Perfect Moments In Music

[Beacon515L]

The 'Tutti' direction of Widor's Toccata (depending on the organist, around three-and-a-half minutes in). Especially on a large French instrument, hands down the most emphatic literal example I know of an organist 'pulling out all the stops,' a pun which makes even more sense when one learns what the word 'Tutti' actually means. X3

[Cloud Walker]

Seasonally apt!

When, towards the end, the snare finally hits.

Lifting.

[MisterCheif]

Pretty much every sing major impact in this show.
Wow.

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

Pretty much every sing major impact in this show.
Wow.

DCI video! Yes!!

[Midnight]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U66ZBGaGd1I
4:59
It's a jazz group's cover of Karma Police by Radiohead, and there's this really... proggy, I guess, breakdown where everyone's noodling around, and then at 4:59 it goes straight back to Radiohead with these huge chords.

[picnic_crossfire]

My searching skillz have led me to believe that Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah has been thrice mentioned in this topic, but I'd like to add my opinion of the song. The note that he holds around 5:56-6:13, the third scale degree (the mi if you're into solfege), it's just so divine. You expect it to resolve at like four separate points, and the guitar just keeps doing its thing, and it's grand.

Also, I didn't search to see if Eric Whitacre's Sleep has been mentioned, but I'm sure it has. There exist several awesome moments, but the truly perfect moment is at 4:09 when the first sopranos move to the high note and hold it exactly long enough to make me literally cry about 40% of the times that I listen to that song.

[TA67]

Pretty much every sing major impact in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U7LXtfikxQ&list=PL21DA2DA9C6E8B22A&index=34&playnext=1&feature=bfnav]this show.
Wow.

DCI video! Yes!!

yes drum corps lovers! that show is absolutely amazing...one of my favorites. Blue Devil's 1988 show also has one of my favorite moments...the beginning sop solo and when the entire corps comes in with "happy times are here again"...man. pure bliss.

Anyway, outside of drum corps,

Periphery-Jetpacks was yes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxu2f2_XyHg&feature=related
at 1:57, when his voice hits the high note and holds it over the beginning of the guitar solo...chills

The Lake and The River-The Dear Hunter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BErrXdGuvS0
First off, the beginning is just great, all the polyrhythms and seperate melodies...very pleasant. But my favorite part is by far 3:45, quiet and then triumphant! Instrumentation is perfect, interesting time sigs...just everything about that part gives me chills no matter how many times I listen to it.

Between the buried and me-way too many perfect moments
-Sun of nothing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6e7oUI_6xA
1:08 "I'm floating towards the sun...the sun of nothing"
-Prequel to the sequel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lb3rE17Sak
first off, the beginning of that video is the end of ants of the sky, which is another perfect moment for me. Prequel to the sequel starts at about :58 ish. The moment is at 2:20ish, when Tommy does his fade-in scream and the band is just jammin' over it...ugh, perfection.
-White Walls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJX1BMffkhk
that whole video. nothing needs to be said.
-Backwards Marathon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOegg5us0yw
again, video speaks for itself...it's raining.

I could go on and on about btbam...so I'll just stop there haha.

City & Colour: Hello, I'm in Delaware
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnLULIGekIA
"sometimes I wonder how I will stay strong..."

[APolaris]

I know way too many with orchestras (hundreds), so I'll ignore that pretty close to entirely. The exception: I listened to the theme from Schindler's List for the one-thousandth time (literally) a few days ago and it still gives me chills.

Ditto for about half the stuff I've heard by Enya.

It's not often that a rock band produces something that has this effect on me, and even less often that such moments are in songs that aren't overplayed (I'm looking at you, Comfortably Numb and Stairway). But the second half of Dream Theater's The Count of Tuscany is easily the most underrated of these moments that I've heard. Everything from Petrucci's solo at the 10:15 mark, to how he makes his guitar sound like a viola after it, to the whole ending sequence... everything except the lyrics is pure magic, and proves that anybody who says Petrucci can't play with feeling, or that DT hasn't had a good release in their past four albums, hasn't done much listening.

[MHD]

When the strings kick in at 1:19.

[seabee]

K. Perfect moment.

Bon Iver - Skinny Love.

When the chorus comes in for the first time, it's just a "wow" moment no matter how many times I hear it.

"I told you to be patient, I told you to be fine. I told you to be balanced, I told you to be kind."

Just the way he sings it gives me goosebumps.

I love that song, but for my money if Bon Iver delivers a "Perfect Moment In Music" then it's the touch of vocoder followed by the raucous crescendo at the end of The Wolves. Gives me the shudders each time.

[gingermrkettle]

And to launch in...

"Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen" from the Brahms German Requiem. All of it, but particularly just before the reprise where the sopranos hit the A flat.
Guns Blazing by Unkle
Where the bass kicks in in the album version of Release the Pressure by Leftfield ("tang tang")
The end of Vaughan Williams' 5th symphony, but picking part of that is like asking which crispy duck pancake you like best.

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

The beginning section of Shine on You Crazy Diamond

[nyeguy]

The beginning section of Shine on You Crazy Diamond

FTFY

[cameron432]

I got a bunch:

Silverstein - Vices. About 2:22. When the repeat line gets chanted. It's so amazing.

Enter Shikari - Mothership. "I'll scream with a thousand voices!"

SIlverstein - Smile In Your Sleep. The whole breakdown

Enter Shikari - Destabilise. The 2nd breakdown

Chiodos - Those Who Slay Together, Stay Together. When the first chorus kicks in

Attack Attack! - Smokahontas. The opening is epic as hell.

I See Stars - The End Of The World Party. The layered screaming in the 2nd time Zack screams (Cliche, I know, but whatever xD)

I'll stop there xD

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

The beginning section of Shine on You Crazy Diamond

FTFY

Thanks.

[Numquam]

The cadence of the final movement of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony.

THIS!
Though I personally like this chord (which takes like 20 seconds to resolve) as a perfect moment in music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogJFXqYEYd8#t=9m10s

(obviously listen to the whole thing first)

[Midnight]

"dri-ver-please-don't-go-that-FUCKIN WAYYYYYYyyyy"
oh, Tallest Man on Earth. You're not actually the tallest man on earth, but I can't bring myself to care.

[majikthise]

Probably been mentioned already but I'm not going to reread the thread- that bit (5:32) in Antennas To Heaven by GY!BE. Sure, the other tracks have highlights too but I always feel as if the whole album is building up to that exact point when it just explodes- pretty much the definition of payoff.
If I were ever to hear it live I'd probably instantly vaporise in a puff of musicgasm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELuXGpPvDGI

[uma]

I love that song, but for my money if Bon Iver delivers a "Perfect Moment In Music" then it's the touch of vocoder followed by the raucous crescendo at the end of The Wolves. Gives me the shudders each time.

Live, that crescendo is incredible. The performance from Glastonbury is amazing,and the release after that big build up, when the drums start that flurry is great. At most concerts, before The Wolves, Justin runs everyone through the vocal at the end and encourages everyone to just yell and make noise. It must be pretty damn cathartic to have a Glastonbury's worth of people yell with you on a song like that. Check out the video if you haven't.

Also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=978NbgrZuQ0.

Kevin Devine has some hits and misses, but early acoustic performances of this song are magic. A few verses in, there's a little break where he hums the melody, then completely nails this climactic yelled section of the song. In this video especially, he sort of takes off from the mic and just wanders around stage yelling, it's amazing.

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

Here's one from the world of WGI: RCC's 2005 show, especially the fake ending

[Midnight]

There are many albums which can be called "a perfect album," but there is only one that can be called "the perfect album."

Spoiler:

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

There are many albums which can be called "a perfect album," but there is only one that can be called "the perfect album."

Spoiler:

I think Sgt. Pepper and DSotM might challenge

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

There are many albums which can be called "a perfect album," but there is only one that can be called "the perfect album."

Spoiler:

I think Sgt. Pepper and DSotM might challenge

[Microscopic cog]

I think my personal opinion would like to differ.

But my brain says this is quite useless.

[Jesse]

When the strings kick in at 1:19.

I wouldn't call that a perfect moment in music for me, there just doesn't seem to be anything but a normal progression there, but that aside what I really wanted to say was, this band is fucking awesome. I was just going to listen to that bit and now I have their album, what?!

[theGoldenCalf;]

The progression that starts at 1:44 on Boards of Canada's Dayvan Cowboy

[Boingloing]

in Such Great Heights by the Postal Service, I love the transition from the opening into the lyrics.... The whole song itself is wonderful

[SirMustapha]

Dayvan Cowboy is one of Boards of Canada's all time heights -- the whole thing just soars. And yeah, that moment basically makes my whole body tingle.

[theGoldenCalf;]

If you're fine with psychedelic chillout/dub, OTT's Queen of All Everything has a segment that starts at 3:55 and does pretty much the same (at least for me)

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

"The Intro and the Outro" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

[Midnight]

Dayvan Cowboy is one of Boards of Canada's all time heights -- the whole thing just soars. And yeah, that moment basically makes my whole body tingle.

definitely my favorite song (off my favorite album) of theirs.

[KVG]

I have an endless list of perfect moments in music. But the one that stands out for me would be Fatal Tragedy by Dream Theater. Actually, come to think of it, the whole musical collection of Dream Theater is a perfect moment in music.

[liveeeee_]

I like in Miles Davis' "In a Silent Way" when the drummer switches from the high-hat to the ride and it really comes together, be it in a subtle jazz kind of way, it still floors me almost every time.

I immediately thought of that song when I saw this thread!

Another good one: John Coltrane - Psalm (A Love Supreme), approximately at 3 minutes and again at the very end. The feeling is specially intense when you listen to the whole album.

[Lime]

In Stamp by the Rural Alberta Advantage, 1:38ish is when they break off of this really powerful chorus into this slowly building section, and at 2:25 when the cymbals kick in, it just all comes together in a way that makes me air drum every time I hear it.

[big boss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrdwhXNt4qw
The entire thing is perfection, the pinnacle of music.

Here is the actual version of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkmncrAPILw

[SirMustapha]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrdwhXNt4qw
The entire thing is perfection, the pinnacle of music.

That made my day. Thank you, I needed that.

[darknut]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrdwhXNt4qw
The entire thing is perfection, the pinnacle of music.

i swear to god, if i have this stuck in my head tomorrow! i'm ganna....do....something

in actual response to the topic i shall state or restate if it has already been said
The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone wins best crescendo

also
Holy Toledo - RJD2 unlike most songs* that smooth flow to them this takes the opposite approach
it uses cacophony to good effect, the beginning particularly

*or at least the music i listen to

EDIT EXTRAS
i didnt get that song stuck in my head so i didn't have to ... do whatever it was i was ganna do

Far above the clouds by Mike Oldfield, love the bells and the screaming guitar 1:54 and onward
shadow on the wall likewise does the screamy guitar. solo at 2:13 . dont know why it took so long to find a video with decent audio

AND ANOTHER EDIT

for whom the bell tolls Metallica. love the intro. favorite part between 1:00 - 1:50

[Enigmocracy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSeNSzJ2-Jw

:39

[tomhat]

Last thirty seconds of Future of the Left's 'Arming Eritrea'.

[saut]

The end of King Crimson - Starless, after the one note solo. It does not get much better than that, folks.