Radio 2 greatest guitar riff ever...

[stephen]

'(I can't get no) Satisfaction.'...............Whenever I hear this, I think of the scene in 'Apocalypse Now' with the gunboat taking Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) speeding up the Mekong delta to terminate Colonel Kurtz's (Marlon Brando) command "with extreme prejudice" (!) One of the young gunboat crew is lying in the bow catching some rays, whilst another happily arcs his .50 cal. machine gun from bank to bank whilst smoking a joint. All the while, THAT song (& riff) blasts out from the boat's radio. I've always thought that Stone's song was one of THE soundtracks of the Vietnam war and its riff deserves a special place for that alone.

'Whole Lotta Love/Heartbreaker'............The first one is oh so simple, but oh how effective! The second has more to it but is still classic Jimmy Page. Zeppelin still rule the rock roost as far as I'm concerned.If you're ever feeling a bit down, put on Led Zeppelin 2, crank the volume and wig out!

'Money for Nothing'........................A Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits era classic. Les Paul, half-cocked wah pedal and THOSE fingers. Sums up the better part of '80's music for me along with 'Miami Vice', white Testarossa's and buying a white jacket & rolling the cuffs back!

'Sweet Child 'O Mine'...................I'm with Alan Bakewell on this. Apparently, this riff took over from the intro to 'Stairway to Heaven' as the most played by potential customers (and abhorred by staff) in guitar shops across the land. Still, a powerful & addictive riff if ever there was one and one who's longevity is undoubtedly assured.

'Voodo Child (slight return)'.............Does this particular figure count as a riff? I'm not sure, but it's definitely up there with my faves. Sadly, I never got to see & hear Jimi, but got as close to hearing his sound as I'm going to once. There was an American guy called Randy Hansen, who had devoted all his playing life to try and authentically emulate Jimi. He was also a demonstrator for Jim Dunlop/Marshall when he was in the UK. I was in the concert hall of a London guitar show back in the '90's waiting for Randy to strut his stuff. The stage was empty save for the Marshall stacks, that started to belt out the intro to 'Voodo Child', as Randy walked from the back along the aisle, playing his wireless Strat. Definitely one of those WOW moments that gave you the goosebumps!

Stephen.

[drakula63]

Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid.

Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love.

The Shadows - FBI

I could go on all day...

(I agree that Apache doesn't really have a riff, but it does seem to have riff-like elements within it and I suspect that a fair proportion of the riff-meister guitarists featured in the programme will have been influenced by it.)

[Billyboygretsch]

I think Paul Kossof and Free had some great riffs. Alright Now with at the time a great bass line. What's the difference between a lick and a riff. Many are quoting tunes or melodies. Can someone define a riff please. Ta

[dave robinson]

I think Paul Kossof and Free had some great riffs. Alright Now with at the time a great bass line. What's the difference between a lick and a riff. Many are quoting tunes or melodies. Can someone define a riff please. Ta

The riff chugs away behind the main melody e.g. Satisfaction/ Peter Gunn. Melodies per sai are not riffs.

[Billyboygretsch]

So is a lick a melody or something different perhaps a riff. Sorry I feel we won't get correct postings until it gets clarified
Cheers

[dave robinson]

If someone doesn't understand the difference between a riff, fill or a melody, I would suggest they need to follow another occupation or hobby. I understand it clearly and have no problem separating what's what when having to put it together on record or with the band. There are obvious differences which I outlined in an earlier post.

[Iain Purdon]

If you were designing this competition and wanted to replace Apache with a proper riff from the Shads, what would you suggest?

[dave robinson]

Off the top of my head I would say the bass part of 36-24-36 is a riff with the other guitars adding rhythm and licks.
Quatermassters Stores has a definite bass riff and Flingel Bunt shares an intro and outro riff with guitars, bass and piano.
There are most probably more but those three were in my head just now.

[alewis41]

Jungle Jam has a great riff...

[dave robinson]

Two more, Bony Moronie & Hammerhead.