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The Acoustic Guitar, ubiquitous throughout popular music, from the most basic folk songs to the speed and complexities of classical stylings. The melodious, resonant, natural tones emanating from its hollow body, ranging from the mellowest of sounds to the fast staccato fury of flamenco and related styles. A crucial component of rock music, yet constantly overshadowed by the flash and power of the electric guitar. Yet all the great rock bands, from The Beatles to the Who to Led Zeppelin and all the great progressive rock bands, recognized the importance of the acoustic guitar and used it most effectively, for dynamic contrast, to set the mood, to illustrate beautiful melodies, and just for artistic elegance. So, today we honor the humble acoustic guitar, and its magnificent place in rock music. Here, I have assembled some of the best, most impressive songs prominently featuring acoustic guitar that I know. These range from very familiar songs by the Beatles, Neil Young, Jethro Tull, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, etc., to less well-known gems from Big Star, The Grays, and others. There are mostly songs with vocals here, but also several solo instrumental pieces from guitar virtuosos Leo Kottke, Steve Hackett, Steve Howe, Anthony Phillips, Jimmy Page, and the guitar trio of Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola & John McLaughlin, as well as many different styles, showing the range of sounds and influences of the best of acoustic guitar songs. Known for its sonorous mellow tones, but the acoustic guitar can also rock pretty hard as well. This collection does feature mostly songs from the 1970's, as that is the era I am most familiar with, but also because it seems that they knew how to make the best use of the acoustic guitar in that period (think about how often you hear prominent acoustic guitar in pop music today). Anyway, this is the compilation I came up with, 71 minutes of great music featuring acoustic guitar.
I kick it off with the breezy opening track from that great acoustic guitar (1st) album from America to set the right mood, then my favorite acoustic Jethro Tull song, followed by a masterpiece from Big Star, and then the non-stop magnificence of Leo Kottke. After that, sit back and enjoy wonderful ditties from Fleetwood Mac and The Beatles, and then the impeccable 12-string brilliance of Anthony Phillips followed by a delicately beautiful ballad and the understated elegance of a brief Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page) instrumental. Then we have The Grays, and the shimmering jazzy/classical stylings of the incomparable Guitar Trio of virtuosos de Lucia, Di Meola, and McLaughlin. Next is The Doobie Brothers acoustic masterpiece that just shines throughout, then a real golden oldie from Mason Williams in its original fully acoustic form. Then wrapping things up are more classic acoustic tracks from ELP, Blind Faith, Wishbone Ash, Heart, and Neil Young. But the finale just had to be what I consider to be the most impressive and phenomenal solo instrumental acoustic guitar piece of all-time, Steve Howe and his incredible The Clap, performed live. What great acoustic guitar songs did I miss? What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments.
Tracklist: Trk# Artist - Song Title (Album-year)
01. America - Riverside (America-1971)
02. Jethro Tull - Life's A Long Song (Living in the Past-1972)
03. Big Star - Watch The Sunrise (#1 Record-1972)
04. Leo Kottke - Busted Bicycle (6 & 12 String Guitars-1969)
05. Fleetwood Mac - Never Going Back Again (Rumours-1977)
06. The Beatles - Blackbird (2018 Mix) (The Beatles-1968)
07. Anthony Phillips-Scottish Suite (ii) Parting Thistle (Private Parts & Pieces II - Back to the Pavilion-1980)
08. Anthony Phillips - God If I Saw Her Now (The Geese and The Ghost-1977)
09. Led Zeppelin - Brn-Yr-Aur (Physical Graffiti-1975)
10. The Grays - Both Belong (Ro Sham Bo-1994)
11. Guitar Trio (Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola & John McLaughlin)- Midsummer Night (Guitar Trio-1996)
12. Doobie Brothers - Clear as the Driven Snow (Captain & Me-1973)
13. Ten Years After - I'd Love to Change the World (A Space in Time-1971)
14. Mason Williams - Classical Gas (Acoustic) (Hand Made-1970)
15. ELP - From The Beginning (Trilogy-1972)
16. Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home (Blind Faith-1969)
17. Wishbone Ash - Time Was (Openng section) (Argus-1972)
18. Genesis (Steve Hackett) - Horizons (Foxtrot-1972)
19. The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun (Abbey Road-1969)
20. Heart - Love Alive (Little Queen-1977)
21. Neil Young - The Needle And The Damage Done (Harvest-1972)
22. Yes (Steve Howe) - The Clap (The Yes Album-1971)
12 comments:
Thanks for pulling together an interesting list. I've used "Clear As the Driven Snow" as a song to test new speakers & earphones for years. "Riviera Paradise" by Stevie Ray Vaughan is a goodie.
great mixtape, thank you. From my side I would definitively add Bert Jansch - Angie (Bert Jansch - 1965)
Nice playlist, much appreciated.
Your selection is near to my selection, mate. Great thanx.
We just missed of course Dust in the Wing by Kansas.
Greetings from Paris,
This could start a cool comment thread. Sticking with obvious and well-known (at first)...
Little Martha
Love this and have posted links across to you. Great and fascinating selection as ever. To reply to James DB Jr comment?
Next volume? - some more Brits?
Richard Thompson, Martin Simpson, . . . .
Very nice. Hope there will be more. Thank you.
Yes - 'Clap'
Not 'The Clap'; popular misconception.
Well spotted 'unknown' and yes despite the original album printing 'The Clap' in error it is in fact 'Clap' composed in response to the birth of Steve Howe's son allegedly . . . . . . . The Clap was a very different thing entirely! But back then ('71) everybody had it!!!
A nice collection - thanks. I too usually listen to 1970s (or 1960s) music, but I would add Aztec Camera's "Oblivious" from 1983.
That's a really nice compilation. And I guess everybody will have corrections, alterations etc. So do I ;-))
For me the best acoustic guitar music is by Brewer & Shipley, f. i. "One Toke Over The Line".
Greetings from Germany
This looks like a great compilation. Just wish I could listen to it but can't use Megafire for some reason..
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