Thought it would be kinda cool to talk about guitar solos or guitar performances. What’s your favorite song for guitar and why do you like it so much.
I have several but one in particular blows me away everytime I hear it.
It is La Villa Strangiato by Rush on the Exit Stage Left album guitar by Alex Lifeson. The rythmic changes, tempo changes, tonal changes, and mood changes just blow me away.
I have a lot of favorites too.
George Benson: “Billie’s Bounce” with Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham…
George’s solo is punchy and full of energy…very fluid. A simple blues that is anything but simple…
Charlie Christian: “Solo Flight”
I am talking about the LP version (the CD version has different cuts). It is Charlie Christian…nuff said.
Joe Pass: “Tricrotism” with Neils Pederson…
All I can say is YIKES! I got to see this guy a few times in my youth… It should be illegal to be that good.
Wes Montgomery: Just about anything except the “Wes with 101 strings” albums. I particularly like the LP with Wes and his brothers.
Norman Blake: “Old Brown Case”
Energetic yet effortless… I’m still working at this tune 30 years later…
Angel Romero: "Requerdos de la Alhambras"
He played this beautifully in concert… dead smooth and musical.
Other favorite guitarists include:
John Williams: Does this guy ever make a mistake???
Herb Ellis: At his best, this guy swings like a mofo!
Barney Kessel: Inventive, creative, sloppy but you just can’t stop smiling…
Django Reinhardt:
J’attendrai is a nice video that gives you a peek into this wildman’s sense of guitar style. Check out his unibrow brother sitting behind him. 
Leo Kottke: Extraordinary fingerpicker. When he plays it is a tower of sound.
Tuck Andress: Is there anything this guy can not do? Amazing tone with just his fingers…
I have plenty more that thrill me when they play, but this is the short list…
Mike
David Gilmour’s solos on Uncomfortably Numb are hard to beat. It’s not technically dazzling; just pure heart and soul.
| Quote (StuH @ April 26 2006,08:54) |
| Thought it would be kinda cool to talk about guitar solos or guitar performances. What’s your favorite song for guitar and why do you like it so much. I have several but one in particular blows me away everytime I hear it. It is La Villa Strangiato by Rush on the Exit Stage Left album guitar by Alex Lifeson. The rythmic changes, tempo changes, tonal changes, and mood changes just blow me away. |
That’s one of my favorites as well. Another Lifeson solo I really enjoy is in “Kid Gloves”. It’s almost an anti-solo, chord comping thing for the first few bars then he busts out a little.
David Gilmour: What can I say? The man has instantly recognizable tone AND as ksdb said, he just PLAYS with pure heart and soul. One of my all-time favorite axe slingers.
“Science Fiction” by Michael Angelo Batio. If you’ve never heard this guy… you owe it to yourself to seek his stuff out. Jaw dropping incredible!
D
Eyup!
Being a boring old fart, I gotta vote for Clapton’s solo in "Crossroads"
Even if it is flawed.
Jan Akkerman is pretty good too, but haven’t heard anything from him for years.
Steve
Comfortably Numb of course. I think its the way he leaves plenty of space in his solos. Every phrase means something, he doesnt just play notes to fill in the gaps.
Crossroads too is memorable. Was that edited or as played? I’ve heard contradictory stories there.
Another flawed Clapton was Have You Ever Loved a Woman from Derek and the Dominoes Live. He was well into heroin by then and sloppy, but it’s still a brilliant solo that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Thin Lizzy.Still in Love With You. Any version, any guitarist, but the version from Alive and Dangerous is my favorite. Whiskey in the Jar too as we’re on the subject.
Dire Straights Brothers in Arms. You’ll search far and wide to find a more restrained and tasteful piece of playing.
Climax Blues Band, Loosin’ the Humbles. As fine a piece of slide as you’ll ever hear.
Free Alright Now. The air guitarists dream number.
Jeff Beck. Hi ho Silver Lining. Simple and cheesy but great fun.
Also ran :Freebird: heard it too often, and the solo becomes boring and repeitive anyway.
| Quote (Gizmo @ April 27 2006,05:21) |
| Comfortably Numb of course. Thin Lizzy.Still in Love With You. Any version, any guitarist, but the version from Alive and Dangerous is my favorite. Whiskey in the Jar too as we're on the subject. Dire Straights Brothers in Arms. You'll search far and wide to find a more restrained and tasteful piece of playing. Free Alright Now. The air guitarists dream number. |
Yes to all of those.
Also: Ritchie Blackmore..... Catch The Rainbow from Rainbow On Stage.
Martin Barre.... Original version of Aqualung. Wild screaming Les Paul with sustain.
Wishbone Ash..... Phoenix
Neil Young...... 'Like a Hurricane' Live. I know it's just running up and down the Harmonics. I just like it!
Leslie West... Nantucket Sleighride...Live
Jan Akkerman.... Hocus Pocus by Focus.
The Only Ones... Another Girl Another Planet
Better give up... There's tooooo many!!
Ian
Hey Beefy..What about Tony Peluso? Mr Jordans selection!
Will definitely be checking out some of DrGuitars list. Several of these players I know very little about.
Absolutely love Knoffler’s stuff…just about all of it.
Lifeson is a real bizarre type of player rythmically and technically gifted…and plays as if mimicking a full band. You listen too a Rush instrumental and parts seem pure nasty then bang out of nowhere pure melodic heaven that should have carried on a few more bars but doesn’t. Not sure what it is with that group. I almost think with Rush you have three superb players, with three totally different compositional viewpoints that arrive at similar conclusions. Don’t no if that makes much sense.
Band of Gypsys,Live at the Filmore East
ya know,36 yrs after the guy dies ya can come up with alotta dudes that ya can say are better then Hendrix,but for the time,it was far and above anything that was around,there may be better technic players for sure,but i havent seen anyone really match the intensity that he played those shows with.
Bill Grahm,the guy that owned the fillmore auditoriums and staged 25,000 concerts in his lifetime,said that in all regards to Carlos and Eric,and all the other great musicians that ever played his venue,the Band of Gypsys performance was the greatest music ever to grace the stage.
that in itself is mind blowin
I was waiting for someone to mention Hendrix! I have long loved “Little Wing,” and no one can touch him for musicality!
DrGuitar, John Williams may never make a mistake, but he can’t touch his teacher Segovia for Bach. Not even the same league. No one is.
Nancy Wilson - Heart - Anything she plays.
Brian Setzer - Brian Setzer Orchestra - Anything He plays.
Lindsey Buchingham - Buchingham Nicks - Anything off the first album especially Frozen Love.
KingFish
Nancy Wilson?
| Quote (TomS @ April 30 2006,04:47) |
| Nancy Wilson?
|
What's your question?
Nancy Wilson......highly inventive and creative. Great acoustic player. Darn good mandolin player too. Highly underrated.
KingFish
| Quote (KingFish @ April 30 2006,10:27) |
| Nancy Wilson - Heart - Anything she plays. KingFish |
Kingfish, you are showing your age. You just liked her when she wore black spandex 20+ years ago. Don't get me wrong, she is not a bad guitar player, she was just easy on the eyes...
TomS, Segovia was an old man by the time I was old enough to appreciate him. As a classical guitarist, I have always appreciated his amazing ability to transcribe and properly finger difficult guitar pieces. In the classical guitar community, I believe his fingerings is where he is considered legend. And yes, his ability to play Bach was and is unmatched. Unfortunately, Bach is not my favorite composer for the guitar.
As far as Jimi Hendrix, he is also unquestionably a legend on the guitar. But I cannot point to any specific guitar work of his that I found to be life changing. I feel slightly influenced by him (especially during the years I was working on my blues playing). I think if I were to reexamine my own playing VERY closely, I might find more Jimi in there than I realize.
Dave Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Jimi Hendrix - I agree each of them are top of the list for any number of spine-chilling solos.
Every now and again I listen to If You Want Blood, the live ACDC album with Bon Scott. It is awesome, young Angus at his best.
End of page 2 and we haven’t mentioned Jimmy Page yet.
Shame on us all. 
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| Quote |
| Kingfish, you are showing your age. You just liked her when she wore black spandex 20+ years ago. Don’t get me wrong, she is not a bad guitar player, she was just easy on the eyes… |
Well. ya I’m old…but she’s still easy on these old eyes! (I’m not refering to Annie!) It really saddens me that they played with Wynona Judd. I can live without her growling voice!
And old…come on Nancy still plays…Jimi is umm…dead.
Yes I like Page…and he influenced me quite a bit…Tuck playing “Honey Pie” is fun too…but a little of him goes a long way.
OldFish
| Quote (kymarcus @ April 30 2006,18:33) |
| Every now and again I listen to If You Want Blood, the live ACDC album with Bon Scott. It is awesome, young Angus at his best. |
Bah - it's Malc at his best. Riff Raff - YEAH
Steve Morse too,the album "night of the Living Dregs"the one side is live an they do a walbash cannonball cover that made me go whacko(maybe thats what happend?) went to see the Dregs a few times in the late 70’s an they always kiked ass