NationStates Jolt Archive

What is the greatest piece of Instrumental music you know? You know, that piece that everyone recognizes and no one knows the name to.

Post your choices here, simple but strict rules. No vocals at all! Even though 'Tequila' only has one word it still doesn't qualify. Likewise, even though Santana repeats the phrase "fried neckbones and some homefries" over and over in the song of the same name more for it's rythem than for what it actually says, it's still vocals.

My choices.

Santana - 'Samba Pa Ti', 'Singing Winds, Crying Beast', 'Europa (earth's cry, heaven's smile)' or The entire "Illuminations" album
The Allman Brothers - 'Jessica', 'In memory of Elizabeth Reed'
Jeff Beck Group - 'Constipated Duck' (yes, that's really the title, you have to hear it, the name fits :p ) Or just about anything he recorded after the split with Rod Stewart left him hating Vocalists
Jean Luc Ponte - 'New Country' (Electric Violin anybody?)

Mozart - Greensleeves

I can just about gaurantee you've heard the song...but you just don't know you have...

Mozart - Greensleeves

I can just about gaurantee you've heard the song...but you just don't know you have...

I know I have.

Four Seasons by Vivaldi!

Maybe not the piece that everyone has heard, but the one they all should have heard. It's Parker's Mood, by the late, great Charlie Parker. Alto Sax, piano, bass, and drums.. that's all you EVER need, and it sounds so good. In fact... I'm gonna go listen to it right now.

Mozart - Greensleeves


The tune and lyrics to Greensleeves predates Mozart by 200 years. It was originally written at some point in the 1580s, but there are two versions we know of:

One was penned by Richard Jones as "A new Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves" in 1580.

Two is a 1582 version by Edward White called "A ballad, being the Ladie Greene Sleeves Answere to Donkyn his frende".

Nobody really knows which of them penned the original.

The version most commonly known today was finalized by Jones in 1584.

However, we do know it wasn't Mozart.

Maybe not the piece that everyone has heard, but the one they all should have heard. It's Parker's Mood, by the late, great Charlie Parker. Alto Sax, piano, bass, and drums.. that's all you EVER need, and it sounds so good. In fact... I'm gonna go listen to it right now.

Now THAT'S music. :D

I think I'll join you in that listen. Cardboard and Steeplechase are two of my favorites.

I thought Greensleeves DID have lyrics..?Hmm.
E.S. Posthumous..all their songs from the CD Unearthed.

Opeth: Epilogue

I don't care what some say about Opeth. This moves me to tears.

Michael Kamen: Band of Brothers...anything on this album.

I have to put in a word here for Michael Kamen. He was a great film score composer, cool guy, and is very much missed. For those interested in information on him, here's something I designed as part of another Internet project...

http://www.angelfire.com/home/FloydWaters/michaelkamen/main.html

The site doesn't sing and dance, but it is among the most comprehensive MK sites I've come across.

I thought Greensleeves DID have lyrics..?

It does ... the tune wasn't written until the 1650s. Lyrics before tune!

Lyrics (original poem penned by Richard Jones):


Greensleeues was all my ioy,
Greensleeues was my delight:
Greensleeues was my hart of gold,
And who but Ladie Greensleeues.

Alas my loue, ye do me wrong,
to cast me off discurteously:
And I haue loued you so long
Delighting in your companie.
Greensleeues was all my ioy,
Greensleeues was my delight:
Greensleeues was my heart of gold,
And who but Ladie Greensleeues.

I haue been readie at your hand,
to grant what euer you would craue.
I haue both waged life and land,
your loue and good will for to haue.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

I bought three kerchers to thy head,
that were wrought fine and gallantly:
I kept thee both boord and bed,
Which cost my purse wel fauouredly,
Greensleeues was all my ioie, &c.

I bought thee peticotes of the best,
the cloth so fine as might be:
I gaue thee iewels for thy chest,
and all this cost I spent on thee.
Greensleeues was all my ioie, &c.

Thy smock of silk, both faire and white,
with gold embrodered gorgeously:
Thy peticote of Sendall right:
and thus I bought thee gladly.
Greensleeues was all my ioie, &c.

Thy girdle of gold so red,
with pearles bedecked sumptuously:
The like no other lasses had,
and yet thou wouldst not loue me,
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

Thy purse and eke thy gay guilt kniues,
thy pincase gallant to the eie:
No better wore the Burgesse wiues,
and yet thou wouldst not loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

Thy crimson stockings all of silk,
with golde all wrought aboue the knee,
Thy pumps as white as was the milk,
and yet thou wouldst not loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

Thy gown was of the grossie green,
thy sleeues of Satten hanging by:
Which made thee be our haruest Queen,
and yet thou wouldst not loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

Thy garters fringed with the golde,
And siluer aglets hanging by,
Which made thee blithe for to beholde,
And yet thou wouldst not loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

My gayest gelding I thee gaue,
To ride where euer liked thee,
No Ladie euer was so braue,
And yet thou wouldst not loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

My men were clothed all in green,
And they did euer wait on thee:
Al this was gallant to be seen,
and yet thou wouldst not loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

They set thee vp, they took thee downe,
they serued thee with humilitie,
Thy foote might not once touch the ground,
and yet thou wouldst not loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

For euerie morning when thou rose,
I sent thee dainties orderly:
To cheare thy stomack from all woes,
and yet thou wouldst not loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

Thou couldst desire no earthly thing.
But stil thou hadst it readily:
Thy musicke still to play and sing,
And yet thou wouldst not loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

And who did pay for all this geare,
that thou didst spend when pleased thee?
Euen I that am reiected here,
and thou disdainst to loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

Wel, I wil pray to God on hie,
that thou my constancie maist see:
And that yet once before I die,
thou wilt vouchsafe to loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, &c.

Greensleeues now farewel adue,
God I pray to prosper thee:
For I am stil thy louer true,
come once againe and loue me.
Greensleeues was all my ioy, .
Finis.

"Moanin' " - Charles Mingus (version from 'The Essential Mingus Big Band')

"Die Moldau" - Smetana

"Enigma Variations (Nimrod)" - Elgar

berlioz - symphonie fantastique, especially the 5th movement

Do unintelligible lyrics count? "And The Gods Made Love" by Jimi Hendrix had some backwards and slowed words in them.

Do unintelligible lyrics count?

Don't know about the thread-starter, but I'd count them. The human voice can be used as an instrument, not always as a means of communication.

Do unintelligible lyrics count? "And The Gods Made Love" by Jimi Hendrix had some backwards and slowed words in them.Check the rules LG, no vocals ay all.

I'm disappointed, besides what I started the thread with, I don't see any rock.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

Phillip Glass is also pretty good, in terms of modern music.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

What the one also known as the 'Choral'? The setting of 'Ode To Joy'? The one which quite distinctly isn't a piece of instrumental music?

I'm disappointed, besides what I started the thread with, I don't see any rock.

CC, Opeth is metal. The particular piece I posted, though, "Epilogue", is more like the kind of song you'd expect on a Pink Floyd album, though. I think you'd enjoy it. :)

Pink Floyd: Marooned

if you heard of either of these two then you suck. Simple as that. Go listen to them right now!

Pink Floyd ~ Marooned

Metallica ~ The Call Of Ktulu

Dick Dale - Misirlou

Everyone knows it just as "the Pulp Fiction theme". It seems that it is virtually unknown by its true name.

if you heard of either of these two then you suck. Simple as that. Go listen to them right now!

Pink Floyd ~ Marooned

Metallica ~ The Call Of Ktulu

LOL, check out my post right above yours. ;-)

The Call of Ktulu is a good instrumental not just in its original studio form, but the one from the S & M concert is really amazing as well. Arranged and conducted by the same Michael Kamen that wrote the Band of Brothers score. :-)