Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST BEFORE VOTING!​

You are voting for your favorite riff in Round 1 of the December 2009 Riff-Off. More information about the Riff-Off can be found here. In this round, there are eight head-to-head matches. Be sure to check out and vote for your favorite riff in the other seven Round 1 matches, also found in the Tips and Clips room. To view the bracket for this month's Riff-Off, go here.

Because not all contestants have access to the same quality of recording equipment, your voting decision should be based first on the actual composition, second on the player's execution of the riff. Try to look past recording quality. Some questions you may want to ask yourself while considering which way to vote: What is the emotional impact of the riff? How original is the riff? Does the riff inspire me? Would I want to hear a whole song built off this riff?

Note that each contestant has chosen a battle name for the Riff-Off; their identities have been hidden from all other contestants and the voting public, and will be revealed at the end of the Riff-Off, when a champion is crowned.

Lastly, while comments are strongly encouraged, please realize that each contestant put personal time and creative energy into his or her submission. If you have any critique to provide in this thread, give the contestants the courtesy of making it constructive. This competition is built on the premises of fun and musical growth.

Here are the links to each clip in this head-to-head:

Eddie Vedder

Mean Mr. Mustard

If you run into any technical issues or have other question regarding the Riff-Off, contact me via email (kgmessier at gmail dot com).

Have fun!

- Keith

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

I'll be honest - I hear lyrics in my head when I hear the one from Eddie Vedder, and I'm by no means a Pearl Jam fan :lol:

If a riff inspires me to think of words or bob my head, it's a winner in my book.

 

[Markk]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Mustard's has more riff-like feeling and constitutes more of what I define a riff. It's not the most unique out there, but it's simple to memorize and hum.
Vedder's is nice. It does have a good backing, but it seems more like simple strumming that could be played behind a riff.
Still good playing though.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Mustard's has more riff-like feeling and constitutes more of what I define a riff. It's not the most unique out there, but it's simple to memorize and hum.
Vedder's is nice. It does have a good backing, but it seems more like simple strumming that could be played behind a riff.
Still good playing though.

These are exactly the kinds of comments I'm hoping to see in these battle threads. Thanks, Markk!

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

True, but look at Zep's Tangerine intro, or The Rain Song. Those are two examples of definable riffs that are merely strummed chords.

To each his own, but I hear lyrics with it. I'm not a lyricist, so if it moves me, it's gotta be good

 

[sosomething]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

voted.

 

[Markk]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

True, but look at Zep's Tangerine intro, or The Rain Song. Those are two examples of definable riffs that are merely strummed chords.

To each his own, but I hear lyrics with it. I'm not a lyricist, so if it moves me, it's gotta be good

I find that Tangerine has a well defined motive that is unique and seems as though it was thought out. The 'chords' that are played in Tangerine seem like developed single notes that, and of course in my opinion, lead the way for the vocals.

Embellished chords in a progression, for me, is hard to call a riff.
Time of Your Life or Sweet Home Alabama could be examples. Playing the individual notes in the songs makes up a riff. But playing the chord progression does not make a riff.

Maybe a good idea is to try play the riff in question using only single notes. If you can still hear the original idea, then that's a riff. (I'm thinking Sunshine of your Love, Smoke on the Water etc.). Of course this works only when a riff is disguised within chords.

But, like you said, "To each his own." None-the-less, nice discussions coming out of this Riff Off

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Vote in.

 

[Fresno Bob]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Voted

 

[tone4days]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

voted
nice work guys

 

[elscorcho]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

...voted...another toughy

 

[Blue Calx]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Eddie Vedder, the only thing I would have wanted to hear happen differently was the lead-in to the distorted part. Even a slight on-ramp to the heavy part would've been cool. I like the chords you're playing though!

 

[Jake]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

voted

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Voted.

 

[B2D]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Voted!

 

[sosomething]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Eddie Vedder

I know it's a chord progression. I don't care. This is nice. It totally did NOT need the seventeen-metalzones-turned-on-at-once distortion that kicked in at the end, but that's probably the kind of thing we'll see much less of happening in subsequent rounds and tournaments.
Good right hand here, and the chords are played cleanly. I can definitely hear this starting off a nice ballad-y rock tune.

​

Mean Mr. Mustard

This one is throwing me off a little bit. The overly-strummed chord at the end kind of takes this submission out of riff territory and puts it more in a weird place.. I can't imagine this being repeated in a song, really.
I would suggest to the submitter that, when thinking of riffs, to try to envision them as something that can be played over and over indefinitely without having to stop and start over.
Besides that, I think this is recorded well and is a good start.
​

 

[Tor]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

For the Eddie Vedder, I really like the progression! It takes me to a good place. For the distorted part, not so much. The note nuances disappeared into a cloud of wasps, bees and bumble bees, and was generally and specifically... not very good. I heard you continued the playing there, but all the cool stuff completely disappeared! Yay for playing, nay for distortion, fix that up and you have a good platform for a song right there.

 

[Redmist]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Voted

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

I like both.

The Vedder lick is very compelling and listenable. The distorted part was flotsam, IMHO. The strummed chords were more than enough.

 

[exnihilo]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Eddie Vedder vs. Mean Mr. Mustard

Voted. Very much echo Sosomething on all points.

cg