Excellent Incidences of Guitar Feedback

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I heard two in a row on the radio today and made a note to start a thread here asking for more when I got home. Here are the two I heard:

Smashing Pumpkins "Mayonnaise" - the little gaps in the chorus glued together by two quick, curly wisps of feedback from what are presumably Billy and James's guitars.

Beck "Where It's At" - you all know where the feedback I'm referring to in this song is at. It's at the chorus. I believe this is feedback of the microphone variety.

― Famous Athlete, Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:12 (twenty-three years ago)

best ever: "Run Run Run." Everything else blows in comparison.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Earliest canonical examples of intentional use of feedback:

Beatles - "I Feel Fine"
The Who - "My Generation" "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere"

Jimi Hendrix ownz. See "Foxy Lady" "Third Stone From the Sun" "Machine Gun" "The Star Spangled Banner" "The Stars that Play With Laughing Sam's Dice" "Cherokee Mist" "Wild Thing" "EXP" and a gazillion others.

Many SF bands took Jimi's lead in sound painting, prime examples:

Quicksilver Messenger Service - "Cavalry"
Grateful Dead - "Feedback" (version from Dicks Picks 4 especially)
Jefferson Airplane - "Bear Melt"

Two of my favorite ever come from the world of improv:

Buckethead & Derek Bailey - "BK/DB" from the Company '91, Vol. 3 cd, it's fucking great.
Masayuki Takayanagi & New Direction for the Arts - "Free Form Suite, 3rd Movement" from Free Form Suite.

(Julio if you read this don't worry, I'm working up a post to yr Takayanagi thread!)

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Spacemen 3 - Sound of Confusion. Not just feedback, but feedback run through the most mind-bending of flange is the backbone of the entire album. Yummmmmmm.

But really. Psychocandy OWNS this thread. If you don't agree, you are wrong. Don't give me this nonsense about personal taste and that crap, if you don't love Psychocandy's feedback maelstrom, You. Are. Wrong.

― kate (suzy), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Thanks for beating me to the punch Kate, you are absolutely right. Psychocandy freakin' rulez!

I still like Heroin by VU. Kenji Haino to thread.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Sunday, 23 March 2003 01:28 (twenty-three years ago)

speaking of the Smashing Pumpkins:

they had a cut on the 'Singles' soundtrack that employed the use of some nice feedback for six-plus minutes. I can't remember the name of the track (can't seem to locate the disc) but i remember that, at the time, it suggested that i may enjoy some other works by these same fellows.

― yabut, Sunday, 23 March 2003 01:46 (twenty-three years ago)

The song is "Drown" and yes, it's a grate track.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 23 March 2003 02:28 (twenty-three years ago)

the last raging chord bursts in Superchunk's "Throwing Things" (the album version). there's a feedback squeal in between each one that is a very satisfyingly violent punctuation.

― mosurock (mosurock), Sunday, 23 March 2003 02:45 (twenty-three years ago)

does anyone like that neil young record from the arc-weld-er set that is mostly feedback experiments? someone played me it ages ago and i can't remember whether it was any good.

― Dave M. (rotten03), Sunday, 23 March 2003 02:55 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah - was it arc or weld? i remember liking it OK - more an E for effort kinda thing though

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 23 March 2003 05:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Arc, and yeah I quite liked, though I can't say I pull it out too often. What it was was an edit of a bunch of the crashing "end of song" performances from the tour, you know when a song ends and the rhythm section starts flailing around and Neil lets loose w/ squalls of feedback. Funny concept, mildly interesting result.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Sunday, 23 March 2003 05:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I had a roommate in college who refused to believe the JAMC wanted Psychocandy to sound like that. He figured they were either incompetent or the record company screwed up. His favorite singer was Amy Grant.

― Jesse Fox, Sunday, 23 March 2003 05:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Your friend's right--they were actually trying to sound like Amy Grant.

― s woods, Sunday, 23 March 2003 05:55 (twenty-three years ago)

"hey engineer dude - turn down the SUCK"

― Dave M. (rotten03), Sunday, 23 March 2003 10:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Gang of Four "Anthrax"
Van Halen "Loss of Control"

― dave q, Sunday, 23 March 2003 11:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, my first drummer, when I played Psychocandy for her (saying basically, "I want our band to sound like THAT!") turned to our bandmate and whispered "Does Kate know that her stereo is broken?"

― kate (suzy), Sunday, 23 March 2003 12:44 (twenty-three years ago)

moonlight in vermont/tmr
amazona/strnded
lou reed
guitarrists

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Sunday, 23 March 2003 13:37 (twenty-three years ago)

sonic youth, 'diamond sea'
betty harris, 'break in the road' (great allen touissant-produced slab of new orleans funk punctuated by feedback)

'mayonnaise' and 'drown' are both awesome choices...

sxxx

― stevie (stevie), Sunday, 23 March 2003 14:15 (twenty-three years ago)

oooh, and the foreboding squalls of white noise that prowl around uncle tupelo's version of 'effigy'

― stevie (stevie), Sunday, 23 March 2003 14:15 (twenty-three years ago)

'Psycocandy' is OK but having heard takyanagi I have to say its cocaine feedback. just bits of studio reverb cobbled together.

Its alright but I haven't heard it in years.

Trent bloke from nine inch nails (i don't know them actually so i migth be wrong) also thought that his stereo was broken when he played his copy of 'psycocandy'.

No mention of Borbeto's 'Donald Miller' as well. his solo alb ('little treatise on morals') was good.

derek bailey's feedback album ('string theory') was good as well (especially the tracks where he is improvising with vanessa mackness (sp?)). keiji haino too.

stuff by the velvets does some good here as well.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 23 March 2003 15:33 (twenty-three years ago)

MBV - LOVELESS 4th travk - to here know when

period

― emilichescu, Sunday, 23 March 2003 21:10 (twenty-three years ago)

that's good one too.

but we are not stopping there.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 23 March 2003 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

i'm gonna have to take the rockist/canonist route here and choose something off of white light white heat...

"sister ray"...? nah, "i heard her call my name"

― gygax! (gygax!), Sunday, 23 March 2003 21:14 (twenty-three years ago)

lets have both gygax.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 23 March 2003 21:17 (twenty-three years ago)

after My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive also comes to mind.
But it's more like of a reverb type of sound.

― emilichescu, Sunday, 23 March 2003 23:56 (twenty-three years ago)

What about the masters of Feedback- The Dead C
Driver UFO
Helen Said This
Sky
Mighty, both slow and fast versions
Tusk

― brg30 (brg30), Sunday, 23 March 2003 23:56 (twenty-three years ago)

i find it really difficult to believe people actually thought that Psychocandy sounded "your stereo is broken" sort of noisy. Even in 1986.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 24 March 2003 03:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Ragged Glory

Great album.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 24 March 2003 04:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Yo La Tengo live, Ira really tortures his guitar.

― nickn (nickn), Monday, 24 March 2003 08:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes yes yes THE DEAD C.
Don't forget side 2 of The whitehouse, Bitcher / Outside is the most cosmic freakout I've witnessed.

F/i rate a mention as well - space mantra has some real rocking feedback fun

― threemetalinsects (threemetalinsects), Monday, 24 March 2003 08:10 (twenty-three years ago)

i second the dead c -- "studio" stuff that is -- live they seem to loose control, so their live albums from the late '90s i find impossible (but lot's of people do like these records)

ok they're live bit's and pieces in the "studio" albums too, but i think these records are the better ones (harsh 70s, feel good allover, trapdoor)

i would have thought you'd say the dead c owned this thread given that kevin shields seems to have dropped out of the running (and the same for all the great frippertechnics of the '70s)

― george gosset (gegoss), Monday, 24 March 2003 08:51 (twenty-three years ago)

fuck, yes. the dead C are fantastic.

as far as I know there is only one completely live record and that is the absolutely incredible 'Repent'.

'Harsh 70s' roolz too.

I thought GG didn't like them.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 24 March 2003 10:25 (twenty-three years ago)

feedback doesn't just mean noise!

the smiths, 'london.' feedback intro as train whistle!

― pete b. (pete b.), Monday, 24 March 2003 10:29 (twenty-three years ago)

julio, it's not as simple as that

― george gosset (gegoss), Monday, 24 March 2003 11:11 (twenty-three years ago)

second VU: I heard her call my name...

"... AND THEN MY MIND SPLIT OPEN!_____________"

― autovac (autovac), Monday, 24 March 2003 20:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Kate, tis you who are wrong. I trump your Psychocandy with I Hate Rock n Roll.

― bert, Monday, 24 March 2003 20:59 (twenty-three years ago)

''julio, it's not as simple as that''

I keep asking this q in diff threads but I ask you again: what do you mean?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 24 March 2003 21:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Slint. Rhoda. EP version. End of discussion (and good hearing as well!)

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Monday, 24 March 2003 21:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Many, many great Yo La Tengo moments - but my favorite being the third verse of "Stockholm Syndrome"

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 24 March 2003 21:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Lotsa Dinosaur Jr fo sho, esp that burst between two songs in You're Living All Over Me.

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 24 March 2003 21:49 (twenty-three years ago)

The Jesus and Mary Chain's first single "Upside Down" is even more feedback-y than Psychocandy. Also, the b-sides from the early singles like "Suck" and "Head" are incredibly squealy.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 24 March 2003 21:58 (twenty-three years ago)

''brabed wire kisses' is prob even better than psycocandy, I think.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 24 March 2003 22:03 (twenty-three years ago)

yes, yes it is...

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 24 March 2003 22:03 (twenty-three years ago)

The Melvins, both the 1st EP and GLUEY PORCH TREATMENTS CD (Plenty more after that, too, but I'm hearing it right now)...pure feedback, very ominous tension-release stuff with no obvious "evil" or even agressive intent. I love it, a LOT.

― matt riedl (veal), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 00:50 (twenty-three years ago)

I keep asking this q in diff threads but I ask you again: what do you mean?

oh no don't get him started again; search the alt.music.dead-c archives. Not sure if you can hear George deconstructing from the audience on the Repent disc (was he there? i can't remember) but i'm sure you can hear doorag...

― hamish (hamish), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 01:05 (twenty-three years ago)

The Dead C represent three New Zealanders jamming on "soft drugs". That's New Zealand for you. Soft drugs and the sound of mush either from the band or the rugby field.

It is not inconceivable that re-issues etc. form part of a long term
strategy, the initial phase of which is to create the "invisibility" (or "inscrutability, making them both unavailable for analysis most of the time and guaranteeing that "weird underground presence" ...
Nice little retirement fund sitting there waiting as music distribution suddenly emerges from out of the carefully protected small volumes of work and makes it possible for you to buy "Dead C -- The Box Set".

We don't have hard drugs in New Zealand.
Sure the dead look like they're in a stupor, but you can hear it as go-with-the-flow-stuff -- any ape can improvise the way they do, to revisit and old angle on modern art --

― hamish (hamish), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 02:17 (twenty-three years ago)

"When You Smile" - The Dream Syndicate. Gawddamn! Total brain-melt!
Spacemen 3's cover of "Starship" breaks down magnificently at the end as well.
_Rural Psychedelia_ by Flying Saucer Attack makes _Loveless_ sound like twee-pop.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 05:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Some Bardo Pond song.

― Leee (Leee), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 07:43 (twenty-three years ago)

er...i don't whether to thank you or not hamish.

we've had one thread on this on these sort of things on ILM. it changed my life.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 17:56 (twenty-three years ago)

five months pass...

autovac OTM with the VU

Beat Happening- This Many Boyfriends Club
Guitar Wolf (yessss!)- Invader Ace and Jet Generation
Aaaaand...
JAMC- Psychocandy alb., of course!

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

seven months pass...

― Broheems (diamond), Sunday, 16 May 2004 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Keith rowe guitar hum innit?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 16 May 2004 11:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Lotsa Dinosaur Jr fo sho, esp that burst between two songs in You're Living All Over Me.
-- teeny (teen...), March 24th, 2003 1:49 PM. (teeny)

"tarpit"... yum, the LP version goes on an extra 90 seconds...

― gygax! (gygax!), Sunday, 16 May 2004 13:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Only one Sonic Youth track mentioned?

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Sunday, 16 May 2004 13:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The intro to the Chameleons' "Tears" as well as the interlude in "Soul in Isolation"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 16 May 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Pretty much any Sonic Youth track ever could be mentioned. But I would go with...J.C. off 'Dirty.' An unpopular choice, I know.

― Mike Guy (Miss Lonelyhearts), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Velvet Underground "Loop"

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Gang of Four's "Anthrax" was the first song that came to mind, but someone already mentioned that one.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:07 (twenty-two years ago)

bardo pond "JD"

― Ian Johnson (orion), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

david mitchell

― jack cole (jackcole), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

hell yes. also, brian crook.

― chris andrews (fraew), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I also nominate the simulated sound of Lou Reed's mind splitting open. Add "European Son", "Run Run Run" and Metal Machine Music and you'll know why Lou was once feared by amplifiers worldwide.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

bardo pond "JD"

-- Ian Johnson (johni72...), May 16th, 2004.

not to mention roy montgomery's entire career..

― chris andrews (fraew), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Ted Nugent's feedback on Journey To the Center of The Mind (Amboy Dukes - circa 1968) made him kinda famous.

― jim wentworth (wench), Monday, 17 May 2004 01:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Velvets - The Gift/ Sister Rays (live and in studio)/ Heard Her Call My Name

Small Faces - Rene (really low grungy grumbling kinda feedback of a kind not used often enough)

Funkadelic - I Wanna Know If It's Good to You

... lots of others that I can't think of right now

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 17 May 2004 08:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The Primitives - Spacehead

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Monday, 17 May 2004 09:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Early MBV when they were still JAMC copyists, like Sunny Sundae Smile, Lovely Sweet Darlene etc. There were dozens of baby Mary Chain bands around at the time, doing a similar thing - Meat Whiplash, Slaughter Joe, Bambi Slam etc

― bham, Monday, 17 May 2004 09:48 (twenty-two years ago)

stefan jaworzyn on ascension's 'broadcast'.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 17 May 2004 10:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I've just dowloaded Crystal Eyes by The Nightblooms after not hearing it for about 10 years.

It's like a poppier version of You Make Me Realize. Absolutely joyful.

― holojames (holojames), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, My Deranged Heart by Smashing Orange would definitely feature on my compilation of pop-songs combining extreme feedback and a WahWah pedal. I seem to remember the 7" version was a bit more traumatising than the album version.

It's all about the treble.

― holojames (holojames), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

The untitled half-hour-long bonus track on Keiji Haino's Watashi-Dake.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I forgot to mention Heart of Glass by Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. If anyone has that EP on MP3, I need it bad.

I've just realized, Mary Chain clones = my favourite genre.

― holojames (holojames), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

So many fine examples are already mentioned, but I'll add...

The intro to "Louie Louie" by Black Flag (the same feedbacky bit sampled by the Beastie Boys for "Pass the Mic," I believe).

The beginning of "Hollow Heart" by Birdland (*ducks to avoid bottles of urine and rancid fruit*)

Also, several moments on Night of the Living Dead Boys by the...er..Dead Boys.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

On the Beatles "It's All Too Much", the feedback that bleeds from the opening into the first verse = awesome. In fact, nobody's actually playing any guitar at that point, all the "chords" are provided by feedback.

― dleone (dleone), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

fugazi "by you"

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Not sure actually if it's legimate feedback or sampled feedback, but the intro to "Shine On Elizabeth on Headkick Facsimile lets out a piercing whistle that is mighty thrilling before the band kicks into it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

whoops....by Cop Shoot Cop

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

ten months pass...

Most amazing use of feedback.....

Talk Talk - "After the Flood" (from Laughing Stock)

That minute or so of Mark Hollis' absolutely gorgeous electric squall is made so much more sublime by the gentle, liquid gold that surrounds it. An amazing song.

― Pat in Cleveland, Monday, 21 March 2005 04:33 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a pretty amazing feedback moment (a very long moment) on Fugazi's "In On the Killtaker" -- I think it's the translation between "23 Beats Off" and "Sweet and Low."

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 21 March 2005 04:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Anything by The Monks. Read Black Monk TIme to see how they discovered feedback and ran with it, like Prometheus taking fire from the gods, inserting it into their act until it eventually became the whole act.

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 21 March 2005 04:59 (twenty-one years ago)

"I Heard Her Call My Name" played a key role in warping my tastes forever more. Especially Lou's second "and then my mind split open!", the beautifully-timed gap, then SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

― 'haitch' (haitch), Monday, 21 March 2005 05:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm really surprised no one has mentioned Nirvana at all. The part in "Frances Farmer..." where he cuts the distortion in early on the riff in the verse then just lets it SQUEAL... AHHHH.

― - (smile), Monday, 21 March 2005 05:14 (twenty-one years ago)

the two seconds of feedback right before those three scuzzy chords kick in on 'I wanna be your dog'

― Seuss, Monday, 21 March 2005 10:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Mercury Rev - "Chasing a Bee"
Medicine - "One More"

― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Monday, 21 March 2005 18:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Hurting otm

― Dr. Eldon Tyrell (ex machina), Monday, 21 March 2005 18:12 (twenty-one years ago)

thurston moore - female cop

― Dr. Eldon Tyrell (ex machina), Monday, 21 March 2005 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Kaleidoscope - Beacon From Mars

― Dadrock Holmes (Dada), Tuesday, 22 March 2005 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

Does anybody know how to make a feedback noise to sounds just like Jesus and Mary Chains?

― Zack Lee, Friday, 19 May 2006 01:46 (twenty years ago)

Does anybody know how to make a feedback noise to sounds just like Jesus and Mary Chains????

― Swooper, Friday, 19 May 2006 01:46 (twenty years ago)

Do you really need someone to tell you how to do this?

― LOL Thomas (Chris Barrus), Friday, 19 May 2006 01:53 (twenty years ago)

Hey, show some respect. This guy could be the next Jesus and Mary Chains

― Chris Bee (Cee Bee), Friday, 19 May 2006 02:03 (twenty years ago)

The Flaming Lips, anyone?

― Z, Friday, 19 May 2006 07:00 (twenty years ago)

Robert Fripp - Bowie's Heroes. Unbelievable.

― MadMaryWilliams (MadMaryWilliams), Friday, 19 May 2006 19:54 (twenty years ago)

Sanhedolin

― Chris Bee (Cee Bee), Friday, 19 May 2006 19:57 (twenty years ago)

Thin White Rope - lots of stuff, but especially "Disney Girl"'s feedback-as-melody

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Saturday, 20 May 2006 10:42 (twenty years ago)

RE: JAMC

THere's a bit in Mark Radcliffe's biog where he talks about being a studio engineer when JAMC recorded their first Peel Session. And, if memory serves, he said something like this band came in the morning and recorded three great tracks of pretty good subtle guitar tunes, then we broke for lunch. Then afterwards he was bewildered by the fact they insisted on recording loads of feedback over these beautiful songs - runining them. 'Course Radcliffe admits he was wrong...

And on the subject of feedback, I remember being in a cafe in Edinburgh years ago and seeing someone playing an acoustic guitar through an amp. Except instead of jsut playing it, he was letting individual notes feedback before damping them (i.e. he didn't actually pick any notes). He played these really beautiful instrumentals that sounded like they were being played on strings, but there was always the dange that he'd loose control. I really wish I'd asked him who he was and whether he'd made any tapes.

― Rhapshoddy On A Theme, Saturday, 20 May 2006 12:43 (twenty years ago)

weezer - Pinkerton and The Blue Album

― Steve Goldberg (Steve Goldberg), Saturday, 20 May 2006 14:28 (twenty years ago)

Ah! A less-than-excellent instance of feedback.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 26 May 2006 18:26 (twenty years ago)

somwhere in the early verses of frances farmer will have her revenge.. on in utero. complimenting, hi-toned feedback occurs

― mono tony, Friday, 26 May 2006 18:59 (twenty years ago)

fuckin'like-reich-ian swinging mic throughout 'radio friendly unit shifter' on same album (prob a guitar)

― mono tony, Friday, 26 May 2006 19:02 (twenty years ago)

i like liz phair feedback. or used to. probably sound like crap to me now. i hate music.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Friday, 26 May 2006 19:07 (twenty years ago)

some shit that occurs on 'dead hills' by wolf eyes where the howling vocals blend in unison with the feedbacking tones on track 2 or 3.

― mono tony, Friday, 26 May 2006 19:13 (twenty years ago)

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