Best Guitar Solos

[Chimpy]

Anyone got any songs/tracks with superb guitar solos they want to share?

For me, nothing comes close to this one in Locked Within the Crystal Ball, by Blackmore's Night. In the link below it is at around 3:40 in. The sound is so pure, and it rises and falls melodically - gorgeous. And it lasts around a minute!

[nfisher1226]

Robert Fripp's solo in "Level 5". Note there are 2 solos, the second one is Adrian Belew's and I don't care for it. I like the tone of Fripp's, and the combination of melodic sensibility with dissonance. It's really, well, odd and quirky. I'm also a big fan of the way Fripp and Belew construct their guitar parts to fit together like a puzzle, by alternating notes.

This is not an example of a "nimble fingers" guitar solo. It's not showboating, it's playing carefully chosen notes to fit the song. But I realize it's also a type of music that a lot of people aren't going to "get".

[nfisher1226]

For jazz lovers here's something. This is great playing all around by an incredible "who's who" of musicians at the time. If you don't know about Danny Gatton check him out.

[nfisher1226]

And then I have a serious fondness for Jeff Beck. I have, well I guess it would be considered rather eclectic taste in music. This one is "Come Dancing" from his 1976 album "Wired". And I should add that, as a long time guitar player I could keep going on this thread for a long time until you're all really sick of me.

[Chimpy]

But I realize it's also a type of music that a lot of people aren't going to "get".

Nope, I don't get it. :\ I prefer something more melodious, myself. But it takes all sorts!

[nfisher1226]

Nope, I don't get it. :\ I prefer something more melodious, myself. But it takes all sorts!

Hence the 2nd offering, which is all about melody. But I like Ritchie Blackmore too by the way.

[Chimpy]

Well, none of those you linked really do it for me I have to admit. I am actually really, really hard to please with music. :-P I think there must be certain scales, intervals or chord progressions that trigger my "like" response.

[Miles]

nfisher, you had me at Robert Fripp and then you ravished me with Jeff Beck :

Here's some of my current picks...

Television's "Marquee Moon"...dig that 11-minute build up to pure fucking enlightenment (main solo starts a little before 5 minutes in):




John McLaughlin (ft. Santana) on "Friendship" - both give viable solos, meeting in the middle for a sort of baton pass.




Neil Young's "On The Beach" - the guy's known for some of his blistering solos but this somber one really tickles my groovy bone.




The Flaming Lips' "Powerless." Not a tradition 'riffola' type solo by any means, it's skittery and at times repetitive but it fits the ominous mood of the song well, and there's a definite musical trajectory it follows to get where it ends up.




The solo and the song itself I find somewhat reminiscent of...

Brian Eno's "Baby's On Fire," with Robert Fripp soloing. This one wins over the last one though just because holy shit.




King Crimson's "The Sheltering Sky" - really spacey and meditative. Always liked this one




I'll probably think of more, but drawing a blank right now.

[Chimpy]

The solo in that Eco chap's one is ok - a bit screechy though. Not keen on the others - just not my style of music.

That last one is quite nice in a trippy kind of way.

I like the solos from most Queen songs. I don't really know what kind of genre that classifies as. I find it very hard to describe the kind of music I like.

[Miles]

The solo in that Eco chap's one is ok - a bit screechy though. Not keen on the others - just not my style of music.

That last one is quite nice in a trippy kind of way.

I like the solos from most Queen songs. I don't really know what kind of genre that classifies as. I find it very hard to describe the kind of music I like.

Brian May (excuse me, Dr. Brian May) is a hell of a guitar player, natch:




What do you think of Alex Lifeson from Rush? Used to be one of my faves, though I don't listen to them much anymore. About 3 minutes into this first one they're all kinda soloing at the same time and they make it work:




One of their big instrumentals: