OFF: Greatest Riffs

[Chip Hart]

I don't know if the color of the sky in my world is different from
everyone else's, but there seems to be a real difference in "riff
ranking" from where I sit.

First, I don't know how anyone can have a discussion about the "best
riffs of all time" and not at least universally recognize the first 5 or
6 Black Sabbath albums.  Hello?  War Pigs?  Iron Man?  Electric Funeral?
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath?  Symptom of the Universe?  N.I.B.?  Black
Sabbath?  There are dozens more.  Which ones do we leave out?

Second, I'm sure I've missed it, but I haven't seen: Kinks - You Really
Got Me (written, rumor has it, by Page).  C'mon!  That two-"note" bit is
at the root of a zillion other riffs (including, but not limited to,
Cocaine/Sunshine of Your Love).  Maybe I missed it.

Third, not a single mention of Angus Young?  Ever been to a rock concert
and seen what happens when they play Back in Black over the PA before
the show?  People go crazy!  Shake A Leg, Beatin' Around the Bush, Whole
Lotta' Rosie, Have a Drink On Me - Jesus, those are fundamental rock riffs!

Other memorable riffs:

Rock Bottom - UFO
Am I Evil? - Diamond Head
Master of Puppets - Metallica
Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
Mistreated - Purple/Rainbow
Voodoo Child - Hendrix
Walk This Way - Aerosmith


...there are also dozens of killer riffs by the myriad of
speed/thrash/death metal bands, some of which knock the socks
off of most "classic" riffs - bands like Exodus, Nuclear Assault,
Vio-Lence, etc., took riffing to the highest level of art-form.

--
Chip Hart                           *                        chip @ pcc.com
Physician's Computer Company        *              http://www.pcc.com/~chip
1 Main Street                       *                     Work:800-722-7708
Winooski, VT 05404                  *                     Fax: 802-846-8178