NationStates Jolt Archive

This thread has probably been done before, but who cares. What is your favorite guitar solo.

Mine is Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd. The first one is good, and the second one is godly.

Freebird is generally considered one of the best.

edit: And Stairway to Heaven, All Along the Watchtower, Crossroads, Texas Flood, Layla etc.

This thread has probably been done before, but who cares. What is your favorite guitar solo.

Mine is Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd. The first one is good, and the second one is godly.

Hendrix beats the shit out of PF for solo's any day of the week.

Well , my personal favorites are Stephen Stills in the remixed version of Carry On, Jimmy Paige in both Stairway and You Shook Me, Martin Barr in Aqualung, George Harrison in Carry That Weight/The End, and Robert Johnson in Crossroad.

Hendrix beats the shit out of PF for solo's any day of the week.

*bows down at the throne of Psychotic Mongooses*

*bows down at the throne of Psychotic Mongooses*

Arise young one. You have promise :D

Arise young one. You have promise :D

"Lord Fleckenstein, Rise" would have been better. :p

Richie Blackmore's solo in Deep Purple's "Highway Star".

Or Alvin Lee's solo in Ten Years After's "I'm Going Home"

Neil Innes' solo in Canyons of Your Mind.

Steve Vai or Ingwe Malmstein doing speed-metal Mozart... :D

Edward Van Halen "Eruption" 4tehwin ;)

Edward Van Halen "Eruption" 4tehwin ;)

Forgot about that one. I surrender.

Eh...*prefers rhythm to lead*

Solo's are usually (but not always) wank. The best solo's are the ones that complement the song enough that I dont think "OMG that is a solo. I must be impressed at this egotistical and completely unneccesary display of instrumental skill." and instead do something for the music as a whole. Musicians that can do that are rare.

Edward Van Halen "Eruption" 4tehwin ;)

Seconded. Although it's easier than it looks, IMO.

Eh...*prefers rhythm to lead*

Solo's are usually (but not always) wank. The best solo's are the ones that complement the song enough that I dont think "OMG that is a solo. I must be impressed at this egotistical and completely unneccesary display of instrumental skill." and instead do something for the music as a whole. Musicians that can do that are rare.

I point you in the direction of Neil Innes' work on Canyons Of Your Mind in that case - a mocking deconstruction (if that isn't too pretentious a word) of the whole notion of a solo. See also Johnny Ramone's infamous one note solo from I Wanna Be Sedated.

Maggot Brain - Funkedelic

I point you in the direction of Neil Innes' work on Canyons Of Your Mind in that case - a mocking deconstruction (if that isn't too pretentious a word) of the whole notion of a solo. See also Johnny Ramone's infamous one note solo from I Wanna Be Sedated.

Heh, I'll check it out. (and i'm aware of the latter :p)

Luca Turilli(Rhapsody) - Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness
The fantastic Intro on accustic guitar and the solo in the middle of the song.

Eh...*prefers rhythm to lead*

Solo's are usually (but not always) wank. The best solo's are the ones that complement the song enough that I dont think "OMG that is a solo. I must be impressed at this egotistical and completely unneccesary display of instrumental skill." and instead do something for the music as a whole. Musicians that can do that are rare.

I guess it depends strongly upon a musical phillosophy. Solo's are meant to serve as a break in the action of a song, and a chance to insert melody into a line that would normally never break from pure dull harmony. You actually see the same thing in classical music. In a concerto, a soloist has a section that was origionally left blank (or given a chord progression) meant for improvosation and pure technical show off, called a cadenza (In this day and age, most soloists use prewritten, repetitive cadenzas that were used by famous soloists in the past).

On the other hand, Arena rock has always been about showing off and making gods of musicians, which is a feeling instilled by complex and virtuosic solos, so I can understand having an aversion to them. They're just too much fun for me to pass up though.

Eh...*prefers rhythm to lead*

Solo's are usually (but not always) wank. The best solo's are the ones that complement the song enough that I dont think "OMG that is a solo. I must be impressed at this egotistical and completely unneccesary display of instrumental skill." and instead do something for the music as a whole. Musicians that can do that are rare.
i totally agree. tis the reason why i don't like kurt hammet's solos: they're just show-offs layered ontop of the song, often not even that conncected with the rest of the song.

now testament, there's some good mixing of solo and rythm, weaving the two in and out of each other... mm tis good *nods*


but best solo, i'd have to go for... voodoo chile or... something *shrugs*
ooh ooh gary moore's Parisienne Walkways (especially the live version with that hugely looooong note :p)

I guess it depends strongly upon a musical phillosophy. Solo's are meant to serve as a break in the action of a song, and a chance to insert melody into a line that would normally never break from pure dull harmony. You actually see the same thing in classical music. In a concerto, a soloist has a section that was origionally left blank (or given a chord progression) meant for improvosation and pure technical show off, called a cadenza (In this day and age, most soloists use prewritten, repetitive cadenzas that were used by famous soloists in the past).

On the other hand, Arena rock has always been about showing off and making gods of musicians, which is a feeling instilled by complex and virtuosic solos, so I can understand having an aversion to them. They're just too much fun for me to pass up though.

Oh, i'm not saying that melody and solo's are a bad thing - I just dont like when they're used as nothing more than wank. They simply need to complement the rest of the song and be integrated with the rhythm section. They dont have to be over complicated to add something to the music. It just annoys me when people play their guitars like their penises. I'd rather no melody than that.

I suppose it's also partly because I enjoy the "wall of sound" approach. *shrugs*

i totally agree. tis the reason why i don't like kurt hammet's solos: they're just show-offs layered ontop of the song, often not even that conncected with the rest of the song.

Perfect example. :)

now testament, there's some good mixing of solo and rythm, weaving the two in and out of each other... mm tis good *nods*

They're alright.

Well yeah, I agree with the sentiments about cock rock but sometimes there are true improvisations that make the solo an addition to that wall of sound effect- case in point:

Omar Rodriguez Lopez from The Mars Volta.

Hendrix beats the shit out of PF for solo's any day of the week.


Not always.

Jimi had his style, and it was one of the best, maybe even THE best. Thats something no one can argue.
But Jimi's music doesnt always appeal to everyone.

Dave Gilmour, even if not considered to be "as good" as Hendrix, is certainly one of the best, ever, and compares to any of the other "guitar greats".

Gilmour's soulfull style can say more with two simple notes, than most players say with an entire solo.

Pink Floyd Comfortably Numb
Jimi Hendrix All Along the Watchtower
Metallica Master of Puppets
Aghora Frames

Jimi Hendrix All Along the Watchtower


yeah, the one between the second and third verses is the best, but they are all brilliant.


Another good one is Jeff Baxter on Reelin' in the Years (Steely Dan) - it's a bit corny but makes me smile.

My personal two favourites are the following
1. Dire straits - That aint working
2. Coldplay - Fix you

My personal favorite...

A tie between a couple of Toni Iommi's solos from Black Sabbath.

"Symptom of the Universe", and "You wont change me", are two of my favorites.

1. Dire straits - That aint working



Money for Nothing - the hi-fi quality tester worldwide

2. Coldplay - Fix you

*Beats to death with Coldplay CD*

just one? jeez.

Child In Time by Deep Purple

but also thinkin of
Eruption by Van Halen
Hotel California by Eagles

Comfortably Numb and November Rain are great fun to play.

There's just too many, haven't even mentioned Hendrix or Clapton.

Hotel California by Eagles
The closing solo is the Best Solo Ever, in my book - and it's really annoying when they cut it on the radio!

But there are so many brilliant ones... Comfortably Numb, We Will Rock You, Alright Now, Sultans of Swing and Money for Nothing... And all the ones I can't remember at the moment!

I'd say the 'Wah-wah' solo in the Gas Giant song called 'Freak Sensation' is one of my favourites of all time... oh, and that crazy screaming guitar solo in 'Rage against the machine's song 'Killing in the name of'... I do so love the wierd sounds Tom Morello can make his guitar make:)

*Beats to death with Coldplay CD*

Whats so bad about the solo in that?

Walter Becker's gymnastic solo on Steely Dan's "My Old School".

Walter Becker's gymnastic solo on Steely Dan's "My Old School".

Good one, the Dan have got loads.

'Sunrise' by the almighty Pulp, off their last album that tragically few people know. Was on the end credits of the last show on one of the series of Monkey Dust, when the northern guy rides off on a space hopper made of the prison guard's head...

Money for Nothing - the hi-fi quality tester worldwide

If it is such a standard of quality, why did they remaster it? Nothing to do with the entirely shoddy state of digital technology in the early eighties...?

If it is such a standard of quality, why did they remaster it? Nothing to do with the entirely shoddy state of digital technology in the early eighties...?

I believe the remaster also cuts out the verse talking about how lots of popstars are 'faggots' too...which on the video (which also rocks for the now REALLY outdated graphics) makes it quite clear he is talking about WHAM! and a few others...

Still a bloody good song to test your hi-fi with...

Still a bloody good song to test your hi-fi with...
Amen to that. Money for Nothing and Sultans of Swing are great to play as well.

Best solos, in no particular order: Sultans of Swing, Comfortably Numb, All Along the Watchtower, Layla, Stairway to Heaven, the usual.

I know it may not be absolutely technically astounding or difficult, but my favourite guitar solo is always going to be from "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".