What's your favorite song ending? By that I mean what recorded song has an ending that you really like.

Is there a particular band and drummer with whom you typically enjoy how they end a tune or approach the song ending?

For me, it's all about the music and the song ... not chops or licks. However, I do understand that often times what we do live is very different than what we do in the studio. The energy and the vibe is different.

Endings are a weird thing for me, usually I just wish the song wouldn't end, and yet somehow the next song would start.

But yes, quite often I love gentle endings. One of my favourite song endings is Tool's Parabola. Those last couple of notes are just as moving as the rest of the song, and hold some sort of immense subtle beauty that can't quite be identified.

Another was in a recording I recently worked on. An epic song called "The Fall of Rome" (very dramatic, as you can guess, this was a live concert, a 5 piece band consisting of the usual drums, bass, guitar, vox, plus solo violin and solo cello, and for this particular concert they also had a 12 piece string section in addition to the solo strings players, a choir, theramin, stage painters, costumes, actors, scripted stage cues, props, an opera singer in one song, it was AMAZING)

Anyway! The end of this song, after this epic 7 minute journey involving all of the above instruments at one point or another, it comes down to this quiet, subtle moment with just the string section and vocals....and then the violinist creeps in on back up vocals, and she has the most lovely voice, and they all sort of fade away together.



I have to listen to that song now!

I believe Zappa referred to the showy mess in his autobiography as Qualude Thunder. 

Hmm?, i love a good ending. (Not drug out) just to the point, short and sweet. Right here right now without thinking about the many endings i like ill go with Deep Purples live smoke on the water ending. Every now and then when im in a flaked out mood ill go into that and the bass player will join in for a good laugh afterwards and the horn players are like....what?.

I do get tired off the big double BD and cymbal ending, but sometimes its nice.
I think a band doing it too much is a bit of a copout. I like a little creativity on the drummers part.
I also like with its a train wreck but then the band adds a little arranged hits. I like that RUSH even changed their endings a bit with the new hits or the number of hits and tempos. Its more interesting for the listener.

Also, along with this, I like songs that have nice bookends, (and girls with nice bookends...what does that mean, I digress). Songs that start and end with something that ties the song together artistically, but isn't always that obvious choice of rhythm and melody. For example, not ending with the same hits that you've been doing through every chorus, but changing it, putting some thought into it.

Well, to answer Bart's actual question, again I'll Rush for nice endings. I always like Chris Whipper Layton ending with SRV. Sometimes he would just hit the SD 3 times  slow and then end with the cymbals crash...I loved it!!!

We usually try to construct a "proper" ending for covers we do where the original fades rather than just have a variable-length thrash. And I agree with the idea of "bookends" - for example, we just recorded a demo with a cover of "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" where the obvious ending of a reiteration of the introduction works really well.

That said, when you're in last song/encore-land the VLT can be a crowd-pleaser.

You're a cruel cruel man.

How about the ending to We're an American Band by Grand Funk.

I like endings that tie in with the song in some way. Since I now spend most of my musical career in a cover band featuring a horn section, I like to hear a little more structure when it comes to ending a tune. I get tired of doing the old "Crash & Burn" all the time since that basically seems to be the cattle call for the horn players to try and hit the highest note possible with their eye's closed, which means they never see me signal the end. Nothing worse than hearing a trumpet player blowing his brains out after the rest of the band has ended.

Since someone mentioned RUSH, one of my favorite endings is Xanadu.

I have alway's like Bonhams Rockn' Roll ending and most of mine are a short version of that but it really depends on the song. I have pulled that off in church.  My boss at work asked me when I first started playing for my church, "what are you going to do when you feel a place to put a Bonham roll"? I told him that if I feel it will work there you will still hear it. I am not going to change my style of drumming.  I play by feel.
            Nutty

I love lots of different styles of endings from the William Tell Overture type that just go on going to some of the fades.  Chick Corea Electrik Band's wild endings that are super amazingly complex and tight to The Who's Live at Leads Summertime Blues.  There are so many that are done well.  I guess I like em if they are well thought out, an Allison Kraus ballad, a even some training wreck endings..   Some endings that stick out in my memory are...

Won't Get Fooled Again, The Who
Heart of the Sunrise, Yes
Birdland, Weather Report (that's a great fade, just making you want to buy the ticket for the show)
Kicker, Chick Corea (letting the drums take that song out is great)
Spain & Morning Sprite, Chick Corea on the Akoustic Band album
25 or 6 to 4, Chicago (slow, slower, .....)
Deserted Cities of the Hear, Cream (another slow down ending)
Blue Rondo A La Turk, Dave Bruebeck
One, Neal More (pick almost any of the songs - it's one big concept album anyway)
.. Oh man, there are so many and I don't have time....

I love to PLAY the Limelight-esque "rally" ending (duh),  but I love to LISTEN to songs that end either with a "stinger" (Strutter by Kiss) or with nothing at all.   I really enjoy when a song just stops and sort of yanks the carpet out from under ya.  The Ramones (Commando, Rockaway Beach, Swallow my Pride) did this all the ti


See what I mean?