photo4life
New Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 40 
Favourite Quo Album: Blue For You
Favourite other bands.: Rush, Queen, Thin Lizzy, Genesis, Blue Öyster Cult
|
Post by photo4life on Sept 25, 2020 21:22:09 GMT
The riff that makes up this fine song, written by John David, must be one of the most used riffs in rock music. Motörhead used in on No Class, ZZ Top for Tush and I hear a variant of it by Foghat for Nothing I Won't Do, and Quo themselves have a variant of it on Rockin' On. I think there is a variant of on Michael Jackson's Thriller album, but I don't remember which song.
What makes it so intriguing to build songs around, and how many songs use it?
|
|
|
|
Post by sqcollector on Sept 25, 2020 22:55:08 GMT
Yep, on Michael Jackson's Beat It: (around 52 seconds, for instance)
It's not exactly the same, but it's very similar.
|
|
|
|
Post by blagult on Sept 26, 2020 16:34:55 GMT
Straight fight with the ‘ Long Long Ago ‘ riff !
|
|
photo4life
New Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 40
Favourite Quo Album: Blue For You
Favourite other bands.: Rush, Queen, Thin Lizzy, Genesis, Blue Öyster Cult
|
Post by photo4life on Sept 27, 2020 19:41:02 GMT
Just realised AC/DC's "Rock'n'Roll Damnation" has a variant of this riff too
|
|
stringybob
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 323
Favourite Quo Album: Quo
Favourite other bands.: Many and varied
|
Post by stringybob on Sept 28, 2020 18:17:32 GMT
Slade's 'Dizzy Mamma' is another one (particularly similar to 'Tush').
|
|
|
|
Post by fretbuzzzzz on Sept 28, 2020 23:28:38 GMT
Not too far away from ZZ Top's 'Sharp Dressed Man' either.
|
|
photo4life
New Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 40
Favourite Quo Album: Blue For You
Favourite other bands.: Rush, Queen, Thin Lizzy, Genesis, Blue Öyster Cult
|
Post by photo4life on Oct 3, 2020 20:57:54 GMT
And I can add Saxon's "Wheels Of Steel"
|
|
|
|
Post by frozenhero on Oct 4, 2020 9:08:38 GMT
I think it's the musical ambiguity of it that sounds interesting. If you're in a major key and then play something that contains the minor third, that creates a nice contrast. Of course it's something that has deep roots in blues, the whole thing of not being fully major or minor. It would be interesting to find the roots of this riff. I wouldn't be surprised if it appeared on, say, a record by Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley or Howlin' Wolf...
That said, Red Sky is a bit more obviously minor than some of the other examples quoted, so maybe it's also just down to the fact that it comes naturally on the guitar.
|
|
viza
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 411
|
Post by viza on Oct 4, 2020 12:46:51 GMT
Always thought that No Contract is extremely similar.
|
|
matt
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 1,003
|
Post by matt on Oct 4, 2020 21:21:36 GMT
Rain, big fat mama, no contract, down down, back water, just take me, drifting away,....
Take your pick.
Let’s say you play in A and throw in a Change to C and then D in some order and you’re half way to writing a decent rock riff and tune.
|
|
mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 5,839
Favourite Quo Album: Hello!
Favourite other bands.: Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow, Gary Numan, Alabama 3, ZZ Top, Paul van Dyk, Jeff Beck, Bowie, Gerry Rafferty, Band of Skulls, UFO, S.A.H.B
|
Post by mortified on Oct 5, 2020 8:28:35 GMT
Always thought the Saxon's Wheels of Steel riff was very reminiscent of AC/DC's Bad Boy Boogie.
They're maybe in different keys; I have no idea. But the overall effect is the same.
|
|
|
|
Post by madturk on Oct 11, 2020 15:41:14 GMT
Somebody should do a mash up of Motörhead and ZZ Top and call it “No Tush”
|
|
matt
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 1,003
|
Post by matt on Oct 11, 2020 15:56:17 GMT
2 minutes to midnight by iron maiden
|
|
