There aren't enough decent guitar solos in rock nowadays - the 'guitar hero' has gone right out of fashion, it seems. To many people, especially the cloth-eared British music press scribblers, and those that read them, think solos of any kind are somehow politically incorrect, so we end up with bands either endlessly repeating the chorus or putting in inane 'la-la-la' sections in the bit of the song where the guitar solo is supposed to go.
I've listed ten of my favourite solos. Most of them are from the prog-rock or heavy metal genres, and are mostly from the late 70s and early 80s, which probably shows my age.
(The first six originally appeared on Where Worlds Collide)
Buck Dharma - Revenge of Vera Gemini
From Blue Öyster Cult's Agents of Fortune. Buck is one of the great underrated lead guitarists of rock. While his extended solo on the live version of Astronomy from Some Enchanted Evening is wonderful stuff, I really love this solo. Short (I think it's only eight bars long), and simple, but perfect for the song. Not one note is wasted!
Dave Gilmour - Comfortably Numb
From Pink Floyd's The Wall. This is one of those solos everyone lists, but that's no excuse for me not to list it as well. A great example of feel and emotion as opposed to pure technique.
Steve Hackett - The Lamia
From Genesis's Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. While Firth of Fifth was always his live showcase in Genesis days, this emotional solo always causes a tingle down the back of my spine whenever I hear it.
Steve Rothery - This Time of the Night
From Marillion's Clutching at Straws. Another understated and evocative solo; a truly beautiful piece of playing. One of the rare cases of a solo right at the beginning of a song.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - schmozlo
Nice list.
Get a hold of some old Jimi Hendrix albums and check out HIS solos. He was pretty good. He he.
Just ask Stevie Ray or Richie Blackmore or anybody who ever picked up a guitar.
I'm showing my age, but check out Hendrix. I'm sure you have.
What's up with solos not being cool anymore? I know they can get out of hand, kind of like musical masturbation, but if done tastefully, they're nice to listen too.
Nice list anyway.
2 - Mark Saleski
the lack of guitar solos is just a phase, just like the popularity of rap-rock (the Limp Bizkit kinda thing).
it's too bad tho...because some of the more modern pop/rock bands are fun...but the songs end up sounding to me like the chorus played over and over and over.....because there's no solo to liven things up.
3 - Tim Hall
Guitar solos have been "Uncool" in Britain ever since about 1976, at least according to the Stalinist clique of music journalists that dictates fashion. They only seem to approve of solos by mediocre players like Paul Weller or (cough) Noel Gallaher.
"Indie", which has dominated the 'rock' scene in Britain for the past 20 years seldom has any decent solos.
4 - Sean Hackbarth
What's happened to guitar solos? The downside to Rush's latest Vapor Trails is not hearing Alex cut loose. When will a band have a solo just to buck the trend and be "new alt"?
5 - Tim Hall
I don't know what prompted Rush to make Vapor Trails a solo-free zone. Hopefully the next Rush album will see them return.
6 - Hawkish
Nice nice list ...
As a longtime fan of Randy Rhoads I appreciated the nod to his work in Crowley... Simply amazing stuff.
I recently came across a decent quality MPEG of his performance of Mr. Crowley during a 1981 "After Hours" New York television spot. Its amazing to watch. One of the things that is so cool about his style is how some of his long phrasing involves a single pick of the string, the rest is his fret hand working up and down the neck.
Another nice track, if you can find it, is the tape recording of a Guitar Seminar he gave just a month or two before his tragic death.
Again great list, and here's another vote for bringing back the guitar solo.
(This would have the added effect of calling to the carpet the "poser" bands in which the members can't really play their instruments!!!)
7 - Hawkish
One more comment on Randy Rhoads:
Avoid the 2002 Reissue of the "Blizzard of Oz" CD on which the Crowley tune can be found.
Ozzy and co have a dispute with the drummer and bass player who played on the album, and in an unprecidented move, have RERECORDED the drum and bass tracks with new artists and remixed the twenty year old album.
The travesty is that Randy Rhoads' guitar mix from the original album has been trashed. Randy "double tracked" all of his solos. That is, he played the same solo -nearly exactly the same each time -- and used one for the left and one for the right channel. Its an amazing effect, and headphones are certainly recommended, but is muddied up by the new remix.
8 - Tim Hall
Being a long-time Uriah Heep fan I should have mentioned that. I think the Amazon link ASIN I've included points to the original album with the superb rhythm section of Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley and not the adulterated 'remaster'.
9 - Brandt
Yeah i am a fan of Randy Rhoads, and mr crowley is quite possibly his best solo. But there is one thing i have to point out about the facts about him on your list, he had more than three released cd's, or vinyls back then but he had about 6 including the three mentioned on your list, so there are three others. The seminar he did, a solo album, and another guitar lesson cd. i know theres more but i cant find them. and i have the mpegs, decent quality, of suicide solution, crazy train, mr crowley, i dont know, a quiet riot mpeg, a crazy train solo from the new york palladium(not the best quality but he plays it really fast) i have an mpeg were he one the 1981 best new talent award, with a small interview with randy, the music video for crazy train and thats it. I will soon have my page up, its about rhoads and ozzy. If you would like any of these videos please contact me.
10 - Atomic Punk
Interesting list. I agree with some, however, there has been either an oversight on your part or you just don't like Eddie Van Halen. The man redefined the guitar. Only one other person had that affect and Jimi passed on WAY to early. Eddie effected nearly every guitar and guitar player since Van Halen's first album. Walk into any Guitar store and you can see his influence everywhere. Back in the late 70's, I had no idea what rock was. That was until a much wiser neighborhood kid turned me on to Van Halen. When I heard "Eruption" for the first time, I was floored and hooked. Tapping notes were bouncing off the walls, sonic harmonic fills here and there, and that insane agressive picking was just what I needed and Rock needed it too. I like your list, I really do. Just thought I would threw out Eddie's name.
PS if you ever get a change...listen to Van Halen's 4th Album - Fair Warning
11 - Mark Linley
Does the name Trey Anastasio ring a bell? I know not everyone is into his music, but that's what music is all about, everyone's own choice in art. However, you just can't deny the amazing technical and musical aspects of Trey's playing. Do yourself a favor and listen to some phish if you get a chance, or maybe oysterhead (trey's collaboration with Stewart Copland of the police and Les Claypool of Primus) or his solo work. You won't be dissapointed, even if his art isn't for you.
12 - carl buckley
I would have to agree that Stargazer is one of Richies best choons,but from a guitar solo perspective- and only a year later-he came up with the Gates Of Babylon. Both solos have their merits and a reliance on the Harmonic minor and Spanish Phrygian scale. In the Stargazer solo theres a clever use of the open top e string utilizing fast pull offs until he hits the 5th then flated 5th at the 19th and 18th fret- i love that bit!!!! But the Gates Of Babylon just takes me there- when he executes that sweep arpeggio towards the end of the second solo- u ever get that chill on the back of your neck!!! like a musical orgasm?!?!
By the way dude- u 4got Highway star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GR8 choices though
13 - Eric Olsen
Tim, I somehow missed this when you first published it - great list though a little more proggy-hard rock than I would come up with. I particularly love your UFO and Neil Young choices. Of Lifeson's, I still love "Working Man" best, but not a fart in the bunch. Thanks!
14 - Al Barger
Can't forget your classic "Hotel California." They had completely different and highly memorable guitar solos on each end of the record. Indeed, that opening statement is almost a whole separate song statement before the vocal melody even starts.
15 - TDavid
Al, you didn't nominate the Freebird solo? I'm shocked! lol
As far as Rush goes, I liked the Limelight solo. Some great whammy bar bends/effects in there.
Eruption is a solid VH choice.
I'd probably give Randy the nod for his live suicide solution solo, but Mr. Crowley as far as studio stuff is solid. He sounded pretty intense on You Can't Kill Rock n Roll, Diary of A Madman, and Over the Mountain as well.
All Along the Watchtower or Star Spangled Banner for Hendrix.
Vivian Campbell has some intense solos on Dio's The Last In Line.
Metallica has a number pretty good solos (One, Fade to Black, Sanitarium).
Blackfoot cranks it with Highway Song.
Just like the top 100 guitarist list, there are too many good solos out there. I'm with you schmozlo and Mark, I hope the solos return. Metallica totally overlooked solos in its latest offering as well.
16 - Al Barger
TDavid, I was trying to avoid the obvious Skynyrd in this case. Now that I think of it, where the hell is any Allmans here? "Whipping Post" live, perhaps?
While I'm at it, though, there has GOT to be some Richard Thompson. Perhaps we could start by considering the classic title track "Shoot Out the Lights."
17 - ClubhouseCancer
This would have been a cliched choice in the 80's when I was playing in crappy cover bands, but now, I'm not s sure it's remembered. Nevertheless, Martk Knopfler's solo on "Sultans of Swing" is a model of economy and fancy fretwork. And "Reelin in the Years" which loses points for being kind of s dumb song, but that guitar playin' " Bucky Baxter? " is real cool. Also "Green Earring" and numerous other Steely Dan tunes. Guess I'm a pop-loving dork when it comes to guitar solos.
Also Zappa's "watermelon in Easter Hay" is one long great guitar solo.
18 - Al Barger
Depends on your criteria. "Sultans of Swing" is definitely an excellent choice.
Prince has to come into play in this list as well. For big flashy solo, obviously the introduction to "When Doves Cry" would spring to mind. Don't forget "Bambi."
Consider, however, the more subtle and economical guitar parts running all under the title song "Sign O the Times." Try listening to the song and ignoring the vocal melody, just listening to the guitar.
So many groovy flavors to choose from.
19 - Mark Saleski
"Sultans of Swing" gets extra points in my book for just showing up at that particular point in musical history. the first time i heard it my ears went "what the hell is that??!!"
aside from Prince's obvious ability to splatter notes all over the place (in ways far more intestings than, say, Joe Satriani) he's also one of the funkiest guitar players alive. al's point about "Sign O the Times" is spot on.
20 - Eric Olsen
Here's another one I haven't thought about in years: he may look like some weird little gypsy pud lost on the stage with the E Street Band, but Nils Lofgren used to be a smoking stud. Grin was his band before he went solo and "Moon Tears" has one of the most amazing solos I've ever heard. He plays with his fingers, but achieves the punch of a pick (unlike, say, Lindsey Buckingham) with the octopus agility of multiple working digits. check it out.
21 - Mark Saleski
yep, he took a couple of amazing solos during the Springsteen show i went to last year.
tangled fingers, man.
...and he reminds me of the flying monkey things from the wizard of oz
22 - Eric Olsen
in a good way
23 - reedness
Yo, all VH songs have great solos. Here's a few I think are pretty good:
VH - Eruption - How can you not like this song? Really. Seriously. So awesome. Absolutely crazy technique. The tapping thing is crazy good and if you ever see Eddie do this solo live he makes tons of it up.
Yngwie - Black Star - Even if you don't like Yngwie's style and repetetive scales this song's pretty good. It's not "hey I'm gonna run around in a harmonic minor for a really ridiculously long time," but there's really melody in it. Who would've guessed it from Yngwie?
Steve Vai - Speed Metal Symphony - This guy doesn't normally go for this kind of sound, but the song's exactly what it sounds like. Nine minutes of totally sweet electric guitar. I like all of this guy's stuff, but whatever.
Jimi - All Along The Watchtower - Yeah, this is good stuff. It's Hendrix, understand?
As I said at the start but really didn't talk about, all (or very nearly all) VH songs have crazy good solos. Hot for Teacher, Ice Cream Man, even Jump...man what an awesome player.
24 - duane
Shirley, you jest when you say that "Buck is one of the great underrated lead guitarists of rock." When Tyranny and Mutation came out, he was being called "the best rock guitarist America's got." That there is what I would call an OVERrating, not under. There were guys playing sock hops at my high school who could smoke Buck Dharma's doors off.
Good call with Montrose, however. He knew how an electric guitar oughta sound. "Voyager" from Gamma is a nice track, as well.
Thanks for leaving Lynyrd Skynyrd off your list. Most anything by the Allmans or ZZ Top will do just fine when it comes to your southern rockers.
"This is another triumph of feel over technique." Oh boy. It's this kind of thinking that got guitar solos practically banned from modern music. Did you ever consider the possibility that "technique" is not divorced from "feel"?
25 - HW Saxton Jr.
I dont know that these are neccessarily
THE BEST technically executed and well
played guitar solos ever but, to my ears
they're the most ear splitting and mind
melting fretboard frenzies that come to
mind at the moment:
1.The Velvets-"I Heard Her Call My Name"
Reed just goes ape shit here.Feedback as
a fine art.Lou had this remixed in the
studio before "White Light, White Heat"
was released so that almost all you can
hear is his guitar screaming and crying.
"...and then my mind split open"
2.Rolling Stones-"Sympathy For The Devil
I LOVE the way this solo just comes out
of nowhere and takes you by surprise.You
don't hear any guitar at all(just drums,
congas,bass,piano)on the studio version
of this song until the solo kicks in
about halfway through.It jumps out and
burns your ears. Sparse,stinging and no
wasted notes at all.Definitely Keith's
best solo ever.
3.Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love?
The solo on this classic tune is played by unsung guitar whiz Jody Williams not Bo.It has a proto-psychedelic sound with
it's minor note blues runs and decidedly
eastern melodies.Those elements mixed in
with the patented sound of Bo Diddley's
raw assed jungle funk and you've got a
solo that still sounds absolutely modern
and fresh some 45 years later.
4.Iggy & The Stooges - Death Trip
James Williamson must have burned up his
Marshall stack on this one.This song is
the perfect background music for kicking
down the gates of hell.A methamphetamine
fueled,150 MPH trip straight to hell by
way of Detroit.(come to think of it not
a lot of difference is there?)This makes
all of the speed/black metal & punk rock
to follow sound real tame by comparison.
5.Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers -
Phillip's Theme
Guitarist Brewer Phillips (H.D.T.s right
hand man)lets loose with a sonic barrage
of blues guitar noise here that is just
unf***ing believeable.About 6 minutes of
electric Delta raunch.I'd be surprised
if the mixing board didn't go into total
meltdown recording this.Phillips lets
both barrels go and throws in just about
every raunchy blues riff known to man on
this track.I've converted many people to
electric Chicago Blues via this band in
general & with this song in particular.
amphetamine psychosis
as