Your Favorite, Most Outstanding Guitar Solo


Of all the musical performances I own on recorded format, whether they be LP or CD, there are certain guitar solos that are the most engaging and memorable. You know, the ones that when they're over, you just sit there speechless, wondering "How the hell did they just do that"?

As with anything, there are certain performances when everything was "just right". When the musician had that "perfect connection" between themselves and the instrument. This is not limited to acoustic or electric, live or studio, or any specific discipline of music. It also does not necessarily have to be your favorite guitarist. Very simply, your favorite guitar solo.

I would like to hear your opinions. This would be a great thread for providing exposure to other listeners, to material that they may be unaware of. If possible, also name the album that the solo is from.

My two favorites would have to be:

Jeff Beck / "The Golden Road" off of "There And Back".

John Mc Laughlin / "Every Tear From Every Eye" off of "Electric Guitarist"

Thanks for your responses.

128x128buscis2
Prince stealing the show at a George Harrison tribute
great video . . . one of my favorite songs. I've always been impressed by Prince's playing, and it's interesting to see him playing a standard Tele rather than one of his custom guitars. thanks.
One of my favorite solos was pointed out to me by a friend who asked me to watch this video of Prince stealing the show at a George Harrison tribute. The whole video is worth a look, but Prince comes in about 3:40. Pretty good stuff.
I really like SRV's solo on China Girl with David Bowie.
Also, Jimi's playing of just about anything, but in particular 'the star spangled banner' and 'Hey Joe' or 'All along the watchtower'
Underrated guitarist who hasn't been mentioned yet: Prince. Check out the guitar work on "Let's Go Crazy" from Purple Rain and "I Can Never Take the Place of Your Man" from Sign 'O The Times. My alltime favorite Prince solo is "Bambi" (plus the lyrics are great)...here's a link to a live performance:

http://www.imeem.com/people/K3XBDeo/video/YZ1jsSh0/prince-bambi-tokyo-music-video/

Also Vernon Reid (leader of Living Colour) absolutely rocks. Love the solo on "Cult of Personality".
1. Jimi Hendrix-woodstock 2. AC/DC(Angus Young) back in black-shame! they had to fade it in the end 3. Fleetwood Mac-Lindsay Buckingham-Tango in the night(this guy is underated)
I saw Fleetwood Mac a few weeks back and thought I'd resurrect this thread to add "I'm So Afraid" by Lindsey Buckingham. Unfortunately, they didn't play "Come" this time around, but the solo on that one is an absolute monster, too.

Marty
Several come to mind:

Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction) - "Had a Dad"
Bob Mould - "Wishing Well"
Bill Nelson - "October Man"
Oregon,

Thanks for the mention of Bertha.
Earlier in this thread i noted that Hidalgo probably belonged, but I couldn't think of a solo on record that captured his riveting live performance. Bertha is a great answer.

Marty
David Hidalgo- Bertha
Herb Ellis and Joe pass- Seven Come Elleven
Hendrix- Vodoo Child (slight return)
2 that instantly spring to mind, although a little more thought could yield quite a few more.
BURN-Ritchie Blackmore,Deep Purple,
COMFORTABLY NUMB- Dave Gilmore, Fink Ployd.
Noone has mentioned Andy Latimer from Camel, so I'll suggest "Ice" from the album "I Can See Your House from Here". It's a 10 minute soaring, emotional, and beautiful guitar piece. He's done many, many more through the years.
David Gilmore on Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts I-V. Probably not the most technically dazzling, but the most expressive I have ever heard. As a whole, this tune represents what I believe to be one of the finest pieces of rock music EVER recorded.
All the tracks on Buddy Guys' Sweet Tea execpt the first, 'Done Got Old'. A preformance that could not be topped, or even duplicated. Everybody at that show knew that something special was going on.
Randy Rhodes - Over the mountain and Mr. Crowley.
Pat Metheney -Tell it All
Jim Hall-you,d be so nice to come home too
I've always loved the Jimmy Lyon solo on Eddie Money's "Two Tickets to Paradise".
Where to start?

Some alternative cuts from the already cited Robert Fripp (try St Elmo's Fire from Eno's Another Green World) and Richard Thompson Calvary Cross (choose your version).

Not yet mentioned:

Todd Rundgren (Can't Stop Runnin' and While My Guitar Gently Weeps) from his new Greatest Hits LIve CD... finally a taste of TR's playing on disc.

Dave Davies "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" - like Steve Cropper on "Green Onions" this one is creative and economical especially in historical context.

Richard Lloyd's double LP (can't recall the Title) is full of great soloing throughout - I'd take it over anything from Television or Tom Verlaine.

David Hidalgo has an interesting, distinctive solo voice - though I'm not sure any Lobos recording captures it particularly well.

BTW:

I was always under the impression that the lead guitar on "Baby's On Fire" was Phil Manzanera not Robert Fripp. Am I mistaken?

Also Bill Kirchen (Commander Cody's guitarist on "Hot Rod Lincoln") does an hilarious solo in his live show in which he sequentially plays a brief, distinctive phrase in the style of many, many famous guitarists while calling out their names (he was up over thirty last time I saw him - maybe 10 years ago).
I have two that stick out, and I bet nobody else picks them. This is a good thing because now you can go out and listen!

Jimmy Hendrix "Bold as Love"
Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page during "In the Light"

and for sheer crazy guitar playing by somebody who owned the 90's Dave Navarro of Janes Addiction fame playing a solo on the track "Stop". Insane.
Yessongs end of Starship Trooper...or the same ending with Bill Bruford on the ABWH live LP. Howe in Yessongs "Yours Is No Disgrace" is one of the best playing ever by anyone.

Only guitar player to let loose and kill, but still stay within the rythm and framework of the song...no tangents!
steve via on zappas "ship arriving too late to save a drowning witch" album,the entire album is smoking guitar from both fz & via.

the best solo's are on the song "i come from nowhere" & on the title track,there is also a pretty cool harpcicord solo on i come from nowhere.
BRIAN GODDING!!! ... never thought would anyone bring him into a thread around here. His solo disc is great, maybe not the best recording. The stuff he does on Solid Gold Cadillac/Brain Damage is landmark. I ditched a copy of Septober energy about 25 years ago... probably wasn't ready for it. Gotta check it out again.
Jimi Hendrix, We Gotta Live Together (Live at the Fillmore East) between 8.10 min and the end.

Brian Godding in Septober Energy by Centipede
1. Carlos Santana/Moonflower - Transcendence
2. Outlaws/Green grass & high tides
3. Allman Bros/Fillmore East - Whipping Post
4. Derek & the Dominoes/In Concert - Why does love got to be so sad

...the list goes on and on, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Neil Young, so many others but those 4 above are great
Django- Nuage
Hendrix- Little Wing
Clapton (Derek and The Dominoes)- Nobody Knows You When Your down and Out
Django- Swing guitars
Alvin Lee (Ten Years After at Woodstock)- I'm Going Home
Garcia - 1965-1995, but my favorite is from an audience recording of the Jerry Garcia Band, 6/16/82, "Catfish John."

Your ears will melt right off your head..

I'll make B&P copies of this show for the first 3 people who e-mail me.
Al DiMeola, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin in Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho from Friday Night In San Francisco.
I don't know about superlatives, but this is one amazing 11.5 minute pure guitar piece.
1a. Jimmy Page "Stairway to Heaven"
1b. Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo Chile Slight Return"
1c. Eric Clapton "Crossroads" live
Here are the ones that jumped into my head:

Jeff Beck - The Final Peace (off of There and Back) (as a huge Beck fan, I think anything by JB is outstanding)

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Little Wing (The Sky is Crying)

Arthur Adams - Sagg Shootin' His Arrow (Root Down, by Jimmy Smith)

Mark Knopfler - Sultans of Swing (Dire Straits)

David Gilmour - Comfortably Numb (The Wall)
Too many great solos out there to have one favorite IMO. To add one of my favorites- Ten Years After, Alvin Lee: I'd Love To Change the World.
Listened to Terry Kath's performance on 25 or 6 to 4 (Chicago 2) last night on DVD-A. Forgot how good he was.
Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing from the "Hendrix in the West" British Polydor pressing. Cleanest recording of Hendrix ever. Also the most lyrical, powerful, precise, AND concise electric guitar solo ever recorded. SVR and Clapton payed homage Jimi's Little Wing for a reason. Jimi's solo was the greatest!
I don't really like guitar solos, but I love a great guitar line woven into the fabric of a great song. Listen to the guitar line on "I've Had Enough" from Quadrophenia just before Pete sings "my jacket's gonna be cut slim and checked..." or the absolutely brilliant work of Dave Davies on the Kinks album "Sleepwalker", particularly on the title track, "Juke Box Music", and "Life Goes On". That's fantastic stuff.

Cheers.
Sorry I read it as solos

David Gilmour's solo on "Dogs" from Animals.

Peter Frampton's solo on "Apron Strings" from John Entwistle's Whistle Rhymes.

Kirk Hammett's solos on "The Four Horsemen" from
Metallica's Kill 'em All.

Jimi on "VC-Slight Return" from Electric Ladyland.

Clapton on "Crossroads" from Wheels of Fire
Actually, I would put Duane Allman's collective solos up against probably anyone else. He may not have been the fastest, the loudest, or the flashiest but he always played it right. That's something that many, maybe even most guitarist, just don't get.