OT: - Best Guitar Solos | The Boneyard

OT: Best Guitar Solos

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I’m not sure if there has been a thread on this yet, and if there has I can take it down, but i’m curious to see what people’s favorites are. I’m a bit biased to Jimi with AATW b/c he’s probably my favorite artist ever, but you obviously have to mention Stairway to Heaven, Freebird, etc. Underrated one for me is Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Little Wing version.
 

Rico444

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I’m not sure if there has been a thread on this yet, and if there has I can take it down, but i’m curious to see what people’s favorites are. I’m a bit biased to Jimi with AATW b/c he’s probably my favorite artist ever, but you obviously have to mention Stairway to Heaven, Freebird, etc. Underrated one for me is Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Little Wing version.

Here's my favorite Jimi solo: Machine Gun. Live at the Fillmore, New Year's Eve 1969 into 1970.

 

8893

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Stevie Ray's "Little Wing" is sublime.

Although he's not my favorite guitarist, Clapton's solo in "Let it Rain" always makes me happy.

And so does Larry Carlton's solo in Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne."
 
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Not the best solo but I always love when talented guitarists jam
 
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God, there are so many great solos from so many under rated, under appreciated and unknown artists, hard to know where to start. But I will start with some better known ones, Steely dan has had some good ones, very early Chicago in the 60s, Green grass and high tides by The Outlaws. Frank Zappa and everything done in Hot Rats (my god!), Blue sky by the allman bros, some of the work by Michael Karoli from CAN is incredible, magic man by heart.

There were some crazy good solos from a...Danish? Dutch band? from the 70s called Focus. I know I heard a good solo from this guy called Buckethead once, can not find it now. Eternal wheel by Ozric Tentacles.

I tend to not like things like Stevie Vai, just to...soulless.

Will think of more later. edit: Rory Gallagher is criminally overlooked, from the early 70s. Steve Hillage, especially 60s and first half of the 70s is another criminally under rated, amazing guitarist in so much that he did.
 
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Gonna sit back and watch to see how long it takes a particular all-time great (deceased) shredder to be mentioned
 
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Stevie Ray's "Little Wing" is sublime.

Although he's not my favorite guitarist, Clapton's solo in "Let it Rain" always makes me happy.

And so does Larry Carlton's solo in Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne."
Steely Dan is my Dad’s favorite band. He once told me if he had to choose between them and every other musician and/or band’s discography combined, he would choose them.
 
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I always thought that the greatness of a guitar solo depends a lot on how it "fits" the song. Some guitar solos are great, but they don't rev me up because they don't naturally complement the song.
I'm not an ozzie or B. Sabbath fan, but the solo in Crazy Train will always be tops for me. Every note in that solo seems perfect, to me.
Although not greatest by any means, I also like a lot of the solos in the early Cars songs - guy was an awesome solo writer, and didn't get nearly enough songs and time on songs to show it fully - lot of songs, especially later songs, had no solos.
 
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Live Stairway off of Song Remains the Same, and it ain't even close. There are many times when I'm on a flight I'll listen to that solo back to back about 10 times in a row. Page just goes OFF
 

storrsroars

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hardest solo I ever learned. Dizzying.

Saw Carlton last summer. As a solo artist, Carlton just builds on the solo throughout. Certainly underappreciated by the masses as are most guys known mostly for jazz.

I'd think there are a number of jazz players could probably outplay the famous rock/blues guys, Wes Montgomery for one (check out "No Blues"). Loved most of Frampton's "Fingerprints" album (except for the unfortunate inclusion of "Black Hole Sun"). I love what guys like Frampton and Gilmour have been doing in their 60s and beyond. Just doing what appeals to them instead of for commercial appeal or for their old fan base.

Lots of guys I love listening to, too many to list, but ones I keep going back to for rock are Bill Nelson's "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape", Zappa on "Montana", Knopfler on several live versions of "Tunnel of Love", and the one I still consider the best of all Gilmour's solos, this unedited version of "Comfortably Numb" from the Pulse tour.

 

August_West

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I always thought that the greatness of a guitar solo depends a lot on how it "fits" the song. Some guitar solos are great, but they don't rev me up because they don't naturally complement the song

Very good point.

Its why Ronnie Woods solo on "Maggie May" is one of my all time favorites. It is absolutely just perfect in its simplicity.

Same with Mark Farners little 4 Bar hammered 2nds and 6ths excercise during the "Closer to Home" section of "Im your Captain" . I mean I dont even know if that counts as a solo, its so rhythmic and repetitive, but it makes that coda!

Just perfect choices for the song. Not everything needs to be shred or technical brilliance to be be devatstatingly effective.

George Harrisons solo on "Something" is one of the greatest ever.
 
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God, there are so many great solos from so many under rated, under appreciated and unknown artists, hard to know where to start. But I will start with some better known ones, Steely dan has had some good ones, very early Chicago in the 60s, Green grass and high tides by The Outlaws. Frank Zappa and everything done in Hot Rats (my god!), Blue sky by the allman bros, some of the work by Michael Karoli from CAN is incredible, magic man by heart.

There were some crazy good solos from a...Danish? Dutch band? from the 70s called Focus. I know I heard a good solo from this guy called Buckethead once, can not find it now. Eternal wheel by Ozric Tentacles.

I tend to not like things like Stevie Vai, just to...soulless.

Will think of more later. edit: Rory Gallagher is criminally overlooked, from the early 70s. Steve Hillage, especially 60s and first half of the 70s is another criminally under rated, amazing guitarist in so much that he did.
Focus was a Dutch band. two really great albums that I grew up with, Hamburger Concerto and Moving Waves. The guitarist is a fella named Jan Akkerman.
 

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