E-Bow The Letter

When I got my ebow many long years ago, it was a total impulse buy. I was with a friend and he said something about really wanting an ebow, so I bought one for myself hardly knowing what the hell it did. Kind of a dickhead move now that I think about it. But then again he had the money, so whatever? Anyway, for an explanation on what the ebow does, if needed, I direct you to the ebow site here. But basically, it's a tool for guitar that makes you even awesomer when you play your geetar. So I give you my top ten of ebow songs.

Let me just say this was a bitch to make. I thought it would be easy. Oh no. Not at all. I mainly used the "Artists" page from the ebow site linked above to fill out my list, thinking I wouldn't be able to come up with ten off the top of my head.

10) David Bowie - "Heroes"
I'll argue this is the most well known ebow part. Some sites said Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles. That's funny since the ebow wasn't around until 1969 and Eleanor Rigby was recorded in 1966. (It's called orchestra, folks.) Anyway, the ebow is right there in the intro of "Heroes" so you can't miss it. One of my favorite Bowie songs and the only reason I don't like it more than I do is simply because it's played so much. Here's a vid link if you are an asshole and don't know your Bowie. I must also mention great covers by both Oasis (b-side of D'You Know What I Mean) and The Wallflowers (Godzilla soundtrack).

9) Collective Soul - Forgiveness
Collective Soul's third album, Disciplined Breakdown, is practically an ode to the ebow. Forgiveness is my favorite song from said album and has one of the more prominent ebow bits, so it's only right to make my little list. This video of a 2008 performance of the song isn't the best audio quality, but fortunately that makes it kinda emphasize the ebow part. Watch out for Joel Kosche using it here (i.e. 0:15 or 1:29 into the vid) if you want to see how it's used. Or just wait till later vids that were filmed by people who don't focus on just the fucking singer. (Pet peeve.)

8) Duncan Sheik - Barely Breathing
OK I hate that I hear this song every fucking time I go shopping anywhere. I hate that it's one of those songs that is just *always* on. I'm a huge Duncan Sheik fan and I just hate that this song is pretty much how he is known. But I love the song all the same and it uses an ebow beautifully as a kind of background flavor, heaviest in the chorus. Here's a link to the video, as if you didn't see it a million fucking times on VH1. Remember when VH1 was music? Weird. (Please listen to more Duncan Sheik and appreciate him personally. He's amazing.)

7) Radiohead - My Iron Lung
The ebow was made for bands like Radiohead. Kinda like how I said it's used in Barely Breathing, it's used in multiple Radiohead songs and subtly, often building with volume, too. My Iron Lung is just a perfect example, especially in this video. Like I said, this list was a bitch, and it was partly Radiohead's fault. I'm holding myself to one Radiohead song and this is my Radiohead ebow pick. Nude and Talk Show Host also work, but this is a better example of ebow-ocity.

6) Howie Day - Ghost
Whatever you think of him personally, Howie Day is a fucking effects genius in my book. Naturally, he'll have at least one track with an ebow. Just watch him play Ghost here. Unfortunately there's no ebow in this video, but I promise you it's in the album version. This video just shows him being awesome with his effects.

5) Pearl Jam - Wishlist
The first ebow bit I ever played myself, so it holds a bit of a soft spot. Really simple, just four notes and very short, but that's exactly what makes it so unbelievably perfect for this song. This video, a clip from Pearl Jam's Single Video Theory DVD, is the best ebow demonstration I could possibly have in this list due to great video quality of Eddie fumbling with it. Thank you, Eddie. (His little ebow solo is at 3:07.) BUT one is not enough here because I know anytime there's video of this song, Eddie will make me happy. Here is an oooooold, not-so-great quality video from Letterman where you can get a good demo from Eddie again starting at 3:14.

4) R.E.M. - E-Bow The Letter
I wish I could make this #1. It would only make sense, right? Other guys got in the way, though. Anyway, if you're not a fan of R.E.M. already and you somehow don't know this song (shameful), do yourself a favor and buy New Adventures In Hi-Fi. Unsurprisingly here, the ebow part is pretty goddamn obvious and central. And Patti Smith, god bless her. Her voice actually makes the song more for me than the ebow does. Here's the official video with good shots of the ebow, like at 1:29, if you happen to still be looking for it.

3) The Black Crowes - Gone
Remember that time I said I had a list off the top of my head? This one's kinda bullshit. I hadn't even totally noticed the ebow part in Gone until I saw it listed on the ebow site. So I played it back and it made sense. It's kinda subtle, but it's there. And I go and put it at #3, ahead of seven songs that pop into my head immediately as ebow songs, including one with "E-Bow" in the damn title. Hey, I love my Crowes and this song opens what is quite possibly my favorite album ever. It's MY damn list.

2) Travis - Closer
I miiiiight love the video most with this song. So watch it. Here. Your ebow bit is right in the beginning. Beautiful, Andy. Just beautiful. It's not overwhelming in the song but the perfect touch to make the song for me. It somehow sets a tone from the beginning, know what I mean?

1) R.E.M. - Leave
It had better say a whole hell of a lot if I put anything before the Crowes *AND* Travis (and it's not The Beatles). Another track from New Adventures In Hi-Fi. In fact, the track immediately following E-Bow The Letter. While it felt a bit like sacrilege to put ANY songs by ANYONE above a song with "E-Bow" right there in the title, it's even more of an insult putting another song by the same band that did said song. I just love the ebow part here far more and it's my top R.E.M. song. There's a video here that even has some good shots of Peter using the ebow, but the studio/album version is a far better aural demonstration with its one minute intro that is pretty much built on (what will later be in the main song) the ebow part. They've hardly played the song live at all and the difference between that performance and the album version kinda makes sense why.