Mason Williams - Classical gas

[MetalSkater92]

1968 - Mason Williams (Y) 2012 - Justin Bieber (N)...Dafuq happend to society.

[9600Nvidia]

Please, watch my version, you will love it, it´s the best version I have ever heard. 

[hanley888]

@9600Nvidia no.. actually it sucks.

[9600Nvidia]

@hanley888 in what way?, the guitar is a lot cleaner!!

[hanley888]

@9600Nvidia yea. but its also computer generated.. and dont try to tell me its not because i have that program and its the exact same sound. and the timings all off. and it just plain sucks

[9600Nvidia]

@hanley888 can you tell me the name of the program?, because it´s not a version made by me

[9600Nvidia]

@hanley888 also, I have the complete album which I downloaded it from, and the rest of the songs don´t seem to be played from computers, because there´s a version of Caracol from Struntz and farah from Nature music plant, and the guitars sound completely natural, and you notice it because of the frets noise. Look for it on youtube and you´ll see that I am not lying

[richdale75]

Absolutely classic!



[Guitarmanblue]

EPIC!!!!

[cleancab]

This is real music!! Not like the pop star garbage we have to listen to these days!!!

[hanley888]

i wish i could play like this

i also wish i had a beard like that :)

[wowzabowza123]

@hanley888 stfu...

[hanley888]

@wowzabowza123 your here and dont appreciate the guitar playing?? your the one that needs to stfu

[wsjjk]

a wonderful masterpiece indeed

[Wolfieluver15]

amazing..... no other word can describe it. I wish our hs band would play this

[SuperScarrow]

28 people are jelous about the talent of Mason Williams!!!

[jwhiteout]

I've said it before, but just because I feel like sharing, I'll say it again: This is my theme song for when I beat off.

[SimonEissen]

So... You don't care for 'Classical Gas'?

[CatManDEW]

This is undoubtedly one of the signature works of artists of the early 1970's. I remember viewing the Smothers Brothers special when a phenomenal montage of artworks was displayed during the playing of this musical piece. It was ground-breaking then and has yet to be eclipsed to date. I hope that Mason Williams understands the significance of the musical piece he created when he was trying to infuse his repertoire with a little "classical gas."

[coupdemots]

@CatManDEW

"...eclipsed..."? Try looking up Tommy Emmanuel and "Classical Gas" and you'll see him doing everything this 35 piece orchestra AND Mason do on just one guitar! You will never see this the same again!\

[ragnaroksama]

OMG this is amaziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii­iiiiiing

[buzzbox2nd]

oozes class

[RadioSix]

Mason Williams is perhaps the most talented man I have ever known. Not only can he write, sing, play guitar; but he is also kind, generous, and a damn fine guy. Of course this is his best known work (and so it ought to be) but he has an enormous repertoire of original songs and is a very fine vocalist to boot. He is - quite simply - one of the greatest American talents of the 20th Century. And - by the way - I'm not prone to exaggeration!

[hurricanejohnson]

Is he related to Dave Mason?

[magnusdeus24]

he looks so much like zach galifianakis

[SyntheticsV2]

@magnusdeus24 other way around, zack is after this man's time

[lillukepossy]

@magnusdeus24 hes a comedian as well as a musician, being the hilarious coincidence :p

[Idonotfriggincare]

And he makes it look so easy....

[ScooterpupReljac]

A serious and moody song for a turbulent period of history....the music matched the mood of the times in 1968 perfectly.

[ScooterpupReljac]

The classiest presentation of music ever broadcast on television. This is quality television.

[Sureshothsa]

I woke up with this tune in my head this morning but couldnt remember the name of the song since i favourited this video on my old laptop (which broke a year ago).. Just spent 2 hours going through various blogs, my old youtube history, famous classical music lists and finally found it randomly after having given up.. Was it worth it? Think the song speaks for itself <3

[ScooterpupReljac]

Enjoy this now....it won't be long before the Copyright Nazis take it off YT.....sigh

[wildturkey1960]

Ah... To have a single acoustic guitar lead an entire orchestra....

[rkoalldae]

oh god damned 240p i thought i left you in the 2000's

[didgeboy287]

Whew, I looked up this version I'd seen before to double check the tempo. I listened to Tommy Emmanuel's version first. Bad idea. :)

[NHfiddle]

I learned this when it came out way back when.

[goran537]

the best guitar instrumental ever that could be writen once in the life time goran radojevic serbia

[kalbossa]

The hair on my back gave Mason Williams a standing ovation

[summer3262]

I have LOVED!!! This Brilllent" Song since I was a little kid in the late eighties!!

It doesn't get better then this?!

[Gene041]

AWSOME!

[pawnshops]

Classical classic - best instrumental ever

[chubbylilloser85]

thumbs up if you heard this on fasier.

[ProductionsHead]

Hes all sad then... BOOM NINJA ORCHESTRA!

[wallyoff]

cool, SMOKING jacket

[roblh31]

Jesus, ( if there was one), made this song and called himself williams, for a bit, and shared it with humanity. I listened, and a lot more than me listened as well.

[Yebisu22]

the next person who says "BIEBER" I'm gonna find out where you live and punch you in the head

[broumirin]

@Yebisu22 BIEBER. My address is 15 Adderton Road, Carlingford NSW 2118, Australia

[Yebisu22]

@broumirin lol I live in Sydney actually. See you tomorrow

[broumirin]

@Yebisu22 I'll be waiting. If you don't show up, well, then you're just another internet hardman

[raizumichin]

I'm so damn tired of backwards-glancing luddites bitching about Justin Bieber on every video with music older than 10 years. Mainstream pop has always been crap, but thanks to the internet you can still find all the classics you like and perhaps find something new you like. If you weren't to busy whining about inconsequential artists.

[DallasHammster]

@raizumichin Very well phrased. It doesn't make Beiber suck any less, but Dios bendiga el internet. ^_^

[raizumichin]

@DallasHammster I actually have an argument that will make Bieber sound less like crap. Take the year 1969, a seminal year in music history. Iron Butterfly invented heavy metal with In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida and we got awesome protest songs like Fortunate Son by CCR and Gimme Shelter by the Stones. But what was the best selling single of that year? Honey Honey by The Archies. A song so childishly vapid that it makes even Bieber look profound.

[jody8526937]

@raizumichin DallasHammster, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was released in1967 not 1969. The 69 version of Iron Butterfly is different than original grouup.

[raizumichin]

@jody8526937 Oh, my mistake. I think the point still stands though.

[lillukepossy]

@raizumichin spoke my mind, lol

[fr3d1304]

@raizumichin the only bad thing about this is that the mainstream crap have a fuckton more views and good stuff like this

[raizumichin]

@fr3d1304 So? seriously, go on. I don't get what your point is.

[cesar1963able]

@raizumichin Some truth to what you say. But there are less current artists who play musical instruments. I'm not sure if that is a bad thing. That is just reality.

[raizumichin]

@cesar1963able I absolutely disagree. But that might come down to what we define as musical instruments.

[MetalSkater92]

@raizumichin Dude, don't freak out man, Bieber and all that crap music will be obsolete in comparison with real art such as this beautiful song

[raizumichin]

@MetalSkater92 That's exactly my point. Bieber is already obsolete, so what's the point of bringing him up all the time?

[MetalSkater92]

@raizumichin Because people are narrow minded and have no appreciation for art such as this master piece?

[raizumichin]

@MetalSkater92 Not at all. A lot of people have appreciation for good music and thanks to the internet, whatever music you like is right there at your fingertips. But apparently that's not enough, seems like they want to feel really superior about it by bitching about something that's more popular at the moment.

[MetalSkater92]

@raizumichin I hate it that this is the way it is, i mean, so little people still know about this art and the people that don't know this rather bitch about the fact they can't visit some lazy ass, auto-tune using pop artist's concert then brush up their knowledge about this kind of music. I would sacrifice alot just to see this man in action and to be in the audience. And no one expect this from me seeing i'm a metalhead. Ah well Stereotyping eh?

[raizumichin]

@MetalSkater92 That's nothing compared to the way you just stereotyped pop-music fans. My problem is not that people like Justin Bieber, they're free to do that all they want. My problem what you're doing now. Just stop being such a superior snob about what music you listen to.

[MetalSkater92]

@raizumichin They stereotype me, I stereotype back..simple as that.

[raizumichin]

@MetalSkater92 And who are "they" exactly? Everyone else? It's a worthless comment.

[MetalSkater92]

@raizumichin My honest opinion would be: Justin Bieber fucks up the music industry seeing now that every idiot using auto-tune can make a career. Not to mention that these people will get choosen over people with actual talent. So yeah again the music industry is fucked. :')

[raizumichin]

@MetalSkater92 Oh fuck. Haven't you litsened+ You don't have to care about Justin Bieber. At all. You don't have to care what "the industry" is doing, because everything you want to listen to is right here on the internet. You're such a griefer.

[init4mojo]

Awesome, unforgettable, timeless...

[Schizima]

damn i'd have to be playing guitar for ten more years to pull this off

[bluekirk21]

so intense, always loved the square approach, everyone sees each other, raises the performance

[tara97dwyer]

its the guy outta da hangover

[mikeryanify1]

what a pure artist!!

[truthtuube]

Tommy Emmanuel, no disrespect meant, leaves Mason in the dust.

[MurphyMonster]

1. This man created this song, his own work, and a masterpiece indeed.

2. He actually plays an instrument, and he does play it well, very well.

3. He does not dance, he does not sing. He only sits there, plays his guitar, dressed in an awesome outfit, sporting an awesom beard, and is by far much cooler than anyone i have seen in a very long time.

[DougKais]

@MurphyMonster I was in High school when this song came out . Always liked it.

[DougKais]

@MurphyMonster I was in High school when this song came out . Always liked it.

[BostonBear]

@MurphyMonster I agree with all of what you said and that IS an awesome beard.

[wildturkey1960]

@MurphyMonster 4. And, he has one hell of an orchestra around him... :)

[billyboi57]

@wildturkey1960 orchestra aka Chip Davis & Mannheim Steamroller.

[wildturkey1960]

@billyboi57 I did not know that. I learn something new everyday here.

[javabizkit]

MurphyMonster, Mason Williams sings

[ProNorden]

@101jumper, @crimsondagger, @whisperjet727, @nanatea5463, @jaspa1957, Interesting opening with the solitary figure of Mason Williams playing diligently and well, but seemingly alone and in the dark ....until the lights reveal what seems to represent /symbolize the 'context' and accompaniment of Western Civilization.

Beautiful.

[crimsondagger1]

Look every one. Music that is not created by some pop factory to sell to the brain dead majority. This is actual real music created by a real talented artist. Wow I thought you only saw this in a museum.

[Whisperjet727]

Can someone please explain to me why music isn't like this anymore? This is incredible

[NaNaTea5463]

He looks so damn cool playing that guitar....!



[Jaspa1957]

When I watch an excellent old video like this I always think about one of the players, now, saying to his grandkid..."Hey kid, come here, I wanna show you something on You Tube...see that guy, right there, playing the timpani, THAT'S ME!"

[Mal1234567]

This version of the video has annoying bleeps at the beginning! The good version I found on YT a year ago was taken down due to copyright violation. This one should be taken down for EAR violation!

[ashatbracks]

I'm a sperm cell and I like this kind of music and I think that today's music is crap. I noticed that these sort of witty comments always get top rated on youtube. Can I has thumbs up pl0x?

[gibby100]

an entire orchestra lip-synching!

[caretaker245231]

So many memories tied to this... the news at noon out of Pittsburg used a part of this song as their theme (when the brass section has their intro) and I remember sitting with my grandfather when he was home from the plant for lunch, watching the news. Thanks for posting!

[roblh31]

If you choose to have this piece of music at your funeral, I shall respect your life forever. 

[roblh31]

Thank you Mr. Art Bell for the Bumper Music !.

[roynickle]

toby turner know this song on guitar!!!! lol

[lupischuckle]

Phenomenal.

[josekin10]

I've been waiting to learn this song on guitar since I started learning how to play, and 5 months later, it only took me 3 weeks to learn it...it's so magical!

[4XGold]

all you wankas that bag this are only jealous...... he has talent and you do not..... if you can do better show us other wise shut the fuck up ........ people with no talent say negative comments.. so you no talent brain boaring sheeple keep giving us your advise and we will take it on board.....NOT

[ckydavies]

Who disliked this?

[rubendjp]

300,000 views my ass

[ProductionsHead]

I am sad :(... (Boom ninja orchestra)

[TaladagaCockknocker]

He was trippin' balls when he wrote this song and when he performed it here.

It was, after all, the sixties.

[KyaraExMachina]

@TaladagaCockknocker : The only part of that statement that was correct and factual, Taladaga, was that it was the '60's (1968 to be exact). Other than that, you do not know for sure that Mr. Williams, was "trippin'" unless he himself were to say something about it.

[roblh31]

I have to truthfully admit ART BELL enlightened me to this classical gas!!!

[wildturkey1960]

@roblh31 About half of my favs list can be attributed to Art and his Coast to Coast radio show...

[JagarTharn12]

I taught him that

[MANURULES22]

This man served under my grandpa in the Navy and played at my dad's 7th birthday!

[lonelydock3]

@MANURULES22 wow

[atlatahuac]

no less moving, inspiring, than when it came out so long ago, during my callow youth. Mason makes it look so easy. Such dignity ... what a noble bearing, reflecting the serenity, the reminder of all things beautiful and enduring that this piece embodies. Thank you forever, Mason Williams

[ThePopsheep]

NINJA BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF

[BiG4nDy1]

@ThePopsheep hahaha NINJA BAAND

[TaladagaCockknocker]

@BiG4nDy1 This song was PIMP.

[pivdaddy5769]

beautiful...like music from heaven

[Hope2009pc]

Intro to Championship Wrestling!!!!

[Hope2009pc]

@Cromag99 lol

[gibby100]

@Hope2009pc Yes - "This.. is Championship Wrestling, with John Powers and yours truly, Jack Reynolds" -out of Cleveland circa 1972

[Hope2009pc]

@gibby100 I feel like eye gouging my neighbor!!!

[Wilfred45]

thumbs up if your watching this because of cheaper by the dozen

[bvwatcher]

A magnificent piece of music.

[katesounds]

brilliant composition!

one of my favourite :)

with orchestra is amazing rich, but I love also one guitar acoustic version.

[chh5555]

Too bad about those audio squeals, didn't totally destroy the mood though.

[czojeff]

i saw this when it first aired on the smothers brother show. i loved it then and ever since!!!

[Rettajean]

i love this version better to be honest.

[boylej47]

i hate Jeremy Kyle. Where does he find those weirdo's????

[Mitzilola]

This was hugely popular when it was released - loved by a generation equally into Led Zep, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd etc. etc.......spoilt for choice back then, so much talent and diversity!!

[jeschinstad]

@Mitzilola I'm not convinced we have any less talent or diversity today. However, we do have something called the traditional media, which have been given far too much power. The labels choose their hits based on what they believe the media will play, and then when the media plays it, the labels assumptions are confirmed, making them selecting something similar for their next hit. Artists who want to become famous, plays their roles, and so the public music becomes bland. The old media must die!

[Mitzilola]

@jeschinstad True - the media mega machine hadn't organised itself back then, and it's not just public music they've homogenized!!

[wollygoggles]

Dental plan! Lisa needs braces.

[Ziva342]

I have always loved this song. To those who hit dislike-seriously, how ?

[Pobby1000]

Lord Of The Strings.

[Mastergenius00]

rock came out of this genre mixing classical music and rockabilty.

[bslbeachbum]

What most don't realize is that this guy was a writer for Sonny and Cher. They heard him playing one day and were blown away by his talent. 

[aminas2]

I'm having a hard time figuring out if he's using steel or nylon strings on his guitar... anyone know one way or the other? Thanks :-)

[keVinruLezkg]

@aminas2 im pretty sure its nylon just because he is playing classical and he finger picks

[aminas2]

@keVinruLezkg that's what I suspected but I couldn't tell for sure. thanks :-)

[cooltooth112]

@aminas2 he was also a comedy writer for the Smothers Bros. Show.

[cooltooth112]

@aminas2 definately nylon

[C4CC]

THIS IS WHY GLENN STARTED DRINKIN SO MUCH

[101jumper]

Incredible... especially the way they bring the lights up as the orchestra starts. This talent doesn't exist among today's pop tarts, Biebers and wanna bes.

[mbrutus2009]

@101jumper Very true!!!

[rampantandroid]

@101jumper Look up "Alone Again, Naturally" for something similar. And yes, more songs need real orchestra backing. Elbow and the Hours to name a few still use it to good effect. Look up "Back when you were good" by the hours.

[TheMJtheGOD]

@101jumper J.Biebs Rules!!!!



[Darkeh112]

@101jumper Fuck you Bieber is so much better than this noob!!

[Whisperjet727]

@Darkeh112 In what respect?

[rath9732]

Willing to bet it was a union gig orchestra. By the 60s, it was too expensive to keep full orchestras on staff.

[utubesnamepolsux]

And in addition to 3 Grammys in 1969, in 1998 Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) awarded Williams a special Citation of Achievement. Classical Gas has logged over five million broadcast performances to become BMI's all-time number-one instrumental composition for radio air play. (also from WP)

[utubesnamepolsux]

From the Smothers' Brothers Comedy Hour (at least, I'll assume that's where that clip comes from), Mason Williams and the NBC Symphony Orchestra.

I wonder when the symphony finally dissolved.

Well, Wikipedia says 1954. So maybe that's not them. :-) Aha. Unnamed orchestra arranged by Mike Post, from MWPR. Solo Guitar later on Hand Made. Then the Mannheim version.

[fasttruck93l]

Even on the fast chord changes he is sooooo smooth. Wow.

[shrksE]

DWANE EDDIE!!!!!

[Calcubite]

Am I currently the only one who notices the weird scratchy noises intermittently throughout the song,particularly at the beginning?

[WasteTimePlayingWoW]

@Calcubite I notice it too =\

[BlastFromYesterday]

@Calcubite no. why bring them up?

[sdcazares1980]

@oOEvilMonkey159Oo No, he's still alive.

[mrguillemot]

Still sounds fantastic and conjures up images of a period in time.

[qotsa101]

Legendary song

[jamesriderkb]

wow this guy got talent to play the guitar and the beard not a beard. the beard!

[ThaBBaddest]

he picks it so low on this...

[ChanelNoXXII]

Mason Williams was one of the writers for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

[jkeithbrown]

Remember it from then....wonder where he is today?

[headshota1989]

0:02 saddest eyes ever!

[robertquentincobb]

Awful....

[killerfly1]

@robertquentincobb YOU TOTAL DICKNOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is Da maaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnn hail mason williams

[Frlja]

@robertquentincobb

Did you fall on your head recently?