Favourite guitar solos...and why

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Int'l Feel
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Post by Int'l Feel » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:22 pm

My go to guitar solo is Larry Carlton's in the intro of Steely Dan's "Don't Take Me Alive." Also that sweet little groove in the middle of "Green Earrings" is pretty great too. But I'm a sucker for Dan guitar solos.

I'd also like to second Beck's "Because We've Ended as Lovers." I got to see him at the last Crossroads in Chicago and it was religious. His version of "A Day in the Life" is nice as well. Can't say I've seen someone use a slide like that before. But the bassist he had with him nearly took the show.

I couldn't name songs, but I'm particularly fond of Les Paul's more "Hawaiian" work.

Winstontaneous
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Post by Winstontaneous » Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:53 pm

ott0bot wrote:
CharlieMurphy'sStare wrote:
Speaking of Fripp, "St. Elmo's Fire" is pretty awesome.

ha....i was just thinking of this track. Fripp's work with eno, especially on st. elmos fire, seems so hap-hazard and improvised without feeling like he just noodling. awesome
I believe on "St. Elmo's Fire" Eno asked Fripp to play his version of what a Wimshurst machine (a giant Tesla coil that shoots sparks) would sound like "shooting ions in the ether". I think ol' Bob nailed it!

Years ago when I heard the album version of King Crimson's "I Talk to The Wind" I got a very strong image from Fripp's solo: that of a mole or worm slowly sticking its snout out of the ground and taking a look around. Some time after that I read an interview with the producer or engineer of that album in a recording magazine. He said on that track Fripp's intention was to sound like a mole slowly emerging from its hole into the world above...trippy!

EX2352
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Solos

Post by EX2352 » Sat Dec 18, 2010 4:28 am

..agree that Watermelon on Easter Hay by Zappa is great. And I like the way David Gilmour milks the sustain on some of his solos.

One of my all time favorites has been Machine Gun By Jimi Hendrix off the Band of Gypsies.

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vvv
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Post by vvv » Wed Dec 22, 2010 12:01 pm

I didn't see anybody mention Neil Young's in "Cinnamon Girl"?
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accordion squeezist
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Post by accordion squeezist » Wed Dec 22, 2010 4:07 pm

Recycled_Brains wrote:in no particular order....

Pantera - "Flood"... There's two solos in this song, and both are my all time favorites. Sometimes I get choked up listening to them now.

A fuckin' Rembrant. And that's coming from a guy who doesn't stray too far from Rounder Records!

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Post by Seej » Mon Jan 10, 2011 10:19 am

vvv wrote:I didn't see anybody mention Neil Young's in "Cinnamon Girl"?
You didn't bother to look thru the whole thread like I just did. It's mentioned a billion times.

Only one mention of Terry Kath? Shame, people. Go listen to the Live At Carnegie Hall album.

I'm sure the solo on The Rutles' "Hold My Hand" was Rikki Fataar's.

+1 for "How High The Moon." Effing perfect.
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Post by pwrb » Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:26 am

I'm sure the solo on The Rutles' "Hold My Hand" was Rikki Fataar's.
Ah! Good call. Rikki rules.

scollins149
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Great lead guitar

Post by scollins149 » Tue May 03, 2011 4:20 pm

Almost anything by Ray Gomez.
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Post by CZ » Sun May 08, 2011 2:33 am

Being such a metalhead as a kid, I have to go with Kim Thayil's ending solo in Soundgarden's 'Like Suicide' (I know, I know they're older stuff is much more 'metal.') Though they get played to death, Randy Rhoad's solo in 'Crazy Train' is still bad ass and, dare I say, I really like the ending solo in Fleetwood Mac's 'Gypsy.'

Phew! Feel like I just confessed something at some kind of [insert addiction] Anonymous meeting. Really, I hope I can recoup some cool points at a later date . . .

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Post by agrpap » Mon May 16, 2011 3:43 pm

Mick Ronson on "Moonage Daydream" by Bowie. Absolutely wicked. Freak out, far out, in-out indeed.
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Post by maggot » Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:52 am

"I Ain't Got You" by the Yardbirds. The only thing that Eric Clapton has ever done that I've liked. It's concise, well-structured, and it's got a ton of bite.

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Neal
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Post by Neal » Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:53 pm

This endless conversation... Too many to keep straight. Off the top of my head:

OP said Highway Star. The guitar solo is bad ass, but John Lord's organ solo blows my mind.

Somebody said In Bloom. I've always dug that one too even if I can't stand that album in general. Really like Serve the Servants as well. Love noisy solos that make sense in a weird way.

+1 for Killer Queen

I remember liking the solo for November Rain a lot. That song was new right when I started playing guitar. Great melody and tone. This word is worn-out, but i think "epic" fits it well.
Jim Hall on the Bill Evans tune Interplay. Great tone, phrasing, feel, dynamics. All the solos on that recording are top notch.
Some of Dimebag's solos still make me sweat.

Holdsworth on "Red Alert" from the Tony Williams Lifetime record Believe It. Sounds like Fredrik Thordendahl. But 20 years earlier. WTF?

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Post by Freakmagnet451 » Sat Jul 23, 2011 6:34 pm

Sure, I'll play. Lots of my favorites have already been mentioned so these are some of the remaining:

The solo(s) on "Streamline Woman" by Muddy Waters. Muddy Waters

The solo at the end of "King Harvest Will Surely Come" by the Band. Robbie Robertson

The solo on "My Best Friend's Girlfriend" by the Cars. Elliot Easton

The solo(s) on "Ain't Livin' Long Like This" by Emmylou Harris. Albert Lee

The solo on "Infatuation" by Rod Stewart. Jeff Beck

The solo on "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon. David Lindley

The brief solo parts on "If You Don't Know Where You're Going" by George Harrison. George Harrison

There are more but that's a nice mix.
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Post by christiannokes » Sun Jul 24, 2011 10:15 pm

Fun questions to discuss because I know some people that really don't like solos- myself partially included.

The first solo I ever loved was the Stairway to Heaven solo. It was such a build up and then emotional release. I still love that solo 13 years later and turn it up when it is on the radio even though that song has been overplayed by the radio stations.

The other one I love, but lost the taste for was the Sultans of Swing solos. Excellent.

I'm not a big fan of solos in general I guess. Sometimes they come off sounding like the guitarist was eager to show off with the spotlight on him...like a bunch of the bands in the 70's and 80's I think. To me a lot of it was just wanking.

I like a few "modest" solo's that just halfway imitate the vocal melody in the verse and/or chorus, and soulful solos in general whether they be fancy or not.

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Post by christiannokes » Sun Jul 24, 2011 10:21 pm

Ooooh and every solo I have ever heard of CCR I loved

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