best mandolin rock songs

[JeffD]

I take no responsibility for this list, or its accuracy of lack of. Just entertainment.

http://www.listal.com/list/best-mandolin-rock-songs

[JeffD]

Or has someone already posted this?

[journeybear]

Entertaining, as these things always are. Sad to see he couldn't come up with even ten songs. If I am reading this right, and these are in an order reflecting quality, then he has made a bold choice putting Rory Gallagher in second place above generally acknowledged classics "Friend Of The Devil" and "Maggie May." Not that RG doesn't have a whale of a time, but still ... Anyway, short but cute, the Kristin Chenoweth of these lists.

Didn't know The Byrds put out anything with mandolin on it, so thanks for that.

Note to self: Once done updating OUR exhaustive list, post to wikipedia so people out there in the real world will see it ...

[Jim_G]

The very first tune I learned on mandolin (18 months ago) was Steve Earle's 'Copperhead Road'. I refer to it as the 'Smoke on the Water' of mandolin playing. I'm going for laughs, but so far all I've been getting are confused looks. That's okay, I'm not proud, and I'm not ruining the effect by explaining it.

[JeffD]

but so far all I've been getting are confused looks.

Confused oldsters who have not heard of Steve Earl or know what the heck a mandolin is, and confused youngsters who don't know 'Smoke on the Water'

I mentioned 'Smoke on the Water' to some young music enthusiasts at a coffeehouse once, which elicited: "oh yea, that great paunch rock classic". Grrrrr.

[Jim_G]

I'm not quite sure, I think it's a little bit of 'all of the above'. I may never find out. My band mates are on the verge of banning me from talking at all between songs. This past weekend I attempted that old Townes Van Zandt joke about the drunk, car keys, and open zipper. It didn't go over well, I think it's my Boston accent. But 'Paunch Rock', I might be able to work something up with that ...

[MikeEdgerton]

Does it match this?

[Pasha Alden]

Will find music of the Byrds. Wow, Smoke on the Water? Well, Something like that on mandolin? Absolutely great!

[Canoedad]

The very first tune I learned on mandolin (18 months ago) was Steve Earle's 'Copperhead Road'.

Hey me too! I just saw Steve a couple weeks ago and he finished up with Copperhead Road. Man his A-model Gil sounded great! Got to talk to him after the show a bit too. What a great guy. Felt like talking to a someone I've known since '86, which in a way he is. We talked mandolins a bit. I was respectful to the others in line to meet him and kept moving. But I think he would have liked to talk mandos a little longer. As I was leaving he stopped me to say that right now Gil is making him an Octave!

[Jim_G]

Will find music of the Byrds. Wow, Smoke on the Water? Well, Something like that on mandolin? Absolutely great!

I dunno. Maybe.

When I came up with that crack I was just thinking that Copperhead is very easy to play, using the first 3 two finger chords that most people learn, and a equally simple lick. I'm primarily a guitar player, who started in the mid 70's. Everyone I know who picked up a guitar back then started by having someone show them Smoke on the Water. Crank it up loud enough, and hey! You're playing a real song within 5 minutes of picking up the instrument for the first time. Copperhead was slightly harder, say 20 minutes before I could nail the whole thing. Nobody showed me how though, since I don't know anyone else who plays the instrument. Just watched Steve Earle on a youtube clip.

Gack. For some reason I'm suddenly feeling very old.

[eadg145]

Ah, but can you play "The Mule" or "Rat Bat Blue"?

See? You're not that old!

PS: I'll bet Jim Richter can.

[Marty Jacobson]

No mention of Ry Cooder?

[roscoepwavetrain]

i got your joke, but i'm old too.

copperhead road was my first song on the mando as well.

old timers, let us raise our glass of Tang to celebrate this moment.

[tkdboyd]

I remember when Copperhead road came out and didn't even notice the mandolin, song was never on my radar. In the late 80's I was trying to get my head and mind around electric jazz bass-Clark, Hamm, and Pastorius, never got any good at it, but that were I was at.

As for Ritchie Blackmore and Smoke on the Water, both the studio and Made in Japan albums had wickedly cool solos. Will go to my grave loving Blackmore's phrasing, couple his guitar work with Jon Lord's keyboards...just doesn't get much better for me in that genre! Of course Steve Morse (who filled in for Blackmore for a few tours) really ripped it up too--to tie all this back together to Rock and Mandolin, just to show that good musicianship has nothing to do with genre:
Sorry floated off topic a bit...

[sgrexa]

Some nice mandolin in this one:



Sean

[Veikko]

How about this?

[jefflester]

As for Ritchie Blackmore and Smoke on the Water, both the studio and Made in Japan albums had wickedly cool solos. Will go to my grave loving Blackmore's phrasing, couple his guitar work with Jon Lord's keyboards...just doesn't get much better for me in that genre! Of course Steve Morse (who filled in for Blackmore for a few tours) really ripped it up too--

Steve Morse has been a full time member of Deep Purple for almost 20 years now.

[tkdboyd]

Steve Morse has been a full time member of Deep Purple for almost 20 years now.

Next thing I'll hear is that Steve Morse played with Kansas 30 years ago!

[Lord of the Badgers]

How about this?

outstanding! \m/

[PaulVA]

I'd add another Grateful Dead song - Ripple. David Grisman played some very tasty licks during the chorus....understated but really makes the song.

[Ed Goist]

Fun list, but as has been implied here, the omission of Copperhead Road is unforgivable.

[Ed Goist]

Wait a minute, Battle of Evermore isn't on here either!?
That's the song that got me interested in the mandolin.
For me, the indisputable big four are (in whatever order):

• Copperhead Road
• Losing My Religion
• Battle of Evermore
• Maggie May

[Pasha Alden]

Not sure about the order but for me my order is:
Boat on a River Styx
Mandolin Rain (Pop Rock) of Bruce Hornsby, the version on the album intersections is the one with the most exquisite mando solos played by Dave Mansfield)
The Allan Parsons project: Fall of the House of Usher Pavena
REM Losing my Religion

[Michael Bridges]

Next thing I'll hear is that Steve Morse played with Kansas 30 years ago!

Yeah,I go back to the Dixie Dregs for Morse. Some of the most killer mixed-p genre-bending music I've ever heard to this day!

[journeybear]

How about this?

Or this?



I don't mind the banjo switches around the accent in the riff, or the intro is a bit long (as it is in the original, BTW). Well, OK, I do, a bit, but overall, decent job, guys!

Now, in my old band, we did a lot of offbeat but interesting singer/songwriter stuff, including the hilarious 'Doublewide Blues" by Todd Snider. The third verse begins with the line, "Metallica song, blasting from three trailers down." I worked up the riff from this, drenched in reverb and distortion, to play behind the singer while he sang this. Ah, good times!