The "make it your own" thread had me thinking. Then at lunchtime I heard Elvis Costello on the radio doing a live piano+acoustic medley of "Alison" and "Tears of a Clown" (cool idea, not so terrific execution), which got me thinking further...
Sometimes the 'surprise' of a medley can be really effective, when one song morphs into another. Hard to think of an example where the whole is better than the sum of the parts, but: anybody got a 2 or 3 song medley that just works? You know... slays 'em?
I once heard a juxtaposition of the verses of "We Will Rock You" against the choruses of "Give Peace A Chance" that was pretty damn funny.
They both have that same beat thing going.
Several guitars in different colors
Things to make them fuzzy
Things to make them louder
orange picks
I've been working on learning the old Cream version of Crossroads, and for some reason, instead of having that song stuck in my head, it's gotten ZZ Top's Waitin' for the Bus stuck in my head. Their hooks are pretty similar, although judging by tone alone, I'd say they're played on different parts of the neck (Crossroads at the nut, Waitin' at the fifth fret). I figure they'd make a pretty bitchin' medley.
And it kinda makes sense that you might be standing at the crossroads, waitin' for the bus all day.
You could even intercut the hooks and lyrics:
I went down to the crossroads
Been waitin' for the bus all day
I went down to the crossroads
Been waitin' for the bus all day
Last edited by elicross; 04-04-2008 at 03:20 PM.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
Mitch Rider songs were made to medley.
"No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim
I do that stuff all the time.
I like to play T Rex's Jeepster and segue into and out of Claton's Lay Down Sally.
Ringo Starr's Photograph into The Kids Are ALright
And this classic, Keep Your Hands to Yourself into Hot Legs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuyMY1RvJwk
The Hour Glass (Pre-ABB Duane and Gregg) does a mean medley called 'B.B. King Medley'
I used to do an "Ain't No Sunshine/The Way Young Lovers Do" medley.
I'd just ease out of the 28(?) "I know, I know, I knows" and into "TWYLD."
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
How can you forget La Bamba morphing into Twist & Shout and then back to La Bamba
If, at first you don't succeed, don't try skydiving.
Two leaps per chasm is fatal!
Riders on the Storm/ Ghost Riders in the Sky
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote