More, More, More:

Songs That Absolutely Nail The Long Instrumental Coda

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The art of the long (musical) goodbye

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The rules of the playlist:

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Rule 1: Stay away from obvious choices.

• No ‘Layla,‘ for example. ‘Layla’ has a place on many other playlists. To include:

• No “Free Bird”; no explanation needed.

• ‘I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man’ – because it’s beloved and the platonic ideal of the genre
• Along with Genesis’ ‘Abacab.’
• ‘Baker Street’; the sax riff is too profound to ignore.
• ‘Hotel California’; I can’t quit you.

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Rule 2: No Rush.

• I am unable to get past Geddy Lee’s voice due to a genetic mutation, mine or his or both.

• Metallica: ‘One’
• Dave Matthews Band: ‘Proudest Monkeys’. They got lucky.

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Rule 3: Less than 10 minutes in length.

• ’Time Has Come Today,’ The Chambers Brothers, which breaks multiple rules. I find the demonic laughter hilarious, the nod to holiday music amusing, and, well, it makes me feel like Robert Duvall in surf mode.

• ‘Telegraph Road,’ Dire Straits;
• ‘Got To Give It Up,’ Marvin (a multiple rule breaker, too, but it’s Marvin).

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Rule 4: No singing in the fade.

Thus, no ‘Hey Jude.’

• Scatting and other wordless vocal decorations are okay.
• A reprise of the vocal hook is verboten, as it breaks the mood (this rule is fudged, as well).

A long coda diminishes gracefully, like a sunset. Or gout pain.

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Rule 5: At least two minutes.

• ‘The Boxer.’ Self-explanatory.

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Rule 6: Must be an outro.

So:

Even though it has two lovely instrumental passages. The coda, however, is too short. Painful, to be sure.

• But the Dan does make an appearance: ‘Glamour Profession’.

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Rule 7: Nothing live.

• Studio largesse only.

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Rule 8: At least 50 songs.

Here are a few I haven’t mentioned yet:

• ‘Give It to Me,’ J. Geils Band
• ‘Human Touch,’ Bruce (a surprise; he was in his pop period here but let this one patiently swirl away to nothing)
• ‘Sunrise,’ Eric Carmen
• ‘Let’s Clean Up the Ghetto,’ The Philadelphia All-Stars.

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Rule 9: Extended dance singles not allowed.

But this need often makes for musical repetition.

• ‘Disco Inferno.’ Jimmy Ellis is allowed to break all the rules (or at least 3, 4, 9, and maybe even 1).

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Rule 10: One song per band.

Obviously, legends might have three or four included here.

Keeps things fresh and varied.

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Rule 11: Not an instrumental.

Instrumentals have their own playlist.

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Rule 12: I like the song.

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So… maybe the rules are merely guidelines. A few notes:

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Led Zeppelin didn’t make it for one reason or another.

Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’ is the shortest song on the list.

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I made some nice discoveries:

Either because I wasn’t familiar with the tunes or I was taken aback they met the criteria.

• ‘We Started Nothing,’ the Ting Tings.
• ‘Demolition Man,’ The Police.
• ‘Wakin on a Pretty Day,’ Kurt Vile.
• ‘Madman Across the Water’ Elton John

And:

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I’m sure you have other suggestions and/or criticisms.

Let ‘em rip.

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