What is the Best Saxophone Song?

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Discussion Overview

This thread explores various songs featuring saxophone and guitar, with participants sharing their favorites and links to performances. The discussion includes a mix of personal opinions on the quality of songs, performances, and artists across different genres, including rock, blues, and progressive metal.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty as a top saxophone song.
  • Others mention Leo Kotke's "Vaseline Machine Gun," noting the quality of available recordings.
  • Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel of Love" is also suggested as a notable song.
  • One participant expresses admiration for Dream Theater, particularly their song "Octavarium," citing its progressive nature.
  • Several participants discuss the guitar work of artists like Erik Mongrain and Tommy Emmanuel, with varying opinions on their styles and contributions to music.
  • There are mixed opinions on Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine," with some praising its guitar riff and others criticizing Axl Rose's vocals.
  • Participants share links to various songs, including works by Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, and David Bowie, indicating a wide range of musical tastes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion features multiple competing views on what constitutes the best saxophone or guitar songs, with no clear consensus emerging among participants.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express difficulty in finding links to specific songs, and there are mentions of varying quality in recordings shared. Additionally, personal preferences and subjective opinions on artists and songs are prevalent throughout the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

Music enthusiasts, particularly those interested in saxophone and guitar performances, as well as fans of rock, blues, and progressive metal genres.

  • #2,281
@ SW VandeCarr,
Thanks, always enjoy anything by Marcus Miller. It's usually an auditory treat when a bunch of really gifted musicians get together to do ... any sort of tune they feel like doing.

@phoenix:\\,
Thanks, I love driving, heavy rock done well. Which, imho, your latest offering from Smashing Pumpkins is.

@Byrons,
Thanks, although the Backstreet Boys might not be my first listening preference, they're certainly all wonderful singers. And I like the song.

Hadn't listened to any of these offerings before. So thanks for expanding my musical horizon.
 
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  • #2,282
Cherub Rock is from the Siamese Dream album, the best thing Smashing Pumpkins ever did. That, and Soundgarden's Superunkown album, and Nirvana, were all I needed to get through the 90s, and rock has been going down hill ever since if you ask me. :P

http://s.dsimg.com/image/R-150-367864-1128444262.jpeg http://s.dsimg.com/image/R-150-409348-1150567266.jpeg http://s.dsimg.com/image/R-150-375979-1278225309.jpeg

Here's my pick for today.

 
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  • #2,283
@Adyssa,
Thanks for the Muddy Waters tune. Unique and pioneering. One wishes that one might do something like this. But it's already been done, by guys like Muddy Waters.

Maybe there are examples in the subsequent musical history. I think there are. But this stuff is just so cool.
 
  • #2,284
Soul music, I love it so much. :)
 
  • #2,285
Marc Cohn performing "Paper Walls" live. It was always a crowd-pleaser at the taverns where I played. I tried unsuccessfully to fins a link to the album version, because he and his drummer had such clean breaks on every verse.

 
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  • #2,286
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngdu12jepsg&feature=endscreen&NR=1
 
  • #2,288
Gad said:
-tPKXC-zIIE[/youtube][/QUOTE] Very nice Gad Girl. :approve:
 
  • #2,289
ThomasT said:
Why are they especially desirable? I don't know because I was never an electric guitar player of any notable skill. Played acoustic guitar for years. Dabbled with bass and many other instruments, then eventually got into keyboards ... which I really like because of the compositional capabilities.

Anyway, I'm guessing it's because of the tones/resonances that one can produce with the Les Pauls. Waiting for your elaboration.
Sorry for the delay Thomas - that just slipped by me. The early Les Pauls were tone-monsters. Lots of sustain (due to the heavy bodies and the solid necks). The bodies were solid mahogany with carved maple caps. And the PAF pickups were wonderful. Peter Green (founder of Fleetwood Mac) had one with one of the pickup magnets reversed, giving a distinctive "scooped midrange" tone when both pickups were in use at the same time. (BB King said that Green's guitar tone gave him the cold sweats.) When Green was rejecting the music business, he sold that guitar for a pittance to Gary Moore, of Thin Lizzy.
 
  • #2,290
dlgoff said:
Very nice Gad Girl. :approve:

I agree! Very Mo-Town sound - love it!
 
  • #2,291
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdzQPSN2FvE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvx5QM8nrZA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MPwQLyaiqw
 
  • #2,292
turbo said:
Sorry for the delay Thomas - that just slipped by me. The early Les Pauls were tone-monsters. Lots of sustain (due to the heavy bodies and the solid necks). The bodies were solid mahogany with carved maple caps. And the PAF pickups were wonderful. Peter Green (founder of Fleetwood Mac) had one with one of the pickup magnets reversed, giving a distinctive "scooped midrange" tone when both pickups were in use at the same time. (BB King said that Green's guitar tone gave him the cold sweats.) When Green was rejecting the music business, he sold that guitar for a pittance to Gary Moore, of Thin Lizzy.
Thanks turbo, the technical details of this are a bit over my head. But I think I basically understand.
 
  • #2,294
@ Pythagorean, listening to the middle tune from your post #2291, which I like better than the first tune (which I also liked), and don't suppose I'll like the third tune from that post better than this one ... but I'll let you know. Really like this middle one. Rhythmically, tonally, quite musically entertaining ... for me at least.

Ok, now I'm listening to the third tune. Very nice. Somewhat complex, some surprises, but its essence, its theme, is quite simply musically pleasing ... to me anyway. Gegrüßet seist du technologie.
 
  • #2,295
Yeah Cat Rats is one I can always listen to. Not necissarily my favorite, but I never don't feel like hearing it you know?
 
  • #2,296
ThomasT said:
Thanks turbo, the technical details of this are a bit over my head. But I think I basically understand.
Back then, there were a couple of guitars that were dominant in Rock and Roll. One was the Fender Stratocaster. Ash body with bolt-on neck and single-coil pickups. The other was the Les Paul. (Solid mahogany body with carved maple cap and glued-in mahogany neck.) The Les Paul also had double-coil humbucking pickups that were quite resistant to line-noise, buzz from neon lights, etc. If you could stand wearing one on a strap all night (massive!) you could get pretty impressive tone and volume from the little amps of the day.
 
  • #2,297
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq4PhQaQGh0

Rach III performed by Arcady Volodos and the best orchestra in the world.

 
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  • #2,298
deftones - digital bath
deftones - house of flies
 
  • #2,299
nevere said:
deftones - digital bath
deftones - house of flies

the whole adrenaline album was pretty good
 
  • #2,301
excellent cover:



and the original (I like the cover better):

 
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  • #2,302
some more Elliot Smith:



and his old band heatmiser:

 
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  • #2,303
77D7oi2Qy-Q[/youtube] I can't understand a word she says, it's amazing. :)
 
  • #2,304


You won't understand a word she sings, but it is still amazing.
 
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  • #2,305
Such arrogant and ignorant voice, but it is still amazing.I'd appreciate a translated lyrics to that song [if there's any], Borek.
 
  • #2,306
new Meshuggah:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P68fmKQJ-6g
 
  • #2,307
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ONDtwZ1V2w
 
  • #2,308
Gad said:
I'd appreciate a translated lyrics to that song [if there's any], Borek.

In the waiting room at the PKP station
I like to sit sometimes
because where is the better place to wait

women with loads
completely drunken guys
and as usual on the station, some stink, sometimes crowd

don't ask me where do I go
whether I can afford a ticket
sitting and waiting is a natural state

sometimes I smoke a joint
and I fell great
there is no need to wait
as a train to sky carries me
​

I am sitting for hours, not hurrying anywhere
sometimes a guy like you accosts me
so sit with me on the PKP station
that's how the journey starts, who knows how it'll end

--
PKP is a Polish National Railway
train to sky can be a train to heaven, both meanings are correct
 
  • #2,309
Beautiful lyrics [and translated well], Borek. Thanks!
 
  • #2,310
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPFV9jhdHu8

This show uses a lot of great classical music that fits wonderfully. This is probably my favorite example with one of my favorite songs.
 

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