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posted by: jere1911
11/15/11 8:01 am
GREAT ROCK GUITAR SOLOS
(13)
The guitar is "king" in rock and great rock solos provide some of the really memorable moments in rock history. Here are a few of my favorites. More to come. Help me build the list.
Jimi Hendrix--All Along the Watchtower

Eric Clapton--Crossroads

Jimmy Page--Stairway to Heaven

Eddie Van Halen--Beat It

Lindsay Buckingham--Go Your Own Way

Joe Walsh, Don Felder--Hotel California

Mark Knopfler--Sultans of Swing

Chuck Berry--Johnny B. Goode

Eric Clapton--While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Jimi Hendrix--Voodoo Child

George Harrison--Ticket to Ride (the perfect "short" solo)


Tags: rock | guitar | solos
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Comments
ggreene says:
08/31/13 12:11 am
Buzz Feiten-Where Did my Baby Go- Keep on Moving/Butterfield Blues Band- 1969
Emar says:
05/18/12 4:11 pm
If it's okay to put a video link into a comment, I think any lover of guitar riffs will enjoy this Santana clip from last night's Tonight Show.
http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/Carlos-Santana-(5/17/12)/1402241
from a new album.
cornercat says:
04/18/12 5:02 am
Murgatroyd said: Taylor's lyrical and uplifting work on the Stones Can't You Hear Me Knocking. He took them places they never went again.
Totally concur about Mick Taylor. Easily the strongest lead guitarist to wear the Stones uniform. Many think the version of the band with him on lead was the best. I tend to agree.
Murgatroyd says:
04/13/12 7:10 pm
And let's not forget the two Micks: Mick Ronson and Mick Taylor.

Stellar examples would be:

Ronson's set-to-stun bursts on Bowie's Moonage Daydream (helped along by his swirling Wagnerian string arrangement).

Taylor's lyrical and uplifting work on the Stones Can't You Hear Me Knocking. He took them places they never went again.

Also, citing Stairway To Heaven for Page is just too easy. I'd rather listen to 10 Years Gone...
jaybe says:
03/07/12 4:53 am
jaybe said: terry kath of chicago on 25 or 6 to 4. vastly underrated guitarist because of the horn-heavy sound and gone too soon.
jere1911 said: This Chicago solo is a great pick. Not an obvious one, perhaps because many don't think of Chicago and "rock guitar" together that often. You're right about the horn sound distracting from that. But this is a dynamite solo that belongs on the growing list. In fact, I am going to download the track just for the solo--though I like the song, too.
thanks jere1911. i think a similarly underappreciated guitarist because of the band's overall sound is robbie krieger. i've always loved the solo on the album version of light my fire, particularly where it finally kicks back to the organ signature riff and then to morrison's vocals.
jere1911 says:
02/29/12 9:08 pm
jaybe said: terry kath of chicago on 25 or 6 to 4. vastly underrated guitarist because of the horn-heavy sound and gone too soon.

This Chicago solo is a great pick. Not an obvious one, perhaps because many don't think of Chicago and "rock guitar" together that often. You're right about the horn sound distracting from that. But this is a dynamite solo that belongs on the growing list. In fact, I am going to download the track just for the solo--though I like the song, too.
jaybe says:
02/29/12 7:20 am
terry kath of chicago on 25 or 6 to 4. vastly underrated guitarist because of the horn-heavy sound and gone too soon.
Wild Billy says:
11/28/11 5:11 pm
Comfortably Numb / Guitarist: David Gilmour / Band: Pink Floyd

Cliffs of Dover / Guitarist: Eric Johnson / Band: Eric Johnson

Aqualung / Guitarist: Martin Barre / Band: Jethro Tull

Reelin' in the Years / Guitarist: Elliot Randall / Band: Steely Dan

Jessica / Guitarist: Dickey Betts / Band: The Allman Brothers
Alley Gator says:
11/28/11 2:50 am
cornercat said: That'll Be the Day Buddy Holly. That'll Be the Day Grady Martin solo on the original recording
cornercat said: A bit of further research makes it unclear to me, at this point, who exactly did play the solos on That'll Be the Day. Sonny Curtis was involved in the original recording sessions (Nashville, Decca) playing some lead on that day, and there was another guitar player on the Texas sessions as well. Doesn't change the merit of the solos, but I just wanted to correct what is very likely not the right credits.
Thanks for double-checking the credits. Here's what I came up with: According to track-by-track credits from the 1978 Complete Buddy Holly vinyl box, Sonny Curtis played lead on the version of "Ollie Vee" recorded July 22, 1956; at the same session, Buddy Holly played lead guitar on "That'll Be the Day." (Grady Martin played lead on the "Ollie Vee" recorded on November 15, 1956.) Niki Sullivan played rhythm guitar in the Crickets on many of their 1957 recordings in Clovis, New Mexico. Buddy Holly played lead again on the hit version of "That'll Be the Day."
cornercat says:
11/27/11 5:34 pm
cornercat said: That'll Be the Day Buddy Holly. That'll Be the Day Grady Martin solo on the original recording
A bit of further research makes it unclear to me, at this point, who exactly did play the solos on That'll Be the Day. Sonny Curtis was involved in the original recording sessions (Nashville, Decca) playing some lead on that day, and there was another guitar player on the Texas sessions as well. Doesn't change the merit of the solos, but I just wanted to correct what is very likely not the right credits.
Linden Arden says:
11/25/11 5:40 am
I like your list; here's some more...

Peter Green- The Green Manaleshi (The Best of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac)

Michael Bloomfield-East-West, (East-West)

Lonnie Mack- Mt. Healthy Blues (Whatever’s Right)

Lowell George- Tripe Face Boogie (Waiting For Columbus)

Jerry Garcia-Sugaree (To Terrapin)

John Cipollina-Who Do You Love (Happy Trails)

Keith Richard-Sympathy For the Devil (Beggars Banquet)

Ron Wood- Around the Plynth (First Step)

Neil Young-Cowgirl In the Sand (Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere)
jere1911 says:
11/23/11 4:59 am
cornercat said: More great guitar solos: Hello Mary Lou James Burton That'll Be the Day Buddy Holly. Black Magic Woman Santana Statesboro Blues Duane Allman The last 3 were directly and heavily based on solos from earlier versions of these songs. They’re great, too. That'll Be the Day Grady Martin solo on the original recording . Fleetwood Mac Black Magic Woman Peter Green with Fleetwood Mac 1968. Can't find the original Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac recording, but this version gives a good idea of how he played it. Statesboro Blues Jesse Ed Davis (w/Taj Mahal)
Great additions!
cornercat says:
11/22/11 7:25 pm
More great guitar solos:

Hello Mary Lou James Burton
That'll Be the Day Buddy Holly.
Black Magic Woman Santana
Statesboro Blues Duane Allman

The last 3 were directly and heavily based on solos from earlier versions of these songs. They’re great, too.

That'll Be the Day Grady Martin solo on the original recording .
Fleetwood Mac Black Magic Woman Peter Green with Fleetwood Mac 1968. Can't find the original Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac recording, but this version gives a good idea of how he played it.
Statesboro Blues Jesse Ed Davis (w/Taj Mahal)