Road trip instrumentals

October 12, 2004 9:25 AM

I'm looking for some good road trip music, specifically instrumental music, acoustic guitar if possible.
posted by 4easypayments to media & arts (23 comments total)

California Guitar Trio. Among the tracks I downloaded back in the glory days of Napster, were Bohemian Rhapsody and the theme to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
posted by bondcliff at 9:32 AM on October 12, 2004

Michael Hedges: Aerial Boundaries
posted by davebush at 9:33 AM on October 12, 2004

sorry

Michael Hedges: Aerial Boundaries
posted by davebush at 9:35 AM on October 12, 2004

Alex de Grassi: melodic acoustic guitar with enough complexity to keep you awake.
posted by mischief at 9:40 AM on October 12, 2004

Try Calexico, perhaps. Not acoustic guitar, but near it.

Also Trans Am, perhaps. They've done a bit of guitar work here and there.

If you're headed at all west, definitely check out Ennio Morricone's works (including GB&U).
posted by codger at 9:43 AM on October 12, 2004

Lanterna
posted by jalexei at 10:09 AM on October 12, 2004

What about old school guitar like Django Reinhardt
Or his modern-day contemporaries, The Rosenberg Trio.

Not acoustic guitar, but albums by The Bad Plus or Christopher O'Reilly playing piano versions of Radiohead would make great roadtrip music.

Calexico, while really good for a roadtrip, isn't really instrumental, though.
posted by FreezBoy at 10:11 AM on October 12, 2004

Ry Cooder, particularly the Paris Texas Soundtrack.
posted by signal at 10:12 AM on October 12, 2004

Leo Kottke (no relation to the proprietor of kottke.org). Rhino put out a good anthology.
posted by lbergstr at 10:14 AM on October 12, 2004

I second Leo Kottke.
posted by Frank Grimes at 10:24 AM on October 12, 2004

Jesse Cook? I think Tempest and Vertigo would be fabulous road trip music.
posted by heather at 10:30 AM on October 12, 2004

Jack Rose. The Locust Music "Wooden Guitar" compilation. Steffen Basho-Junghans, and early Robbie Basho. Six Organs of Admittance. Sandy Bull. Cuneiform Records' "156 Strings" compilation. Rick Bishop's "Salvador Kali".

John Fahey, say "The Voice of the Turtle". Richard Thompson's "Strict Tempo". Hans Reichel's "Lower Lurum". Janet Feder.

Currituck Co.'s latest (Ghost Man on First).

Not acoustic guitar, but instrumental and guitar-oriented and I think it would make great driving music: Upsilon Acrux's "Volucris Avis Dirae-Arum".
posted by kenko at 10:38 AM on October 12, 2004

Anything by Andres Segovia
posted by InfidelZombie at 10:46 AM on October 12, 2004

Yes - Paris Texas. Forgot about that one. Beautiful, haunting slide guitar.

Also - I've recently fell in love with Set Fire to Flames.
posted by davebush at 10:46 AM on October 12, 2004

Thanks everybody. Postcards, all around! I'm off to Amoeba Records.
posted by 4easypayments at 11:14 AM on October 12, 2004

Electrical Counterpoint by Steve Reich, with Pat Metheney.
posted by nthdegx at 11:19 AM on October 12, 2004

There's a whole bunch of ambient/easy listening mixes at globalbeatz, free download (just find them amongst the techno/hardcore mixes!) - maybe strictly not acoustic guitar only, but definitely many mixes suitable for road-trips.
posted by SpaceCadet at 12:16 PM on October 12, 2004

Don Ross! If your're into off-beat, crazy, funky acoustic solo guitar stuff. The guy rocks as if a complete band is playing.
posted by swordfishtrombones at 12:23 PM on October 12, 2004

The Moon and the Banana Tree - New Guitar Music From Madagascar (Shanachie Records 64074)

Corey Harris: Greens from the Garden.

Bob Brozman in Hawaii: Kika Kila Meets Ki Ho'Alu
posted by zaelic at 12:30 PM on October 12, 2004

You could try one of the Paco De Lucia/Al Dimeola/John McLaughlin albums. It's a really virtuosic and melodic mix of jazz and flamenco, all done with just three acoustic guitars.
posted by epimorph at 12:43 PM on October 12, 2004

Big second for Jesse Cook. The Tempest album is the most amazing guitar work I have ever heard in my life.
posted by vito90 at 12:55 PM on October 12, 2004

Bert Jansch's first album is good.
posted by the cuban at 3:02 PM on October 12, 2004

Michael Hedges Live On The Double Planet
posted by turbodog at 8:40 PM on October 12, 2004