Guitar Solos


As a serious music listener and a musician,(although I am a drummer) nothing makes me shiver like a good guitar solo. It's seems to be a dying art,at least in popular music. Still lots of good guitar in blues and jazz. Some of my favs : Dear John by Jack Semple ,La Grange By Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Aqualung By Martin Barre with Jethro Tull and Bluest Blues by Alvin Lee. I'd love to check out some other peoples favs, a couple old and maybe a couple new??
billbeat
Buddy Guy's Stone Crazy has gems throughout! For jazz, I LOVE Wes on Smokin' at the Halfnote, especially on Pfrancing and Four on Six! For rock, Jimmy Page's work on disc 2 of How the West was Won is astounding. Made me revisit the Zep catalog!
Willy Porter. . .his new one. . .can't think of the name right now, but the cover has a picture of high-voltage transmission towers.
You simply *must* check out Mr. Steve Kimock, his jams and soloes are exquisitely beautiful. Go to db.etree.org and click on the Steve Kimock Band link - you'll find several hundred live shows available for download. The ones recorded by Charlie Miller & Ariel Phares are usually quite good sounding.

BTW, his drummer, Rodney Homes, is the best skin banger I've seen since Billy Cobham...

-RW-
KVHW (kimock, vega, hertz, & white) is also awesome (pre steve kimock band). also can be found on db.etree.org.
..Great contemporary solo guitarists who frequently defy category.

1. Bill Frisell
2. Michael Brook
3. Nguyen Le

Also HAPA (Barry Flannigan and Keli'i Kaneali'i), who released a 1997 disc called "In The Name Of Love" on Coconut Grove label. Just spectacular playing throughout a beautifully recorded session.

There's a soundtrack to a movie called "Deep Blues" where Big Jack Johnson demonstrates the postmodern, soul-scorching, sonic-shredder sound that Beefheart died searching for. It is a pinnacle of north Mississippi rural style. Did-up in Clarksdale.
Please do yourself a favor and check out a guy named Joe Bonamassa. I went to a BB King concert last year where Joe was the opening act. I thought "Joe who?" After he came on stage, he stole the show. Absolutely great guitar riffs. In 60 minutes he played 12 different guitars and rolled from blues to rock. His stuff is available at Amazon. He also sings in his music, but the guitar is best that I've heard. I'm curious if anyone else here know Joe's work?
Funny enough I recently discovered Joe Bonamassa on amazon! by reading "people who bought this,also bought..."section. I agree he is a wicked guitar play!
Try to pick upa copy of "ITCH" by Kim Mitchell (Canadian Rock Guitarist)...phoenomenal guitar licks on this Rock/Blues album...and the acoustics of the recording are fabulous!

This cd is sometimes avalable on ebay if your local music store cannot import this for you (assuming you are in the US)
Stone Crazy-Buddy Guy, Since I've Been Loving You BBC Rec.-Jimmy Page, Alvin Lee-Woodstock Album, Eric Clapton on Roger Waters Pros & Cons Of Hitchicking-Sexual Revolution, Chris Duarte-Shilo, SRV- ALL, Roy Buchanan, Robben Ford, Bill Perry, Micheal Bloomfield, KWS, Larry Coryell, Link Wray, Freddie King, Albert King, Hendrix, Ronnie Earl, Walter Trout, Luther Allison, Albert Collins, Peter Green, Duane Allman, Mato Nanji- Indigenous, John Mclaughlin, Phil Keaggy, Robert Johnson, Otis Rush, Jonny Lang, Brian Lee, Debbie Davies, Susan Tedeschi!
Frank Zappa, both solos in King Kong, from "You Can't Do that on Stage Anymore", Volume 3. Also, his solo in"The Torture never Stops", from the CD release of "Live in New York". And dozens more.
"We will rock you", by Queen's Brian May. It may not be flashy but it fits perfectly with the song.

Another fav. is from News from Communique by Dire Straits, one of the shortest M Knopfler solos, but again slots perfectly into the song.
"Green Earing" by Steely Dan on "The Ryal Scam" album. I think Jeff "Skunk" Baxter played that one.

Barry
Check out "Think I'll go back Home" from Stephen Stills self titled with Eric Clapton playing lead - great solo.
There is one track one the first (actually second, but his first real) record of Joe Satriani. I can't remember the name of the song, but its the fourth (or third? Damn you, alcohol!) track of the album. It already is a great solo, but the way he continues it when you think he's done is pure genius! Hang on, as soon as I'm home I'll provide you guys with the name, and the neighbours with some annoying noise!

I like most of Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen and Angus Young of AC/DC. It get me the chills when I heard it.
Although not primarily known for his playing Bruce Springsteen's guitar break in 'Jungleland' always gets me up and bouncing around.
Steve via on David Lee Roth's Goin Crazy...one of the best put together (as opposed to jam) pop solos i've ever heard.
Speaking of Steve Vai, his solo on "Ease" by PIL (Public Image LTD.) 'generic white covered' lp titled ALBUM/CASSETTE/CD depending on the format with the legendary Ginger Baker.
Also my friend/bandmate Pam, played with Steve during their high school days.
Since we're on a Steve Vai streak here, how about 'whispering a prayer' from Live in the Ultrazone. Hey Rich, if you check out the Steve Vai website he has a diary about his high school band days, and asks for information about gigs he has no record for. Maybe your friend could help.
i saw Via with zappa when he was about 18. not quite HS but close enough. what a killer player. Nuno Bettencourt from extreem is another producer of tastey killer rock solos. Blues and Jazz is just so loaded with solos i couldn't make a pick on the best ones
Jimi Hendrix "Castles Made of Sand"and Mahogany Rush "Its Begun to Rain" two of my favorites
Dick Wagner was the subject of the previous post, and his solos with Lou Reed on the Rock and Roll Animal and Live recordings.
All the Tom Verlaine/Richard Lloyd solos from Television's Marquee Moon. Nothing very sophisticated but seem to fit the songs perfectly.
Robert Fripp from Brian Eno's album Here Come the Warm Jets. The track is Baby's on Fire. Wicked guitar.
"Valley of the Kings" by Steve Hackett on the following cds:
'Watcher Of The Skies, Genesis Revisited' & 'Genesis Files'
and on the dvd 'Once Above A Time, Live In Europe'.
Amongst many others, Brian Jones (or maybe it was Keith Richards) on The Stones' version of "It's All Over Now," off their I think second LP. Short and crazy, all-over-the-map solo, with excellent internal logic. Makes me smile every time.
One of the first that I paid real attention to was Carlos Santana's in "Waiting," the first track on the debut album. I was hooked -- and then blown away a year or so later when I saw his solo on "Soul Sacrifice" during the "Woodstock" movie.

Over the years, many others have caught my ear: Duane Allman on "Statesboro Blues" (does that count as a solo; who knows, but it's awesome); Steve Howe in "The Gates of Delirium" from Yes' "Relayer;" George Harrison (or was it Clapton?) on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" -- and of course, the acoustic WMGGW from the Beatles' Anthology album is almost ghostly; Al Dimeola; the first chords of "Baba O'Reilly" and on and on and on...
Hey Dawgfish: Ditto on the Steve Howe solo on Yes "Relayer", but on the piece "Sound Chaser".. loved this as a teenager and it still ranks in my mind now, 25 yrs. later.
Mike Bloomfield's guitar breaks on Dylan's Tombstone Blues. Each one longer than the previous. His solo on Paul Butterfield's East/West is something to hear as well.
one solo ive always loved is Arrowsmith "Walk This Way"its short to the point ,not a bad note,leaves you wanting more,,,,,
Duane Allman on "You don't love me/Soul Serenade" from the Allman Brothers "Crossroads" compilation. An amazing fifteen or so minutes of guitar. Several other previously unreleased nuggets on this box set as well.
Eddie Hazel on "Maggot Brain" (on Funkadelic's Maggot Brain and Live Albums NOT the version on One Nation...)
Good (and sad) enough to make you cry!
The studio version, the legend has it, was one long impro that George Clinton coaxed out of Eddie by asking him to imaging his mother died and just play what comes naturally. Ten minutes later one of the best rock guitar solos was in the can! They just don't make'em like that anymore!
Paul Rodgers - Muddy Waters Blues

There's some exceptional performances by some serious shredmasters on this album. Check out Jeff Beck's work on 'Rollin' Stone', his sound totally sets the mood for the entire song. Also, David Gilmour on 'Standing Around Crying' - I never would have known it was him. Great stuff.
"Why does love have to be so sad", off Clapton's '73 Dominoes live album at the Fillmore, Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" off Zuma, Jimi's "Little Wing" and believe it or not I always liked Craig Chaquiso's solo on Jefferson Starship "Ride the Tiger"
Ritchie Blackmore did some pretty amazing things with his strat. Truly, one of the very best that rock has had to offer.