Songs with Odd Meters You Like

[rickbass]

I have a new band project in the works and want to try and see if some odd meter songs might work in clubs just to break things up a little.

I got a recording pf Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" and the Beatles' "All You Need is Love" when I was about 15 and have been intrigued by odd meters ever since.
Then the whole art-rock and the later fusion-rock things came into vogue, a la King Crimson, Yes, Mahavishnu Orchestra/Weather Report/Return to Forever.
Some other odd meter songs that come to mind are Tool's "Schism, P. Floyd's "Money", Soundgarden's "Spoonman", and material by Rush and Dream Theater.

Just wondered if there are odd meter songs you really like --- (to be clear, "odd meter" as in "time signatures can't be evenly divided by the numbers "2" or "3"; ex. 3/8 is not an odd meter).

[JMX]

I like this 17/8 tune Simon Phillips does with Toto - Party In Simon's Pants.

[peteroberts]

I like Led Zeppelin's 'The Crunge' 5/4.

Also Flecktones 'Throwdown at the Hoedown' 7/8.

[dancehallclasher]

there's a radiohead song called "polyethylene pt.2" if i remember correctly it switches between bars of 10/8 and 4/4. i'm not sure.

[Wrong Robot]

there is a radiohead song...ummm...I cannot remember the name...wait I think its the pyramid song actually from amnesiac...thats besides the point that its in 13/6 or something werid like that
the count is actualy 1-2-3-4-5-6-7/1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9/1-2-3-4-5-6-7/1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9
where I got 13/6 from I don't know, but it is the weirdest time signature I've ver come across

[Christopher]

Sting's "Seven Days," which is in 7/8. Such a clever lad.

[christoph h.]

most of tool's songs are in odd meters. but they use them in a really organic way.

if you can stand the "heavyness", listen to some "meshuggah" for really anorganic constructed songs.

also listening to this song might be a good idea:

http://www.lasercd.com/merchant/lase.../stratagem.mp3

some of adam nitti's songs also employ odd meters, i believe. but he doesn't seem to notice.

[oddentity]

The title track of Tool's Lateralus is one of my faves with odd signatures. The time signature in the verse is 9/8 + 8/8 + 7/8. The Grudge, off the same album, is mostly in 5/4.

Another band I like that uses a lot of odd sigs is Ozric Tentacles. There's a track called Coily (from Waterfall Cities) that's mostly in 17/16, and they have many other songs that use 5/4, 7/8, and 9/8.

[BigWig Will]

I like "Take 5", and "Off Minor" off Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. And "Eat the Sun" by The Mars Volta

[silentstranger]

I've always enjoyed Nine Inch Nails' "March of the Pigs", which is primarily 7/8 with a couple 4/4 passages. The MotP EP also has a remix of the song entirely in 4/4, which is rather strange in comparison.

In a genre closer to what I believe you're looking for, Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo A La Turk" (it might actually be a standard, I'm not sure) is in 9/8 with a 4/4 solo section. Granted, 9/8 is divisible by 3, but the accents imply a feel of "1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + a" which feels pretty odd to me.

[JimK]

"Free Man" by the Screaming Headless Torsos(wriiten by the group's bassist, Fima Ephron).

"Free Man" is one of those polymetric tunes...it's 2 bars of 7 but is felt as 1 bar of 6 + 2 bars of 4.
2 bars of 7 = 14 beats
6 + 4 + 4 = 14 beats

[relman]

There's a lot of Phish tunes that I love that have odd meters. "Divided Sky", "First Tube" (just the guitar though), "Mound", "Split Open and Melt", "Bouncing Round the Room", "Demand".....lot's of Zappa too....

[SlavaF]

Dream Theater's "A Change Of Seasons" is awesome and has a lot of odd meter stuff, and most Tool stuff. It's all good.

[basss]

If you like jazz check out Dave Holland's newer stuff- seriously killin'. You wont be able to tell what meter it is but its still funky and groovin. Billy Kilson is the ****!!!

[Freaky Fender]

my band (The Armed Civilians, who's EP "We Want You" will be realised soon) does a song that is in 13/4 and goes to 3/4 in mid song (word weither that song is EP worthy still in the works)


What time sig was All You Need Is Love in? 5/4?

[Sharp]

Theres a bunch of cleverly named flecktones songs-

Almost 12 comes to mind. its in 11/8 and grammy winning, if i remember right.

[relman]

Originally posted by Freaky Fender
What time sig was All You Need Is Love in? 5/4?

7/8, i believe.

[rickbass]

Originally posted by basss
...You wont be able to tell what meter it is but its still funky and groovin....

That's a big part of the appeal to me, basss......the s**t just "IS what it IS" . We just sit back and let it flow ......no dissection, just go in the direction, and all that.

You guys have some very good selections!!!

[Philbiker]

DEVO: Blockhead
Pete Townshend: Face Dances Part Two
King Crimson: Frame By Frame (and about a million other songs - it's unusual for them to do a song in 4/4)

[Bruce Lindfield]

I really like "Joy in the Blood of the Stars" by Olivier Messiaen - this rocks! It is the 5th movement of the Turangalila Symphonie - Messiaen called it an "African Dance".

This is in 3/16 - so would it count as an "odd meter" by your definition - it certainly sounds like it?