Guitar solos

[tarfumes]

Phil Manzanera, Roxy Music's "Amazona"

Steve Cropper, Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Comin'"; Booker T & The MGs' "Green Onions"

Bo Diddley, "Mumblin' Guitar"

Angus Young, AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"

Magic Sam, "Looking Good" (live)

and, of course, Pete Townshend on the Who's "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"

[fearandpanic]

Yeah, the Bo Diddley one is astonishing.

Can't remember one in the Sam & Dave song even though I've played it about a million times.. must be in my head subliminally by now.

[fearandpanic]

Two more: The long, pastoral Krauty one on "Laila" by Agitation Free (on Agitation Free 2nd). Possibly somewhat wanky, but it has some very nice melodic turns and phrases here and there.

Richard Thompson's jig-type figures in the middle of "Roll Over Vaughn Williams" (on Starring As Henry the Human Fly from 1972). The outer parts are bit dirgey (and I'm not crazy about the song itself), but in the middle it changes mood and pauses over a single chord, on top of which Thompson fires off a lovely dancing solo.

[William Hutson]

i'm really showing off my age (and my high school music tastes) but i've always considered the following solos to be three of my all time favorites: ira kaplan on "pablo and andrea" stephen malkmus on "rattled by the rush" and thurston + lee for the last fifteen minutes of "the diamond sea."

[jon abbey]

thurston + lee for the last fifteen minutes of "the diamond sea."

easily my favorite track by them, every time I've seen them I've yelled from the crowd for them to play this (and requested it once or twice privately), but no luck.

[J.F.]

thurston + lee for the last fifteen minutes of "the diamond sea."

easily my favorite track by them, every time I've seen them I've yelled from the crowd for them to play this (and requested it once or twice privately), but no luck.

Around 1995/96, it was all over their set lists. Maybe you have to wait until the 20th-anniversary-of-Washing Machine tour.

[William Hutson]

easily my favorite track by them

without question. only seen them play it live twice. back in 1996 and again in 1998. the freakout section wasn't quite as long.

[D.D.]

George Harrison (or is it McCartney actually?) on The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog". Good sound and attitude. Some more Harrison solos on Revolver. There is one that fades out, forgot the title - it's a good one.
Fripp - excellent. Love hos short, to the point solo on "Dinosaur" from Thrak; many many other solos too.
Zappa - well, I am a fan, love a most of his stuff. "Filthy Habits". "St. Etienne", etc, etc. "Overnite Sensation" solos are excellent and quite unique for Zappa (very concise, very punchy) his best studio solos.
Gary Green from Gentle Giant was a good soloist, adding somewhat unexpected bluesiness to the Giant's highbrow stuff. There is a long instrumental track on Octopus where he kicks ass, and a short sweet unexpected solo on "Just the same".
Slayer solos I also like, some of the more inventive solos in heavy metal, IMHO.
Faith No More original guitar player Jim Martin is really good - all his solos in Angel Dust are classic. I particularly like the "Smaller & smaller" one.
I like the Nile solos quite a bit; one of the few things making the band marginally interesting.
Oh, the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitar player on Blood Sugar Sex Magic is doing a good job. There is a song "My Old Man" or something like this there - that's a nice solo.
I like the manic solo on one track of Ministry's "Psalm 69" disc, don't know who plays it.
Rocky George from Suicidal Tendencies is outstanding. His solos are consistently excellent, I can't select one.

[Alastair]

Neil Innes on the Bonzo Dog Band's "Canyons of Your Mind". I believe Neil won "guitarist of the month" in "Disc & Music Echo" or some such publication for his efforts on this one.

[Stevo]

Phelps Collins on the Funk power version of There was a Time & on several tracks on In The Jungle Groove. Hits with an intensity like hardcore.

Jerry garcia in way too many places. Like his interplay with Neil young on David Crosby's If i Could Only Remember My Name though.

CSNY probably all (not sure about Nash though) working out over the 19minute version of Down By The River on the '69 Balboa Park set.

Stills & Young's guitar battle on Bluebird at Market Hall Dallas 20/4/68 jawdroppingly awesome.

Greg Ginnallover the Marquee '84 set.

guy Kyser & Roger Kunkell in most places, trying to think what especially though. The way they wind through Astronomy & Elsie Crashed The Party on In The spanish Cave was an early fave though.

Rowland S Howard particularly the moment the guitar explodes at the end of Deep In The Woods.

[Daniel Jones]

Neil Innes on the Bonzo Dog Band's "Canyons of Your Mind". I believe Neil won "guitarist of the month" in "Disc & Music Echo" or some such publication for his efforts on this one.

Yes! I love that - thanks for reminding me Alastair!

Also on the Beatles front I was surprised to read that Paul McCartney plays the solo on 'Taxman' from Revolver and that always struck me as a really good guitar solo.

I second the call for Malkmus too - Infinite Spark would be right up there for me.

[Dohol]

The Fripp and Verlane solos are already taken, so..

Pete Cosey on the first side of Pangea..

Glenn Phillips "John Marshall" from one of his SST albums ( can't remember which..)

Sonny Sharrock "Kate" from one of his awful last albums ( can't remember which..)

Lou Reed on the Velvets "I heard her call my name"

Neal Young "Cortez the Killer" from Zuma Beach..

Jesus Acedo...any solo from any early Black Sun Ensemble release..

Greg Ginn..The Process of Weeding Out..

Johnny Rivers "Secret Agent Man"

[Dohol]

God...I love guitar wankery..

[fearandpanic]

Sonny Sharrock "Kate" from one of his awful last albums ( can't remember which..)

It's from Highlife (1990). I can't agree that it's awful, though. The rest of the band might sound mostly anonymous, but there's something fascinating about the way the solos convince you that you're listening to a particular thing and then gradually veer away from it, without losing the thread. Usually his solos (and it is pretty much a continuous solo showcase) are brightly tuneful in the outer parts and then get into hairier territory in the middle, all with the same conviction. Even within phrases he's likely to veer disorientingly around the tune, The way he reconciles his free style and what's deemed to be a commercial or glossy sound has always been the special quality of his music, from Black Woman and the Herbie Mann records up to Ask the Ages. The drummer on Highlife even comes alive a bit for Sharrock's return to "Upper Egypt" from Pharoah Sanders's Tauhid.

[Dohol]

Sonny Sharrock "Kate" from one of his awful last albums ( can't remember which..)

It's from Highlife (1990). I can't agree that it's awful, though. The rest of the band might sound mostly anonymous, but there's something fascinating about the way the solos convince you that you're listening to a particular thing and then gradually veer away from it, without losing the thread. Usually his solos (and it is pretty much a continuous solo showcase) are brightly tuneful in the outer parts and then get into hairier territory in the middle, all with the same conviction. Even within phrases he's likely to veer disorientingly around the tune, The way he reconciles his free style and what's deemed to be a commercial or glossy sound has always been the special quality of his music, from Black Woman and the Herbie Mann records up to Ask the Ages. The drummer on Highlife even comes alive a bit for Sharrock's return to "Upper Egypt" from Pharoah Sanders's Tauhid.

I agree...Though I still have major problems with those last albums. Perhaps it was that hideous keyboard player..

Sharrock loved "tunes"..Probably a hold over from his do-wop days..

One of my favorite Sharrock quotes.. when asked about the use of noise in music he replied that it all depended on the player, but " Fool plus noise equals bullshit"..

[fearandpanic]

I agree...Though I still have major problems with those last albums. Perhaps it was that hideous keyboard player..

Right, definitely. He (Dave Snyder) is particularly blocky and clunky on that one and contributes to them sounding like an amateur band. I don't mind the vintage synth sounds, but it probably wouldn't have hurt to have had someone play something more than the rudimentary chords in a very four-square fashion throughout. I'm surprised they were his touring band, really.

Sharrock loved "tunes"..Probably a hold over from his do-wop days..

Yep, and Highlife is the poppiest one. Seize the Rainbow is the heavy-rock one and Ask the Ages is the culmination of the Pharoah Sanders jazz emphasis and of his gift for epic themes. Ask... seems to be most people's clear favourite, but I think it's an interesting, idiosyncratic sequence of records to follow. Live in New York (1989) benefits a lot from Pheeroan AkLaff's presence.

[dala]

Gary Moore's double-tracked fuzz solo on 'Night of the Warm Witch' by Skid Row (the late-60's Skid Row, not the 80's one).

[oldirtybastien]

ollie halsall on singing the blues on red from roll 'em smoke 'em put another line out by Patto



He also breaks it all on my days are numbered from monkey's bum

[Paul C]

Where to begin? Here's a few, all very short...

Swell Maps - "Spitfire Parade" & "Let's Build a Car"
Buzzcocks - "Ever Fallen in Love?", "You Say You Don't Love Me" - & pretty much all their early songs
Wire - "I am the Fly"
Josef K - most tracks on "The Only Fun in Town"
The Great Unwashed - "Born in the Wrong Time"
The Clean - "Fish", "Point that Thing Somewhere Else"

....and I know there are some good ones on the first two Talking Heads LPs, plus the early Pere Ubu singles...

[Salty Swift]

Sonny Sharrock "Kate" from one of his awful last albums ( can't remember which..)

It's from Highlife (1990). I can't agree that it's awful, though. The rest of the band might sound mostly anonymous, but there's something fascinating about the way the solos convince you that you're listening to a particular thing and then gradually veer away from it, without losing the thread. Usually his solos (and it is pretty much a continuous solo showcase) are brightly tuneful in the outer parts and then get into hairier territory in the middle, all with the same conviction. Even within phrases he's likely to veer disorientingly around the tune, The way he reconciles his free style and what's deemed to be a commercial or glossy sound has always been the special quality of his music, from Black Woman and the Herbie Mann records up to Ask the Ages. The drummer on Highlife even comes alive a bit for Sharrock's return to "Upper Egypt" from Pharoah Sanders's Tauhid.

I agree...Though I still have major problems with those last albums. Perhaps it was that hideous keyboard player..

Sharrock loved "tunes"..Probably a hold over from his do-wop days..

One of my favorite Sharrock quotes.. when asked about the use of noise in music he replied that it all depended on the player, but " Fool plus noise equals bullshit"..

I saw Sonny during his last tour - few months before his heart gave way.....he did Kate, and most of the stuff from his Enemy records [Dick Dogs x 4 as an encore!]....what was most satisfying was the fact he scared the first few rows of diners away....these were people who thought they'd be able to enjoy a quiet, romantic dinner by candlelight
....if you call two percussionists pounding away romantic??