Find me a better rock guitar solo - you can't!

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webbie

webbie

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Nov 17, 2005
12,165
Western Mass.
Just read a bio on Bruce - so I thought of this live performance again.
I love this solo for a couple reasons - it's not a song or melody which lends itself to a solo (not like blues, etc.), so the lead has to be thought out and practiced. Being live, it's doubly hard to get it right.


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Here's Tommy, one man plays it all on one guitar! Amazing!
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Holy crap, he's playing with a thumbpick. That's pretty rare. Only Johnny Winter comes to mind for rocking with a thumbpick.

Picking a favorite solo is like picking a favorite child (or so I've been told). One of my favorites is Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan with Larry Carlton.
 
Soundchasm said:
Holy crap, he's playing with a thumbpick. That's pretty rare. Only Johnny Winter comes to mind for rocking with a thumbpick.

Picking a favorite solo is like picking a favorite child (or so I've been told). One of my favorites is Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan with Larry Carlton.
Click to expand...

I actually had some decent ones down to Chain Lightning - but that has a bit less of the jazzy feeling.

I think one of the two (they went around twice) solos on that record was Rick Derringer, who I saw with Johnny Winter on Halloween Night 1970 at the electric factory in Philly. Quite a show. I think Rick was 16 or 17 at the time - I remember wishing it was me that Johnny took under his wing.
 
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Not bad,sounds a little pink floydish. Been jammin to brick in the wall 2 disc set lately,while working.
 
re: Tommy Emmanuel...once read an interview with Mr. Jeff Beck where he was asked if he knew of Tommy...his reply "ya, I know Tommy, that guys the 2 best guitar players I ever met".

my fav...for guitar guys, I know, its just a pretty straight pantatonic workout, but I think thats the beauty of it...
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webbie said:
I actually had some decent ones down to Chain Lightning - but that has a bit less of the jazzy feeling.

I think one of the two (they went around twice) solos on that record was Rick Derringer, who I saw with Johnny Winter on Halloween Night 1970 at the electric factory in Philly. Quite a show. I think Rick was 16 or 17 at the time - I remember wishing it was me that Johnny took under his wing.
Click to expand...

I better not get to discussing players today (way more fun than chores), but there's lots of local Derringer lore here in Dayton. Think he was from Union City (not far). Sadly, Randy Jo Hobbs had his OD here in Dayton. A buddy of mine nearly bought his bass from the family, but they decided not to sell at the last minute - probably the right decision. Derringer is a chameleon on that guitar with the number of styles he can play.

Accidentally saw Johnny a bunch in the 70's, and became a huge fan. I can't hardly think of a more proficient MACHINE than that guy at his peak. Two solos that amaze me are Still Alive And Well and Rock Me Baby. Ye Gods.

Deserted Island records for me are Still Alive And Well and Band Of Gypsies. I could stay busy for years.
 
Soundchasm said:
One of my favorites is Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan with Larry Carlton.
Click to expand...
Yeah, some of the Steely Dan stuff is great....Bodhisattva has some snappy guitar work.

If I'm stuck listening to one artist only, it's gonna be Zappa. Here's a little thirteen-minute song with a bit of guitar work. Couldn't find an HD version....drat. This is a mish-mash of live and studio stuff, so not a solo per se. I'll keep looking. :)
It is sweet, though. ::-) Like a lot of Zappa, requires repeated listening to comprehend (for me anyway.) You can tell he started out on drums....very percussive style.
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He always had a raft of great players in his band, with plenty of guitarist to play "impossible guitar parts," like Steve Vai.

Having a hard time getting this one out of the car rotation. Sweet HD! Best title ever. Drat, this is more studio work....I'll go back to work and try harder to find an actual solo. ;lol I just like to spread the gospel, be it dry wood or FZ. ==c
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It was never specified what determines a great solo....musicianship, musicality or composition? I know....all of it. :)
 
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Woody, I also love FZ. The more I look into him, the more I like him. Hot Rats or Weasel's Ripped My Flesh is about my earliest recollection. Apostrophe, One Size Fits All, and Roxy And Elsewhere were masterpieces in my book.

There's a live solo he does that still kills me. Is it Inca Roads???

The part about Zappa I finally understand is that he's completely consistent as a human from his appearance on the Jack Paar show until the very end. Very bright, very creative, and DIRECT. I wanted him to be funny and a proper guitar hero, but I think he was, and stayed, an avant garde composer. He was the world's most practical artist.

I still remember how much trouble I got in when my Mom overheard Live At The Fillmore. Whew!
 
There's some great stuff here, but I really like that flying off on his own, making it up as he goes almost conversational style of Gregg Ginn's mid-era Black Flag stuff. Putting jazz and rock into serious hardcore punk rock. Just sort of slops it out there with soul. Most songs just have little brilliant moments, rather than long self-serving solos- except when they do all instrumental tunes.

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Here's an underrated solo that always blew me away. I could never play as expertly badly as he did at 1:40.
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Another one from Hero-worthy Jeff Beck is telling of his depth. I thought he was nuts when he said he'd given up picks because he kept dropping them. At age 56, I'm beginning to realize what a great strategy that was...
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2:27 of absolute mastery. I always cue this up for young players and just watch their faces.
 
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charly said:
Here's another guy who can really play!
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Click to expand...


OMG this guy is KILLING me!! If only I had put every waking hour in working as hard as he did I might be that good!!
 
Soundchasm said:
OMG this guy is KILLING me!! If only I had put every waking hour in working as hard as he did I might be that good!!
Click to expand...

Off topic, great website, Sound!
 
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Nice Beck touches in this...I actually picked up the guitar one day and found the riffs pretty easy...but it's the dynamics.....

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Another one I found easy to copy - but not easy to make up in the first place......
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Some guys have no fear of following the first neurons that fire and getting something out of it. And then it becomes music canon.

As much as I want to slap Mayer for "Your Body Is A Wonderland", he's still going to play some awesome guitar stuff in it. No argument from me, that guy can play. The end.

For some offbeat stuff, Junior Brown is a synthesizer. Everything from anywhere can make it into his tunes, from Ernest Tubbs to Jimi Hendrix.
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Anyone remember these guys (1981) I havent heard this song for a good 20 -25 years. A one hit wonder band but one of my favorite songs of the time.
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webbie said:
Nice Beck touches in this...I actually picked up the guitar one day and found the riffs pretty easy...but it's the dynamics.....
Click to expand...

the lady playin bass for this set was like 19 at the time..not too shabby. Beck has done just about everything you can on a guit-box...few years back he did an electronic album..."Jeff" pretty cool
 
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I still say Berton Averre nailed the most underrated rock guitar solo in history. And Prescott Niles with a thumb pick on the bass ain't bad either.

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might have seen the video back in the eighties, but still a wicked guitar.

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Where else but hearth .com can you get advice about your wood stove and a good guitar solo all in the same place.:cool::p:rolleyes:
 
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