Best Guitar Solos Ever! Let's list 'em...

We've done this a few tims, but since it's Christmas and I have some time to kill before some family commitments:

The last two minutes:


And for something a little different:

Not bad, Comfortably Numb, as a matter of fact it's worthy of being imported into my Itunes collection and placed in with my top lead guitar songs playlist.


Thanks much!


Here's my fav version of one of my all time favs and it's live also...


Here's Kid Funkadelic in action with the Maggot Brain!

Here's a tasty one...

Kid Charlemagne- Steely Dan

Depends what type of music we're talking...

I have to give props to Sabbath I guess. "Symptom of the Universe" comes to mind. - Starts off dull... But listen to the entire thing. At the half way point, it's beautiful. (I chose the Sepultura cover, because I like this better):

(It gets beautiful @ the 2:20 mark):


Also... When talking about impressive guitar solos, you CANNOT ignore Dimebag Darell of Pantera. (When EDDIE VAN HALEN gives you his favorite guitar at your funeral, you know you're a legendary badass).


Runners up: Black Sabbath - Sweet Leaf
Anything Dimebag Darrel (Check out "Psycho Holiday", "Floods")
Anything Hendrix ever did

Here's the legendary intro to Stanely Clarke's "School Daze". Many think the guitar player is a guy named Raymond Gomez, who is listed on the album, but I say it's an uncredited Jeff Beck:


Below is School Days live with Ray Gomez on guitar. While Gomez has a great solo of his own starting at about the 3:45 mark, it isn't the same sound or style as the solo above. And, Jeff Beck played quite a bit with Clarke throughout the years.


PS. How about putting Clarke's bass jam above in the greatest bass solo category?

Stanley Clarke! One of the best bass guitar players ever without a doubt.

I know this is an extreme cliche but the solo in Stairway To Heaven has to be one of the greatest ever.

Mark Knopfler's got to be on this list as well. Telegraph Road is one of my most favourite Dire Straights song...

A great "commercial" jam from Alvin Lee:

Johnny Winter slide solo:

Johnny Winter slow blues solo:

Roy Buchanan master of the telecaster modern blues solo:

Johnny and Roy! Of course.

'spect.

Edit: Roy is on loop. What a fantastic guitarist!

A couple from Jimi:

Absolutely! At 43 seconds especially.

The first three notes of this solo from Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" sets it up as one of the cleanest David Gilmour (again) has ever played.

People have said David's playing is just as much as about the spaces and what he doesn't play as what he does. He's like the slow cooking version of fine food. "There's plenty of time, the world's not going to end, let me get this one note out perfectly then we'll move onto the next...if that's ok"

My first wish when the hyperthetical "what would you wish for if you had three wishes" is always "To be able to play any instrument perfectly". I figure that's a skill that could feed you forever.

Here's David again...the first three notes...

Slide solo most likley to make you stomp your foot:

George be good.

Not sure if you guys have ever bumped into "MysteryGuitarMan" but he does things with stop motion. This clip was "Over 1000 cuts. 6 hours of guitar tabbing. 1 hour of shooting..."


Here's some more of his guitar stuff...

Best solos by a chick (Jennifer Batten):

Best "double solo" with one guy wearing hot pants and the other guy with a cigarette in his strings:

Jennifer's amazing. I had no idea. Good one.

Good ol' Frank...he's great. Steve Vai, Ingwie, Sheehan and their ilk are definitely in a league of their own. Good post.

Angus Young AC/DC - Let there be rock - original version. Timeless solo.

Holy moly. Wow.

Buddy check it out : -

*WARNING* if you break your neck headbanging to Kyuss I will not be held liable.

must be included

harry chapin - six string orchestra


here is the version by the harry chapin tribute band

There's a pretty good list here already. I'll add to it but since I have so many, and I suck at using this code, especially to add videos, I'll just list them.

Joe Satriani - Satch Boogie

Slash (Guns N' Roses) - Sweet Child O' Mine

Randy Rhoads (Ozzy) - Take your pick :-)

Zack Wilde (Ozzy) - No More Tears

Alex Lifeson (Rush) - Freewill

Alex Lifeson (Rush) - Working Man

Donald "Buck" Dharma (Blue Oyster Cult) - Don't Fear The Reaper

There are so many more I could list, but those popped up first.

The lead break in Phil Collins' Easy Lover.

The lead break in Toto's Hold the Line.

The lead break in Prince's Purple Rain.

The lead break in Pink Floyd's Time.

The leade break in ACDC's Dog Eat Dog.

The lead break in Alvin Bishop's Fooled Around and Fell in Love.

The lead break in Van Halen's Jump.

The lead break in Phil Collins' Easy Lover.

The lead break in Toto's Hold the Line.

The lead break in Prince's Purple Rain.

The lead break in Pink Floyd's Time.

The lead break in ACDC's Dog Eat Dog.

The lead break in Alvin Bishop's Fooled Around and Fell in Love.

The lead break in Van Halen's Jump.

Just about all of John Frusciante's guitar solos are awesome.

When I was about 10 my big sister's boyfriend took me under his wing and gave me a few lessons on my cheaper than Corn Flakes electric guitar which I'd practice with by plugging it's big curly lead into the mic jack of the home stereo (yes, I eventually blew up the home stereo). He was a huge blues and Hendrix fan and played an upside down star-burst Ibanez Strat' guitar left handed which was handy because when he was teaching me his guitar mirrored my right hand so I just did what he did - mirror image.

He gave me what he called his "guitar players kit" which was a Johnny winter Album (in a JJ Cale sleeve) and a floppy little miniature 33rpm plastic tear-away record that had the 12 essential rock lead cliches and the tip to dab methylated spirits on my finger pads after playing to harden them up like little hammers". These cliches were little groups of 2 or three notes, moves, bends, slides, hammer ons, pull offs, essentials that (he said) if I learned I'd be able to "play lead solos". He also wrote down a box pattern blues scale with 3 or 4 "shapes" and said "learn this by next time".

I remember one day early in my lessons he taught me how to play the open string twelve bar blues pattern which I picked up pretty quickly. He told me to just keep playing that pattern over and over again. I start playing and he points to spots on the fret board where I should be then he startles me by starting to play his own thing really loud. So I stopped.

He stops playing (which my screaming ears were very thankful for) and said "why did you stop?" I replied that I didn't want to interrupt his playing. He laughed and explained that he was playing a solo "over the top" of my "rhythm playing" and to just start again and he'll play over the top and it'll sound grouse*. I did and it did.

At that moment I understood the difference between rhythm and lead guitars. It was icy cold that day in a small bedroom with a linoleum floor and a 100watt amp. I'll never forget it and I've never forgotten those blues box shapes now 40 years later but I sure wish I could remember those 12 blues cliche licks.

*grouse is (was?) south eastern Australian for "awesome!"

History of the Blues in 50 Guitar Riffs - YouTube

Gary Moore...of course.

'November Rain' - Gunners.
Or anything by Slash!
I don't video link anything.

I wish this babe gave guitar lessons...

I Want You She's So Heavy

Amazing cover of an amazing tune...

Somebody That I Used To Know Cover

Santana - Trinity

Hot Sax AND Guitar.
If this one doesn't get to ya, you're dead.

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street - YouTube

Can't say if it's my all time favorite, but it is certainly one of them. Zappa's solo on Willie the Pimp.