Instruments in progressive rock

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by Yesspaz
Many people forget that Roger Waters plays oboe on a few tracks on The Wall, most prominently on the last track, "Outside the Wall."

Probably they forget because he didn't.

If you'd have seen The Wall you'd know that it is neither clarinet or oboe.
It is an old english triple reed concertina (an accordion). Oh, and it wasn't played by Waters.

[lotus]

Originally posted by Rick and Roll
especially in concert is where I see these "special" moments, but for me the violin is one. I saw this band saturday as an opener called "Skeleton Breath", where the violin player just went nuts.

I agree with Rick, one of my fav's is also the Violin. Good example for that is Mauro Pagani, former PFM, playing in Alta Loma Nine Till Five.

[Roger -Dot- Lee(Admin)]

Originally posted by VAXman
Probably they forget because he didn't.

If you'd have seen The Wall you'd know that it is neither clarinet or oboe.
It is an old english triple reed concertina (an accordion). Oh, and it wasn't played by Waters.

You're half right there, Vax.

There is a Concertina in there...but there's also a woodwind of some sort starting things off after the explosions (either a Clarinet or a Soprano Sax with a VERY soft reed).

Roger -Dot- Lee, knows his woodwinds. Maybe.

[Yesspaz]

There's a concertina, and an oboe/clarinet, and Waters most definitely plays it. On video footage of the Wall tour, you see Waters and the hired musicians finish the show literally outside the wall. They walk on from one side of the stage, Waters playing the melody on a reed with the concertina and guitar. He stops playing, sings the song (...after all it's not easy banging your head against some mad bugger's wall), then they all walk off the opposite side of the stage, Waters playing the reed. I saw it on VH1.

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by Yesspaz
There's a concertina, and an oboe/clarinet, and Waters most definitely plays it. On video footage of the Wall tour, you see Waters and the hired musicians finish the show literally outside the wall. They walk on from one side of the stage, Waters playing the melody on a reed with the concertina and guitar. He stops playing, sings the song (...after all it's not easy banging your head against some mad bugger's wall), then they all walk off the opposite side of the stage, Waters playing the reed. I saw it on VH1.

What video of The Wall tour?

[Rick and Roll]

This week...Pink Floyd!

Roger Waters, whose concertina was only visible to Spaz, is Obscured By Clouds to vax. Roger, who some say is an Atom Heart Mother, gives vax a Dark Side of the Moon by saying he's half right.

Aah but we may have multiple videos. Who can uncover the Saucerful of Secrets? Need I say More?

I Wish You Were Here to see the video. Then we'd all know.

Saw Tina at a concert once, she was playing a special woodwind. And we'll leave that one to the censors.

Come to think of it, we're all just a bunch of Animals.

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by Rick and Roll
This week...Pink Floyd!

Roger Waters, whose concertina was only visible to Spaz, is Obscured By Clouds to vax. Roger, who some say is an Atom Heart Mother, gives vax a Dark Side of the Moon by saying he's half right.

Aah but we may have multiple videos. Who can uncover the Saucerful of Secrets? Need I say More?

I Wish You Were Here to see the video. Then we'd all know.

Saw Tina at a concert once, she was playing a special woodwind. And we'll leave that one to the censors.

Come to think of it, we're all just a bunch of Animals.

I found a link to the Roger Waters "The Wall" at http://www.rogerwaters.org/vrev4.html

This says Waters is seen leading the troupe on and off the stage with a "clarinet" (read, not an oboe). I don't recall the clarinet from the Nassau Coliseum performance of The Wall by the whole of Pink Floyd. I do know that there was the concertina (that's visible in my pix but I don't see a clarinet). My guess is that none were actually played live but used only as props in the last few moments outside the toppled wall.

At least I saw it live and not on VH1. ... and the DSotM at RFK, Animals and Wish You Were Here at the Philly Spectrum, and of course The Wall at Nassau Coliseum. The last PF tour for me was the Division Bell FRC at Giant Stadium.

[Yesspaz]

1. I amended to clarinet
2. The Wall concert overview

Scroll down to the picture of the Wall falling and look left, you see this:

"By The Trial, it was Roger on stage alone contemplating his fate against the animated court. There the brutal judge dredged up the characters in Pink's life before him and demanded The Wall be torn down, exposing all of Pink's frailty and fears in full view. Images flashed on The Wall in rapid sequence as the first few bricks tumbled down onstage. The rumble grew louder until the entire edifice came crashing down in systematic chaos.

During Outside The Wall, the minstrels of doom armed with acoustic guitars, a mandolin, an accordian, and Waters puffing on a clarinet, marched through the rubble in the final act, proclaiming "it's not easy banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall".

[roger]

Originally posted by Rick and Roll
are we talking about the violin? That would be Robby Steinhardt.

if not, sorry.

d'oh! I can be such a doofus. thanks for the correction, Rick.

[lenron]

Chapman Stick. Nuff said.

Nino "Saving For A Stick" Batista

[kirk]

Focus - Their use of Alto and Bass flute (which should actually be considered a 'tenor' flute, but that's not their fault) adds a haunting quality to many of their pieces

roger- there is such a thing as a "real bass flute".

tim weisberg used a model that i think fills the
"tenor flute" bill although it's not labeled as that.
this thing was (an est.) 3 ft. longw/ a circumference of
around 3 in.

the bass flutes that i've seen have a curved section
which are actually contrabass flutes.
believe it or not, there's also a contrabass flute
pitched 2 octaves below the bass flute!
here's a link to all the types of flutes-
http://www.contrabass.com/pages/flutes.html

i'll be introducing my flute playing on future zenpool recordings
(my neo-classical piece "for one day of peace" was the 1st).

k

[black max]

A few extra mentions to spur further discussions:

Andy Mackay plays a beautiful oboe on a number of Roxy Music toons.

Patrick Moraz likes odd Brazilian percussion and features it extensively on his "I" album.

Lots of horns and woodwinds on a variety of Crimson albums, along with a kalimba. Maybe the kalimba was Jamie Muir's contribution; can't remember the track off the bat.

Personally, I love the "stick," and Trey Gunn's variant, the Warr guitar.

I'm leaving out a hell of a lot of stuff, particularly the cello -- one of my favorites.

[roger]

great link, Kirk! thanks!

[kirk]

anytime R! oh yeah...i found an octabass flute
that's supposed to be able to play a C 0 (zero) !


agreed on the chapman stick. there's used ones about
for a good price (i found 5 on ebay a few weeks ago starting
@ $800).
it's on my wishlist !

k

[Wojtek]

Ok, time to answer own questions :

It seems that among ethnic instruments the most popular are these connected with Celtic culture. And I like them very much: flutes, harp, violins... From the mentioned ones I like flute most but Ian Anderson like performance and flute sound is not my favourite. I prefer deep, "wet" and delicate sound of the instrument called panflute. It reminds of the traditional Mayan or Aztec instruments because of the characteristic sound of exhaled air. It sounds fantastic but is not very popular among rock flutists.

I love also mentioned by Moses pipes. Their master Troy Donockley is phenomenal musician. Try his recent solo album The Pursuit of Illusion.

Now about keyboards. Definitely Hammond Organ and mellotron are symbols of 70's music, especially progressive rock. The last mentioned instrument has some incredible "banks", being sincere I have to admit that there is some shit on mellotron too . But let's concentrate of the pleasant ones. So:
- choir - still popular in symphonic rock. They were used by Tony Banks, sounded fantastic in Genesis compositions. Do you remember incredible Los Endos fragment as the ending of Seconds Out album? What a moment, what a fantastic mellotron choir performance!
- violins - very often mixed up with strings. No, this ghastly, shrill sound, symbol of classic mellotron is not 'strings' but 'violins'. Mellotron has 'strings' bank but it's sth different.
- flutes - very nice, old-school sound. Very often used by for ex. Tomas Bodin.

To sum up, in my opinion adding varied palette of instruments to the album is a symptom of big musical imagination and idea for music.

PS. One question. I know that Spock's Beards uses bozouki, I know what it is. But where is it heard on their albums?

PS2. Great banjo on Tiles albums.

[Roger -Dot- Lee(Admin)]

Originally posted by kirk
roger- there is such a thing as a "real bass flute".

Oh, I know this. When I was in college, I dated a flautist. She gave me the rundown on the different flute sizes and the like.

They exist, they're just mislabelled.

http://www.contrabass.com/pages/flutes.html

Ah yes, I've been there before. VERY nice site for the big horns.

Incidentally, it gladdens my heart tremendously to find that Jay Easton has finally secured himself that BBb Octocontramonster he was talking about a year ago last christmas. The Epplesheim Tubax, as I recall. I got a chance to listen to him play his Eb Contrabass sax at the same time. Talk about an experience. I could feel it rattling my sinuses. Wonderful sound it had.

It was taller than he was, as I recall.

i'll be introducing my flute playing on future zenpool recordings
(my neo-classical piece "for one day of peace" was the 1st).

k

Cool deal! I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

Roger -Dot- Lee, I want one of them Tubax.....

[kirk]

wojtek- have you heard hubert law's "inside the great pyramid"?
from your description, i bet you'd love it.
i don't know how he got permission, but it's actually recorded
where the name implies.

most don't realize this, but ian (being self taught) holds his
R hand in the wrong position (keys the instrument incorrectly).
"bouree" is much easier to figure out after moving the R
hand up 1 key, but makes a trill w/ the little finger almost impossible.
i love hearing him play, he brings an enormous amount of energy to the instrument.

k/z

[Rick and Roll]

Originally posted by kirk
wojtek- have you heard hubert law's "inside the great pyramid"?
from your description, i bet you'd love it.
i don't know how he got permission, but it's actually recorded
where the name implies.

most don't realize this, but ian (being self taught) holds his
R hand in the wrong position (keys the instrument incorrectly).
"bouree" is much easier to figure out after moving the R
hand up 1 key, but makes a trill w/ the little finger almost impossible.
i love hearing him play, he brings an enormous amount of energy to the instrument.

k/z

You wouldn't happen to be Roland Kirk, would you?

Don't forget the Klaghorn (Jeffrey made it) on Dharma for one.

[Yesspaz]

There's one track on AM called "Ballade" by Matthias Ziegler. Every sound is made by different types of flutes.