mdlestat Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 OK--- Simple concept (and fun I hope): Pick the ONE song that, to you, absolutely defines your favorite guitar playing---the single, shining moment when the stars aligned and design perfection met artistic mastery, resulting in the pinnacle of wholesome gee-tar goodness! All genres, all time periods--- post your personal "best-of's" for all to see (and debate, I'm sure) **edited to clarify It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. --Aristotle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beatnik Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 That`s really hard, but that could be " Little wing " cover by Stevie Ray Vaughan, that version kills me "Creo en la Reflexión, no en Dogmas" Beatnik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gifthorse Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 when i saw leo kottke play live at the ark in ann arbor 96'. http://flagshipmile.dmusic.com/ http://www.myspace.com/gifthorse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bejeeber Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 VERY very tough to narrow down, but: Rock - the Jimi Hendrix song "Axis Bold as Love" (from same titled album). Jazz - Wes Montgomery's solo on Day's of Wine and Roses from the Boss Guitar album. Blues - some unbelievably powerful playing on Hear My Train a Comin' from a Hendrix bootleg recorded on Maui's Kaleakala volcano 1969 (this LP was given to me by a guy was there during the recording, which unfortunately is very poor quality). Sorry, but picking one song to span all genres is too unreasonable IMO. Just a pinch between the geek and chum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Can't pick just one... Derek and the Dominoes - Layla.... Clapton and Allman going for it. SRV on Little Wing. Clapton's second solo on Crossroads. George Harrison's sublime solo on Something. Larry Carlton on Kid Charlemagne. Possibly the best solo of all time... but if I could say that with certainty, I wouldn't have had to break the rules and name a bunch of others... Sorry for breaking the rules... I could have listed more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Too many to list, and I agree with most of the others choices. But Lawrence Juber's "Strawberry Fields" is a terrific piece of playing. Bill "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 I started out thinking "just a few" but I kept remembering things. Thanx for reminding me, these are good memories; Little Wing by Hendrix. The opening was a revelation to me, and apparently to SRV too. MACHINE GUN by Hendrix. The most blistering live guitar performance ever recorded. My Generation by the Who, from Live at Leeds. The second most blistering live guitar performance ever recorded. Rock n Roll Medley(Great Balls of Fire, Long Tall Sally, Whole Lotta Shaking Going On) from Johnny Winter And Live. Derringer and Winter just ate me up. Bonie Maronie from Johnny Winter Captured Live. Simply ferocious. Couldn't Stand the Weather by SRV. The first note of the solo hit me like a knock out punch and Stevie just kept slugging all the way through it. Break Song by Vanilla Fudge. I was maybe 15 when I heard it, and it was like the shape of my brain changed or something when I realized they were playing the blues. The solo itself wasn't all that great, but the experience of recognizing what they were doing excited me beyond belief. Cause We've Ended As Lovers by Jeff Beck. The place in the solo where it climaxes, falls apart, and picks up again. AHHH yeah... Incident at Neshabur by Santana, from Abraxxas. That long, sustained note at the start of the finishing solo is so amazing, and I belive they are the first recording of a Boogie amp. Flying In A Blue Dream by Joe Satriani. Just gave me shivers, still does. Sunshine Of Your Love by Cream. The whole song. Ramblin' Rose by MC5. The whole song. Vulcan Worlds by Return To Forever. First time I ever heard DiMeola. Whoa... Morning Dew by Nazareth. A guitar with echo done right generally needs no excuse... Don't Worry Baby by Los Lobos. David Hidalgo's solo (the second one) was so cool... King Of The Road by Wes Montgomery and Jimmie Smith(The Further Adventures of Jimmie And Wes). Maybe the best guitar solo I ever heard. One non-guitar moment; Hang Onto a Dream by The Nice (Keith Emerson before ELP and synths) Acoustic piano, bass and drums. Beautiful, just beautiful. Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Santana. "Incident at Nesibur" on the Abraxas album. There's one sweet note he hits. That did it for me. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WornNeck Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Not necessarily my favorite kind of music, but Eddie Van Halen on "Eruption" has to make the list somewhere! "I've been imitated so well I've heard people copy my mistakes." - Jimi Hendrix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 The solo from "25 or 6 to 4"...the late, great Terry Kath... "It Ain't My Cross To Bear"...Allman Brothers For their sheer melodic power, exquisite simplicity: "Day After Day"...Badfinger...and in the same vein, "I Saw The Light"...Todd Rundgren Those are a few that come to mind that really turned my head when I heard them. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billster Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Pete Townshend - Pinball Wizard, or Baba O'Riley. Just the power of his soul pouring through the instrument - that's all. Buy my CD on CD Baby! Bill Hartzell - the website MySpace?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Originally posted by Herman Tedster: The solo from "25 or 6 to 4"...the late, great Terry Kath...Ah yeah... Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Originally posted by Herman Tedster: The solo from "25 or 6 to 4"...the late, great Terry Kath...Oh, yeah, that one too! Big time Kath fan. I also loved the opening sequence he does on "Questions 67 & 68" from their first album. I was in 8th grade & remember wondering how they sped up the guitar part like that. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudcat Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Neil Young - "Cinnamon Girl" I thought to myself, 'Wow! Not only can a great solo not require a whole bunch of notes, a great solo can be played using only one note! Eureka!" Mudcat's music on Soundclick "Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihategarybettman Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 A nod to the rock 'n' roll pioneers: Chuck Berry's intro on "Johnny B. Goode." Buddy Holly's easy but unbelievably effective solo in "Peggy Sue." Link Wray's "Rumble" - was there ever a cooler record? The solo in "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets. Eddie Cochran's Gretsch magic on "Summertime Blues." Anything Scotty Moore played on Elvis' Sun sessions and anything Cliff Gallup played with Gene Vincent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbach1 Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Gees, pretty much anything already mentioned on this post had some influence on me. I've always thrilled to the sound of the guitar. It did not matter if I was listening to Jimi H or Cat Stevens. However, it was only a little more than a year ago that I actually picked up the guitar and started my own personal attempt at understanding the fretboard. I had just watched an Allman Brothers concert on video. It was "Live at the Beacon Theator". I found that I loved watching the closeups of Warren and Derek's fingers playing their guits so much that I just had to try and experience some of that first hand. I'll never be any damn good, but I have found the guitar fretboard to be an incredibly addictive item. bbach Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimK Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 For me it wasn't so much something I heard, but something I saw. In the fall of '84 Rush was touring in support of their "Grace Under Pressure" album. I was becoming a fan and went to see them. I was blown away by Alex Lifeson's playing. After that experience I didn't really care what Geddy Lee or Neil Peart did, or what the band did as a whole. I was much more interested in what Alex was doing, how he did it, etc. That show changed how I approached guitar playing and has had more of an impact on my playing then anything else. In an effort to improve the responsiveness of e-mail for everyone, the e-mail servers will be out of service. We are hopeful that this change will improve the performance of e-mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 you're never gonna get just one with a question like this Django Reinhardt - too many tracks to pick just one, but one of the first tunes i heard was ~Minor Swing~ . Django floors me because he sounds so relaxed, and even when playing blistering arpeggios he stays lyrical and melodic. SRV - Little Wing who wasn't brought to tears the first time they heard it. i was astonished, just totally impressed by stevie's reverence for Jimi. it's a shoe-in for any guitarist, the new standard of excellence. Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries all of the sudden the guitar was a different instrument, and anything was possible. he will always be the fingerstyle master to me. Jimi - Who Knows from Band of Gypsies. i really felt like Jimi pulled it all together with the BOG, this was the defining moment to me, but every track on that record works. Pat Metheny - Solar from Question & Answer. i caught the jazz bug bad when i heard this, finally someone was playing guitar the way i imagined it could be played. a purely creative assault on harmony. i'm still amazed every time i hear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpine Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Alvin Lee doing the solo on "I'd love to change the world" Still one of the defining moments, for me, in rock and roll. www.relayerstudios.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueZet Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 jazz: Emily Remler & Larry Coryell - How Insensitive blues: Dave Edmunds - The Stumble (with Love Sculpture) THIS is what made me want to play guitar in the first place out of category: ANYthing by Danny Gatton but if I have to name one: Harlem Nocturne - due to recent cutbacks, the light at the end of the tunnel has been SWITCHED OFF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 He-Man Woman Haters (Club?) Nuno I love insanely fast but catchy guitar riffs, and this is the one to beat them all. Comfortably Numb Gilmour OK, if you are going to do a 7 minute+ song, you might as well put in one of the most concise and emotional guitar solos ever (after the first chorus). That whole album is a lesson in guitar restraint and the bible for using 5 or six different guitar sounds in a song without sounding busy. Red Barchetta Lifeson This is far from my favorite Rush tune, but it's definitely my favorite Rush guitar tune, even over the truly amazing instrumentals. The solo makes you feel wind in your hair more effectively than J Satriani's "Summer Song". Couldn't Stand the Weather SRV Again, not my favorite SRV tune, but definitely a guitar tour de force. There are some Eagles tunes that have insane guitar parts, but even the great solos and riffs are overshadowed by the vocal gymnastics. And Vai & Satriani are two of my favorite rock guitarists of all time, but I think they both have yet to write their definitive guitar songs, although I think "Deep down into the Pain" and "Satch Boogie" are close. "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antimatter Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Chuck Berry- Johnny B. Goode Jimi Hendrix- Red House EVH- Eruption Jimmy Page- Heartbreaker Allman Brothers- Whipping Post (Fillmore East) I'll stop at five. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billster Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Originally posted by zeronyne: And Vai & Satriani are two of my favorite rock guitarists of all time, but I think they both have yet to write their definitive guitar songs, although I think "Deep down into the Pain" and "Satch Boogie" are close.On the contrary, I don't think Vai will ever top the impact of "The Attitude Song" as his tour de force. Some of the best Vai is on "Ultra Zone", where he really ties in the Zappa composition influence with his rock soloing. Buy my CD on CD Baby! Bill Hartzell - the website MySpace?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Originally posted by Scary Muddy Cat: Neil Young - "Cinnamon Girl" I thought to myself, 'Wow! Not only can a great solo not require a whole bunch of notes, a great solo can be played using only one note! Eureka!" You betcha! "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darklava Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Originally posted by Herman Tedster: Originally posted by Scary Muddy Cat: Neil Young - "Cinnamon Girl" I thought to myself, 'Wow! Not only can a great solo not require a whole bunch of notes, a great solo can be played using only one note! Eureka!" You betcha!That song was done in 1969 way ahead of it's time. The story of life is quicker then the blink of an eye, the story of love is hello, goodbye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruupi Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 If it has to be one: Eric Johnson-Cliffs of Dover My soundclick site: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=397188 My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/gruupi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Originally posted by billster: On the contrary, I don't think Vai will ever top the impact of "The Attitude Song" as his tour de force. Some of the best Vai is on "Ultra Zone", where he really ties in the Zappa composition influence with his rock soloing.I love "The Attitude Song", but I think the pyrotechnics are a bit gimmicky. And I think the very Zappa-ness of this song takes away from his considerable non-Zappa-like chops, too. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Zappa fan, too, but I just think Vai has something huge up his sleeve...maybe in 5 or 15 years. I think David Gilmour or Eddy VH do not...not that they are backsliding, but it would be hard to top the impact that they've already made. But what do I know? I'm mainly a keyboard player. But let's talk about Buckethead... "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauce Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 hah i agree with spookjazz, these are almost impossible to answer with just one but these are the first few that come to my mind: zz top-this one's a tie between "la grange" and "jesus left chicago." gibbons is just perfect on both of these. his tone is just indescribable. it always gives me chills. srv-"lenny" i love so much of his stuff but this one has just always struck me. the way it goes from so slow and relaxed in the beginning to the way his tone gets heavier and more...biting almost in the middle then back to the way it was in the beginning again but it maintains that mellow quality throughout. it's just ahh! hendrix-"voodoo child (slight return)" again can't quite explain it but this has always just made me feel something. the tone, the things he's actually playing, the feeling, it's just all there for me. Then you'll never hear surf music again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hush Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 When it comes to Zappa-esque players I prefer Mike Keneally. I find his music much more accessible. I've heard some Buckethead... plays lots of notes. Sounds more like noise to me. My defining moments on guitar: EVH -Eruption Brian May - Brighton Rock Led Zep - Heartbreaker Michael Hedges - Breakfast in the field and Ariel Boundaries. Re-shaped what I thought acoustic guitar can do. ZZ Top - LaGrange (1st time I heard the use of false harmonics) Jimi - Purple Haze, Watchtower, Little Wing Chicago - 25 or 6 to 4 (first recognizable song I was able to plunk out :-) Skynerd - Free Bird. First song I learned to jam on. Searching for a new sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migg Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 It does my heart good to see so many of us listing Stevie Ray's version of "Little Wing". I had already been a fan of his for quite some time when that was released on "The Sky Is Cryin'", but that song spoke to me like no other. (sssshhhhhh....if you listen with headphones and close your eyes you can hear his amp buzzing...it feels like you're sitting in the room with him....) the reason I wanted to start playing guitar "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?""Yessir, the check is in the mail." - Jack Burton "Life is hard. It's even harder if you're stupid." - John Wayne "He danced like he was the bastard offspring of a chicken and a broken electrical cable." - CMDN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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