering records, Brian Eno has done a couple of albums one I have called Music for Airports which is jsut beautiful, and although it must be over 30 years old now it doesn't sound dated at all.
Whereas for some reason when I listen to say, Tubular Bells, it sounds dated, still a good album nonetheless.
The key is to use sounds, techniques and instruments that are not "new", but to make them sound new.
Why Pink Floyd stuff still sounds fresh and innovative today is because they limited using "Space age" instruments, for the most part they were a rock band - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards and drums. That sound will never sound dated.
Some electronic gizmo that whirrs and beeps and chimes may sound futuristic now, but in 30 years time it will sound like a dial-up modem.

Of course there have been some fantastic guitar orientated experimental instrumental records, Santana's "Caravan Serai" is for the most part instrumental, and probably his best album.
Paul Kossoff (from the band Free... All right now? Anyone?) released a solo album called Back Street Crawler, it's about 40 minutes long and only 5 tracks, and 3 of them are instrumentals, and the guitar playing is phenomenal, vocals would have ruined it for sure - that strat was singing better than any person could have.

Acoustic artists have long been advocates of instrumental pieces, Classical Gas for example by Mason Williams. But also Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, Davy Graham (who I saw live not a few months ago and he blew me away) Jackson C. Frank all dabbled in instrumental pieces, just the one guitar generally. And that stretches back to the days of the blues players, those we heard of and those we haven't.
 

Sparkey Duck

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Bob James is the king of music pieces, for me...

But most fusion jazz would be ruined by lyrics... then you gotta look at Mozart and Brahms :)
 

TheOriginalJames

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I enjoy light to hard rock that is just instrumental.

This is Collective Souls' "Pretty Donna". Nice, light, easy listening from one of my favorite bands.

*interesting sidenote* Clare will enjoy the video, as it's playing with Corgi dog pictures.
YouTube - corgis


I can't think of the other song name I had in mind from a harder rock band.
 

COOL_BREEZE2

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What's your opinion on music that has no lyrics whatsoever?

IMO, They're pretty good. Focuses more on the song itself, rather than the lyrics. I especially love it when the instrumental song is Experimental.

I quite like instrumentals myself.

In this category mood/relaxing music...including classical...takes the edge.
It creates a soothing ambiance which focuses on the music itself without the distraction of words.

Other instrumentals are fine of course and tecno comes to mind but that is another flavour altogether.
 

COOL_BREEZE2

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Well since no one has posted for the last 2 hours I'll add one more.

Who could forget this wonderfully enchanting music from this unforgettable love story. The story of Jack and Rose on the Titanic. The music is played here instumentally in the background interspersed with scenes and audio from the movie. Priceless IMO.

Titanic - Rose/Jack - My heart will go on

YouTube - Titanic - Rose/Jack - My heart will go on
 

Obdurate

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I like instrumental music too but I can only listen to so much at a time. I also use it for when I write.

Some good bands with no lyrics...
Explosions in the Sky - Beautiful post-rock. More popular these days and good for them. They're still near the top of the genre.
Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Perfect film-noir soundscapes. Use this band for writing a lot.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Though I suppose some of their songs have words, I would still classify it as instrumental.
Fantomas - Okay I'm being cheap here since a lot of their stuff uses scat singing. Still.


I'm also a big fan of video game music, usually when it's slow or tragic. And I like movie soundtracks as well, such as the music from The Decalogue (well I suppose that's more a TV show), or There Will Be Blood... well there's tons of movies with great music.

Oh I almost forgot! I have a mainly instrumental "band" that I make in Fruity Loops, called Chronic Death to Christians. And they (I always refer to it as they to make it seem like a real band, even though it's only me) were made to make fun of stupid metalheads, so they are touted as a metal band but it's more than that.
 

teh_fuzz

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The beastie Boys have the best instrumental song i can think of:
Son of Neckbone i think it is called.

Awesome instrumental!

A lot of other new jazz stuff like the stuff from MAD LIB isnt necessarily instrumental but there are no lyrics just samples
 
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