Songs that are ruined by annoying or stupid parts or solos

[blue4]

Okay, I haven't read all 102 prior replies but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority on this one: I think Robert Plant's singing nearly ruined Led Zeppelin. Arguably the best drummer in rock, the absolute riff king bringing the tonnage on lead guitar, perhaps the most underrated bassist ever and...Robert freakin' Plant, squealing and caterwauling over the top. Some Zep songs are so great that Plant couldn't ruin them, but he always tried. When I was a teenager my friend offered me tickets to see Zep at the Garden and I turned them down, as I couldn't bear to listen to Plant's screeching. (Kind of regret that, as they filmed the show for The Song Remains the Same.) Still, Zep were great despite, not because of, Robert Plant's voice. And don't get me started on his idiotic Viking/hobbit/citrus fruit lyrics...

We are a party of two when it comes to his screeching. Honestly I only like the rhythm section of that band.

 

[blue4]

I don't get how so many of you take the unique quality that made a band famous, and try to sell it as a weakness.

Steven Tyler = One of Rock's Legendary Talents
Robert Plant = One of Rock's Legendary Talents
ELP = One of the Greatest Bands of all of Prog, and every note amazing
Marvin Gaye = One of the Greatest Geniuses of All of Recorded Music, never sang a single bad note in his entire career
Rock with Flutes = If we're talking Jethro Tull, Chicago or Focus, absolute heaven

What is it people always say on here when talking about new music, just because it's popular doesn't make it good?

 

[Hahaha]

I don't get the Ooga ooga ooga chucka stuff at the beginning of Blue Swede's remake of Hooked On A Feeling.

The song's not about hunting for a giant ape in a remote jungle.

 

[AztecViking]

I love the song The Word by the Beatles from Rubber Soul. (great bass line ) But when the Farfisa Organ comes in I get the instant ear flu! Too bad YouTube banned all originally recorded Beatles songs or I'd have given a link for it.

 

[mac10]

Guitar solo in sympathy for the Devil

 

[Hevy T]

Billy Talent - Rusted From the Rain

That bass solo sounds like a 5 year old is playing it! But wait the rest of the song is not much better. In fact these guys make Nickleback seem great

 

[Michedelic]

Guitar solo in sympathy for the Devil

You are SO wrong; Keith's greatest moment as a lead player; worst moment: "Ain't To Proud to Beg" solo, what the hell was that? It was the junk talking.

 

[Bthebassplayer]

The end solo in “Even Flow”. I notice when I’m listening to that song live, I’m concentrating more on the drum and bass part. That to me is the real work in that song!

 

[Royal Marine]

The sign of the true master is knowing when to say “It’s finished.” and then stop. Just stop.

Don't fade out. Write an ending! <--The Lament of the Cover Band - fr. There's a Reason You Don't Have a Nickname by Hans Jena Larriks.

 

[Nickweissmusic]

So, you're listening to a good song. Then suddenly, there's a part or solo or something that ruins it. You just can't stand it and have to turn it off. To me, "What's going on" is a good example. Everything is fine until Marvin Gaye starts with the "ai-ai-ai"-thing on the Amin part. It makes me want to throw my headset in the river.

Well, your example is terrible, because that part is awesome but I love the premise! I love the first 7/8 of Rosana by Toto, it’s a perfect 80’s cheesy excess period piece and just grooves like crazy with typically wonderful vocals and musicianship... and then the stupid, insipid, boring, corny, pointless, directionless, unnecessary, awful boogie woogie piano jam comes in at the end and just destroys the beauty that was that song. Why even put that stupid thing on the end of that song? Cocaine was a hell of a drug...

 

[Smilodon]

Most songs with a fade out at the end.

Everything that Dream Theater has recorded.

This!

That's from start to end, so it doesn't count

Fair point.

 

[Nickweissmusic]

Dude that is classic annoyance!! Ooh weeee!!! Weee-ooooo!!!!!! I think some the the 7 dwarves were studio musicians on that.

Another dismal end to an otherwise lovely tune...

 

[retslock]

I’ve been in three very good original projects over the past 30 years. My number one mantra (generally ignored)...EVERY SONG DOESN'T NEED A SOLO. Apologies for raising my voice, I feel strongly about this. As an aside, my current band is going through guitarist like Spinal Tap did drummers. That means 90+% of the material was written by the singer, keyboard and bass. Guess what? Less solos. /end rant

Totally agree. Solos in general are overated - too often have nothing to do with the song. Great when they do but unwanted filler when they don’t.

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Not so much a 'part' per se. But there it is, right smack bang in a crucial point of the album. A freakin bass solo.

Of course, I'll get some flak for this, and I'm talking smack about a guy I'm proud to say influenced me, but I don't care. The piece in question is relatively pointless, it's taking up good real estate and it's SLOPPY to hell and back. And you know what else? It's not even all that good. Nor difficult.

Anaesthesia (pulling teeth).

 

[Pendulous]

and then the stupid, insipid, boring, corny, pointless, directionless, unnecessary, awful boogie woogie piano jam comes in at the end and just destroys the beauty that was that song. Why even put that stupid thing on the end of that song?

No lies. When I was a young kid that song was popular. I never understood why they tacked that on at the end. It was fine playing but it didn’t fit. Chicago did that at the end of Hard to Say I’m Sorry, I believe. It just doesn’t work for me to rocket off in another direction so suddenly.

 

[Korladis]

Guitar solo in sympathy for the Devil

I was going to mention Sympathy For The Devil, but what irritates me is the "woo woo!" backup vocals. I hate that crap.

I hesitate to type this, but Whole Lotta Love...man that break...with just the high hat and noises from Mr. Plant...

Don't be mistaken, I like Zeppelin alot. But that song is ruined for me with that break.

Seriously, I never got that middle part. Maybe they just got lazy after trying to write a bridge? The riff to that song is great, but yeah, I hardly ever listen to it because of that middle part.

 

[Korladis]

Any time Anthony Kiedis' voice comes into a song.

 

[JimK]

Jan Hammer really gets on my nerves on Jeff Beck’s Wired and Blow By Blow.

Hammer is not on Blow By Blow...it's Max Middleton. Hammer did a live a album with Beck with some of BBB's material.

Don’t get me started on harmonicas. The Saturday Night Special of instruments.

It is a basic toy in many people's hands.
The guys I mentioned earlier play it like a sax...some can even bend notes.

 

[Bubble]

Nothing beats a good Mizmar solo. I actually like it. Sounds like the base for all rock.

 

[40Hz]

I forgot who said to not do a guitar solo just because you’re too lazy to write another verse worth of lyrics.

But it’s true. Half the solos you hear sound (to me) like they’re in there to do just that. Kinda like those 250 page novels that would have been better if they didn’t try stretch what might otherwise have made an excellent short story.

You see it in movies too. How often have you sat through a two hour long film that had maybe 20 minutes worth of a story in it?