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Favorite solos?


Tedster

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Saw Albert Lee several months ago at a Music Man demo/workshop in a Winnipeg music store...sell out crowd of only 150 people! He played "Country Boy" to a backing track and explained how he sets and plays along with his delay to get that amazing cascade of notes. Seeing him play up close in that small setting you really appreciate just how good he is and how hard he works at it. His timing to the backing tracks was flawless! Also, a really nice guy during the Q&A afterwards!

 

Favorite solo: Johnny Winter....pick one!

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I remember the first time I heard the solo to Emmylou Harris' "Luxury Liner"...Albert Lee. WOW.

 

Johnny Winter...probably my biggest influence when I was a kid. Between him and the Allman Bros I got turned on to the blues...which opened my world to the Grand Masters of the blues, the Kings, Collins, Waters, Hooker, etc. But, still, when I want to give someone my own definition of rock and roll, it's "Rock Me Baby", the first cut off "Still Alive and Well".

"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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Many of my favorites have been mentioned, so I won't repeat those unless I missed them as I read.

 

Eric Clapton -- "Crosroads" from Cream's Wheel of Fire, "Have You Ever Loved a Woman?" from Derek and the Dominoes' Layla, and "Rocking Daddy" from The London Howling Wolf Sessions.

 

Jeff Beck -- "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" from Wired, "Space For the Papa" from Who Else?

 

Jimi Hendrix -- "Still Raining, Still Dreaming" from Electric Ladyland

 

Jay Graydon's solo on Steely Dan's "Peg" from Aja

 

John McLaughlin on "Birds of Fire" from the Mahavishnu Orchestra's album of the same name...

 

Pat Martino, "Special Door" from his Live! album, reissued recently along with Consciousness under the Title Head and Heart by 32 Jazz.

 

That's enough for now...

 

By the way, the folks who mentioned that Jaco played on a Mott the Hoople album, I think that was actually on Ian Hunter's solo album All American Alien Boy

 

This message has been edited by AlChuck on 07-16-2001 at 04:05 PM

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Originally posted by Tedster:

Well, "Eruption", "Freebird", and "Stairway"...yup, you're right, too obvious. Eruption was such a head turner in it's day.

 

For a lot of us, we're absolutely sick of certain songs that get over-requested every f***ing time we play...and "Freebird" is one.

 

 

Boy that brings back memories ... I was in a band that had "Freebird" requested so often that we learned the opening 4 measures. If someone rewuested it, we'd breakinto it, then just stop. Boy that pissed people off! it was great.

 

 

My favorite guitar solo of all time. Hmmmmmm that's a tough one. Of course about %70 percent are Gilmore and the other thirty are split between Hendrix, Santana, Stevie Ray, Clapton and Randy Rhodes. Gilmore on "Dogs" followed closely by Gilmore on "Shine on" Both of those solos take my breath away.

I really don't know what to put here.
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Alrightythen....

 

Everyone has already mentioned all of my favorites. (Beck, Easton, Kath, and more)

 

Here's one that pissed me off big time when I first heard it, mainly because it made no sense to me.

Jeez, I was so young and naive. Now I LOVE it because it makes no sense.

 

So, without further ado...

 

Driven To Tears- Andy Sommers

 

Without a doubt, one of the greatest, strangest things I've ever heard.

The only thing that comes close is the solo in On The Cover Of The Rolling Stone.

Don't ask me who the player was...I'm trying to talk my band into doing it!

 

Steve

(long live Dr Hook...)

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I don't have favorites but those have had a big impact on me and have not yet been mentionned:

 

EVH on "Beat it" well it's about the only piece of shredding that made it everywhere

 

Eric Johnson "Cliff of dover" now THAT is clever pentatonic playing, not quite your average twidly-do 70's rock lick

 

Allan Holdsworth "Secrets" well the simple fact that a human being can improvise such beautiful yet unplayable stuff like that over ridicoulusly complicated and boring music like that deserves mention

 

Yngwie on "Far beyond the sun" & "Blackstar" there is fast and then there is fast with balls and tone, it still floors me, it's just so fuckin intense

 

Sting's version of "Little Wing" who plays that great solo? such judicious choice of notes on what is surely one of the most massacred song by a lot of wankers in clubs

 

Prince's "Purple Rain"

 

"Hotel California" I know, I know but it's still a great solo

 

Janis Joplin's "Summertime" the second part just cries with that crazy fuzz

 

Megadeth's "Poison was the cure" well if you like the genre it's a nice little ditty of a solo

 

The whole first "Pat Metheny Group" album, landscapish and melodically out of this world (and the whole band is just so THERE)

 

Django Reinheart, we owe him a lot

 

Mike Stern live, no overdubs there! if most fusion players could have a tenth of his intensity and phrasing, maybe more people might show up a their gigs

 

Adam Rogers with Lost Tribe live same as Stern with on top of that a technical mastery of the instruments in so many aspect it's troubling

 

Satch "Always with you, always with me" corny as shit but then again so beautiful and melodic

 

Living Color "Cult of personnality" just so intensively raw

 

Emile

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Yeah, Andy Summers on "Driven To Tears" is brilliant, so concise, off the wall and yet perfect in context... a real gem.

 

The guy on Sting's version of "Little Wing" is Hiram Bullock.

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Well here`s one that no one`s grabbed yet-

Robin Trower-A Stitch in Time/Too Rollin Stoned-white-hot blues

Did somebody say Funkadelic?-Oh yeah! Super Stupid from Maggot Brain

Who`s That Lady?-just heard it again recently, Ernie Isley damn near

gave me a flashback

Vinnie Moore-Free technical tune, but with clarity and unforced

emotion-not a superfluous not to be found.

 

I love a lot of Allan Holdsworth`s stuff, but I always have to check whether he`s actually playing guitar or that Synthaxe thing.

Anyone familiar with Scott Henderson? able to leap tall intervals in a single bound, and Strat tone at its most lyrical

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Oops, here's one I left off my list:

 

"Highway Star" Ritchie Blackmore - proto-shred!

 

It's funny, at my last gig, the drummer and I were talking about how great Andy Summers' solos were, how they seem so dissonant at times and took the songs in a completely different direction. "Driven to Tears" was the example used! There's a short list of bands that I really miss and wish would come out with new material: The Police, Living Colour, Soundgarden...

 

 

 

------------------

KJ

-------------------

bari man low

KJ

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"50 million Elvis Presley fans can't be all wrong" - John Prine

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How about Paul, George, and John on The End?

 

Paul's solos on Taxman and Good Morning, Good Morning are killer.

 

I must second Jeff Beck on both Cause We've Ended as Lovers and Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.

 

David Gilmour on many things, including Dogs.

 

Frank Zappa on Watermelons in Easter Hay.

 

Steve Howe on Yours Is No Disgrace.

 

Steve Hackett on Firth of Fifth.

 

Robert Fripp on Court of the Crimson King, Starless, and Bowie's Fashion.

 

Jimi Hendrix on many things, including All Along the Watchtower.

 

Mick Ronson on Bowie's Moonage Daydream.

 

Etc...

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Originally posted by AlChuck:

 

The guy on Sting's version of "Little Wing" is Hiram Bullock.

 

 

Thanks man, I never owned the record but just recalled being blown when I heard it.

 

Emile

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Jeff Beck has been mentioned a lot, "Cause We've Ended..." was my first thought, but who's heard his solo on "Further Up The Road" w/Eric Clapton in the concert/movie "The Secret Policeman's Other Ball"? I love EC, but Beck spanked him like he was his daddy...

 

Buddy Guy from "I Think I Smell A Rat" on his "Stone Crazy" album.

 

Jim Hall on "Jim Hall Live", his solo on "The Way You Look Tonight".

 

I could go on and on. Everybody else, of course, is also correct...

 

 

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KJ...Highway Star!!!

 

Now...be honest...if you're driving along listening to the radio, doing, say 70 down the freeway...and that song comes on, you KNOW that by the time the song is over you'll be doing at least 95.

 

And Steve {Rickenbokker)....

 

HIGH FIVE for naming *THE GREATEST* comedy solo of all time...the Dr. Hook thing...the way it starts off half serious and quickly degenerates into a bunch of senseless muck...and the singer going "Beautiful, man..." like the stoners we all used to play for...I laughed long and hard when I heard that. Never heard the Andy Summers one, though...

"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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Now that you mention it, Ted, I've changed my mind.

 

My favorite solo IS the Dr. Hook one, with Mr. Sommers in second.

 

I'm trying to figure out how to get one of the guitarists in my band to duplicate that thing.

Maybe I'll just get the drummer to play it! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

 

Steve

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Ah yes, Lisa waxes philosophical on Mr. Youngs leads. Big smile. I cut my solo teeth on cowgirls in the sand,don't let it bring you down, and ohio. As for the more obscure... Zappa. Uncle Remus' Stinkfoot (Bromodrosus) or the Black Page Disco Vamp-Page Two.

 

Some very cool memories on this thread....Blast Tedster, you gotta funny way of makin' that happen... hmmmmmmmmmmm

 

Rick

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The rock'n'roll solo that absolutely slashes, stings me and sends cold chills up and down my spine every time since I first heard it way back when is done by Jeff Beck on the Yardbirds's "Train Kept a'Rollin" Not all that technical but the tone, choice of notes and sheer obnoxious attitude of the whole piece always knocks me dead. Turn it way up some time and try to resist.(Try to hear the vinyl record though, not the CD).

"Cause We've Ended as Lovers" is mentioned a lot but in all fairness, Beck is covering dead-on the style of the late and little-known Roy Buchanan on this one (he dedicates the track to him on the album) Try and hear this guy if you like this stuff, there are a few albums out there somewhere.

 

Another of the greatest one note solos ever is by Pete Townshend on

"I Can See For Miles",a monster song, as well.

 

How About Dave Davies on The Kinks "All Day and All Night"-wild, screeching audacity.

 

And then there's Beck again on "Rock My Plimsoul" my alltime blues favorite

and of course on the Yardbird's "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago", still ahead of it's time today and another one that releases major endorphins.

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Did I mention Jeff Beck on Roger Water's "What God Wants Pt. II"?

 

The intro solo to "Death on Two Legs" by Queen/Brian May?

 

"Machine Gun" - any version, Jimi Hendrix?

 

"Blue Powder" - Steve Vai?

 

"Shine on You Crazy Diamond" - Dave Gilmour?

 

"Turning Inside Out" - Dave Gilmour?

 

"Turning Away" - Dave Gilmour?

 

"Marooned" - Dave Gilmour?

 

"Any solo off the Division Bell" - Dave Gilmour?

 

By the way, did I mention David Gilmour per chance?

 

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New and Improved Music Soon: http://www.mp3.com/chipmcdonald

Guitar Lessons in Augusta Georgia: www.chipmcdonald.com

Eccentric blog: https://chipmcdonaldblog.blogspot.com/

 

/ "big ass windbag" - Bruce Swedien

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I haven't read this whole thread yet but...

 

25 or 6 to 4...Chicago. This solo still kicks ass after 30 years.

 

Man, I'm glad someone said that...I love Terry Kath...especially that solo (the one they took out of the radio version).

 

Machine Gun, Band of Gypsies (Fillmore East)

Comfortably Numb, David Gilmore

Uncle Remus, Frank Zappa

Imaginary Voyage (the whole album), Daryl Sturmer (sp?)

 

and many, many more.

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Alchuck, you the man. Daryl Stuermers' three solo albums are fantastic. One guitarist that has got better and better over time.

 

Steve Rotherys' solo on the song "Easter" is a great lyrical solo from the album Seasons End. Who ? The guitar magazines and music media will never tell you about him. They're too busy preparing another Wes Borland piece just in time for the premier of the remake of Planet of the Apes.

 

Jamie Glaser on the song "Tender Memories" from Jean-Luc Ponty-Live at Chene Park (1992) An amazing solo, very Jeff Beck-influenced.

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>>>Man, I'm glad someone said that...I love Terry Kath...especially that solo (the one they took out of the radio version).

 

Yep, and he was a great, soulful singer, too. Chicago hasn't been the same since his death.

"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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Mick Jones - "Hot Blooded" & "Blue Morning, Blue Day"

Scott Henderson on Player's "Creeping Terror" I think that's the title.

Robben Ford - "Imperial Strut"

Eddie Van Halen - "Somebody Get Me A Doctor", "Out Of Love"

Micheal Schenker - "Lights Out", "Rock Bottom"

Pat Metheny - "James"

Tim Pierce on Rick Springfields' - "Love Somebody"

Whoever played on John Waite's - "Change"

Steve Stevens - anything from Vince Neil's 1st solo album (awesome stuff)

Ace Frehley - "Shock Me"

Neil Geraldo on Pat Benatar's - "You Better Run"

Warren DiMartini on Ratt's - "Lay It Down"

Stevie Ray Vaughn - "Telephone Song",

Terry Kath - "25 Or 6 To 4"

Duane Allman - "Statesboro Blues"

Randy Rhoads - "Flying High Again"

Zack Wylde - "No More Tears"

Ritchie Blackmore - "Highway Star"

Roger Fisher - "Baracuda"

Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, George Lynch, All the Steves - Lukather, Morse, Vai, Lynch, Stevens, etc...

Too many more to mention........

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I only saw Mark Knopfler/ Dire Straits mentioned once, so here it goes.

 

Dire Straits(Mark Knopfler) - Tunnel of Love (The solo at the end of the song)

 

I like both the studio and the live versions equally, but for different reasons. Alchemy-Live is definetly one of my desert-island albums.

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How bout Robin Trower's "Too Rolling Stoned"..he makes a Strat to sound like something I haven't heard since.Unbelievable..

Also, EVH on "Mean Street" kills every time.Almost anything by M. Schenker, but I'm biased..

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