The best moment in the song is...

[QuikSand]

Okay... this is a "thing" of mine. Mrs Q puts up with me pointing this out from time to time, but really doesn't get what I'm talking about. In the past, sometimes I have found that quirks of mine are more widely held here than I might expect... so I'll share, and see what happens.

First... I a not a music guy. Can't read music, never learned an instrument, and I don't exactly speak the language. Not a central issue - I feel that I have a good sense of aesthetics, and I more or less trust my ear. Besides, I'm talking here about popular music, and that belongs to the listener as much as any art form, I'd think. So... this is not a technical thing.

Here's my thing. Listening to music, I have a real fondness for "moments" that I think just work perfectly. Sometimes they happen in a song that I really like, sometimes they are just hidden on an album cut that hardly anyone ever heard of. But I derive a disproportionate share of my musical enjoyment from these moments. Some are just a perfect line or two of lyrics that just click perfectly, sometimes it's something in the musical accompaniment that I like, and sometimes it's even more subtle than that.

So... to the extent anyone shares what I'm talking about here (even if you never thought of it quite that way) this thread is to post things like: "the *moment* in [name of song] is when..."

What say you?

[RendeR]

These moments are generally called "hooks" and they are the elements that the artists tend to build the songs up from.

** I'm in the same boat, having no training or particular musical talent, however I learned this point from musicians in San Francisco.

[QuikSand]

Prompted by this song, heard in the supermarket this morning:



Not a song I love, or would single out, but it has a moment.

In the video (that hasn't held up well, incidentally), it's at about 1:02. Hay just gets through what is essentially the chorus, and hits the line "ghosts appear and fade away." In the song, in this first verse, that is followed by a space that could have been another lyric... instead it's just a bass line with a change in chord. For this song (and maybe for this band) *this* is the moment. It's perfect... made so by the fact that they hit that spot again later in the song and do other things with it, but the first time it's just a bridge.

That's what I'm talking about. A moment in the song that hits for you.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by RendeR

These moments are generally called "hooks" and they are the elements that the artists tend to build the songs up from.

** I'm in the same boat, having no training or particular musical talent, however I learned this point from musicians in San Francisco.

I'm really not talking about hooks (I get that concept) -- as you will see in my MAW example above, what I'm talking about (more or less) is the little thing that stands out to you, not the real fabric of the song that's designed as a centerpiece. Nobody thought about that moment of non-singing in Overkill and thought it was important. But it totally works, and every time I hear that song, that's the moment I listen for.

[cuervo72]

The moment in Pour Some Sugar on me is when they sing the verse "You gotta squeeze a little, squeeze a little/Tease a little more/Easy operator come a knockin' on my door." Specifically the way "knockin' on my door (or-or)" goes between (I think) F and G-.

[RendeR]

But your example *IS* the hook in this song, its actually the chorus you're talking about.

"But day after day it reappears, and night after night my heartbeat shows the fear...ghosts appear and fade away...."

thats the chorus. If you listen to teh second verse they toss in that extra lyric you mention is missing in teh first one:

"come back another day..."


See what I mean?

[QuikSand]

My moment is *not* the entire chorus, not even the "ghosts appear" section of it. My moment is the way they elect not to sing another line the fist time through, and how for just that small section of the song it's the bass that is the most prominent thing.

Not that this is particularly important (none of this is) but it's not that I like the chorus of the song (which indeed is a central building block of the song)... what I like is a roughly 4-second segment that comes right after the first singing of the chorus. Nobody built a song around 4 seconds of nothing.

[RendeR]

Ahh, that makes more sense then. I don't think I was thinking of it that way.

I always did think it was interesting teh way they left that space in the lyrics though. I bought that Cassette tape the day after its release in the US. listened to it so much it literally borke in the machine, and bought a second copy.

Loved MAW when I was young.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm pretty sure I know what you mean here & there are several examples that came to mind immediately.

One of those is the first couple of seconds of guitar (about :16 seconds into the song) of Starship's Jane.

[lighthousekeeper]

Thanks for posting the video. Cargo was the first cassette I ever got as a kid, and it's great to hear a song I haven't heard in decades.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'm pretty sure I know what you mean here & there are several examples that came to mind immediately.

One of those is the first couple of seconds of guitar (about :16 seconds into the song) of Starship's Jane.

In my opinion, that's a very memorable moment in the song -- definitely a "hook" designed as a major part of the song. And no denying it's the best part of that song, too.

Kinda tough to separate the deliberate moments from the incidental ones, I suppose.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

In my opinion, that's a very memorable moment in the song -- definitely a "hook" designed as a major part of the song. And no denying it's the best part of that song, too.

Kinda tough to separate the deliberate moments from the incidental ones, I suppose.

I think I was focused primarily on the "moments" that I think just work perfectly criteria that you set out initially, not whether the moment was incidental or intentional, etc.

[QuikSand]

I get that Jon, and agree that moment works perfectly (setting aside intent).

[Groundhog]

One of my fave genres is progressive rock, and really, that style is all about these moments. Sometimes I'll sit through 4 1/2 minutes of noodling just because the band finally hits their stride and has 30-40 seconds of musical brilliance before yet another 4 1/2 minutes of wanky jamming.

[QuikSand]

Okay, one more.



Here, I think the defining moment in the song (indeed the entire album) comes fairly late in this song. Mercer sings most of the song with an unusually high pitch, and then there's a second "voice" he uses, and only late in the song does he re-enter with something close to his usual voice. Anyway, when he does so (in this short film, it's at about 3:40) it shifts the sound of the song... and right after he sings the lyric "Was it all for show" there's a quick descending piano bit. Just six notes, nothing complicated, but to me, it is most definitely the *moment* of this excellent song and is the instant of the album that I listen for. (I wish they didn't use the same piano bit a little later in the song, it's still okay there but that's not a moment, if you get my drift)

By the way, they seed in that piano bit early on in the short film linked above, before the song starts in earnest. I thought posting the video might undermine my point here... but then I figured that any censorship of Ms Hendricks is downright unamerican, and I don't want to be part of that, even indirectly.

[Bigsmooth]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnp9VjhDFYQ

Pixies - Hey. Right at 2:01. Love that song and it actually has a couple moments like you mention. To me at least, obviously.

[kurtism]

While I love the whole song, the moment comes at 3:11, when everything drops out, and then the drums kick back in with a vengeance.

[Sgran]

you need a copy of Scotty J.'s Awesome Mix Tape #6. Wait, wait, here comes the crescendo: "you're motoring!"

[albionmoonlight]

At 3:06, when the background singers drag out the "you" line and the next verse starts over it.

[Buccaneer]

I think part of it could be the anticipation of the hook(s) that heightens your senses to what preceeds that. Your minds, probably subconciously, wants to pay more attention and looks for things that could validate your anticipation. Or something like that.

To me, I love transitions in songs, whether a verse shifting to a different key or tempo (or instrumentation changing to acoustic or the opposite), then back to the regular chorus. I'm sure there's a name for that.

[Comey]

I completely understand this. Most of my moments are from live performances. There's the part at the end of Pearl Jam's "Black" (the MTV Unplugged version) where Eddie comes unglued (at the "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life/I know you'll be the stars/In somebody else's sky/But why can't it be mine?" mark), where the rest of the band is singing backup and Eddie's losing his shizz. Love it...shivers every time.

There's also Howie Day's version of "The Drugs Don't Work" where he sings the line "If you leave my life/I'm better off dead". He stops everything at that point, but you have a resonating echo for a moment.

Perhaps the biggest one(s) for me are from Dave Matthews Band. People give the band shit for thinking their a jam band, or they're hippies or whatever. Go listen to Halloween, which is the result of Dave proposing to his then-girlfriend three times and getting rejected. Angriest song I know. But there's another song, called Shotgun, which hits me hard.

Nobody was quite sure what the song was about. But a version from SPAC (Saratoga, NY) in 2008 cleared it up, at least for me. Towards the end of the song, he starts singing "You almost got out the door/You almost made it to freedom", and starts singing "Come Back" over and over...then goes on to sing "Never had the chance to say goodbye/Bye Bye/Why?". His sister, Anne, was murdered in South Africa in 1994 by her husband, I believe via shotgun blast. He then killed himself. The first time I heard that, tears came to my eyes. Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfP3gA4F4gc

I have many, many others...but those stand out at the moment.

[Bonegavel]

You often post things that strike a chord in me (pun intended) and this one immediately makes me think of Led Zeppelin's Ten Years Gone. Right around 4:16 where the base drum switches up ... it's extremely subtle but I always hit that point in the song and it makes me think about the premise of your post.

[Maple Leafs]

I absolutely do this. I have plenty of songs on my ipod that I enjoy maybe three seconds of.

One of my favorite songs from the last few years is MGMT's Time To Pretend. It's a fun pop song about being a rock star that sounds like a parody but works even better if it you assume it's meant unironically, which it apparently is.

Although you kind of need to hear the whole thing for it to really work, the best part of the song starts at 2:13, with the overly whistful verse about all the things that they'll miss once they become big stars. And the "moment" comes at about 2:28, with the incredibly over the top return of the drum machine.

It's completely ridiculous and should ruin any sincerity the song has, but somehow it woks perfectly.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by kurtism

While I love the whole song, the moment comes at 3:11, when everything drops out, and then the drums kick back in with a vengeance.

Pretty much any moment in a song where some instrument drops out and then comes back, or is introduced for the first time, will get a "that moment" from me.

I really am that easy.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Pretty much any moment in a song where some instrument drops out and then comes back, or is introduced for the first time, will get a "that moment" from me.

I really am that easy.

Or like in the Beastie Boys' Sabotage, when for a brief moment *everything* is silent, then the guitar starts back up...then everything else follows at "WWWWWHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYY????"

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by RendeR

Ahh, that makes more sense then. I don't think I was thinking of it that way.

I always did think it was interesting teh way they left that space in the lyrics though. I bought that Cassette tape the day after its release in the US. listened to it so much it literally borke in the machine, and bought a second copy.

Loved MAW when I was young.

This song reminds me of one of the best Scrubs episodes, where Colin Hay sings the song through the episode.

[Easy Mac]

I know what you're talking about. My favorite is probably from the demo version of The Fray's "Over My Head". If you listen to the version that made the full CD, the guitars end up somewhat muted and bland as they kick into the chorus, with the vocals moved to prominence. But in the demo that got tons of play on the indie rock station before they hit it big, the guitars were much more prominent and really just kicked the longing/sorrow of the song into overdrive, it made it more than just a bland 5 for Fighting-type song. The guitars seemed like they were part of the vocals, not just a compliment to them. There was more of a guitar screech and it made me LOVE the song. Sadly, I can't find that version anymore, and the station went under before I had the idea to contact them for a promo copy.

[Kodos]

I think one of those moments for me comes in The Police's "Every Breath You Take." Through the first part of the song, Sting is melancholy and singing about this girl, but is keeping his stuff together. Then the tempo changes and he just loses his shit with the "Since you've gone, I've been lost without a trace, I dream at night I can only see your face, I look around but it's you I can't replace, I feel so cold and I long for your embrace, I keep cryin' baby baby please." Then he trails off and the piano comes in, and the song goes back to the slower tempo.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Or like in the Beastie Boys' Sabotage, when for a brief moment *everything* is silent, then the guitar starts back up...then everything else follows at "WWWWWHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYY????"

Yes, exactly. Love that moment.

[johnnyshaka]

Green Day's "Panic Song" stats off with a minute and a half of intense build up and then at about 1:45 it sort of levels off and puts you in a holding pattern while you try to figure out which way they are going to take you...absolutely love the first 2 minutes of this song.

[Buccaneer]

The best vocal moment of any rock song, for me, is when the singer suddenly goes up an octave or at least a few steps up on the harmonic scale. You see this in many, many songs and it usually gets me if the singer can do it and is in control. For example, using my favorite song "Silent Lucidity", when Geoff goes into "Come tumbling down, and a new world will begin" in the middle of third verse.

Additionally, I love when an acoustic verse suddenly has the drums come in. Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" has the drums come in unexpectedly in the third line of the second verse, on "I'm strangled by your haunted social scene".

My favorite moment of drums coming in is my favorite Springsteen song "Worlds Apart". The first verse has a nice, easy Middle Eastern-inspired drum shuffle but just as the first line of the second verse starts, powerful drums come in building up into the middle of that first line "Where the distant oceans sing and rise to the plain".

[Mustang]

The best moment of any Bob Seger song is the last note. At least then I know it is over and I won't have to be subjected to it any longer.


One of the parts of a song that sticks for me is the bass in Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" (more towards the back end of the song). I saw some show once where Paul Simon was breaking down the song and one of the pieces he was discussing was how they played the bass and then played it in reverse. I find that piece of the song more interesting now based on his breakdown of it.

[Warhammer]

I would just like to add Overkill is one of my all time favorite songs.

[Subby]

The transition that starts at 2:38 makes my brain dump a shitton of dopamine. I don't know what it is about this "moment" but it always puts me in a euphoric place.

[whomario]

first off i have to say that i find it incredibly ridiculous that it´s come to the point that 6 of the 8 songs posted are "not available in your country"


Foo Fighters imo have a talent for this sort of "moments" which is quite a feat considering they don´t really have many different Tempi in most songs.

I personally am a sucker for songs making a "statement" and setting the tone very early, with the first couple of notes as well with the first lyrics. 2 examples of this :



as soon as that 2nd "key" comes in at the 7 seconds mark i was (and still am) hooked.



again, as soon as the bass starts i was hooked.
Another one in here is at 1.10 when he goes "Oh my, are you the beast again? Is it the violence you like?"


a rather obvious choice as most Post Rock Bands offer this "moments" and shifts to compensate for not having lyrics :



right at 2:17

[Karlifornia]

The first one that came to mind was the beginning of the solo in "Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2". They finish the second chorus, and there's some filthy leftover feedback, and this very clean toned, nifty guitar solo starts kind of out of nowhere.

Also, when the horn starts playing during "Spitting Venom" by Modest Mouse. When they did it live I screamed like a little kid.

[Butter]

The "sparkly" keyboard bit of "Let Down" by Radiohead. Right around the 3:30 mark. And then the whole next verse where it's just Thom Yorke semi-yodeling over the top of his own vocals. I get goosebumps pretty much every time.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

To me, I love transitions in songs, whether a verse shifting to a different key or tempo (or instrumentation changing to acoustic or the opposite), then back to the regular chorus. I'm sure there's a name for that.

Sounds like you might be talking about the bridge: Bridge (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And I'm the same way. A bridge can make or break a song for me.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

The first one that came to mind was the beginning of the solo in "Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2". They finish the second chorus, and there's some filthy leftover feedback, and this very clean toned, nifty guitar solo starts kind of out of nowhere.

Good call, any time a Pink Floyd solo starts has to be a moment.

Thanks sab.

[rowech]

Rush -- 2112 -- explosions sound followed by "and the meek shall inherit the Earth", pause, and then just unleashed sound of voice, drums, and guitar.

[Abe Sargent]

I think the perfect example of this is Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight, when it stops being a soft ballad and turns into rock with the drums and stuff, late in the song.

[Matthean]

Patty Griffin - "Nobody's Cryin'" during the bridge. The song sits there slowly cooking and building and then she gets to the bridge and it just starts taking off with those lyrics. By the time she gets to the end of the bridge her voice is just flying.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Good call, any time a Pink Floyd solo starts has to be a moment.

Thanks sab.

yeah, I was actually going to say the first 3 notes of the Comfortably Numb solo. All the same note, but with different harmonics.

Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight has to be on any song "moments" list

Let's see...Van Halen's Fools when Eddie starts shredding so fast it sounds like his guitar can't keep up with his fingers, and then he slams on the breaks.

Jane's Addiction Three Days which builds up and builds up until Perry Ferrell yells "Get ready, Jesus"

Fastball's The Way when the song drops out

Led Zeppelin's Heartbreaker towards the middle of the red hot guitar solo. you think things are winding down, then he breaks into a little chord progression and the craziness starts up again

The first twangy guitar note (low E) from Def Leppard's Too Late for Love

I have a video moment as well. The Bangles' Walk Like an Egyptian when the music stops and Susannah Hoffs does that thing with her eyes. I still get wood when I see that

[Draft Dodger]

"my time is a piece of wax, falling on a termite who's choking on the splinters"

"I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom"

[Draft Dodger]

"one break, coming up"

[Drake]

How about the exact opposite...where the entire song is the lead up to the *moment* that never comes.



I don't have words for how perfectly executed this song is.

[Scarecrow]

if I'm understanding right (and I think we're talking about bridges), but ummm...

Clapton's Layla???????

[Maple Leafs]

"Madagascar" by Guns and Roses is a pretty forgettable ballad for three minutes or so, then suddenly turns into a combination extended guitar solo/collection of movie quotes/MLK speech. You get "I Have A Dream" spliced together with Michael J. Fox, Morgan Freeman and Braveheart. Yes, it's exactly as awesome as it sounds, starting at 2:52 of this (live) version.



Favorite "moment" would be Gene Hackman's "Let's get something straight, this whole thing is fucked up". Yes it is Gene. Yes it is.

[judicial clerk]

Or like in the Beastie Boys' Sabotage, when for a brief moment *everything* is silent, then the guitar starts back up...then everything else follows at "WWWWWHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYY????"

Yes

Also, the beginning of Sunday Bloody Sunday with the drums and then the guitar starts. I like that.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

I have a video moment as well. The Bangles' Walk Like an Egyptian when the music stops and Susannah Hoffs does that thing with her eyes. I still get wood when I see that

My Fav Susannah Hoffs "eye" moment is during eternal flame when she is sitting on the Beach........sigh