The Evolution of Music Part - XIX

Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Buckethead, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link Wray, Eric Johnson, Chuck Berry, Surfaris, Dick Dale, The Ventures, The Shadows, Jeff Beck, Paul Gilbert, Booker T and the MGs and The Champs.

Early history

Instrumental rock was most popular during rock and roll’s first decade (mid-1950s to mid-1960s), before the British Invasion.

One notable early instrumental was “Honky Tonk” by the Bill Doggett Combo, with its slinky beat and sinuous saxophone-organ lead.

Jazz saxophonist Earl Bostic revived his career with instrumentals like “Harlem Nocturne” and “Earl’s Rhumboogie”. Several rhythm and blues sax players had hit instrumental songs, including Big Jay McNeeley, Red Prysock, and Lee Allen, whose “Walking with Mr. Lee” was quite popular.

Instrumental hit songs could emphasize electronic organ or the saxophone but the guitar was most prominent. Duane Eddy scored several hits and was the first rock & roll artist to release an album in stereo. Link Wray’s ominous “Rumble” might be only instrumental rock hit ever banned from some radio stations.

The Fireballs, featuring the distinctive guitar work of George Tomsco, began their career in the late 50’s. The band pioneered the guitar/guitar/bass/drums configuration, paving the way for other bands. The Shadows from the UK with Cliff Richard dominated the UK charts from 1959-1963 until Beatle-mania arrived.

Surf music was quite popular in the early 1960s, and was generally rather simple and melodic—one exception being Dick Dale, who gained fame for his quick playing and frequently used exotic scales.

The early incarnation of Fleetwood Mac with band leader Peter Green achieved number one chart positions with guitar-based instrumental Albatross in February 1969. The last important development in instrumental rock before the British Invasion was Lonnie Mack’s version of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis”, which soared to #5 on the Billboard Pop charts. Mack’s “Memphis” ushered in the era of blues-rock guitar, a genre which reached its zenith in the later recordings of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. In August 1964, Checker Records released the album Two Great Guitars recorded by rock and roll pioneers Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley which is one of rock music’s first recorded guitar jam sessions.

1970s

Funk and disco produced several instrumental hit singles during the 1970s. The jazz fusion of the 1970s often had considerable stylistic cross-over with rock, and groups like Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report had sizable followings among rock fans.

King Crimson gained a massive cult following in the late 1960s and 1970s with their explosive instrumental output that merged rock, jazz, classical and heavy metal styles. Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, a progressive rock album, was all-instrumental released in 1973 and is one of the best selling instrumental albums ever with 16 millions copies sold.

1980s

During the 1980s, the instrumental rock genre was dominated by several guitar soloists.

Swedish virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen made a name for himself by releasing his debut solo album Rising Force in 1984. Joe Satriani’s 1987 album Surfing With The Alien was a surprise hit, containing the ever-popular instrumental ballad “Always With Me, Always With You”, and the blues boogie infected “Satch Boogie”.

After Malmsteen left the band Alcatrazz, he was replaced by the extravagant Steve Vai. Continuing the tradition, Vai went on to release a number of highly acclaimed solo albums.

Jason Becker was also considered by many to be a great player, who released two albums with Cacophony which was a primarily instrumental group featuring Becker and Marty Friedman . After the release of Cacophony’s second album Go Off! in 1988, Becker released two solo albums before being diagnosed with ALS. He is now confined to a wheelchair and is completely unable to play.

1990s

In 1990, Steve Vai released Passion and Warfare which was a technical breakthrough in regards to what could be achieved in the field of guitar composition and technical performance. This was followed up by the 1995 trio album Alien Love Secrets, and what some regard as Vai’s most epic and complex album to date, Fire Garden, released a year after.

In 1995, Michael Angelo Batio of Nitro fame released his CD, No Boundaries which began his solo career. His albums predominantly feature instrumental rock, but have occasionally featured vocals. So far Batio has released eight solo albums.

2000s

The majority of the popular guitar heroes from the 1980s have made generally well-received comebacks. Artists such as Steve Morse, Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert, Ron Jarzombek, Joe Satriani and Malmsteen have continued releasing instrumental rock music and touring with great success. However, it is still rare to hear an instrumental rock tune on the radio, or see one on the music charts.

Children’s television programs often feature instrumental rock theme songs. This fact has been capitalized upon by Black Moth Super Rainbow, an instrumental drums/bass/synth trio, who take a great deal of inspiration from the Moog synthesizer-heavy sound of 1970’s PBS programming.