Best Rock Track of all time

Zep IV - Just listened to it and for once didnt skip Stairway. I know everyone is sick of hearing copies but listening to it again reminded me how awesome the original was.

However the best rock track of all time is "Black Dog", discuss...

No arguments here! communication breakdown a close second

Meh... not even the best Zep track, let alone the best rock track.


Tea for One is miles ahead on my odometer...

Funny, isn't it.... I don't rate "Presence" at all; I prefer "In through the out door" after the 1st 4 but BEST rock song?? I don't think so....

I know it's a bit trite nowadays but "Smoke on the water" has got to be the No 1 ROCK song, eh!! As a purely personal choice, I also like Great Whites take on "Once bitten, twice shy"....

In Through the Out Door was the first Zepplin album I ever bought.

Ended up with sleeve perspective #5 and man do I wish I still had it...

Can't stand led zep. Bunch of over-rated, talentless potheads. And come on, how can Jimmy Page's sound be so terrible?! They have managed to gather some sort of "Mozart effect", that is to be blindly admired despite the poor quality of the music.

However, I will go your way and grant that zep do have a few good ones, such as d'yer maker.

If we stay in the field of 70s early hard rock, I think Scorpions' pictured life or in trance are complete examples of rock'n'roll greatness.

It is true also that deep purple knew how to come up with a good rocker; one of my favorites is highway star. Can't go wrong with the Lord/Blackmore combo and they were capable of moving away from a blues-based approach which led zep never really managed.

beavis wrote:Can't stand led zep. Bunch of over-rated, talentless potheads. And come on, how can Jimmy Page's sound be so terrible?! They have managed to gather some sort of "Mozart effect", that is to be blindly admired despite the poor quality of the music.

.

banned and ignored :!:

Sgt. Vimes wrote:

beavis wrote:Can't stand led zep. Bunch of over-rated, talentless potheads. And come on, how can Jimmy Page's sound be so terrible?! They have managed to gather some sort of "Mozart effect", that is to be blindly admired despite the poor quality of the music.

.

banned and ignored :!:

Not in complete agreement there Sergeant, but our friend Beavis is apparently too Lazy to even find the best cut from what is in my opinion one of the top 5 seminal albums in all of rock.

Are you Experienced, couldn't pick one 'best' song of the album.
They're all good.

That is why I don't comment on music that isn't in my era. I'm sure there is some music fans of Duane Eddy, Elvis etc. that argue their point. For me it's Ride the Lightning specifically Fade to Black(I can remember the first time I heard it). Once again that's in my opinion.

[/quote]

Not in complete agreement there Sergeant, but our friend Beavis is apparently too Lazy to even find the best cut from what is in my opinion one of the top 5 seminal albums in all of rock. [/quote]

My tongue was firmly set in my cheek for my last comment, just to be clear

Iceman wrote:

Sgt. Vimes wrote:

beavis wrote:Can't stand led zep. Bunch of over-rated, talentless potheads. And come on, how can Jimmy Page's sound be so terrible?! They have managed to gather some sort of "Mozart effect", that is to be blindly admired despite the poor quality of the music.

.

banned and ignored :!:

Not in complete agreement there Sergeant, but our friend Beavis is apparently too Lazy to even find the best cut from what is in my opinion one of the top 5 seminal albums in all of rock.

Thanks for calling it lazy . I like to be provocative on these matters as everybody has his own opinion on music and there is not much point engaging in a developed argument on the question. However, led zep doesn't get much play in my home but maybe one day I will really get hooked, never say never.

Westbone wrote:Are you Experienced, couldn't pick one 'best' song of the album.
They're all good.

...as demonstrated by one channeler's interpretation...

a left handed trem on a right handed strat?! nice idea, makes much more sense to me

Westbone wrote:Are you Experienced, couldn't pick one 'best' song of the album.
They're all good.

Yep, but I love the constant timing shift of Black Dog.

Iceman wrote:...as demonstrated by one channeler's interpretation...

If I was the bassist or drummer would have had to switch off and go down the pub or kick his ...............

beavis wrote:Can't stand led zep. Bunch of over-rated, talentless potheads. And come on, how can Jimmy Page's sound be so terrible?! They have managed to gather some sort of "Mozart effect", that is to be blindly admired despite the poor quality of the music.

However, I will go your way and grant that zep do have a few good ones, such as d'yer maker.

If we stay in the field of 70s early hard rock, I think Scorpions' pictured life or in trance are complete examples of rock'n'roll greatness.

It is true also that deep purple knew how to come up with a good rocker; one of my favorites is highway star. Can't go wrong with the Lord/Blackmore combo and they were capable of moving away from a blues-based approach which led zep never really managed.

I could have written this myself, I'm in 100% agreement.

Well, except for the Deep Purple part...I don't have much knowledge of them. But 100% agreement about the Scorpions. One of the best days of my life was when I encountered and decided to buy the "Best of Scorpions" in a bargain bin, not realizing it wasn't a bit like the "Rock you Like a Hurricane" stuff, and the better for it.

grogg wrote:

Westbone wrote:Are you Experienced, couldn't pick one 'best' song of the album.
They're all good.

Yep, but I love the constant timing shift of Black Dog.

As much as I dislike Zep, I do agree with this.

As much as I dislike Zep, I like nearly every Zep imitator far better than Zep themselves.

I like Kingdom Come.
I like the band Bonham's "Wait for You".
I heard that someone once compared Heart to Zep; Yep, I like Heart quite a bit.
And Darrell Mansfield's Christian remakes of Zep kick holy butt. Better than the original in my opinion. As crazy as that sounds.

Brainfertilizer wrote:...I heard that someone once compared Heart to Zep...

Ann Wilson seriously (still) outsings most of the "rockers" out here.

Brainfertilizer wrote: I could have written this myself, I'm in 100% agreement.

Well, except for the Deep Purple part...I don't have much knowledge of them. But 100% agreement about the Scorpions. One of the best days of my life was when I encountered and decided to buy the "Best of Scorpions" in a bargain bin, not realizing it wasn't a bit like the "Rock you Like a Hurricane" stuff, and the better for it.

Ah I am not alone .

Can't quite remember how I discovered those early Scorpions. Either through Uli Jon Roth's solo stuff, or after having bought the vynils of the Tokyo tapes which are just mind-blowingly awesome.

Didn't know Heart covered Zep. I only really know their "later" romantic/love power ballads about tall dark strangers and vulnerable sex-deprived women.

speaking of Black Dog......................




Love this band.......most "original" covers band ever???

beavis wrote:

Brainfertilizer wrote: I could have written this myself, I'm in 100% agreement.

Well, except for the Deep Purple part...I don't have much knowledge of them. But 100% agreement about the Scorpions. One of the best days of my life was when I encountered and decided to buy the "Best of Scorpions" in a bargain bin, not realizing it wasn't a bit like the "Rock you Like a Hurricane" stuff, and the better for it.

Ah I am not alone .

Can't quite remember how I discovered those early Scorpions. Either through Uli Jon Roth's solo stuff, or after having bought the vynils of the Tokyo tapes which are just mind-blowingly awesome.

Didn't know Heart covered Zep. I only really know their "later" romantic/love power ballads about tall dark strangers and vulnerable sex-deprived women.

Heart didn't cover Zep. But I had heard that some people said they were Zep imitators. Now, what the difference is between borrowing some stylistic elements and being outright imitators, I can't really tell you. I always thought they were more unique...Kingdom Come were imitators.

Sgt. Vimes wrote:

beavis wrote:Can't stand led zep. Bunch of over-rated, talentless potheads. And come on, how can Jimmy Page's sound be so terrible?! They have managed to gather some sort of "Mozart effect", that is to be blindly admired despite the poor quality of the music.

.

banned and ignored :!:

+1 Blasphemy

Slither...Velvet Revolver, just heard it again. Good track.

Sgt. Vimes wrote:speaking of Black Dog......................

Love this band.......most "original" covers band ever???

Marvellous

hobster wrote:

Sgt. Vimes wrote:

beavis wrote:Can't stand led zep. Bunch of over-rated, talentless potheads. And come on, how can Jimmy Page's sound be so terrible?! They have managed to gather some sort of "Mozart effect", that is to be blindly admired despite the poor quality of the music.

.

banned and ignored :!:

+1 Blasphemy

+2 Heinous

Page's playing could be very sloppy at times and the sound quality we are used to now wasn't about then, so I feel the comments are perhaps valid.... and whilst I like their earlier stuff, the younger material leaves me just a little uninspired..

However, this is a discussion about the greatest rock song ever recorded....

Hear hear!

A question I have been asking myself is whether the best rock song is simply one's favorite song or if we should consider using some more objective criterias to define rock greatness.

Good question.
Riffs, Hooks, drumming, foot tapability.....
may I suggest a rather recent offering in Queens Of The Stoneage's No One Knows....ticks all my boxes for a great rock song



Dave Grohl guesting on drums for this whole album and tour, one of todays greatest rock drummers imho

beavis wrote:Can't stand led zep. Bunch of over-rated, talentless potheads...

A Zep tune happens to be playing on the radio ATM...yep, total rubbish. Pass the barf bag.

cant be from the first 4 albums then..

beavis wrote:Hear hear!

A question I have been asking myself is whether the best rock song is simply one's favorite song or if we should consider using some more objective criterias to define rock greatness.

Ok, what is it about Black Dog that works for me?
Is it my favourite rock track? probably not.
Is it because of the foot tapping, finger clicking singalong qualities? - ur no.
Is it the unforgettable riff? - no.
Is it great to dance to? - almost impossible.
Is it the fine tune and harmonies?- hardly.
What is it then that makes it the greatest rock track in my opinion?

Its the phrasing of the timing dictated by the rhythm section ie Bonham and Jones, they were cemented together and took it to a different level in this track.

See, that's where SOTW has the goods.... It has the riffs, both guitar and organ, a great bass line and drumming that is beyond solid and just a little different plus a singer with a great set of pipes. Good tempo and a true air guitar solo...

Get in!!

In a slightly different style..".Cowboys from hell" by pantera blew me away the first time I heard it. I had tickets to see Megadeth and found out that Pantera were supporting, I'd not heard them before. Going to the pub one night and Tommy Vance (remember him all UKers?) played it. Awesome sound...riff...groove...drums...vocals. What more do you need? Still a great way to start an album....no messin'!

Also couldn't agree more with "no-one Knows" by QOTSA and "Slither" by Velvet Revolver. Not really a Zep or Purple fan.

the greatest rock track of all time:

Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower from Electric Ladyland.

it has everything that makes a great song; great lyrics, great vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, slide guitars, asskickin drumming, amazing production, one of the greatest guitar solos ever, tight concise powerful phrasing and an amazing variety of sounds on the lead guitar. and then after the killer solo, the way the vocals come back in with all the power and richness of Jimi's voice as he sing the chorus, "All along the whatchtower..." amazing!

so many sounds and techniques created by Jimi Hendrix that reached into regions never before explored in rock music, came to the ultimate expression in the album Electric Ladyland. i can't think of another album that has the power and unique creativity that is Electric Ladyland. Watchtower is the next to last song on the album, surely the climax of the album with Watchtower followed by Voodoo Child (slight return). it is hard to remember now, what a game changer that album was when it was originally released in 1968.

this is the first 25 entries from the Billboard top 100 of 1968, easy to see that Hendrix was in a different place altogether from most on the list here. All Along The Watchtower made it to #20 at one point during the year.

1. Hey Jude, The Beatles
2. Love Is Blue, Paul Mauriat
3. Honey, Bobby Goldsboro
4. (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding
5. People Got to Be Free, The Rascals
6. Sunshine of Your Love, Cream
7. This Guy's In Love With You, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
8. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Hugo Montenegro
9. Mrs. Robinson, Simon and Garfunkel
10. Tighten Up, Pt. 1, Archie Bell and The Drells
11. Harper Valley P.T.A., Jeannie C. Riley
12. Little Green Apples, O.C. Smith
13. Mony Mony, Tommy James and The Shondells
14. Hello, I Love You, The Doors
15. Young Girl, Gary Puckett and The Union Gap
16. Cry Like a Baby, The Box Tops
17. Stoned Soul Picnic, The Fifth Dimension
18. Grazing In the Grass, Hugh Masekela
19. Midnight Confessions, The Grass Roots
20. Dance to the Music, Sly and The Family Stone
21. The Horse, Cliff Nobles & Co.
22. I Wish It Would Rain, The Temptations
23. La-La Means I Love You, The Delfonics
24. Turn Around Look At Me, The Vogues
25. Judy In Disguise (With Glasses), John Fred & His Playboy Band

Couldnt agree more with All Along the Watchtower, that lead is second to NONE!
but also consider Jimi's version of Sunshine Of Your Love, another stunning Jimi cover

I don't get the Hendrix love; I know that's close to heresy for a guitar player but the songs I like of Jimis are the quiet ones like 'the wind cried Mary'.

And the whole innovator thing is a bit misleading; he merely pulled together into one package what other black blues musicians had been doing for years before; guys like Johnny "Guitar" Watson...

Anyway, greatest rock song of all time? I suppose AATW is up there, yes!!

If AATW won this accolade I wouldnt be disappointed, a specially gifted musician when he wasnt off his face and a special track.

John, innovation is about combining stuff into something new, so the fact that Hendrix followed others and expanded on their work is a good thing, otherwise for anyone to be good they would have to invent music or the guitar or summat like that.

I also like the quieter ones and Little Wing/Ivy works for me.

i think that much of why Hendrix is special is the timing. certainly he had extraordinary talent, but it is more than just that.

in the 1960's, the "land of the free" still had laws against inter-racial marriage, there were many barriers, legal and otherwise, that kept African-Americans from full citizenship. the Viet Nam war and the domestic protests were both increasing, race riots raged across the country as the civil rights movement was making progress. my home city of washington dc had some serious riots where sections of the city were burned to empty husks that still remain unrepaired to this day. only just a couple years past things previously considered normal like "whites only" drinking fountains, hotel accommodations, and city busses. really a different world than we live in today.

the music industry was being transformed by artists like Hendrix who would not be contained in a simple catgory and stuck with one particular audience. his artistry and his musicianship transcended many of the very rigid barriers that existed at the time, in the music business and in American society. luckily at that time it was still more emphasis on the Music rather than the Industry, but that is part of what was changing at that time. the record business was becoming big bucks and they wanted to keep it in the hands of the few that had always controlled it. independent artists like Hendrix were a threat to the tight control of the record business. much of his legacy has been tied up in legal battles since his death.

he was difficult for many because he was so much his own person, and he seemed to walk his own path, all the time. he personified so much of what rock and roll represents to me; individuality, rebellion, revolution, sex, danger, destruction of existing order, creativity unlimited by existing examples. what made him so good was exactly that he drew from so many diverse influences and transcended them all. not by obscuring the roots of his creative output but by exalting in it. he loved bob dylan's music and it showed in his performance on that track. it is important to remember that hendrix was not hugely popular in his time because he was seen as a "cross-over artist" and hence was difficult for the "industry" to know how to market his music. and also because the range of his talent was huge, from the quiet introspective to the heavy feedback and open improvisations. but his music has stood the test of time and there are many gems among his catalog.

Electric Ladyland came at just the right time for Hendrix. he finally had total artistic control of his music, which is what he needed to gain the space necessary to do the more experimental music that came out on that album, and when the whole concept/studio/artist combination was at it's best during those sessions, there is not much music of that level of artistic quality.

his performance of All Along The Watchtower captures so much of the zeitgeist of it's moment, like no other song i can think of.

I've been thinking on this one and its too tough too call. Recording wise Floyd did so much with sounds and innovation. I must admit, Watchtower is a great choice. Gives me tingles every time he goes to the wah section in the solo. Jimi will always be a god to me, so i'm wit cha guitarsaurus.

Hmmmmm.... True innovation is doing something completely new and unseen till that point, though... Don't get me wrong, I think he was a musician for his time, but only because Chas Chandler actually saw what was going to happen. I think it's funny that Jimi had to go to the UK to break ...

"Smoke" will always be "the song" for me, though.... I saw it performed live in 1974 and it was Machine Head that made me want to be a better guitarist, or at lest as good as I could be given very limited talent!! The power and artistry of Ritchie Blackmore in 1974/75 cannot be adequately described, at leat by me!!

Of course, 1975/76 gave us DSOTM, and David Gilmours tour de force, but that's another story....

corsair wrote:Of course, 1975/76 gave us DSOTM, and David Gilmours tour de force, but that's another story....

Indeed...................... In my book that is the best rock ALBUM ever recorded hands down. That and you gotta throw in some George Martin recordings by that band, what are they called? But thats for another thread.

I could go on and on about Jimi but i'll let it be for now.

I think my favorite song of all time is:

Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress

I don't really like anything else by the Hollies, but that one really works for me.

I also really like Drop Dead Legs and Runnin With the Devil by Van Halen, Wanted Dead or Alive by Journey (the timing shifts will f you up!), Barracuda and Magic Man by Heart, Queen of Spades by Styx, Let Me Entertain You and Dead on Time by Queen, the list just goes on and on....

hobster wrote:

corsair wrote:Of course, 1975/76 gave us DSOTM, and David Gilmours tour de force, but that's another story....

Indeed...................... In my book that is the best rock ALBUM ever recorded hands down. That and you gotta throw in some George Martin recordings by that band, what are they called? But thats for another thread.

I could go on and on about Jimi but i'll let it be for now.

Dark side is such an incredible album. In my opinion a song like Time has it all and could easily qualify as best of the best for me.

Not a big Hendrix fan myself, but I do agree with gittarasaurus' arguments in his favour.

I am also surprised to notice that nobody has mentioned Queen. Weren't they pretty big back then? This brings me to what I now realize is the greatest rock track ever: don't stop me now. It's got the beat, it's overflowing with individual talent, it's unique yet at the same time characterizes rock'n'roll... And it has the best guitar solo ever recorded.

While we're on the subject of the Hollies, another belting intro is "The day Curly Billy shot down Crazy Sam Magee"....

DSOTM is "the" PF album, I know but my personal favourite to listen and to play is Wish you were here...

YMMV. :-)

beavis wrote:
I am also surprised to notice that nobody has mentioned Queen. Weren't they pretty big back then? This brings me to what I now realize is the greatest rock track ever: don't stop me now. It's got the beat, it's overflowing with individual talent, it's unique yet at the same time characterizes rock'n'roll... And it has the best guitar solo ever recorded.

Interesting...you just missed my mention of Queen by scant minutes. May have been typing at the same time I was.

"Jazz" was generally reviled as a Queen album, from what I've seen. I think because the only "hits" from it were Fat Bottomed Girls and Bicycle Race, which were the weakest two songs on the album.

But I like Dead on Time because even the rhythm guitar part is fast/shredder like, lots of great guitar fills throughout. And in the album credits, they credit the Thunderclap sound to God. Which is kind of cool.

Brainfertilizer wrote:I think my favorite song of all time is:
Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress
I don't really like anything else by the Hollies, but that one really works for me....

'Love it too. But then, I'm a rhythm/singer guy and this song is all about the beat rather than licks and runs. Infectious!
I play it a lot, particularly in these days of rehab. I find the intro, boogie beat and the instrumental bridge are very therapeutic in trying to restore the finger coordination.

Canadian Zep fans can rejoice...


Be still my heart.