Introduction
Far Out published a list of five rock songs deemed too complex for live performance, naming tracks from a range of artists. The compilation explicitly includes Hardware Store and Tomorrow Never Knows and cites representation from Led Zeppelin, Nine Inch Nails, The Who, Weird Al Yankovic and The Beatles.
The list is presented with context noting 1960s studio experimentation and 1970s expanded structures, and it cites one known live recording among the entries.
Highlighted songs
Led Zeppelin’s Four Sticks is included and the band attempted a live version in Copenhagen in 1971; one known live recording of that attempt is cited. Led Zeppelin appears among the artists represented on the Far Out list.
Nine Inch Nails’ The Perfect Drug is on the list; Trent Reznor avoided performing it for nearly two decades before its first live performance at Red Rocks Amphitheater in 2018. The song is one of the five tracks Far Out highlighted.
The Who’s Summertime Blues is listed among the five songs highlighted by Far Out. John Entwistle died in 2002.
Weird Al Yankovic’s Hardware Store appears on the Far Out list as one of the five challenging tracks. The song is cited among the artists and tracks included.
The Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows was created in 1966 using tape loops and overdubs. The track closes the Revolver album and is included on the Far Out list.
Led Zeppelin experimentation
Led Zeppelin experimented in the 1970s with time signatures and expansive structures. On the track John Bonham used two drumsticks per hand.
Conclusion
Far Out’s list names five rock songs deemed too complex for live performance, with entries ranging from Beatles studio work to Led Zeppelin and Nine Inch Nails stage challenges. The list includes Hardware Store and Tomorrow Never Knows among the highlighted tracks and represents artists from The Beatles to Nine Inch Nails, Led Zeppelin to Weird Al Yankovic.
