RoadKing
The Central Scrutinizer
- Mar 28, 2008
- 454
- 0
- 16
Most of my truly "spine-tingling" moments occured at live shows, such as:
Stevie Ray Vaughan playing "Riviera Paradise" in '89 in New Orleans. It just never occurred to me before actually witnessing this that the blues could be played with this level of pure conviction, authority and heart-wrenching soul. One of the most perfect pieces of guitar music ever constructed, and a beautiful tip of the hat to Curtis Mayfield & Jimi. Stevie was an absolute witch!
Seeing Aretha Franklin at the top of her game at the N.O. Jazz Fest in the 80s. Fucking religious experience!
Being one of the 57,000 people singing "Wish You Were Here" at the top of their lungs at the 'Floyd concert in the Superdome in '94. I watched David Gilmour through the binocs just step away from the mic and let the crowd take over with this enormous, "it's-so-BLOODY-good-to-be-me" grin on his face... phenomenal!
Watching Queensryche at the top of their game blow Metallica off the stage in '89. This was NOT the band you wanted to take the stage after in 1989!
The hauntingly beautiful classical acoustic piece Eric Johnson played during the Ah Via Musicom show at the Florida Theater in Jacksonville. I've never heard this on any of EJ's records or any of the subsequent shows I've been to, but when he was finished, there were tears in many more eyes than just mine! I want him to personally play that piece at my funeral!
Joe Bonamassa's last show at the Florida Theater. Jeezus, this guy actually gets better every time I see him... unbelievable show in an equally unbelievable sounding venue. The undisputed king of modern blues.
Recorded moments would include:
Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways (extended, 34-minute version on the remaster), truly amazing that this piece somehow still feels fresh and original despite all of its naked admiration of early Pink Floyd & King Crimson. Steven Wilson's genius as a composer and producer simply cannot be denied. Also, pretty much all of In Absentia and Deadwing qualifies as "spine-tingling" in my book ("Arriving Somewhere but Not Here" in particular)!
Franz Liszt - Un sospiro. I love Liszt, and this piece is easily one of his best ever.
Opeth - pretty much all of Still Life, BWP, 'Reveries & Watershed. A testament to Akerfeldt's own genius that you can't just listen to one Opeth song on any given record, you become so instantly engrossed that you almost compulsively have to listen to the whole thing!
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall. Pretty much take your pick on this one, legendary performance from two true legends! Personal highlights on this one: Evidence, Epistrophy & Sweet and Lovely.
Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force. I still remember where I was when I first heard this. Blew my fucking doors right off! Too bad Yngwie's yet to come even close to repeating it.
Van Halen I - I also remember where I was when I first heard this. (yeah, I'm fucking 40, blow me! lol) That kind of fire, authority and mile-high-wall-of-Marshalls tone was simply unheard of in 1978. The one guy who can rival Jimi Hendrix as the most revolutionary rock guitarist ever to pick up the instrument.
Pink Floyd - Animals. Do I have to pick just one song? Sheep, I guess... My favorite Floyd record by far.
Dream Theater - Awake. Remember how fucking great these guys were when they still wrote actual songs? "Voices" in particular still blows me away every time I hear it.
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime. Brilliantly constructed and executed melodic metal. These guys SOOOOO miss Chris DeGarmo in the songwriting department...
So many more, but these are definitely the most awe-inspiring for me.
I feel truly sorry for anyone who has never been moved to tears by a brilliant piece of music. I can't even begin to imagine (nor would I want to!) what that must be like...
Stevie Ray Vaughan playing "Riviera Paradise" in '89 in New Orleans. It just never occurred to me before actually witnessing this that the blues could be played with this level of pure conviction, authority and heart-wrenching soul. One of the most perfect pieces of guitar music ever constructed, and a beautiful tip of the hat to Curtis Mayfield & Jimi. Stevie was an absolute witch!
Seeing Aretha Franklin at the top of her game at the N.O. Jazz Fest in the 80s. Fucking religious experience!
Being one of the 57,000 people singing "Wish You Were Here" at the top of their lungs at the 'Floyd concert in the Superdome in '94. I watched David Gilmour through the binocs just step away from the mic and let the crowd take over with this enormous, "it's-so-BLOODY-good-to-be-me" grin on his face... phenomenal!
Watching Queensryche at the top of their game blow Metallica off the stage in '89. This was NOT the band you wanted to take the stage after in 1989!
The hauntingly beautiful classical acoustic piece Eric Johnson played during the Ah Via Musicom show at the Florida Theater in Jacksonville. I've never heard this on any of EJ's records or any of the subsequent shows I've been to, but when he was finished, there were tears in many more eyes than just mine! I want him to personally play that piece at my funeral!
Joe Bonamassa's last show at the Florida Theater. Jeezus, this guy actually gets better every time I see him... unbelievable show in an equally unbelievable sounding venue. The undisputed king of modern blues.
Recorded moments would include:
Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways (extended, 34-minute version on the remaster), truly amazing that this piece somehow still feels fresh and original despite all of its naked admiration of early Pink Floyd & King Crimson. Steven Wilson's genius as a composer and producer simply cannot be denied. Also, pretty much all of In Absentia and Deadwing qualifies as "spine-tingling" in my book ("Arriving Somewhere but Not Here" in particular)!
Franz Liszt - Un sospiro. I love Liszt, and this piece is easily one of his best ever.
Opeth - pretty much all of Still Life, BWP, 'Reveries & Watershed. A testament to Akerfeldt's own genius that you can't just listen to one Opeth song on any given record, you become so instantly engrossed that you almost compulsively have to listen to the whole thing!
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall. Pretty much take your pick on this one, legendary performance from two true legends! Personal highlights on this one: Evidence, Epistrophy & Sweet and Lovely.
Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force. I still remember where I was when I first heard this. Blew my fucking doors right off! Too bad Yngwie's yet to come even close to repeating it.
Van Halen I - I also remember where I was when I first heard this. (yeah, I'm fucking 40, blow me! lol) That kind of fire, authority and mile-high-wall-of-Marshalls tone was simply unheard of in 1978. The one guy who can rival Jimi Hendrix as the most revolutionary rock guitarist ever to pick up the instrument.
Pink Floyd - Animals. Do I have to pick just one song? Sheep, I guess... My favorite Floyd record by far.
Dream Theater - Awake. Remember how fucking great these guys were when they still wrote actual songs? "Voices" in particular still blows me away every time I hear it.
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime. Brilliantly constructed and executed melodic metal. These guys SOOOOO miss Chris DeGarmo in the songwriting department...
So many more, but these are definitely the most awe-inspiring for me.
I feel truly sorry for anyone who has never been moved to tears by a brilliant piece of music. I can't even begin to imagine (nor would I want to!) what that must be like...
