Duran Duran - Big Bang Generation (1997)
Tabbed by: trevgreg
Email: trevgreg1227@hotmail.com
Tuning: Standard
Here is how to play most of this album track off the band's 1997 album, Medazzaland. This
is one of the last songs to feature the classic Wedding Album era line-up for the band, as well
as one of few tracks off the album to feature John Taylor on bass. Besides being one of the
more underrated tracks overall in the band's back catalog, in my opinion, the song also
features some neat distorted and reverb parts from Warren Cuccurullo. The choruses are particularly
easy to play, consisting of mostly barre chords and some light muting of those chords that
goes along with it.
Here's the tab to the intro played before the verses, as well as briefly before the final
chorus. Pretty basic stuff if you listen to the song, as long as you remember the bend the note
on the 15th fret up and down with your finger every time. Repeat as necessary.
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--15(b) 13--14--13--14--15(b)--13--14--15(b)-----------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
For the verses, playing it with some reverb on seems to work out the best (a la How Soon Is
Now by The Smiths, which also makes use of the reverb for playing an F# chord to start out
with). If you have a decent pedal system though, you might be able to find an effect that
works out just as effectively without using the reverb necessarily.
F#5 B5 D5 C5 B5
e|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------4---4----7---5--4-----------------------|
D|--4---4-----4(h)--2(h)--0(h)----4---4----7---5--4-----------------------|
A|--4---4-------------------------2---2----5---3--2-----------------------|
E|--2---2-----------------------------------------------------------------|
After playing the F#5 chord twice more with reverb at the "Now that I'm so alien" lyric, make
sure to transition into the chorus with this lead part used in the verses. The brief lead
part isn't played with reverb this time, so remember to kick it into distortion before playing
the chorus.
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--4---4----4(h)--2(h)--0(h)-------------------------------------------|
A|--4---4---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--2---4---------------------------------------------------------------|
The chorus is fairly basic, as you can see below. Along with getting the up-to-down motions
right while playing them, also remember to play some muted notes at times during the chorus. They
aren't shown here since Warren seems to insert them inconsistently into each of the riffs
on the studio version. So be sure to listen in and play along until you get something that's
close to the right feel for it.
D5 C5 D5 D5 C5
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--9---9--9---5---5--5---7--7----7---5--------------------------|
D|--9---9--9---5---5--5---7--7----7---5--------------------------|
A|--7---7--7---3---3--3---5--5----5---3--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/d/duran-duran/114935.html ]
This is the middle eight lead part after Simon sings "We're gonna come together here." It
appears that when Warren played it live, he did things a bit differently with it, playing all
sorts of hammer-ons and pull-offs in the process. I tried to figure out something close to
what he played on the studio track higher up on the neck. But since he usually kept this certain
part to the middle part of the guitar neck, I figured out a simple way of playing it there
too.
So repeat this part three times at the middle eight...
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--7--7(h)-----6(h)8---7--7(h)---9-------6(h)8------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
... then finish it off with a pull-off at the end, before repeating the intro.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--7--7(h)-----6(h)8---7--7(h)---9(p)8-----15(b) 13--14--13--14-------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
The final chorus is played almost exactly like the first two, only the barre chords are moved
down two frets. Remember to listen in for some muting when wherever its needed too. This riff
is also played for the rest of the song.
F#5 D5 E5 E5 D5
e|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--11---11--11---7---7--7----9----9---9----------------------------|
D|--11---11--11---7---7--7----9----9---9----------------------------|
A|--9----9---9----5---5--5----7----7---7----------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
I haven't been able to figure out Warren's outro at the end. So if any of you have ideas for
it, feel free to submit them.
F#5
Falling into space
B5
At the end of time
D5 C5 B5
Black as the black in your eye
F#5
Staring through a hole in the ozone
B5
There’s nobody home
D5 C5 B5
To play back your ansaphone
F#5
Climax out of blue
B5
Is it just another high?
D5 C5 B5
No there must be something new
F#5
Now that I’m so alien
E5 C5 D5
Entering the atmosphere
D5 C5 E5 C5 D5
Don’t know what is waiting here (oh no)
D5 C5 E5 C5 D5
If there’s nothing left to fear
D5 C5 E5 C5
When they come together in
D5 D5 C5
the Big Bang Generation
F#5
Teardrop in the sky
B5
Bursting my eye
D5 C5 B5
Sound of morning sighs
F#5
This life is stranger than fiction
B5
Surreal addiction
D5 C5 B5
It’s all I recognize
F#5
Feeding off the habit
B5
Losing control
D5 C5 B5
Where is it leading to?
F#5
Now that I’m the alien
E5 C5 D5
Entering the atmosphere
D5 C5 E5 C5 D5
Don’t know what is waiting here (oh no)
D5 C5 E5 C5 D5
If there’s nothing left to fear
D5 C5 E5 C5
When we come together in
D5 D5 C5
the Big Bang Generation
E5 C5 D5
(Feel like I'm losing control)
D5 C5
Big Bang Generation
E5 C5 D5
(Now that I'm here alone)
D5 C5
Big Bang Generation
E5 C5 D5
(Feel like I'm losing control)
D5 C5
Big Bang Generation
E5 C5 D5
(Feel like I'm losing it)
D5 C5
We’re gonna come together here
F#5
D5 E5 E5 D5
Where you coming from?
F#5
D5 E5 E5 D5
When we gonna burn out? Don’t know
F#5
D5 E5 E5 D5
Having so much fun
F#5
D5 E5 E5 D5
Greetings from the Big Bang Generation
F#5 D5
E5 E5 D5
Big Bang Generation
F#5
D5 E5 E5 D5
Meet you in the Big Bang Generation
F#5 D5
E5 E5 D5
Together in the Big Bang Generation
F#5 D5
E5 E5 D5
Together we're the Big Bang Generation
