If somebody asked me to sum up my ideal music in one word, it would be "guitar." I love the guitar. I enjoy looking at guitars, holding guitars, listening to guitars, and playing guitars (porrly, but I try.) The things that the guitar is capable of is astounding. It is the driving force behind multiple genres adn sub-genres of music. It has been weilded by many, mastered by some, and used to creat some of the most powerful music of all time.
I've been doing a lot of reviews on Indie games lately. I'm not getting vored of it, but I wanted to take a break to keep my blog fresh. I love music, especially the guitar. While riffs and chord progressions are fine, I believe the guitar truly shines when it blazes away a good lead composition. Something about the power, the wordless voice, the tones; when they mesh together the right way, the melody and emotion can be breathtaking. So in the interest of fun, I decided to put together a list of my favorite solos.
There are a few guidelines. First, this is all my opinion, obviously. There are some legendary artists that didn't make the cut, and these are certainly not the only solos I like. So keep in mind that it's all in good fun. Second, no instrumentals. These are all lead compositions in otherwise vocally-driven songs. Third, these all have decent length; quick fills and two bar licks are out, to qualify, it has to be a fully realized guitar solo. And finally, only one song per artist. Otherwise the entire list would dominated by two or three musicians and that's it.
So, plug in your headphones and turn up the volume, because these are my Top 10 Favorite Guiar Solos.
10. "Souls of Black," by Testament
Solo performed by Alex Skolnick
Solo begins at 2:04
"Souls of Black" is a pounding, hook-laden example of pure thrash metal. Rather than speeding away like runaway dragster, or being overly brooding and thunderous, it finds a nice middle ground that carries the listener through a relatively short, but still mouth wateringly sweet ride of rock. The solo is like the rest of the song in a bite-sized piece. It goes up, goes down, holds a note, and keeps going. It not only shows everything that makes the song great on its own, it also holds an almost funky mood that makes "Souls of Black," and especially the solo, a joy to the ears.
9. "Big City Nights," by Scorpions
Solo performed by Rudolf Schenker
Solo stars at 2:27
My favorite song from my favorite band. Scorpions are a German band who started in the mid sixties as a bunch of hippies, put out a greatest hits album in the seventies, then switched to rock and actually started having hits. The switch was one of the best decisions they made, as it led to the band becoming a perfect example of pure rock. If you've ever listened to rock, you probably know at least a couple of their songs, even if you don't know it. "Rock You Like A Hurricane" ring a bell?The best thing is, they are good at it. "Big City Nights" is my favorite Scorpions song. Everything about it works. Not to say their other songs don't; they wouldn't be my favorite band if they only had one good song. This one in particular, though, is powerful and captures the spirit of a late night of rocking. The riff is epic, and the vocals swing back and forth between subtlety and energy flawlessly. Whenever I hear this song, all I can picture is somebody in a classic car cruising down the street in wee morning hours while neon whizzes by.
This solo is performed by Rudolf Schenker, who usually sticks to the rhythm. It proves that he is just as good at lead as he is hammering the riffs. The solo starts with a rehash of the song's opening licks, before exploding into a high-pitch string bending and wading into rock bliss. Rather than long, winding shredding, schenker opts for bends and phrases that sing just as much as vocalist Klaus Meine does. It kicks in, runs it course, then drops the audience right back into that powerful chorus to fade out.
8. "Reaching For You," by Lincoln Brewster
Solo performed by Lincoln Brewster
Solo starts at 2:30
You don't hear many guitar solos in Christian music. Most contemporary Christian music is either slow, somber, and emotional, or bouncy and happy. While not completely devoid of solos, the rip-roaring staple of rock is used sparingly in CCM. Lincoln Brewster is one consistent exception. He shows time and time again that he is not afraid to croon about Jesus and immediately follow it up with sweet fretwork.I was debating between this and Everlasting God, which is another great tune. Reaching for you is a happy and upbeat song, as one would expect when it comes to making music about connecting with God. It has a couple satisfying riffs and some sincere vocals. Then he yells "Go!" and hits you in the eardrum with this guitar solo.
The solo starts by bouncing around some octaves before Mr. Brewster tears up the pentatonic scale. He proceeds to paint with sound for a few fun, upbeat measures, then demonstrates his shred skills one last time as the song goes into the bridge. The licks and phrases manage to be unique, and take the song further into the happy rock feel. It is really hard to air guitar to this without a smile on your face.
7. "Creeping Death," by Metallica
Solo performed by Kirk Hammett
Solo starts at 2:48
We go from a happy song Jesus to an angry song about Moses. This is Metallica. The most famous of the Big Four. A contender for one the greatest bands of all time. They exploded onto the scene in the 80's, taking the guidelines of metal laid out by Black Sabbath and Judas Priest and reforging them into a monstrous beast that has been ruining eardrums and speakers ever since. Metallica is a household name and has undoubtedly been one of the most influential bands ever."Creeping Death" is the pinnacle of Metallica. I'm not alone in that, either. Apparently Guitar World Magazine thinks so, too. It oozes raw force out of every pore. I've heard it cited as the best representation of early Metallica, and it is without a doubt my favorite of their songs. The solo from "Fade to Black" almost usurped this one's spot, although in the end, "Creeping Death" won out.
Hammett comes in with a vengeance, noodling around a little bit to let listeners know he's coming, before blasting us with the adrenaline bait that we wanted all along. He fiddles away, feeding metal fans everything they love for a while so that we can headbang to our hearts content. At the 3:20 mark, the solo sings into a slower, more melodic section that reinforces the dark mood, then climaxes into pure shredding. The solo is almost a full minute of teeth-gritting awesome. Give it a listen - if you're head is still attached at the end, I'm sure you'll agree that this is one awesome guitar solo.
6. "Comfortably Numb," by Pink Floyd
Solo performed by David Gilmour
Solo starts at 4:30
Much like Metallica, you probably know these guys. I would bet money on it. Pink Floyd are classic rock legends, and will go down in history for their experimental avant garde style that has scarcely been replicated to date. They don't "rock" so much as they take your senses by the hand and carry them off into another world.Ask somebody what the best Pink Floyd song is and you might get different answers, but you'll hear "Comfortably Numb" come up more than once. It's light, whispy keyboards and rumbling bass mix with the two vocalists sung conversation to make this a very atmospheric song that straddles the line between "music" and "experience."
"Comfortably Numb" has two solos. While the first one is good, any Pink Floyd fan knows as soon as the second chorus fades and that screeching harmonic hits that they are about to get goosebumps. There is no shredding or anything here, just David Gilmour proving to the world that musical instruments can have emotions.
Have you ever wondered why guitar players make those weird faces when they play? Turn up the volume on this one and pretend that you are the one with the guitar in your hand. I guarantee you will have your eyes closed and lips pursed in no time. Be sure nobody is around to see you at 5:47, because from you're expression, they'll think you are having some serious constipation.
5. "Ramblin' Man," by The Allman Brothers Band
Solo performed by Dickey Betts
Solo starts at 3:00
Considering Duane Allman has gone down in history as one of the greatest guitar players of all time, it's kind of funny that the Allman Brothers Band's most recognizable guitar solo didn't come along until two years after his death in 1971. I actually used to hate this song, because it was just too twangy for me. Then I got a brain and realized just how much of a southern rock gem "Ramblin' Man" is.It has a little bit of bluegrass flair, which is okay, because the combination of the twangish with bluesy rock makes it something fun and light. I could picture myself sitting in a hammock sipping lemonade and looking at the mountains with this song in the background. Or maybe playing in a beat up old pickup with the windows down. The solo is sweet, with a lovely, elegant tone and some classic Allman Brothers sliding. This solo probably won't make you want to rock out, but I could listen to it all day.
4. "Caught Up in You," by .38 Special
Lead starts underneath the last chorus at 3:07, becomes a full on solo at 3:50
I honestly don't know who played the solo in this. Donny Van Zant played guitar in the band, but there was another guy too, and I'm having a bitch of a time figuring out which one performed this. So if anyone knows for sure, feel free to let me know.In much the same way as "Reaching For You" and "Ramblin' Man," this one is just fun. It's also pretty technical. The lead actually starts under the final chorus, playing licks at a counterpoint to the vocal melody. As the singing comes to a close, the guitar breaks in full force and takes center stage. What follows is terrific progression of licks and swoop up down, then shuffle in the middle, dancing with the listner's ears the whole time. My only complaint about this guitar solo is that it ends too early. Whichever guitar player composed this one, they have my utmost respect.
3. "Jet City Woman," by Queensryche
Solo performed by Chris DeGarmo
Solo starts at 3:36
Seattle. Rock. Early 90's. What comes to your mind? If anything related to grunge comes to mind, then you need to go pick up a copy of Queensryche's "Empire" album and listen to it until you forget those other guys exist.Queensryche has been in the news a lot lately following to infighting and the departure of longtime vocalist Geoff Tate. They are progressive metal band known for making intricate compositions that still manage to rock your socks off, and Jet City Woman is no exception, with its sentimental meaning powerful crooning, which are only outdone by its beast of a guitar solo.
DeGarmo's work begins by cranking a string into a bend. He gradually makes his way up in pitch, throwing out small but hard licks and phrases to put him closer and closer to the guitar's cutaways. He throws in a couple bends to tug on your nerves before launching into some end-all shredding in much the same way that Kirk Hammett did up there in "Creeping Death." This solo contains a little bit of everything that has made the heavier songs on this list good so far, which cements it as a solid number three on the list.
2. "You Shook Me All Night Long," by AC/DC
Solo performed by Angus Young
Solo starts at 2:20
Sex. Why is our culture so obsessed with sex? Sure, we all have hormones and stuff. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think of it. Call me old fashioned or prude or whatever, but I just don't like it. I think it's crude. When I hear a song about sex, it's usually an instant turn off, no pun intended. Part of the reason I can't stand most modern music is because there is so much emphasis on sex, and if I had to criticize a song, the immature subject matter would be the first thing that comes to mind.I just wanted to get that out of the way before I say that I absolutely love this song. AC/DC's entire forte is built around sex, drinking, and Hell. I don't like any of those things. So it's a testament to their skills as musicians that I still listen to them despite the lyrics. "You Shook Me All Night Long" is one of the most blatantly sexual songs ever, and also has one of the best guitar solos I have ever heard.
The guitar here is simple, but it works wonders. You have four parts: the intro, the verse riff, the chorus riff, and the solo. The solo in particular is just as fun, happy, and bouncy as "Caught Up In You," "Ramblin Man," and "Reaching For You." It's also a lot simpler than those. It's very basic, proving that you don't need complexity to be great. I would almost describe it as light and fluffy.
To top it off, remember when I said that I could play guitar but wasn't very good at it? This is one of the few songs that I can play start-to-finish and do so flawlessly. With that, I can say from experience that not only is this guitar solo a blast to listen to, it's just as fun to play. Zipping around with your fingers, bending strings, sliding down frets, it's literally enjoyable just to move your fingers to it. Despite the sex, "You Shook Me All Night Long" is a phenomenal piece of music with a guitar solo that you can't miss.
Honorable Mentions
Okay, I really didn't want to do this. The way I see it, if I'm going to include more than ten entries on a top ten list, then why not just make the core list longer? When I made this, I narrowed it down to about fiteen entries. I forced myself to cut more, but it was almost painful not to give some of my other favorite solos their due. So here are a handful of songs that came really close to the list, but didn't quite make it."Hotel California," by The Eagles
"Go Your Own Way," by Fleetwood Mac
"Rainbow in the Dark," by Dio
"The Sky is Crying," by Stevie Ray Vaughan
"War of the Gods," by Amon Amarth
"Johnny B. Goode," by Chuck Berry
"They Will Return," by Kalmah
"Keep Your Hands to Yourself," by Georgia Satellites
"Nantucket Sleighride," by Mountain. Actually, the solo from a very specific live recording that I once found on a torrent. I've never been able to find that version anywhere else, but trust me, it was awesome. Here is a link to the original song, for the curious. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the same awesomeness as that other version.
So there's that. Sorry to ramble on, I just love the guitar. There is some incredible guitar work here that I love. But you know what? There's still one guitar solo that sits on the throne of solos as far as I'm concerned.
1. "Tornado of Souls," by Megadeth
Solo performed by Marty Friedman
I'm not going to say when the solo starts. You owe it to yourself to listen to the entire song.
There was once I time when I had never heard this song before. Now my life is awesome.As I said on an earlier entry, my favorite song of all time is probably "Big City Nights." "Tornado of Souls," however, is an extremely close contender. It comes from one the greatest metal albums of all time, Megadeth's "Rust in Peace." With Dave Mustaine's snarling, angry vocals and pounding riffs, Menza and Ellefson's rhythm, and Marty Friedman's astounding technical prowess on lead, "Tornado of Souls" and the entire album is a masterpiece. If Beethoven wrote thrash metal, he still would not have come up with something this good.
This song is actually a breakup song, believe it or not. A very angry, spiteful breakup song. From the second it starts with a quick cluster of natural harmonics, you know you are in for a ride. From there we get a slick motif that leads into the meat of the song, then comes back to introduce to the solo later on. The first half has Dave Mustaine growling vengeafully toward his ex girlfriend. The second half turns him into a snarling beast so furious that you would almost run away in fear if you weren't having so much fun. And the middle, there is this.
Marty Friedman is a guitar genius with amazing technical abilities, and this is a great example. It almost tells a story, and follows a similar pattern to "Creeping Death" and "Jet City Woman." The early part of the solo has a subdued anger to it, matching Mustaine's vocal vibe perfectly. It continues to build up, making the music almost tremble with a fury building up inside. The whole time it is composed in a way that could rival an orchestral piece.
Friedman continues to build up, making the guitar cry and scream, until a quick series of dark, low-end legatos tell the listener what is coming. Then the entire solo, everything that the song has been building up for, explodes in a blast of shredding that will melt the flesh right off your bones. It roars away until Dave Mustaine picks up the lyrics again, jumping right into the rage that the solo transitioned into.
I don't mean to preach like a fanboy, but this entire song is metal perfection, and solo is one that could make any guitar player envious of Friedman's ability. Megadeth consistently proves that the electric guitar is a weapon of awesome, and "Tornado of Souls" is their paramount example, making this solo, and the song as a whole, an absolute can't-miss for anyone who likes the guitar.
I think I've rambled on for long enough. As I said, I love the guitar, and I love solos. These are only a small collection of the vast universe of musical prowess that guitar masters have put together through the generations. I hope you enjoyed my list, and maybe discovered some music that will make you a guitar lover, too.
.JPG)
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