The greatest individual noise in any record ever

[Bored Of Education]

The greatest individual noise in any record ever

Gangster Octopus wrote:
My current earworm is the synth bit in Crazy Horses, so I'll nominate that.

YAMAHA YC 45 D organ apparently which means nothing to me but probably does to evilc

[Mumpo]

The greatest individual noise in any record ever

OK, been thinking about this one. On and off, anyway. It hasn't been preying on my mind, exactly, but I have been back to this thread a few times now, and each time I've been unable to add anything, because the greatest individual noise in any record proved too elusive to pin down. I thought it would be straightforward, with so many of my favourite bands being electronic artists who've spent their careers creating a vast menagerie of weird and exciting new sounds; but even among their amassed catalogue of work, nothing stood out sufficiently for me to confidently proclaim it to be greatest individual noise in any record ever. Then, eventually, after agonising over the question, and picking through countless tracks to see if the sounds they contained were good enough to be considered the greatest, it happened. In an instant, it literally hit me. The greatest individual noise in any record ever isn't some bit of synthesizer wizardry, or a found sound meticulously sampled, mixed and manipulated; it doesn't need an array of technological equipment to create - in fact it doesn't even need an instrument at all. The greatest individual noise in any record, ever, is nothing more or less than... the simple human hand clap. That's all. No frills. The immeasurably satisfying sound produced when the palm of one hand is slapped against the palm of the other, causing slight reverberation in the air trapped between. A universally appreciated signifier of joy, energy and participation, and a uniquely versatile sound that can be deployed across all musical genres, from folk to glam metal, techno to mainstream rap/dubstep crossover, witch grunt to miaow chill. It doesn't matter where you put it, its impact is never diminished. And it's a sound we can all make! So yes, let's hear a round of applause for the human hand clap - and feel free to post your favourite examples.

[G-Man]

The greatest individual noise in any record ever

Oof, mumpo, is your ENTER key broken? But yeah, the handclap is a great call. On Beatles records, on Motown, on Rainbow's version of "Since You Been Gone"... handclaps are great.

[Alderman Barnes]

The greatest individual noise in any record ever

Actually, there's an even better noise on that one, when Graham Bonnet goes "Urgh" at the end of the middle eight, just before the trucker's gear change, as if he's been punched in the guts.

[Bored Of Education]

The greatest individual noise in any record ever

I have never heard of a trucker's gear change before. I think I may have been guilty of introducing a few

[Mumpo]

The greatest individual noise in any record ever

Jesus, that's harsh on The Breeders.

[Alderman Barnes]

The greatest individual noise in any record ever

Yeah - the problem with that site is that they treat the gear change as if it's a bad thing.