Like many people, over the years, I've gathered a collection of beloved rock songs. Though I continue to find a new one now and then, most of them were gathered in my youth during get-togethers with friends. I want to share my precious cauldron of Noble Rock Songs and also ask for contributions to acquaint me and visitors to this site with noble songs I have overlooked.
Required Characteristics of a Noble Rock Song
- tasty, non-noisy rhythm guitar
- decent guitar solo that relies on dexterity and musicality rather than noise and pretention and isn't so long as to wear out its welcome
- singer with more skill than 'attitude'
- non-embarassing lyrics ie. not stupid
- non-trite vocal melody in the verse ie. doesn't keep going up, then down, then up — or similar
- a worthy chorus with decent musicality or other non-silly hook
- no strummed acoustic guitar (plucked is OK), especially not strumming all six strings
- competent, confident, creative human drummer
- rhythm doesn't 'swing' ie. not da-dum da-dum da-dum (but slow beat with fast swing like Cornflake Girl is OK, as long as the drummer knows what she's doing)
- no over-loud keyboard or boring, one-handed (or worse: two-fingered), chord-less keyboard solo
- no droning brass — tight, punchy, hot brass is OK, maybe
- clean sound
Nice (but not required) Characteristics
- The Song
- paradox: a tasteful, controlled sense of outrageousness
- tasty bridge
- a crescendo
- an actual ending rather than a fade out (though there are some great fade outs…)
- Guitar solo has
- a low note
- a meaningful long note
- a jump from one part of the neck to the other
- tasteful, resonably-controlled guitar squawks
- non-squeaky, non-noisy, rich tone
- Drums
- tasty hi-hat and cymbal work
- cool-sounding snare drum (chili peppers meet pearl jam)
- non-muddy toms whose pitch falls after impact
- snappy, non-thuddy bass drum
- when did some judicious bell of cymbol and a little cowbell hurt anybody?
- Bass
- a slight grinding quality to the bass guitar
- a bass guitar player who loves the low notes and is not a frustrated lead guitarist
- Other
- a glorious burst of un-cheesy vocal harmony
- satisfying, interesting, cool, clever rhythm guitar mixed at -9 decibels or less but with high-pass filtering so it 'cuts' through anyway. And, who could complain about some subtle wah?
- occasional spaciousness in the mix
