I’m a sucker for fuzz guitar and other subtly shit-hot leads! There are plenty of underwritten songs and even entire albums (eg, The Pretty Things’ SF Sorrow) that I otherwise might not give the time of day if not for the soul-stirring fuzztone guitar parts. There are other songs, like The Blues Project‘s version of “Back Door Man,” that are loaded with subtly shit-hot leads that will forever be burned in my mind.
Over the weekend, on the way to a soccer game, Edwin Starr’s “War” came on the radio, and I cranked it up for my son and his friend. I LOVED this song since I was a little kid, but I hadn’t heard it for years. I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle, shit-hot fuzz guitar fills on the choruses, fills that seemed to be a precurssor to the fills The Isley Brothers would put in their early ’70s hits. I’d forgotten about them and how much they added.
Then I thought about the time many moons ago, when Townsman Andyr pointed out to me maybe the most unexpected use of fuzztone and subtle, shit-hot fills: those that appear in the distance midway through Simon and Garfunkle‘s thoughtful “Sounds of Silence.” The song was forever improved for me, and the consciousness of these fills made me aware of Paul Simon’s penchant for working subtle, shit-hot fuzztone leads into his seemingly placcid music. Think about the guitar fill that follows the doobie-smokin’ line in “Late in the Evening.”
I’m sure I’m not alone in my appreciation for fuzztone and shit-hot leads. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in holding some subtly shit-hot examples of these qualities in mind. What are your favorite uses of unexpected fuzz guitar and other subtle, shit-hot fills?
Not guitar, but Keltner does this drum roll coming out of the lead on Aimee Mann’s “Stupid Thing” that I have been fascinated with for years. I can’t sort out the timing of it.
Here’s another I like: the fuzz guitar that appears in The Everly Brothers’ “I Wonder If I Care As Much” – I think that’s the title of the song.
That’s a good one, Mod!
“Sweet Young Thing” by The Monkees has that bad-ass fuzz guitar/country fiddle interplay.
There’s some tasty fuzz leads on Teenage Fanclub’s Songs From Northern Britain. The song “It’s a Bad World” comes immediately to mind.
The Carpenters/Klaatu with “Calling Occupants…” Their versions are practically identical so they both get the nod.
Speaking of Klaatu, that fuzz-toned guitar at the end of the chorus on “Sub Rosa Subway”. That little bit is pretty much the only thing they did that I like, but I bet several Townspeople alone could build a truly great song around that riff.
I love the fuzz guitar on Os Mutantes’ “A Minha Menina,” especially towards the end when one of them starts singing along with it.
The fuzz guitar break in the Dukes’ “Your Gold Dress.”
Mr. Mod wrote: There are plenty of underwritten songs and even entire albums (eg, The Pretty Things’ SF Sorrow) that I otherwise might not give the time of day if not for the soul-stirring fuzztone guitar parts.”
Ah, so that’s why you like that album. Except for the lead-off cut, which pretty much has no fuzz, and the bonus track “Walking in My Dreams”, I find that record unlistenable.
Good call. Would I be alone in rating Your Gold Dress as the best Dukes song?
Yes, Tvox, the dual fuzz guitar parts on SF Sorrow are right in line with stuff Fingeroff and I used to spend our teenage years and early 20s trying to master. I’m getting the chills just thinking about some of those parts in many otherwise severely underwritten songs on that album.
‘I watched myself crawlin’ out as I was crawlin’ in…’
yeah you know what I’m TALKIN about!
Oh Yeah! Yeah! OHHHH Yeah! What Condition My Condition Was In…’
Massive unrelenting TREMELO’D fuzz! FARFISA! Backwards SITAR! Flangified vocalesions!
Even with all that Psy-Co-Delicky 440 volt OVERLOAD, the best part is the Twilight Zone unison vibes/bass figure – just before the poor drug addled ether-sucker DROWNS in his own FUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…
Ah, there’s also one of my favorite Heavy Bubblegum tracks, “Let Your Hair Hang Down” by The Tremeloes. You just know the punch party continues on as the git-box wails away in the fade-out.
As far as unexpected fuzz guitar goes, they don’t get much more unexpected than the gnarly trash guitar that comes in at 1:30 in the phil spector produced Zip A Dee Doo Dah by Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, i always thought that was pretty cool and made that otherwise novel yet cutesy version a tad more badass – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZfX-qlmHmc
Good call!