Maggot Brain.
Favorite Guitar Solo
What is your favorite guitar solo? The one that bypasses your cerebral cortex? The one that best hits your emotional center? Any genre. Any period. Any length. A million notes. Or just one note. Obscure or famous. You can make any excuse as to why you choose it, but explanations are optional. But you gotta choose just one.
My choice? Eric Clapton’s solo in "Sleepy Time Time" from the Fresh Cream album. Simplicity. Emotional ecstasy. Tone.
My choice? Eric Clapton’s solo in "Sleepy Time Time" from the Fresh Cream album. Simplicity. Emotional ecstasy. Tone.
154 responses Add your response
John Williams playing Concerto de Aranjuez. Amazingly beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQKrVbvUEhY&ab_channel=RafaelAnguitaPalominoRafaelAnguitaPalomin... Frank |
Lou Reed’s live Sweet Jane opening interlude with Dick Hunter and Steve Wagner. Some of the most epic, melodic, tasteful solos ever recorded. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqpWTC-rvhQ |
I think Jeff Beck has the best chops of any living guitarist. However it's the way he treats melodic songs such 'A Day in the Life' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHHY3eRUMsM) or 'Nessun Dorma' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUdtpjv0ZI) that set him apart from other guitarists. |
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I'm surprised no one mentioned
Paul Kossoff. He was the lead guitarist in the band Free that played the infamous solo in 'All Right Now'. True, it's not a tricky solo, but it's probably one of the 10 best remembered guitar solos due to the countless airplay the song has received through the decades. |
Yeah...too many to say just one is best. Lots of great examples here. Jeff Beck is a personal hero. No one does what he does with a guitar...and for so long. I heard one the other day with an old interview of Bob Seeger and how he wrote "Main Street". The melodic guitar line intro and solo are songs within the song. Simply masterful, and moving. |
I challenge anyone to watch and listen to (On YouTube) to Roy Buchannon's Live from Austin cover of Hendrix' "Hey Joe", and then claim anything else! I used to think that Stevie Ray Vaughn'sx cover of Hendrix' "Little Wing" was at least my favorite cover interpretation, but Roy! I never cease to be amazed by beyond belief at the sounds he learned to make, and of his chops, which others have to use special effects, and multiple pedals on the floor, to poorly simulate. BTW, Roy and Steve Vai (Ex Zappa and Ex David Lee Roth lead guitarist, old rocker in the movie) wrote and performed the guitar parts in the "Karate Kid" remake using guitars intstead of Karate, for the movie "Crossroads". |
My favorite guitar solo of all time is Maleguena performed by Roy Clark on The Odd Couple https://youtu.be/-xssnp7R51A?t=22 |
cycles2141 posts05-21-2021 5:48amI think Jeff Beck has the best chops of any living guitarist. However it’s the way he treats melodic songs such ’A Day in the Life’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHHY3eRUMsM) or ’Nessun Dorma’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUdtpjv0ZI) that set him apart from other guitarists. This is why there are SOOOOO many simply phenomenal performances from so many legendary guitarists to pick just one...That said, this Ronnie Scott’s performance is one for the ages. Vinnie and Tal lay down the perfect foundation for Jeff and Jason to do their thing. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were in the audience. Quite a night, I have this on DVD. |
As a guitarist myself I find it difficult to name just one 'guitar solo' anymore, but there are a few performances on solo guitar that I would consider almost transcendental, such as this one:https://youtu.be/OwmljH41B1Q |
Roy Clark does make my hair stand up. This one makes my eyes gently weep. That he is no longer with us.... https://youtu.be/6SFNW5F8K9Y?t=200 |
millercarbon ... This one's for you ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwjQg31Ds-c&ab_channel=VintageMusicFm |
This one is a new discovery for me ... Hope you guys enjoy it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e26zZ83Oh6Y&t=286s&ab_channel=OmniFoundationOmniFoundation |
Joe Satriani's contribution to Merry Xmas. I think the track is Oh Holy Night. Stunning jazz/rock fusion on a Christmas classic. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXj22WAiDPM |
It would be hard for me to come up with just one. So many of my favorite guitarists, Like Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Alex Machacek, Jan Zehrfeld etc. hardly ever play the same solo twice. They are improvisors, based on a deep knowledge of musical language. They do not play set solos in the same song. I could name dozens of Gong, Bruford, UK, and Holdsworth tracks that are drop dead incredible. There are a few others that stick out, though that are played more less the same each time. Steve Hackett -The Lamia Steve Howe - Awaken Franco Mussida - L'isola di niente |
@oldaudiophile -- Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and Doc Watson are among my greatest acoustic guitar influences, along with my two top influences John Fahey and Paul Simon. Whenever I pick up one of my acoustics, my fingers instinctively do tunes by them. I've seen all of them at various venues. I actually saw Pentangle at the Troubadour. It might have been my last date with my high school girlfriend who, among other things, taught me how to finger pick, Merle Travis style. |
I love many of the guitarists listed here, and it’s like a Sophie’s Choice situation to pick a favorite guitar solo. That said, if I was threatened with execution for not picking the best solos of all time, it would be a coin toss between: Kid Charlemagne by Larry Carlton or Comfortably Numb by David Gilmour. These would be my objective save-my-skin guesses. Then, as they haul out the gallows and I realize I’ve muffed it, I’d say, Oh crap, it was: Sultans of Swing by Mark Knopfler Statesboro Blues by Duane Allman Bohemian Rhapsody by Brian May Chain Lightening by Denny Dias My Old School by Skunk Baxter Crossroads live by Eric Clapton Then they’d kick away the chair. "It was Stairway to Heaven, you fool." |
This is not a guitar but a very similar string instrument. The lady is simply INCREDIBLE, world class. Meet Yeliz Pasa, Turkish "saz" player: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1o966gfmSU
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Great picks! Here's one, for all you fusion fans. With Steve Smith on drums. Corrado Rustici - Vimana First killer solo starts at about the 3:00 minute mark. Then, at about 8:00 minutes in, he plays some really tasty stuff.
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