My vote goes to Nirvana on their Nevermind album .... can't remember the song ... either "Come As You Are" or "Breed."
No one's mentioned Chris Whitley, or Rainer Ptacek?? I cannot pick their best solos; they are too good. Whitley's playing on "Phonecall From Leavenworth" blows me away though. And his whole "Dirt Floor" album is great.
Nice to see mention of Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule, et al). (Off topic, but I love Matt Abts drumming.) The emotion in "Stormy Monday" (Duanne Allman and Dicky Betts) on the Allman Bros "Live at Fillmore" makes me want to cry.
I have to cast a vote for John McLaughlin's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" too.
There was also something magical that a guitarist (McLaughlin?) did with Miles Davis in the early '70s that sounds like shattering glass... Can't remember the track right now.
I liked what Steve Howe has done with the early Yes, but I find a lot of his solo stuff has the same-same bouncy-folksy feel. Maybe I haven't listened to enough...
Frank Zappa's "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar" album has some stunning moments.
(It has to be mentioned) Eric Clapton on Cream's "Crossroad."
And for the Aussies and Kiwis, check out Jeff Lang, especially his early live stuff!
Visually, the best guitar solo I have seen was Neil Young playing with Pearl Jam. He played that axe like he was wrestling a live snake around the stage!
Nice to see mention of Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule, et al). (Off topic, but I love Matt Abts drumming.) The emotion in "Stormy Monday" (Duanne Allman and Dicky Betts) on the Allman Bros "Live at Fillmore" makes me want to cry.
I have to cast a vote for John McLaughlin's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" too.
There was also something magical that a guitarist (McLaughlin?) did with Miles Davis in the early '70s that sounds like shattering glass... Can't remember the track right now.
I liked what Steve Howe has done with the early Yes, but I find a lot of his solo stuff has the same-same bouncy-folksy feel. Maybe I haven't listened to enough...
Frank Zappa's "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar" album has some stunning moments.
(It has to be mentioned) Eric Clapton on Cream's "Crossroad."
And for the Aussies and Kiwis, check out Jeff Lang, especially his early live stuff!
Visually, the best guitar solo I have seen was Neil Young playing with Pearl Jam. He played that axe like he was wrestling a live snake around the stage!
some great guitar solos
Simple yet utterly brilliant:
U2 - the Edge's solo at the end of The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Prince - Purple Rain
just for fun....
Paul Gilbert - most of "2 become 1" (yes - the Spice Girls track!)
Simple yet utterly brilliant:
U2 - the Edge's solo at the end of The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Prince - Purple Rain
just for fun....
Paul Gilbert - most of "2 become 1" (yes - the Spice Girls track!)
If best guitar solo can mean expressive guitar solo, then listen to the anguish in Derek Trucks solo, beginning 2 - 1/2 minutes into "Worried Down with the Blues" on the Allman Bros "One Way Out - Live at the Beacon Theatre". He's more raw in his emotion here than Warren Haynes (whose song it is) immediately following, who is somehow more poetic (let's say) in his interpretation.
After a decade or 3, the Allman Bros Band have rediscovered their tough southern boogie. The Trucks/Haynes partnership has injected their oldies with some strong stuff. Sorry to say, with the departure of Dickie Betts, the band has only improved...
😎
After a decade or 3, the Allman Bros Band have rediscovered their tough southern boogie. The Trucks/Haynes partnership has injected their oldies with some strong stuff. Sorry to say, with the departure of Dickie Betts, the band has only improved...
😎
Gilmour, knopfler, Steve Howe - all GREAT!
I would just like to add:
The Cure: A Forest (does it get any simpler?)
Pete Haycock: Lucienne (pure emotion)
Flowered up: Weekender (especially the intro)
Mark
I would just like to add:
The Cure: A Forest (does it get any simpler?)
Pete Haycock: Lucienne (pure emotion)
Flowered up: Weekender (especially the intro)
Mark
Slash plays the best guitar solos in terms of emotion. no one else plays like him so when you here his music, you know it's Slash.
In terms of music theory, Steve vai probably plays the best solos now. Many people like Eugene's Trick Bag
btw, Slash is my favorite guitarist...
In terms of music theory, Steve vai probably plays the best solos now. Many people like Eugene's Trick Bag
btw, Slash is my favorite guitarist...
jsteigs said:
Hmmm... that's a bold statement 😉 Can't argue with an opinion! I know that the guitar work in "Stormy Monday" on the Allman's "Live at Fillmore" can bring me close to tears, as I have said before.
I haven't listened much to Slash -- I never cared for the posing and posturing of hair bands (after Led Zep).
jsteigs said:
I was quite impressed many years ago with Steve Vai's playing in the movie "Crossroads" (as the devil's guitarist). Apart from that, I have only listened to his first album, and nothing of his since then, because I found it lacking in a certain something. By the way, did he play the kid's incredible Mozart stuff too? - or was that by Ry Cooder?
jsteigs said:
Aha! 😉
My favourite guitarist is any that is better than me! 😀
Hendrix is still quite amazing. Even though there are many copycats who have improved upon his style, he was a stunning soloist with a lot of emotion. Just listen to "Star Spangled Banner" for example. Listen to the bombs falling and the anguished screams of pain.
But I have to say that my favourite guitarist would have to be Chris Whitley (who is very interested in the emotion of music), followed closely by Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule, etc; now a member of The Dead!).
😎
Then again, I've heard some amazing classical guitarists that leave them for dead in technique, but they're in a completely different league...
falcott said:
Ditto here on Vai. He seemed technically proficient but there was a complete lack of soul, at least on his first album which is where I gave up on him.
I have to revise my entry after listening over again yesterday at You Can't Do That On Stage Vol.3 disk 1.
Track #1, Sharleena, Dweezil starts the solo which ends up being a father and son duo beautifully performed by Frank and Dweezil... An amazing track. (if your a zappa fan)
Track #1, Sharleena, Dweezil starts the solo which ends up being a father and son duo beautifully performed by Frank and Dweezil... An amazing track. (if your a zappa fan)
To many solo's to mention, but mainly from:
- Thin Lizzy (John Sykes)
- Ritchie Blackmore
- Iron Maiden
- Mark Knofler
- Metalica
and many more 😉
- Thin Lizzy (John Sykes)
- Ritchie Blackmore
- Iron Maiden
- Mark Knofler
- Metalica
and many more 😉
my favorite solo changes by the minute, but here's my current list:
- alvin lee / ten years after - i'd love to change the world
- frank zappa - fifty-fifty... the guitar solo makes absolutely no musical sense yet it's extremely structured, and it's technically outstanding...
- rush - the end of 2112's "presentation" part
I also have steely dan's "reelin' in the years" stuck in my head right now, and I love the guitar work in that song.
- alvin lee / ten years after - i'd love to change the world
- frank zappa - fifty-fifty... the guitar solo makes absolutely no musical sense yet it's extremely structured, and it's technically outstanding...
- rush - the end of 2112's "presentation" part
I also have steely dan's "reelin' in the years" stuck in my head right now, and I love the guitar work in that song.
hendrix - little wing (the 9 minute live at cafe au go go version)
gilmour - comfortably numb pulse, have a cigar, high hopes
funkadelic - maggot brain
pearl jam - yellow ledbetter (rare live version with distorted guitar)
eric clapton and george harrison - live version of while my guitar gently weeps
gov't mule - little wing
i'm a sucker for sad sounding solo's. looking at this list it looks like i'm also a sucker for live versions of songs too. all these are great songs and i really love hearing different covers of little wing. i have like 9 versions of that song. lame i know, but oh well
gilmour - comfortably numb pulse, have a cigar, high hopes
funkadelic - maggot brain
pearl jam - yellow ledbetter (rare live version with distorted guitar)
eric clapton and george harrison - live version of while my guitar gently weeps
gov't mule - little wing
i'm a sucker for sad sounding solo's. looking at this list it looks like i'm also a sucker for live versions of songs too. all these are great songs and i really love hearing different covers of little wing. i have like 9 versions of that song. lame i know, but oh well
Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) Heartbreaker, 2:10 sec through his solo goes off. However Eagles - Hotel California intro and Led Zepplin's - Stairway to heaven are undefeated.
Hendrix made too many mistakes, Santana's style is stolen (spanish flamenco) and he doesn't go off enough, Metallica in the S&M album go off. There's heaps more I'm sure!
Hendrix made too many mistakes, Santana's style is stolen (spanish flamenco) and he doesn't go off enough, Metallica in the S&M album go off. There's heaps more I'm sure!
I can't argue with most of the people listed in here (and won't - it's nice to see such a long post without anyone sniping at each other).
I just thought I'd put in my $0.02 for Keith Levine (Clash, Flowers of Romance, Public Image Ltd) for inspiring the many imitators of his style.
I just thought I'd put in my $0.02 for Keith Levine (Clash, Flowers of Romance, Public Image Ltd) for inspiring the many imitators of his style.
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