The guitar riff from Muse’s ‘Plug In Baby’ has been named the best guitar riff of the 21st century. As voted by the readers of Rolling-Stone magazine.
The track, released in 2001, was one of two Muse songs included in top-10 of the poll by Total Guitar magazine.
The guitar hook to ‘Slither’ by Velvet Revolver came second, while Avenged Sevenfold’s ‘Afterlife’ came third.
The top-5 was completed by Dream Theater’s ‘The Dark Eternal Night’ and Muse’s ‘Knights Of Cydonia’ at number four and five respectively.
Total Guitar editor Stephen Lawson said: “I think Muse won because Matt Bellamy is a guitar hero for the 21st century.
“He’s genuinely innovative, a real creative type who comes up with unique guitar parts. I’m sure it helps that his riffs are catchy too.”
The list looks as follows.
1. Muse – ‘Plug In Baby’
2. Velvet Revolver – ‘Slither’
3. Avenged Sevenfold – ‘Afterlife’
4. Dream Theater – ‘The Dark Eternal Night’
5. Muse – ‘Knights of Cydonia’
6. Queens of the Stone Age – ‘No One Knows’
7. White Stripes – ‘Seven Nation Army’
8. Machine Head – ‘Halo’
9. The Killers – ‘Mr Brightside’
10. Avenged Sevenfold – ‘Beast And The Harlot’
Spotify users can click this link below and have a cheeky listen:
So U2, Muse and Stevie Wonder top the Bill, and Dizzee Rascal moves up to the second slot having rocked the Pyramid hard in the daytime last year. Good old LCD Soundsystem share the Other stage with humourous rockers We Are Scientists, and waaay down the bill on the Croissant Neuf stage are our Cornish countrymen the People’s String Foundation. If you’re lucky enough to be going, you should definitely check them out.
Of course, this isn’t the whole list – you’ll need to click here for that
Paramore have knocked Madonna off the top spot of the album charts this weekend (4th October) with their latest album, “Brand New Eyes”. Madonna’s greatest hits compilation, celebration, did exactly what the critics thought it would do in going straight to the top of the album charts, but only for the minimum amount of time. Competition for the charts top spot was in the form of Muse’s Resistance (Booo), Newton Falkner and the US powerhouse that is Barbara Streisand.
The US five piece from Tennessee, seem to be hitting all the right notes. The outfits second record, “Riot!”, although didn’t knock any charts over with immediate success became a slow burner, with sales currently at the 2 million mark. Along with producing what seems to actually be good music, that’s not necessarily my opinion though, but lets face it, Album sales never lie. Paramore are coming are coming up with some nice positive PR for themselves. September saw the band rattle off a nice amount of gigs in London for only £5, 2008 saw them collect a Grammy nomination and NME voted front lady Hayley Williams 2nd sexiest female.
Paramore’s supporting tour for the album sees them start off on the 10th December in Glasgow’s SECC , and climaxing at Wembley Arena on the 18th. All other tour dates are available form the bands official website
(paramore.net) and from allgig.com.
Remember Irvine Welsh’s ‘Trainspotting’?
SICK BOY: Well, at one time, you’ve got it, and then you lose it, and it’s gone forever…
I don’t mean to be dismissive, but that quote pretty much sums up Muse’s latest offering from me. I understand that they’re one of the biggest bands in the country, if not the world, and that nothing I say here is going to have the slightest effect on their huge popularity, towering album sales, or the droves of fans who will be attending their next run of sell-out gigs. Their reputation is built mainly on the back of their big album, ‘Showbiz’ and a great live act, but I get the feeling that they’ve either lost heart, or something’s turned bitter in the emotional and creative cocktail that they used to get this far. The new album pulls in a load of odd and disparate influences, from the warbling strains of the Dr. Who theme tune heard in ‘Uprising’, or the strangely mangled Queen-like bursting operatic harmonies in ‘United States of Eurasia’ (A 1984 reference? In my anti-establishment band?).
The whole album feels forced, thrown together with a mish-mash of conflicting styles and rather samey material that doesn’t really take the band forward. I don’t know whether they’re trying to emulate bands like Radiohead and Portishead in trying for something avant-garde and different by sticking in these weird elements, but it doesn’t work for me. I now prepare to take flak for the rest of the week. As a small compensation, here’s a link to the Guardian’s rather white-washy piece with a We7 streaming widget where you can listen to the whole album.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/sep/09/muse-resistance
