Best guitar solo of all time?
(Normally on Wednesdays I plan to throw out a question and start a conversation. But this week, I’ve been out of town so we’re doing it on Thursday. ”We’re kind of needing to play catchup. Mmmmkay?”)
What is the best guitar solo of all time? If that’s not a loaded question, I don’t know what is. It could be taken so many different ways. It could be “what’s your favorite guitar solo ever?” or it could be “what do you think is the most influential solo ever?” However you slice it, there’s no way to empirically name the BEST guitar solo, but I want to hear you try! Use the comments section below to continue the conversation, or if you have your own blog, feel free to talk about it there. Just send me a link or trackback or something. Mmmmkay? (I’ll try to stop with the Office Space references now…)
Here are the 5 that make my list. All are on here for different reasons, and each highlights a different approach to soloing. It should give you a good idea of what kind of music I like, what my influences are, and what I think makes for a great solo! OK, so here goes nothing:
- David Gilmour, “Comfortably Numb”: It doesn’t get any better than this, IMHO. Gilmour composed a melody line that follows the chords and complements the song nicely. And that tone! This is just a perfect, round, shiny nugget of goodness. Bonus points for the soulful, bluesy soloing he throws in at the end of the tune…
- Eddie Van Halen, “Eruption”: This flashy flurry of notes spawned an entire industry. Instructional magazines, books, and videos all cropped up as a whole generation of young guitarists (myself included!) started playing after hearing Mr. Van Halen. While the focus was on the technique, very few figured out what Eddie had going for him: David, Michael and Alex. Playing fast and flashy gets you to a point, but being in a KILLER BAND is where it’s at.
- The Dead Milkmen, “Punk Rock Girl”: The Dead Milkmen were a two guitar band, so I’m not sure who to give credit to. But SOMEBODY played a killer solo on this tune. I think this is a perfect case of a solo that really compliments the mood of the song. The solo makes me laugh every time I hear it. Since this is a satirical song, hang the banner on the aircraft carrier, guys: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
- Peter Buck, “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”: R.E.M.’s Peter Buck is the king of the non-solo. One of my favorite types of solos is what I call the “noise” or “vibe” solo. It’s not really about the selection of notes - it’s about manipulating the sound to create a trippy middle section of a song. In the case of this tune, Buck’s solo is played backwards creating this eerie melody that will blow your mind…
- Mike Campbell, “Room at the Top”: Mike Campbell, guitarist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, uses a combination of tone and technique to dazzling effects. For “Room at the Top” he combines just about all of the elements I talk about above: he starts off with a simple variation of the song’s vocal melody before launching into a flurry of notes that push the envelope so much that it almost becomes free form. Absolutely brilliant.
What about you? What are some of your favorite guitar solos and why?
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