Perfect Moments In Music

[Mighty Jalapeno]

Mayfield Four - Flatley's Crutch - 2:23
Mayfield Four - Overflow - 3:31 and on

Alter Bridge - Burn It Down -4:02 and on, espec. 4:28

Dozer - Big Sky Theory - 5:57 and on (quiet), 6:24 and on (loud)

[charliepanayi]

Thrillho: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, maybe even Broken Social Scene

Another perfect moment:

Aerodynamic - Daft Punk

When the 'air guitar' bit kicks in

Hope There's Someone - Antony and the Johnsons

Pretty much the last two minutes of the song

I hope I didn't mention those two previously.

[Echos_Wolf]

Nightwish - Ghost Love Score
5:39
Always makes me run. Always.
Nighwish have a habit of doing that... It's very tiring...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1VnZDQSNao
best video I could find I'm afraid. But the Instrumental version is better.

[HalfEvil333]

Flyleaf - I'm So Sick.
Right at the very start where the song opens with a light female vocals followed quickly by a short "I will BREAK!". It's amazing, I highly recommend you listen to that song. Even if it is just the start.

Gogo, do it now

[Thrillho]

I've given many of the songs listed here a listen, and so far I like what I hear.

@Blinke: your suggestion was good listening. It's easy at the beginning, and that lead up to the crescendo is nice indeed. The crescendo was my favourite part though...

@Charliepanayi: I up to this point, I only had one song by GYBE, being East Hastings. I'll have to give Mogwai a try, they're something I could see myself getting into.

It's embarrassing, up to this point i didn't even know of the genre known as post rock. I suppose I have some learning to do...

[Goatboy]

Mogwai's one of my favourite post rock bands, but mostly because I was deceived. My old roomate would occasionally listen to Mogwai, I think it was "Kids Will Be Skeletons" but I'm not sure, back when I was decidedly anti-post rock, and I thought it was just a Nine Inch Nails instrumental. So I suppose, Thrillho, I would suggest some Nine Inch Nails instrumentals, especially songs from Ghosts I-IV, "Corona Radiata," and "The Fragile" (though the last isn't instrumental, but I don't think that'd be a problem.)

As far as perfect moments, I've got two from Led Zeppelin: When the vocals first hit in "In the Evening" and the tone of the song totally changes. Amazing. Also, when the guitar kicks in on "No Quarter." It's fairly sublime.

[Bobsworth]

"Just A Phase" by Incubus.
Beginning of chorus at the end. After the tease at the end of the first verse when the chorus comes in proper at the end of the second. It's just perfect.

"Metatron" by The Mars Volta
Very beginning. Just love the voice and melody. Especially if after listening to Aberinkula just before, it's the perfect lead-in.

[Zivel]

The first "Calida" in Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque, the clarinet solo of World/Inferno Friendship Society's Heart Attack '64, the intro of the Cramps' "Human Fly," and the entirety of R.E.M.'s album Automatic for the People except for the last track which should not exist.

[foresthouse]

About 3/4 of Matthew Good's songs have those moments, which is why I *heart* his music so.

For a non-Matt example, Tool's "Aenema," beginning at the part where he sings: ""And I'm praying for rain; I'm praying for tidal waves..." Gets me every time.

[tzvibish]

I'm shocked at the lack of Pink Floyd's The Wall.

There are so many "moments" on that album, but some that stand out for me are:

- after the first song degenerates into loud war noises, a plane falls out of the sky and everything is silent except for an infant's cry.

- Every time the lyrics "all in all it's just another, another brick in the wall" show up.

- The end of the first half, when he tries to commit suicide, and the song ends abruptly at "goodbye"

- "Briiiiiing the boys back hooooooome". The most stirring and emotional call to arms ever. The horns and the choir, and Roger Waters yelling like a crazed lunatic. Amazing

- As mentioned earlier, Comfortably Numb guitar solo (100x better live, btw).

- As the audience is about to descend on Pink, the "stop" piano sequence where he begs to just go home.

- As the wall is destroyed, the clarinets and soft vocals come in and the soothing voice of Roger Waters tells you that everything is OK now. But the story is ultimately cyclical, as the ending flows right into the beginning of the album.

There is so much more that I'm leaving out, but this album is pure genius.

[Aldarion]

Well, for me there are some moments in music that could be described as 'perfect'.

*The overture in "Phantom of the Opera" - the moment when the organ part comes to an end, lingers for a while and then - boom! - in comes the orchestra with the main theme all over again. Every time I hear it I feel like I'm rising a centimeter or two in the air.

*Also in PotO, the final, when the Phantom, Christine and Raoul all sing together - it's just bliss.

*Oh, and also there, the "what new surprises lie in store" line from "Notes/Primadonna". A perfect note if I ever heard one.

Music by Trans-Siberian Orchestra is full of these moments, especially the album "Beethoven's last night".

*The chorus in "I'll keep your secrets" is amazing.

*Also, the whole of "Mephistopheles' Return", but the best moment is from 02:10, where the chorus kicks in and just builds up and up, layer by layer to the top at 3:05 with the female choir coming in. This one is just... wow.

*The ending of "Wizard in Winter": 2:45 - 2:52.

[sje46]

I can only think of one really good one.
Velvet Underground's Heroin, this part:

Spoiler:

Because when the smack begins to flow,
I really don't care anymore
About all the Jim-Jim's in this town,
And all the politicians makin' crazy sounds,
And everybody puttin' everybody else down,
And all the dead bodies piled up in mounds,

and the chaos before and afterwards.

Possibly the most nihilistic (and proud of it) song ever made.

[ph.mongeau]

The Fall Of The House Of Usher by The Alan Parsons Project,

around 1:20 in part II is really good. http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/The_Fall_of_the_House_of_Usher_Instrumental_II_Arrival/1227733

[axilog14]

Loving the recommendations here I need to listen to more music.

Okay, I can't argue with Radiohead, Pink Floyd, RHCP and every other band mentioned showing up here, and the mention of Matchbox Twenty's "Long Day" in the first page made me smile too. My own personal contributions to this thread:

Pearl Jam - Black
The opening riff, and the part where Vedder sings "And all I taught her was everything..."

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Sir Psycho Sexy
The 2+ minute guitar solo by John Frusciante at the end, right after the lyric "And it's nice out here, I think I'll stay for a while..."

Pink Floyd - Outside The Wall (the last song on The Wall)
Just that simple yet haunting melody that recurs throughout, and also first appeared in the opening track. You know the one.

Radiohead - Bulletproof... I Wish I Was
The line "Wax me, mold me..." and also the guitar part after whenever Thom Yorke sings the "bulletproof" lyric

Elliott Smith - Waltz # 2
In the first(?) chorus, when the band suddenly quiets down and Elliott sings

Spoiler:

Never gonna know you now
but I'm gonna love you anyhow...
*sniffle*

Matchbox Twenty - You Won't Be Mine
The orchestral parts after Rob Thomas sings the last chorus

The Rolling Stones - Let It Loose
All the choir parts... oh, who am I kidding? The whole thing is sublime.

Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends
That epic recurring riff and drums/choir section almost makes you forget this was a Beatles song. Cocker totally made this his own.

If we're allowed to mention TV/movie soundtracks: "Passacaglia/The Shape of Things To Come" from Battlestar Galactica

Man, I'm such a music dork.

I can only think of one really good one.
Velvet Underground's Heroin, this part:

Spoiler:

Because when the smack begins to flow,
I really don't care anymore
About all the Jim-Jim's in this town,
And all the politicians makin' crazy sounds,
And everybody puttin' everybody else down,
And all the dead bodies piled up in mounds,

and the chaos before and afterwards.

This. The Velvet Underground and Nico deserved all the praise it got, though I personally found "Venus In Furs" (practically the whole thing, but especially the cacophony at the beginning and whenever Lou Reed opened his mouth) the most perfect moment in that album after "Heroin".

*sigh* And this isn't even my full list of favorite moments...

[SirMustapha]

One guy that has hundreds of those is Vangelis. Some that come to mind:

- Heaven and Hell, part one, on "movement three", when the quiet piano melody resolves into that looping chord sequence, with bass notes settling in -- yep, the theme from Cosmos. That is the sound of the gates of Heaven opening.

- Sword of Orion, from Albedo 0.39 -- the release it brings after the chaos of the Main Sequence is unbelievable, and when the chimes announce the closing F major chord, it's like the whole Universe is in peace.

- Intergalactic Radio Station, from Direct, when the brasses enter the mix and the whole song gets into that unbelievably cathartic jazzy swing.

- Theme from Antarctica, when the melody plays for the last time, with the strings playing in staccato.

- Ignacio, towards the end of the first half, when the church organ dissolves into that melody played by synth and choir.

[Phrozt]

Gravity - Sara Bareillas, right when she hits the word "down" towards the end. Gets me every time.

[une see]

Gravity - Sara Bareillas, right when she hits the word "down" towards the end. Gets me every time.

I remember this moment really well because of Kayla and Kupono's dance to this song on So You Think You Can Dance. It's heartbreaking.

[frogman]

Freewill - Rush. After the instrumental part, the guitar plays this extremely rad riff and it's cool.
MK Ultra - Muse. Where he goes "oooooooooooh" after "Replaces love and happiness with fear".
Say It Ain't So - Weezer. The chorus, obviously.

[KallistiEngel]

10:15 Saturday Night by The Cure-- That first cymbal crash about 30 seconds into the song. You can tell things are building up, but that just makes the song. I also once had a moment when I was leaving my then-girlfriend's house, started playing the song and there was a flash of lightning right at the same moment as that first cymbal crash. THAT was a perfect moment in music for me.

[Smiling Hobo]

-snip-

I agree--Pink Floyd has a lot of memorable songs and interesting effects. My favorite part of that album (The Wall) is definitely the end of "The Trial", though.

"Since, my friend, you have revealed your deepest fear, I sentence you to be exposed before your peers; TEAR DOWN THE WALL! (Tear down the wall, tear down the wall, tear down the wall!)"

So epic.

*Nibbles on kitten*

[sirkibble]

Freewill - Rush. After the instrumental part, the guitar plays this extremely rad riff and it's cool.

This, yes.

And in another Rush song, Cold Fire, there's this moment right after "...if you don't let me down", when the distorted guitar riff comes and blows my mind.

Oddly enough though, the song as a whole doesn't strike me as that great, it's just that one moment that is perfect.

[Various Varieties]

"I don't care too
(beat)
Much for money
Money can't buy me love"

Unlike most of the recommendations in this thread, that one's literally only a moment.

[robard]

Song: Know Your Enemy
Band: Rage Against the Machine
Place: The climax around 1:05 after Morrello's guitar solo that makes you think the song is over, but then Tim's bass cuts through with that awesome sound and you just start rocking out harder than you did through the whole song.

[sam.rem]

Song: Dance of the Maya
Artist: Mahavishnu Orchestra (but mostly just John)
Place: I don't have the time right now, but it's right after he goes into the 10/8 blues and then echoes the first theme. Mind-blowing.

[modularblues]

classical - the first 3 beats of rachmaninoff's prelude in c# minor OR the fading "mysterious" ending of the fantasie-impromptu by chopin

I'd say chopin's 'Fantasie Impromptu" when the right hand begins.

YEEESSS. I heart Rachmaninoff's and Chopin's music.

Prokofiev's 2nd piano conerto, 3rd movement.
From about 5:39 onward is just pure awesome for me.

I should check out his piano concertos

In the 4th movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony:
-Right after the third stanza/verse thing when everything just drops out, and the bass instruments come in, as if a march in the distance.
-Right after the double fugue, that still moment right before the main theme comes back.

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 in c minor:
Opening
When the piano gets triplets

The Communio in Mozart's Requiem, the beginning, when the soprano starts her solo is divine.

When the Aria returns in the Goldberg Variations, especially the 1984 Gould recording.

The entire Kunst der Fuge

Smetana's Moldau, when the theme first appears

Fruehlingsrauschen by Sinding. Also the entire song.

Rach 2nd reminds me of a solitary walk along a beach in the afternoon, while Rach 3rd reminds me of a similar walk at night. Yes on Moldau. I take a deeeep breath whenever the theme starts...

Also piano related, one of the "perfect" moments is the finale of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2 -- but not just any rendition, no. I'm talking about the ending of The Cat Concerto Tom & Jerry cartoon. It's pretty much a catharsis.

What about Victor Borge's version?

I haven't read through the whole thread but...
LIKE A BRIIIIIDGE, OVER TROUBLED WAAATER... I WILL EEEAASE YOUR MIIIIIIIIND.
Perfect song as a whole. Bridge over Troubled Water- Simon and Garfunkel.

I really like their Scarborough Fair

Well, for me there are some moments in music that could be described as 'perfect'.

*The overture in "Phantom of the Opera" - the moment when the organ part comes to an end, lingers for a while and then - boom! - in comes the orchestra with the main theme all over again. Every time I hear it I feel like I'm rising a centimeter or two in the air.

*Also in PotO, the final, when the Phantom, Christine and Raoul all sing together - it's just bliss.

That trio section is genius. And the Phantom's solo after he see Christine and Raoul kiss, the "night" on the final note and the chord changes underneath... speechless.

Bach fugues are genius in a precise yet subtly emotive way.

[fjafjan]

At the risk of severly derailing this thread, I don't like Radiohead - I've tried, I own several of their albums, I've listened to them repeatedly, knowing that apparently I really should like them. But I don't get it. I think they're one of the most overrated bands of all time. I think Muse, the band that people tend to claim copied them, are several times better. And No Surprises is a contender for one of the worst, whiniest songs of all time.

I will END YOU! Muse havn't written a single more than good song, not to mention lyrically Muse are typically stale and predictable. Eugh..

Just is the first one.. every time the electric guitar kicks in with the main riff, that rises slowly - I think that's fantastic. Especially the first time, as it seems to come from nowhere. The solos are mental too.

The second one is is Exit Music (for a Film) - the way it rises up to , on "Now we are one, in everlasting peace" is just a wonderfully engineered piece of music - the build-up feels right, and it makes the marvellously screamy climax just beautiful.

Yes
I will forigve you.

for now

[Narius]

For those of you who enjoy opera,
Pavarotti singing "Nessun Dorma"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VATmgtmR5o4
from 2:38ish to the end.
Yes.

[Box Boy]

Goliaths Disarm Their Davids - 1:25 Onwards

[kd0404]

the cat empire-in my pocket
verse after the solo
the band clicks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klz1j4JY ... re=related
3:30

[cooldude95]

Buddy Holly, by Weezer (Blue Album) around 2:03 - 2:11, with the drums and the solo building up, with the vocals in the background are just great. Then it all goes silent and the guitar wails, it makes the hair on my neck stand up. Epic.
Adam's Song, by blink-182 (Enema of the State) from 3:25 - 3:33, after the pianoey/soft bridge section and the song is building up, when suddenly the music just explodes. The whole song builds up to that moment. Also epic.
All That I'm Not, by the Less (Loud Machines). This band is pretty popular in my area, and it might be hard for some of you to find this song. But after each chorus, between the lines "what is keeping me in tune/it's you" when the piano goes into that arpeggio of the minor chord, and there is that short pause, I just think that's great.

(now for my favorite of all time... drumroll please)

Happiness is a Warm Gun, by the Beatles (White Album) most of you guys probably know what I'm talking about. 2:15 - 2:23, the climax of the song. That whole "Happiness is a warm, yes it is..." then the pause, then the high pitched gun from Paul. It just works.

[nyeguy]

Buddy Holly, by Weezer (Blue Album) around 2:03 - 2:11, with the drums and the solo building up, with the vocals in the background are just great. Then it all goes silent and the guitar wails, it makes the hair on my neck stand up. Epic.

That is definitely my favorite guitar fill ever. Though on that album, Only In Dreams has the best buildup; the entire song is just epic.

[CNiall]

Haydn's version of Dies Irae has several fantastic moments, but the one that really gets me has to be 'confutatis maledictis' (about 4:55 in the recording I linked to). You have a pretty lyrical passage, suddenly interrupted by this heavily accented 'confutatis maledictis'.

Much can also be said for the ending of the 1812 Overture and the beginning of the third movement of Mahler's first symphony.

[McCaber]

The first minute of Streetlight Manifesto's[urlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5WxdN6SG_g]If and When We Rise Again[/url]. That buildup is sweet.

On a bigger scale, the first four tracks on their album Everything Goes Numb. Why yes, I am on a ska kick right now, why do you ask?

[AwesomeJosh]

Muse - The Resistance : Directly after the chorus near the end, when he sings, "The night has reached its end, we can't pretend; It's time to run," and then Chris and Dom kick it up to AWESOME.

Muse - Exogenesis Part 2 : The section directly after the first verse of vocals, as it builds to where he sings, "Spread our codes to the stars, you must rescue us all...Tell us, tell us your final wish, now we know you can never return. Tell us, Tell us your final wish, we will tell it to the world," always ALWAYS gives me chills. It is one of the most powerful pieces of music I think I've ever heard in my life. It also helps that I have this entire cinematic that plays in my head when I listen to the entire symphony, and when he sings that part, I envision one of the characters in my brainmovie seeing his family for the last time on a communication screen, reaching out to them...and then it shows a place like Times Square, where a crowd of thousands stands and watches, on the immense screens in the Square, the final transmission of the people who will save the human race from extinction. I don't know if that conveys the epic-ness of the song or not, but it's the best I can do.

Modest Mouse - Dashboard : The chorus always makes me want to just groove, it's amazing.

Coldplay - Fix You : The ending vocal harmony is pretty sweet

[schrodingersdog]

Tracy by Mogwai,at 1:18 when the glockenspiel part comes in,it's so damn pretty sounding

9 Crimes by Damien Rice 1:55 when the build up starts and his voice and Lisa Hannigan's start this harmony,then at 2:14 when the orchestra comes in,and finally at 2:33 it hits a massive crescendo that ends at 3:05 and that stunning piano riff outro,AMAZING.

Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah from 4:11-5:00,that beautiful guitar passage..

Lyrically,the second verse and chorus of There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths at 1:32-2:00,then from 3:00 to the end,his voice is so impassioned when he says "And in the darkened underpass,I thought "Oh God,my chance has come at last!" (But then a strange fear gripped me and I just couldn't ask)" and then the carcrash chorus. ("If a double-decker bus crashes into us,to die by your side,such a heavenly way to die,and if a 10-ton truck kills the both of us,to die by your side,well,the pleasure,the privilege is mine")

Finally,in the song "Murderer" by Low in the second verse,where the lyrics go "it looks like you could use another fool/well i'm cruel/and I look right through....",simple lyrics,but the melody is mindblowing.

[frogman]

At the risk of severly derailing this thread, I don't like Radiohead - I've tried, I own several of their albums, I've listened to them repeatedly, knowing that apparently I really should like them. But I don't get it. I think they're one of the most overrated bands of all time. I think Muse, the band that people tend to claim copied them, are several times better. And No Surprises is a contender for one of the worst, whiniest songs of all time.

I will END YOU! Muse havn't written a single more than good song, not to mention lyrically Muse are typically stale and predictable. Eugh..

Um guys I think Muse is just as good as Radiohead. Not better, not worse, just as good. They're just different styles of music (I don't see how Muse would be copying Radiohead at all...).

I wasn't going to reply to this (off topic) but you're a mod so I assume it's acceptable.

Anyway for a not completely off-topic post I'll throw in "Mexican Wine" by Fountains of Wine. Right after the guitar solo, the verse that begins with "I used to fly..." is absolutely amazing. I can't describe why, it just makes me shiver every time I hear it.

[podbaydoor]

For those of you who enjoy opera,
Pavarotti singing "Nessun Dorma"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VATmgtmR5o4
from 2:38ish to the end.
Yes.

Dammit, ninja'd on the last page!
Yes, my favorite part of Pavarotti's Nessun Dorma is the final note he holds at the end. Never fails to send chills up my spine.

[LittleBigSpoon]

Listen to In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel, cover to cover. You will count at least 10.

EDIT: Also, the string bridge and final refrain from "Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing" by Amanda Palmer and the opening of "The Worst Pies in London" from "Sweeney Todd".

[scrt_rbt_agnt]

Listen to In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel, cover to cover. You will count at least 10.

are you trying to gloat indie cred here or do you want to be more specific. quite a few people here know that album front to back. what parts are perfect moments for you?

my personal fav is when he starts in with "goldeline my dear" during "oh comely" which is most likely my favorite track.

[Jayson]

The solo until the end in "At Least That's What You Said", by Wilco, from their 5th album "A Ghost is Born"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-8Ot62Ns8M

1:53 to the end.

It should to be noted that I think this song is best in studio. Jeff Tweedy's recorded solo there is heartbreaking, something he called "A musical transcription of one of my panic attacks".

You know what, folks? Just get this whole album. Wilco is hands down the best band still working in modern music.