Perfect moments in songs
 

There's no shortage of great pop songs, but what about those isolated moments in those songs that kick everything up a notch? Key changes, an unexpected chord, a new instrument suddenly starts playing...the little things. I can't count how many times I've played "I Know It's Over" just to hear that part about halfway through when Morrisey drops his voice to a haunting bass for the word "over"; lately I've been playing "What The World Is Waiting For" (The Stone Roses) on repeat just to hear the key change around the 3:00 mark ("Anytime you want it, then it's there!"). Two more great key changes; CCR's "Lodi" and the Who's "So Sad About Us."

I could go on for pages...the way the drums suddenly start to snap right before the fadeout of "You Can't Always Get What You Want," the end of "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" when Mary Weiss sounds like she's actually crying (apparently she was), the part in Steely Dan's "Your Gold Teeth" that goes "Dumb luck, my friend/Won't suck me in/This time," the part in "Watching The Detectives" when the band stops playing and all you hear is Elvis Costello's voice sneering, "It only took my little fingers to blow you away"...

What are some of everyone else's favorites?

Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys

When the music dies down, a soft melody seeps in and then...'gotta keep those a loving good vibrations a happening'

You mentioning the Stones makes me think the riff fading in at the start of Gimme Shelter and those soft backing vocals.... gorgeous.

I adore the opening of 'Good Vibrations'. I just don't like it when the beat kicks in. Although similar threads are abound, the last 30 seconds of 'All I Need' by Radiohead raises the hairs on the back of my neck:

"Invalid Litter Dept." by At The Drive-In. The a cappella part where Cedric just sings "dancing on the corpse's ashes, dancing on the corpse's ashes" and then the instruments kick in. It's even cooler when you watch the music video with it.

Agreed. Gimme Shelter is one of my favorite songs of all time. In my opinion, the live version that was used in Casino didn't work the same magic as the studio recording. I mean, it was still beautiful, with admirable vocals from the female backup, but the subtle beauty of the original backing vocals was lost.

The transition from electric guitar to piano on Layla is always cool. Makes me think of the Goodfellas. And the start of Gimme Shelter is super tight. Aaaaaaand... I've always liked when the it goes from rain to super guitar and drums in Raining Blood. That's all I got right now.

agreed, every time i feel like breaking down and dying, so gorgeous.

few things come to mind:

Solos;
Stairway To Heaven - Zep
Master Of Puppets - Metallica
Scar Tissue (Second Solo) - Peppers
Seven Nation Army - Stripes

Riffs;
Layla - Dominoes
Just Like Heaven - Dinosaur Jr.
Sheep - Floyd (final 2 mins)

Intros;
Marching Bands Of Manhattan - Death Cab
The National Anthem - Radiohead

Choruses;
Neighborhood #2 -Arcade Fire
Lazer Life - Blood Brothers
Murmaider - Dethklok (laugh it up)
Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes

Outros;
Every Planet We Reach is Dead - Gorillaz
Caramel - Blur
I Would Hurt A Fly - Built To Spill
Two Headed Boy Pt 2 - Neutral Milk Hotel


helluva lot more, just cant think right now.
listen to these without getting chills =
1:25

1:34

the whole song, chorus and intro mainly.

exit music - radiohead

when the drums and bass kick in there is nothing better anywhere

The last three minutes to Metallica's "One" and (coincidentally, perhaps) "Fade to Black". Both solos are amazing.