Entertainment For Lively Minds
Take it Away
I was digging around in a cardboard box of dusty tapes the other day when Wings’ Back to the Egg caught my eye. Stuck it in the old cassette deck and was momentarily transported back to 1979. So far so good. The tranquil mood turned sour, however, somewhere around the midpoint of ‘Again and Again’, when Denny Laine sluggishly implores his lead guitarist to “Take it…Away” and a pointless, stagnant solo ensues.
A few thoughts crossed my mind. Is there a name for that little bit of improvised vocal filler just before a lead solo? (If there isn’t then I believe it is the Massive’s duty to name it). Done well, - as in The Doors’ ‘Roadhouse Blues’, for example, when Jim Morrison cries “Do it Robbie, do it!” and Robbie, er, does it - it can catapult a solo and a song from the mundane to the extraordinary. When done badly, it’s the musical equivalent of BO. Intriguingly, prog., the spiritual home of the show-off solo, seems to shun this vocal thingy. There are lead vocals and there are solos, but there are no bridges in between. Too informal, perhaps? Anyway, what are the best and worst examples of this undoubted skill?
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Ringo begs
"ah rock on, anybody" during the truly dire "If You Got Troubles'.
And Strummer's joyous cry of 'You're my guitar hero!!"
Complete Control
"You're my guitar hero"
Do it Jeff...
says Stevie Wonder during Mr Becks fanbulous solo on Lookin' for another pure love on Talking Book
Talking of Stevie I always like his "Can I play? Can I play???" during his harmonica solo on Boogie on Reggae Woman. He certainly can
The HJH's 'For You Blue'
has George exclaiming 'Go Johnny Go!' as John attempts a slide solo, prompting the ironic retort 'Elmore James got nothing on this, baby!'. It always makes me smile.
Can I also at this point that 95%* of the Massive prefer 'Back To The Egg' to any other Macca LP.
* Percentage may have been exaggerated
REM's take on the King of the Road
Stipe: "..take it, slim.." - Buck: first phrase of drunken mess solo - Stipe "..oh goddamn!.."
Rolling Stones - Stop Breaking Down
When Jagger shouts "Hey, come on, come on, come on" during the guitar solo it always seems to heighten the pleasure.
James Brown.. Sex Machine
Repeated requests regarding advancement to the bridge. Which they do, eventually, do. After a little debate.
Where's that...
...confounded bridge?
Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel
during the first 8 bars of His Solo on
'Take Down To Tulsa' (Live At The Armadillo)
'Hey that Sounds Like Me !,
'Hey That is me!'
I've always loved Warren Zevon shouting 'Go!'
before Waddy Wachtel's final solo on 'Johnny Strikes Up The Band'
Pixies: Monkey's Gone to Heaven
not sure what Frank says but it sounds like 'rock for me, Joe" - am willing to accept I'm a meringue if anyone knows betterer.
Stooges
No Fun - "Ah tell 'em how I feel, c'mon tell 'em how I feel..." as Ron Asheton's fuzz-wah grinds - always makes me happy
Take it away Mr Guitar
Peter Gabriel to Steve Hackett on "Counting Out Time".
Hendrix
"Ahhh move over Rover and let Jimi take over"...
Fetch my stick, Margaret!
from HMHB's Blue Badge Abuser.
Although it's part of the intro
"Let it happen, bass player" is also a great example.
I was
just about to add this very example myself.
The other great HMHB one is actually right at the beginning of 99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd
"Jesus Christ! Come On Down!"
Percy Plant during Zep gigs...
would often squeal "Oooh Jimmy, oooh Jimmy" before Page went off on a six string marathon. On their records I can't think of too many examples, if any.
There's a strangulated
..."Go Jimmy" in "Since I've Been Loving You"...
Since I've Been Loving You
is the greatest rock track in the history of planet Earth
That's all. Thank you.
and the solo was originally knocked out as
a quick guide for when he dropped in the 'proper' solo later.
He couldn't do anything better so the demo went on the finished album.
Still leaves me open mouthed when I hear the album version of his solo - it's just so... right.
(and the squeaky kick pedal still makes me snigger)
The best thing in Song Remains the Same
...the frenzied guitar wankery leading into 4 or 5 slowed notes followed by the sublime, tension-releasing, falling-off-a-cliff da da that signals the start of SIBLY.
JJ Cale on Shades
Not sure which track it is but he says "Jumping James Burton" before the former Elvis picker goes off on a typically laid back solo.
Pack my jack
What a great track. "Yes friends here he is.."
So many wasted opportunities with Yes...
"Sock it to me Skeletor!" (Steve Howe)
"Get your cape and fly!" (Rick Wakeman)
"Complex time signatures ahoy!" (Bill Bruford / Alan White)
"Let's get ready to rumble!" (Chris Squire)
Captain Beefheart
Big Eyed Beans From Venus,
"Mr. Zoot Horn Rollo, hit that long, lunar note and let it float"
Always brings a smile that does...
that is my favorite musical moment from Captain Beefheart
it is awesome
I love it
when the singer enjoins the geetar-player to " Walk the Dog"
Derek Smalls
he wrote this
Eric Clapton
I think it was "Have you ever loved a woman?", though I could be wrong. So maybe he was Derek at the time. Anyway, just before the solo he says "Ah - let me tell you about it..."
Go stick THIS in your fuse box
As Bon Scott instructs the listener to High Voltage. Double intendre possibly intentional.
AC/DC's entire career is...
double entendres with riffs hung on them like big brassy balls of rock.
Surely single entendres!
Has anyone ever purchased an AC/DC album for the wit contained therein? It would be like discovering the Pope isn't catholic.
But surely Big Balls...
... is a straightforward song about parties? Have I missed something?
Just want to say ...
.. that Back to the Egg is an excellent, vastly underrated record.
"Eight Bars Of Pianner"
Just before the middle-eight of The Four Johns "Down At The Doctors"
Brilleaux
would often bark out a terse "Two times!" as if he were giving the next 24 bars as a gift to the guitarist - which, in the later incarnations of the band, he probably was.
Greg Dulli
opens the gates of pain and lets in the Afghan Whigs with a snarled "Now" as the band segues from "If I were going" into the brutal rush of "Gentlemen" off the self-same album. Still kicks it.
Liverpool
Doesn't Ringo say "Go on George, one more time for Ringo" on one of The Beatles' earlier songs?
He definitely shouts, "alright George" prior to the instrumental break in 'Boys'.
In reference to the thread title, James Skelly mutters, "take it away Bill" as Ryder-Jones starts to play the guitar solo on The Coral's 'Bill McCai'
Honey Don't?
"Ah Rock on George, one time for me", then later "Ah, rock on George, for Ringo one time"
Spinal Tap - Gimme Some Money
http://open.spotify.com/track/6RZLtNQxqvSxz3EH4R3EeR
"Go Nigel Go" at 1:04
"Play your guitar boy"
or some such exhortation from Mick J to Mick T in "Ladies and Gentlemen The Rolling Stones" (I remember this from seeing it in the cinema - 70's??) - anyway, Mr Taylor proceeds to rip into a solo of majesty and gob-smacking awesome-ness that got the adolescent hairs on the back of the neck twitching sumpin wonderful.
Mind you my memory might be fucked....
In 'An American Trilogy'
Elvis introduces the backing vocals with a "Sing it, fellas".
On Return Of The Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons exhorts James Burton to 'Pick it for me , James'
"I Saw Yer!"
Townshend to Keith Moon, sneaking in to the session at the end of I Can See For Miles
Marc Almond's
These My Dreams Are Yours,
"take it away..."
and "alright now.." introducing recurring female vocal atmospheric section. Nice.