What's Your Favourite Guitar Solo?

I don't have a favorite guitar solo because, in general, I hate guitar solos. They're useless and add nothing to the music 99.9% of the time, it's just the guitarist wanking off. The best "guitar solos" last for, at most, 30 seconds. This crap like Pink Floyd and Hendrix and Zepplin would all be vastly improved if they cut out every guitar solo, ever. And Pink Floyd even had to doctor their solos to make them into one long one! Good heavens...

Iron Maiden's Run To The Hills has a guitar solo which sounds like a charging horse which I have a soft spot for.

I was also going to say the solo on Born To Run - but then I realised that its a saxophone. What a fool I feel. And no comebacks.

Well, you're all wrong. The best solos are anything that can be recreated using the word "widdly" repeatedly. ("More Than A Feeling", "Sweet Child O' Mine" etc.). Other than this, only the likes of "Rocky Mountain Way" can compete.

Don't deny your love for the rock, Kortbein. I've seen you watching Wayne's World and wishing you could rock out like that.

Jane's Addiction - "Three Days" Heard this one again for the first time in almost a year. By the end of this song, when everything takes of and the guitar just FREAKS out, it's blissful.

The Cure - "From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea" Robert completely loses his mind near the end of this song and produces a guitar solo that sounds like it was ripped from a classic moment in 70's arena rock in the middle of an angsty pop song that has as its most distinctive feature a piano line that consists of one note. Genius.

Prince and the Revolution - "Purple Rain" Do I need to explain? It's gorgeous.

Prince and the Revolution - "Let's Go Crazy" Obviously, listing "Purple Rain" reminded me of this one. Not nearly as epic, but ooH! The false ending is awesome.

I'm sure there are others, but they aren't coming to mind now.

Less Indie Boy: The psychedelic soloing at the start of "Maggot Brain". The only Clinton stuff I like, actually.

Rock Boy: I'm seconding "Sweet Child Of Mine".

Velvet Underground -- 1) "What Goes On", 2) "I Heard Her Call My Name". Number one is solid, number two is the first rock I heard that made the modern avant-garde stuff Kronos played look tame (Kronos were an early musical touchpoint for me). Reed in some interview describes how he figured out which notes made the best feedback, and he just played those notes.

One note solo could be a category by itself. "Tommy Gun" by The Clash, or maybe "Little Honda" by YLT.

Finally, classic solo is "Bell Bottom Blues" by Clapton, with Derek and the Dominoes.

the solos on "i heard her call my name," "all tomorrow's parties," and "run run run" are also fabulous in that spinning-out-to-space way.

i don't consider sy instrumental breaks solos since they generally seem to be collective efforts.

current least favourite guitar solo: shellac -- "canaveral." a wonderful song absurdly pointlessly marred at the last minute.

Sometimes I wonder how his delicacy would fuse with the sound of Go- Kart Mozart ... :).

Don't ask me why I once found that album so ineffably affecting, and will still stand up for it if pushed (while hating their first joyfully), so mouldily 70s does it sound. It's my most unexpected affection, and there's something in those solos that still resonates with me. I'll go to the back of the class now ...

Martin Brahmah (Blue Orchids) : 'Dumb Magician' from 'The Greatest Hit' (Short 'n Wierd')

John Perry : 'Another Girl, Another Planet' (Eyes closed, foot on the monitor)

I just realized these are all from the late 70's! Shit! I'll try and think up something a bit more recent over a lunchtime pint or two.

Dr. C

Lots more but those five will do for now

Distant second: 'Son of Nothing' by The Wolfhounds.

Danielle Dax: "White Knuckle Ride." ^^^ Pete Farrugia's greatest 4 or so rock'n'roll minutes.

Violent Femmes: "Never Tell" ^^^ The guitar break after the lines: "I've had so much on my mind, I was so glad when I died."

1. What's all this piffle about Guns&Roses?

2. Hendrix deserves serious consideration - that has to be granted. Funnily enough, I like some of his bread&butter rhythm playing as much: eg the really basic *intro* to the BBC 'Drivin' South'. There's this odd pleasure in hearing a virtuoso do basic things. A bit like in the old days, watching Desmond Lynam presenting Grandstand.

3. I haven't heard most of the solos mentioned. Obviously 'Paint A Vulgar Picture' comes to mind. Yes, the solo is kind of fab. But it seems very odd to say that it sums up the Smiths, when the Smiths hardly ever had solos. I'm not trying to argue, just suggesting that this is at least paradoxical. Of course, if you go through the Smiths' work you can come across other kinds of lead playing and *guitar breaks* - does the break in 'Panic' count, for instance? Or how about the outro of 'The Queen Is Dead', which is among my fave guitar playing of all time? It's rhythm-but-lead (? cf also the Stones for this category), but isn't really a solo.

4. Could be an interesting subcategory there: solos by guitarists who don't normally play solos. Why don't they normally, and why do they at this point? It's odd. How about the Sundays? Are there any solos in their work? I suppose 'I Won' might qualify? I remember Chris Roberts raving about it as a 'guitar journey'. Do journeys not count as solos?

5. Here's an honourable mention: John Woo on 'All My Little Words', 69LS 1/3. It's, um, 'suspended tremolo' not 'vibrato', or something. Or the other way around. It knocked me sideways first time I heard it, and I still have to play air-guitar whenever I hear it. I imagine that's not a terribly common MFs experience.

6. Steady Mike is right, if you ask me.

7. Robert Quine, let's mention him - on Lloyd Cole's songs 'Don't look Back' he sounds like the Grand Canyon, cotton candy, the interstate, Baskin Robbins, Dunkin Donuts, a damn fine cup of coffee, state electrocutions - that kind of thing. Everywhere on that record he's outstanding. And cf. his stunning work on LC's 'Like Lovers Do' (1995) and 'Man On The Verge' (2000). I have a yen to nominate 'Man On The Verge', you know.

8. But also - the Edge on U2's 'Silver & Gold'. The live version is famed for Bono saying 'OK, Edge - play the blues'. Then he doesn't play the blues.

I'll have you all know, the best guitar solos are as follows:

5) Crossroads - Eric Clapton 4) Heartbreaker - Jimmy Page 3) Bohemian Rhapsody - Brian May 2) Sympathy For The Devil - Keith Richards

And of course, the only man deserving of two mentions: 1) Stairway To Heaven - Jimmy Page

Christ, you'd think you people had never read Guitar Player before...

>>> Guitar solos are the essence of cock-rock. How can you name indie band guitar solos?

Geezer, I know your tone is light, and perhaps the *entire* content of your mail was not merely a bit tongue-in-cheek but 100% ironic. But just in case, and for what it's worth, I totally disagree.

Didn't it seem suspect that I named four squirrely-looking British white guys trying to play the blues, and the biggest junkie among them twice?

No, seriously, if I had to choose, I'd say my favourite rock guitar solo would have to be the live "Isabella" from Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock set. It doesn't get much better than that.

Runner up: Slash on Lenny Kravitz's "Always On The Run".

Is that better?

It sure was a cunning 'trap'.

God, but it had me foxed.

All those *white* people and stuff.

I should have known better than to take white people seriously.

I won't do it again.

Surely this thread can't be over. It is practically the most interesting of all the fascinating questions that have been asked on the forum.

The Clash "Stay Free"

The Band "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)"

1. The coda(?) of Reflections After Jane by the Clientele because it adds just the right amount of weight to the song and gives sobriety and measure to the softness before

2. This probably doesn't count but the bright jangly guitar before the line "these are the riches of the poor" at 2:04 and 2:14 in I Want The One I Can't Have by the Smiths because it fits the line so well

3. I listened to Whirlpool Vision of Shame today. Chris is right. The way the guitar weaves in and out of and past the vocal is stunning.

Others: MC5 "Looking at You"; Radio Birdman "Aloha Steve and Danno"; Boston "Don’t Look Back," "Peace of Mind"; Jimmy Johnson "I Need Some Easy Money"; Lou Ann Barton "Shake Your Hips"; Electric Sun "Cast Away Your Chains"; Tesla "Cumin’ Atcha Live," "Love Song," "Modern Day Cowboy"; Lillian Axe "Vision in the Night," "She’s Likes it On Top," "She’s My Salvation"; Dokken "Tooth and Nail," "Dream Warriors"; Whitesnake "Wings of the Storm"; David Lee Roth "Ladies Nite in Buffalo"; Great White "I Want You"; Vandenberg "Pedal to the Metal"; Lita Ford "Back to the Cave"; Judas Priest "Beyond the Realms of Death"; Nitro "Johnny Died at Christmas"; Cinderella "Electric Love." And countless others. Above all stop me in my tracks.

oh, and my additions... Tom Waits' "Jockey Full of Bourbon" (Marc Ribot is cool as can be,) and it seems like a Who or Creation song could go on there, even though they weren't really "about" solos, and if people are going to mention Clapton (he makes me shudder in disgust, but never mind that,) seriously or not, Mick Ronson gets my vote for "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars".

Faith No More - I'm Easy (may not be their original, but listen to the feedback!)

Led Zep - Stairway (a classic)

Lynyard Skynyard - Freebird

Eagles - Hotel California

Aerosmith - Walk This Way (the original...No shitty rap and synthesized drums here baby!)

Guns n Roses - November Rain

Beatles - Let It Be

Radiohead - Just

..thus concludes my journey to guitar heaven!

lewis

Also the one-note masterpiece on "Down by the River" by Neil Young

The Individuals, "I Walk By Your House"

U.K., "In the Dead of Night" (of COURSE it's crap. Still an amazing solo.)

Bloody Norah, I was listening to this yesterday - for the first time in about 9 years. I presume you mean the end of "Sharkey's Day"? Even heard the Belew scree in the "Credit Racket" coda to "Sharkey's Night" off Home of the Brave? Similar, not as good.

My favourite guitar things of late are the fuzztone interludes in The Beach Boys' "Feel Flows" off Surf's Up.

(kinda timely mention, i know)

Mine: "My Back Pages" by The Byrds

new faves : Pete Cosey all over "This is Howlin Wolf's New Album. He Doesn't Like It" (it's the Albert Ayler "New Grass" of the blues! except way the fuck better!)

Granted - way too many to mention/exclude.

But please, if you love the capacity for expression through guitar soloing, and you're not

one of these ignorants who label all soloists as "cock-rockers" & wankers [if I may rant for

a moment - you dickheads. there are some rhythm-engorged songs that I don't find as much

interest in, but just because it not my sort of music, it certainly doesn't mean I think I

can insult their style as a musician and the enjoyment they obviously derive from that deep

feeling one can get from heartfelt music in general. a guitar soloist is expressing emotion

through their instrument similar to the way a vocalist will inject emotion into his/her

voice.], then these three instantly come to mind.

1 - Dire Straits::Sultans of Swing
The end solo, lush dynamics, beautiful tone (primarily due to his use of fingerpicking only

2 - Rage Against The Machine::Settle For Nothing
Christ, this solo is so delicate, point of mention the meandering scale through the middle

3 - STEVE VAI::FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
Let me say someting about this song.
I started my love affair with lead guitar after listening to Satriani's Surfing With The

Alien. I read of Vai in Satriani articles & bought Passion and Warfare. When I listened to

it, although impresssed by his obvious skills, I thought it wasn't my style of music - too

quirky in it's style of arrangement. Didn't REALLY listen to it until one night (possibly

whilst stoned) through headphones, For The Love Of God - this was when I had one of those

feelings you have when you discover something new about the possibilities available within a

hobby you're starting to become surrounded in. There is so much emotion and feeling in every

note of that song, in his subtle use of tremlo and wah and harmonics, the build-up from

start to finish - this man truly an exceptional compositionist, and a master of this

instrument.

OR . . .

a similar thing on 8 miles high, when seemingly random notes make as lovely a cacophony as you could wish for.

Ah! Classic rock!

Why is everybody mentioning all these crappy indie rock songs? INDIE ROCKERS CANNOT PLAY GUITAR SOLOS!!!

The Hendrix playing that blows my mind is the version of "Killing Floor" from Monterrey Pop, as he gets so funky and out of it going between chords and lines. "Machine Gun" and the slow "Voodoo Chile" are also favorites of mine.

A good solo that really fits the song is Peter Buck's on the "Flowers of Guatemala". It is really simple, but it works great in the song.

I can't remember the name of the track, but there is a slow blues section on Live Evil by Miles Davis that John McLaughlin plays out of his head. For technique and feel, he is a monster. Some of his playing with Shakti and Mahavishnu is also from another world.

I love how Jimmy Page orchestrated out his guitar overdubs on "Ten Years Gone". He works it so that it sounds like one big guitar part.

Greg Sage is a gooood guitar player that doesn't get the props he should. He lays it out on "Youth of America", that song rocks.

J Mascis has wasted his life.

Spacey T's solo on Fishbone's "Are U With It?"
Kendall Jones' solo on Fishbone's "Fight The Youth".
Jennifer Turner's solo on Natalie Merchant's "Carnival".
Buckethead's solo on Praxis' "Animal Behavior".
Smokey Hormel's solo on Cibo Matto's "Spoon".
Trey Spruance's solo on Mr. Bungle's "None Of Them Knew They Were Robots".
Mickey/Deaner's solo on Ween's "Voodoo Lady" (from the live album).
Billy Corgan's solo on da Pumpkins' "Cherub Rock".
Jimi Hendrix's solos.

also a big richard thompson fan but there's no one moment, he just keeps burning.

I'd love it.

John Squire to thread.

(second the daft punk & massive attack recommendations, too. & my 13yrold self would like to nominate the Smashing Pumpkins' "Where Boys Fear To Tread")

Freddy Roulette's two lapslide solos on "No Destination" (Roy Rogers "Slideways") are ethereal otherwordly evocations of a paradise.

Elliot Ingbar's fade-out mixed into drum loops on "Long Distance Love" (on "Rock & Roll Doctor: Tribute to Lowell George")

I have millions of blues solos favorites ...

Bill Kirchen's fuzzy telecaster on "I Got a Rocket in my Pocket" ("26 Days on the Road") -- I dig the way the push of the lead line follows the beat of the bassline that echoes through the bass drum line -- then he trades runs with Redd Volkaert

There are four very funky guitar solos by different guitarists on the Don Nix anthem "Goin' Down" (on the latest album by Don Nix titled "Goin' Down"). If you miss fat & fuzzy, this is the one for you.

World's longest guitar solo lead-in to a song "Rain" (by Graham Hunt) but you'll likely never hear that, though you should.

That made me think of the exquisite electric guitar solo fade out on "Happiness Is" (Yungchen Lhamo), which was so splendidly woven into the context of the lyrics I could barely find the words to describe. My advice, just listen to it and be transported.

*Living Colour's "Cult of Personality"
*Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker"
*Faith No More's "Epic"
*Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"
*Jimi Hendrix's "Wind Cries Mary"

No one said "rock guitar", right?

That reminds me: the guitar solo (by 'Spanky') in The Roots' "What They Do" = total audio butter!

The Eagles "Hotel California"

This says so much more about Adelaide's picturesque village mentality than it ever could to the credit of the fucking Eagles, chris'sakes.

Kiss.

Of those not mentioned:

Ricky Nelson - Hello Mary Lou (James Burton)
Sex Pistols - Anarchy in The UK
Patto - Loud Green Song (Ollie Halsall) Is this my favorite or Nick Salomon's?
Television - Little Johnny Jewel, Live Version
Mott the Hoople - All the Way From Memphis

Mentioned but I'll put it in anyway
The Clash - Stay Free

Perhaps something from Rockpile but I can't think of one.

Sorry can't think of any more, all I can hear in my head is Quine's solo in Blank Generation.

Randy Rhodes - Over the Mountain

Randy Holden - Mar-Gaya or Mr. Pharmacist (can't remember the actual band names)

Jimmy Page on "Dazed and Confused" is another one that I really like. It is all pentatonic blues, but I love how he rolls off those repetitious licks and then tie it back to the original line of the song.

Eddie Van Halen on "Mean Street" is great. It is really dark and sounds angry.

Chilton on Big Star's "O My Soul."

Berry, "Sweet Little Rock and Roller."

Nile Rodgers on Chic's "I Got Protection."

Whoever plays the solo--Glen Campbell?--on the Everly Bros. "Even If I Hold It in My Hand."

The guitar in the JBs' "Rockin' Funky Watergate."

Manzanera on Eno's "China My China."

And yeah, the solo in "Kid Charlemagne" is pretty great, as are almost all Steely Dan solos.

And...the one-note solo--Lee Baker?--on Chilton's "Rock Hard" from "Like Flies on Sherbert."

Eddie Hazel has been mentioned but only for "Maggot Brain," which is shortsighted. What about "Comin' Round the Mountain," people? "America Eats Its Young"? "Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts"? Also, Michael Hampton on the live "Maggot Brain" is pretty dope, and I saw/heard him do this live two years ago and it was pure metal torture thrillingness. He will forever be unfavorably compared to Hazel but that's unfortunate cuz DAMN.

big soft spot for the edge on "new year's day"

Funny, I just pulled "Guitar, Vocal" out of the rack and it's going on next after "I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight."

There's three guitarists who I love to smithereens:

- Richard Thompson
- Tom Verlaine
- Dave Schramm (mostly because of his playing on Freedy Johnston's "This Perfect World" album, but also because of his Schramms records)

There are plenty of others, but those three represent some sort of pinnacle of Fender sparkle godhead.

I'm also quite partial to Jeff Parker solos.

Behind the Door by Sugarplant

Frank Zappa - "Inca Roads", "Zombie Woof"
Eddie Van Halen - "Hot for Teacher"
Jerry Garcia - "Goin' Down the Road" (Skull & Roses)

And if we're including jazz,

Wes Montgomery - "What the World Needs Now"
Pat Metheny - "Broadway Blues"

Especially "Jockey Full of Bourbon"

Ribot's solo on "Con Alama" off the first Posiztos record is a mind-bender too.

I like Django's solo on "Nuages". I was trying to learn that for a while.

What a cracker!? It comes in really early as well!

Karl Percoda on the Dream Syndicate's Halloween is pretty damn fine

Tom Waits - "Hang Down Your Head"
Ghost - "Hazy Paradise"
Teenage Fanclub - "Don't Look Back"

I'm still right about Elliot Easton though.

John McGeogh was the master of the surprise guitar solo.

also
Little Doll

Phil Manzanera, "Running Wild"

Delicious lickage and major tone.

Kimberly Rew does a nice solo on the Soft Boys "Love Poisoning."
Nilsson "Jump Into the Fire"
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band "When Big Joan Sets Up"
The Fall "Winter"

(oh yeah, and the solo in moby grape's "fall on you" is cool too)

Lou Reed & Sterling Morrison - various solos on "Sister Ray"
Lou Reed - "The Gift"
Sterling Morrison - "Foggy Notion"

In that case there is a Primus song called "Pilcher's Squad" where Claypool yells "Go Ler!" and Ler plays this manic flurry of notes for about five seconds and stops, after which Claypool yells "Thanks Ler!" and goes right back into the song. Fun.

YES YES YES YES YES

Richie Blackmore is a fantasic lead guitarist. Blackmore seemed to be bored often as a rhythm guitarist and often left it up to the keyboard player in his band to carry the chords, but when the guitar solo part came up, then watch out. There is a fantastic Blackmore solo on "Child in Time" on a John Peel BBC show from 1970. Quite a bit of those old live shows, Blackmore and Jon Lord would really strech out.

I don't know who played it, but I love that sitar sounding guitar solo on Steely Dan's "Do It Again". That one is really great and has one of those classic 70s tones, what they used to get that sound I have no idea.

The Jerry Jones electric sitar. This vintage sound has been used on many classic Motown tracks as well as countless soul songs in 70's. It was also famously used to play the solo & licks in Steely Dan's "Do It Again"

Also, just for rockist completeness's sake (and also because he really did kick ass), let's take a moment to give some credit to Chuck Berry. "Roll Over Beethoven," if I have to pick just one off the top of my head...

Estranged (first solo)
Coma
November Rain (all three solos).
Sweet Child O'Mine (best ever).
Knockin' On Heaven's Door (various live versions)

Underrated:
Natalie Imbruglia's Torn- Study in simplicity.

Blues:
90 percent of everything BB King ever recorded. But especially his duet with Robert Cray "Playing with My Friends"
Hubert Sumlin on Howlin' Wolf's "Hidden Charms"

90 percent goes for Django too, but I'm going with Minor Swing as my favorite.

and come on people. SHARP DRESSED MAN!

...and the daddy...

Yes (Howe) - Starship Trooper

Props to everyone who recognized Billy Corgan, who is (was?) probably the best big-rock guitarist of his generation. I don't think I could pick a single solo from him, they're all pretty good, although off the top of my head one that does a great job of pushing the song out of its box and really bringing some crazy to the table is "Zero."

And of course, the Beatles, who occupy that perfect boundary between lope-along rockabilly solos and Rock solo expression - McCartney on "Taxman," and Harrison on all kinds of great things. Do the breaks on "And Your Bird Can Sing" count as soloing? If so, that wins, flat-out.

yesterday I was really likeing both solos in powderfinger by neil young

One solo that always amazes me is Bill Haley and His Comets Rock Around The Clock which was recorded circa 1953.

I think my favorite soloist of all is Alex Lifeson because nearly every solo he does is very melodic and uplifting and rarely cliched. My favorite by him is The Camera Eye, but Moving Pictures, Signals, Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure, Counterparts, etc. all are chock full of great guitar moments.

I also love Zappa, especially on Sinister Footwear II because it is so over-the-top and self-indulgently crazy. It's a mind melter.

solo on 'zero' --> james iha! corgan's solo on 'soma' is pretty glorious

PS. in regards to perplexing music writer cliches, what
exactly is a "lyrical" guitar solo?

"Soma" by the Smashing Pumpkins

Damn. I originally voted for "Cherub Rock", but in hindsight, that might be the 2nd best solo on that record.

I also really like the solo in "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks.

No kidding! Well, credit where it's due then. Thanks.

also Fripp's solo on the title track of I Advance Masked, one of the rare occasions of record where he really cuts loose with the flashy shit.

The guitar solo in Primus' "Kalamazoo" is like 1,000,000,000,000,000 times awesomer than any other guitar solo by any other guitarist ever. Fact.

nickalicious (nickalicious) on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 3:35 AM (3 years ago)

This:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXbCt_1mrak&mode=related&search=

i second Television's "Little Johnny Jewel" from the Arrow bootleg. staggering.

That's my fave alright.

Another great one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCzUMjCykn8

did you type 'shreds' into the seach box?

watch the video

and how could I forget:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEwIRZ9pLCM&mode=related&search=

I can't believe there's no love for Jimmy Page's solo on The First Gear's "Leave My Kitten Alone."

The "out of sight" solo at the end (!!!!!) of "Your Mind & We Belong Together" by Love.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y57/DebbieCC/th_Video065.jpg

I must be drunk to have linked that.

Peter Green's solo in "Green Manalishi" from the version on Live at the Boston Tea Party. Incredibly evocative. It's too bad that this incredible moment is followed by a six minute bass solo that leaves a lot to be desired.

lol at carmody using smileys

Two Mick Taylor solos (I'm presuming it wasn't Keith): 'Shine A Light' off Exile On Main Street, and 'Gimme Shelter' on the 1974 Brussels live bootleg (at least, I think it's a bootleg)

No love for Slayer's 'Angel of Death'? The interlocking twin solo at the end of that is fucking incredible. Nothing technical or melodic about it whatsoever -- it's all about the aggression and catharsis, but that's what makes it so powerful. And it's over all too soon.

"Peg"

I most recently had my mind blown by the Byrds' "Eight Miles High" - I'd say that guitar solo ranks pretty high up there.

Velvet Underground - "Sunday Morning" - so plaintive and endearing and inspired lots of Jesus and Mary Chain "solos".

http://www.youtube.com/user/StSanders

The one in "Peg" by Steely Dan is the obvious winner here

as that guy with the long screenname said, duh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P8B-ZhAe7I

When it goes into overdrive at 3.49 it's the most exciting noise there's ever been.

Always been a big fan of Flying High Again by Randy Rhoads and pretty much anything Elliot Easton (The Cars) did.

And every Voivod lead from Piggy is top shelf.

Non-metal, I'm very fond of the solo on Clap Hands by Tom Waits.

could run with 'fear of the dark' just because chap's megadeth has put me in that mood, but it wouldn't really be above many of the efforts mentioned in the list already.

the solo on Sympathy For The Devil is so fucking tasty....

more megadeth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTcmBxRh-Gc&feature=PlayList&p=39DE6544C3F034D4&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=48

i've always liked the fury of the solo that kicks in at 5:00

in fairness though, most of my favourite solos come from the classic rock spectrum: keef, page, hendrix etc.

More metal (particularly from 2.30):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBAtw6grFTA

Last 2 are great. As is Megadeth-Hangar 18

Embarrassing fact: Tony Burge's solo in Hot As A Docker's Armpit gives me the shivers.

BOURGE

ENDLESS BOURGE

Taxman (P. McCartney)
The Pigworker (K. Rew)
Words From The Front (T. Verlaine)
St. Elmo's Fire (R. Fripp)

Some quick ones off the top of my head:

J. Mascis -- "The Lung"
Lee Ranaldo -- "Pacific Coast Highway"
Blue Oyster Cult (dude?) -- "Don't Fear the Reaper" that solo never gets old for some reason
Jimmy Page -- "I'm Gonna Crawl"
John Reis (Drive Like Jehu) -- "Luau"

is it true jimmy page plays on "sympathy for the devil"?

Richard Thompson - "You Can't Win" (live version from his box set)

A change of pace from the usual suspects, but I've always liked Glenn Tilbrook's inventive and perfectly constructed solo on "Another Nail in My Heart."

My favorite from the last ten years is Lay Low by My Morning Jacket.

is it true jimmy page plays on "sympathy for the devil"?

Don't know anything about that, but I found out the other day that he plays on Joe Cocker's version of With a Little Help from my Friends.

cranktones - lover's curse (bracey everett)

motorpsycho - serpentine

nice to see all the Mott mentions. probably not my alltime fave of anyone ever but first that popped into my head this time was Mick Ralphs on Mott's "Whizz Kid". another example of well-placed simplicity (but) which is given GODLIKE production trickery.

I've been repping hard for one of my fave weirdo prog bands lately; here's Orchestra Luna's showstopper "Doris Dreams." If you wanna get to just the solo, follow the youtube advice and scroll thru to about 5 minutes in. Vaguely Zappa-esque, but the guitarist (Randy Roos) really has unique tone and phrasing imo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX57YEyQkuE

The Velvet Underground - I'm Set Free

the pooh sticks - I'm in you

the one that sounds like a bendy laser in cardiacs' 'fiery gun hand'.

from 2:30 - 4:00:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOL65ZWiEPE

karl precoda basically inventing post-punk guitar solos here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHCFz3mLbTY

I love Friedman's solo in Holy Wars... (The Punishment Due)

I mostly like classic rock solos, too, I guess. The simple, emotional, slightly sloppy sounding ones are my favorite. Page, Hendrix, Iommi, Angus Young. Zappa's Transylvania Boogie is one of my other all-time favorite guitar songs, but I can't find a vid for it (tho there is an impressive vid of some dude imitating it note for note).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l_x0xH9fLM

outro to 'baker street'

Mine is the solo in the middle of "My Sharona". Bliss, pure bliss.

Fuck, Karl Precoda is a good call. That guy has blown my mind many times. Really cool guy as well. He is now a professor and basically has given up the guitar, but occasionally plays gong (yes, gong or other resonant metal objects) with Pelt folks.

Kevin Shields' solo on Primal Scream's "Accelerator" is fast becoming my favorite guitar solo of all time. Totally hijacks the song, forces itself out and then burns to stars like an exploding spaceship.

Kevin Shields on "Accelerator"
Andy Gill on "Anthrax"

/end

Pedal steel solo on Poco's "Crazy Eyes"

Daft Punk "Digital Love"...

Pedal steel solo on Poco's "Crazy Eyes"
stfu

I mean no disrespect, but...really?

Kevin Shields and I are totally gonna get married and sit in an apartment for the rest of our lives getting stoned and watching kung fu movies in Spanish and eating lentils and duct-taping over the windows and bitching about how nobody understands how hard it is for us to make music.

I mean no disrespect, but...really?

Fuck a Kevin Shields, it's all about Rusty Young these days

lolzs

Seriously though, I do find that solo very uplifting, I think that's my favourite type of guitar solo

A few candidates:

Neil Young in Mr Soul
Karl Percoda on Halloween
John Squire on 10 Storey Love Song
Paul McCartney on Let it Be (album vers)

Oh man, solo on Televison's "The Dream's Dream". esp... the... last... four... notes

Oh yeh, Television. Venus

and Television: Torn Curtain

In a similar vein:

Fairport Convention, Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman

Thread needs some Eddie Hazel:

Funkadelic, Comin' Round the Mountain

I always enjoy Lindsay Buckingham - Sisters Of The Moon (the second one, at 3:42) and Landslide are a couple of very different favourites

(I was also going to say various versions of Gimme Shelter but figured it'd probably already been mentioned on the thread. It had - by me, two years ago)

david sylvian on "art of parties"

Rusty Young's okay by me. Those instrumentals he wrote with Poco kicked ass. Fool's Good, Grand Junction, Feudin', Rocky Mountain Breakdown (yeah, it has words but y'know what I mean), etc.; all great.

To answer the question: Frank Zappa in 'Inca Roads'.

Franco - "Merengue"

Been a few Fripp mentions here but not one for the solo on "Sailor's Tale" off of Islands. This is a key moment in the development of Crimson, the point where Fripp sloughed off the baroque prog affectations and turned towards something darker and heavier.

Wilco - "At Least That's What You Said"

'Like a Hurricane' live by Neil Young

'Broken Chairs' live by Built to Spill

is it true jimmy page plays on "sympathy for the devil"?

― Brio, Friday, 18 September 2009 17:46 (6 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I think he might do, on one of those "Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra" things. Not the Stones, obv.

okay so I don't know if it's my absolute 100% all-time favorite, but because I'm sure no one else will mention it, I gotta rep for the solo in "Designing a Steeper Cliff" by late great Chicago art-rockers The Fire Show, whose guitarist has the most wonderfully ugly fuzzed-out guitar tone I've ever heard, the kind that feels like it's removing layers of skin with every note, and nowhere does he put it to better use than here. everyone's grooving along on one of those super-infectious dub-inflected wobbly post-punk grooves, when suddenly the bottom drops out, leaving you hanging in a wash of feedback for a second or two as the guitar whines into life, the drummer plays a short fill and then BAM!, return to Groove City, where it turns out that the entire population has been transformed into brain-hungry groove-zombies, and they're closing in on you...

technically, the playing isn't flashy or anything, but that moment gets me every time. rarely do I feel so violently hated by a piece of music, and almost never do I get such enjoyment from it.

the most wonderfully ugly fuzzed-out guitar tone I've ever heard, the kind that feels like it's removing layers of skin with every note

rarely do I feel so violently hated by a piece of music, and almost never do I get such enjoyment from it

WANT THIS

OK, I found a clip of The Fire Show's "Designing a Steeper Cliff." Not bad, but not a patch on Rapeman's cover of "Just Got Paid" either.

Steve Albini on "Just Got Paid"

/end

To answer the question: Frank Zappa in 'Inca Roads'.

Which version? Full-length Helsinki original, chopped/screwed version for One Size Fits All, Dub Room Special, other? They're all great, but 'RDNZL' is even better.

Which version? Full-length Helsinki original, chopped/screwed version for One Size Fits All, Dub Room Special, other?
...or maybe even one of the eviscerated chunks that go to make up maybe half a dozen or so of the "Shut Up and Play..." and "Guitar" albums. No, probably the chopped/screwed version for OSFA. 'RDNZL' is great, as are 'Toad O-Line', 'Duke of Orchestral Prunes', 'Zoot Allures', 'Watermelon' (of course) and many many more.

Because nobody else will mention it, and it's so out-of-character epic:

The Posies - "Flood of Sunshine"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpOYFDHvwbM

From the sublime to the ridiculous:

The Bonzo Dog Band - "Canyons of Your Mind"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkQ0tpQmobc

"Pablo & Andrea" by Yo La Tengo or "Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains

"Voodoo Chile" too tbh - pretty much the whole song

& "Terraplane Blues" by John Lee Hooker

tbh I could probably just keep listing things that occur to me, so I'll stop now..

3 from the white stripes:

black math (fuckin hot rod grease lightning)

ball & biscuit (pompous majesty, the white stripes)

you don't know what love is... (closing solo is razor sharp, yet light as birds playing along the coast)

There ain't nothing better than James Burton's lead on "Love Hurts" by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris.

steve hillage - rainbow dome musik!

slight sidetrack - was i just imagining it, or was the section of that song with the guitar solo "the music of the future" in bill and ted's excellent adventure?

the ecstatic, vocal-sounding runs embedded in total fruit warning by us maple

now you're talking

faust - it's a bit of a pain

maybe not absolute favorite, but a solid one i always love when it comes up on shuffle: "Bad Times" by the D-Coys

skids of one skin

"Time," Pink Floyd

I could name a million solos but the real answer will always be 'Maggot Brain', miles clear of the rest. It's like the Usain Bolt of guitar solos.

Marc Ribot's colo in Tom Waits's "Jockey Full of Bourbon."

Canyons of Your Mind seconded!

Sonny Sharrock - Many Mansions
He spends the first five minutes locking in with the bassist, laying down a huge riff and allowing Pharoah Sanders plenty of space to solo (and he solos beautifully), then in the last few minutes Sonny's slide guitar erupts in multiple directions, hot lava baby!

thats a good one

somewhat surprisingly, fripp sorta owns this for me with his collabos -- "ill come running" and "heavenly music corporation" w eno and "hammond song" w the roches

oh yeah wait and COWGIRL IN THE SAND and EFFIGY and RAMBLE TAMBLE

yeah those!

We need CCR solos poll.

Tommy Bolin on Billy Cobham's "Quadrant 4"

This

lock thread

end civilization

delete time and space

Probably the solo in Shatterhand by The Nightblooms, in that it's amazing both as a guitar solo and as a commentary on guitar solos. Uses a talkbox too, as any contendor for best guitar solo should.

At the moment, this is the solo at the end of Hotel Illness. The drumming, too. Hellfire.

Here are mine!

what a fun list, now I want to go listen to all those.

the violin in “out of the blue” is what kills me. like david laflamme or papa john creach careening through a trans dimensional portal or something

Oh I need to check this one out. You should make a spotify or youtube list of these.

For Velvet Underground I’d pick “pale blue eyes” and for Radiohead it’s gotta be Paranoid Android. “Go to sleep” isn’t as amazing on the album as on live performances.

Baby’s on Fire is top 10 material for sure.

“Born under punches” is TOO LOW. But happy it’s there.

Just commented on fb about one you missed, and probably my favorite guitar solo of all time. Jimmy Scott's solo in Pretenders' "Kid" is masterful without bragging, a self-contained composition without peer nestled inside an already brilliant song. From the arpeggiated chords that preface it to the final harmonic that puts the cherry on top, not to mention all the key bends and swerves, it's one I could hear 10,000 more times in my life and never tire of.

Robbie Robertson on "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" from the '66 Manchester show (aka Bootleg vol. 4) is most triumphant.

As brimstead said, that's an electric violin solo on "Out of the Blue". Let's not deny Edwin Jobson his greatest moment of triumph!
My Manzanera picks would be "Amazona" and "Still Falls the Rain" for Roxy. I don't know if it's him or Eno doing the multiple guitars at the end of "The True Wheel", and you could quibble whether that's a "solo".
Produced by Manzanera, utterly majestic, and completely underrated, I'd like to mention Phil Judd on "Time For a Change" by Split Enz.

Hmm, there are some debatable definitions of "solo" in that list, but there are definitely some cool guitar sounds. Speaking of which, the correct Phil Manzanera answer is John Cale's "Gun," which features Phil through an Eno box:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uURZiipri54

And btw, I do appreciate the inclusion of "The Fly," because not only is that actually one of the rare Edge solos, the Edge really isn't typically good enough to solo, but he sounds great on that one. Also, "Until the End of the World." And "Acrobat." That whole album is full of "guy who doesn't solo does a cool solo" tracks.

Mott the Hoople - "Hymn For the Dudes"
― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, September 13, 2005 10:48 AM (fifteen years ago)

particularly the triumphant last note, fading into the angelic choir.

Seeing the picture of John Cale reminds me that I always stan for this solo by Ollie Halsall:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-q-GGiAt8Q

Top of my mind here’s some more I like and haven’t been mentioned yet:

Papas Fritas - way you walk
Ritchie Valens - La Bamba
Soda Stereo - en la ciudad de la furia (unplugged)
Wilco - Impossible Germany

Just commented on fb about one you missed, and probably my favorite guitar solo of all time. Jimmy Scott's solo in Pretenders' "Kid" is masterful without bragging, a self-contained composition without peer nestled inside an already brilliant song.

oh for sure! I would've mentioned it in another tie

*time

Seeing the picture of John Cale reminds me that I always stan for this solo by Ollie Halsall:

I've shared this coked-out glory many times over the years.

Popol Vuh - "Oh wie nah ist der Weg hinab" (closing section - goosebump time!)

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 10:54 (fifteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

I think Werner Herzog agreed...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOF23dA7UJg

... solo by Daniel Secundus Fichelscher.

right now it's Roy Buchanan's "The Messiah will come again." Spookiest song ever, very heavy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgOLDAWu6OY

The solos in VHÖL's "Arising" hit all the spots I want hit in metal wankery, probably because they're really just overdriven surf/rockabilly licks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf-a1Fupras

Michael Sembello, "Maniac"

I must've listened to Mick Taylor's Spanish/A Minor a lot as a kid because I can still hum all of the extended solos. Decades later it still sounds fantastic.

Ollie Halsall in the live Cale clip is outstanding

Glad you like it.

Is there sections of songs with one guitarrist doing amazing runs like Buckingham’s live version of “big love” or Nils Lofgren doing “Keith don’t go” considered “solos”? Even instrumental guitar pieces like “entre dos aguas” by Paco de Lucia has what could count as a solo at the 2:41 mark.

And that’s one of the best Flamenco songs ever so if it counts I’m definitely considering in the best guitar solos of all time.

One solo that caught my ear on the radio a couple days ago in how it really does raise the tune is Neal Schon's on "Don't Stop Believing". It is pretty much played off the main melody line but how it sets up the title refrain at the end of the song is really some nice pop magic (nice touch with the overdubbed second line on the very end).

I have a soft spot for the big dumbrock solo that closes out Pearl Jam’s “Alive”

Dogs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRSxu2Xn-gk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MzDcsgnwZo