Top Ten Best Guitar Solos

[oldguy]

If anyone's interested, maybe post the link to some of the best you can think of. Should probably have a minimum of about 30 seconds?

If there are a lot of candidates, maybe we could do a poll to rank the top ten. I'd want all of those on my ipod.

If the solo is embedded in the song, give the time it starts on the vid.

I don't know if this is the GOAT, but Santana might put more than one in the top ten.

At start of song and at 1:56 into the vid.




Go Carlos

 

[MARIS61]

[video=youtube;5Rdkucr3zqI]

 

[ABM]

This one is nice....

[video=youtube;h78ENzPlw8U]

 

[ABM]

Loved SRV's part in this song

[video=youtube;JFxU7t3E63I]
[video=youtube;gZB57b3lPQE]

 

[Denny Crane]

Pick from any of Pink Floyd's songs and you get great guitar solos. The one from Comfortably Numb is certainly top 10.

I like Jessica by the Allman Brothers Band, too.

How about the lead from Reelin' in the Years by the Doobies? That song is one continuous guitar solo with singing on top.

Crazy Train is one of the most played songs at sporting events. I hear it a lot. It's a brilliant combination of Randy Rhoads' guitar playing and Ozzy Osbourne's songwriting. The guitar solo is pretty amazing in that song.

Free Bird, Hotel California, and Clapton's Layla have to be up there.

I know you would find something from Jimmy Page, Richie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen (Eruption?), Alex Lifeson (many Rush songs have awesome guitar solos, how about 2112?), Jimi Hendrix, Joe Walsh (Life's been good so far, Rocky Mountain way).

I actually spent a few minutes thinking about this post

 

[julius]

Pick from any of Pink Floyd's songs and you get great guitar solos. The one from Comfortably Numb is certainly top 10.

You had me at Pink Floyd.

 

[oldguy]

I came in here to post this one, and I see Denny mentioned it above. Since Denny didn't post a vid, I'll do it here.



Good piano solo at end of first guitar solo.

 

[Denny Crane]

You had me at Pink Floyd.

I just bought this and am listening to it right now. Quite a coincidence.

 

[tlongII]

Tommy Bolin plays a solo on Stratus by Billy Cobham that is good as I've ever heard. I listen to some pretty obscure stuff so you may not of heard it before. Give it a listen!

 

[oldguy]

Got to have a Rolling Stones song in the mix.



solo at the 2:50 mark.

Go Blazers

 

[Denny Crane]

Fast forward to 7:00 and watch the rest.

 

[tlongII]

Gotta put Al Di Meola in here!

 

[speeds]

Saw this a little while ago. Dunno who shared it. Maybe somebody here? Pretty good.

[video=youtube;jdYJf_ybyVo]

 

[Denny Crane]

Gotta put Al Di Meola in here!

I'll see your Di Meola and raise you a Paco De Lucia

 

[Denny Crane]

Add in McLaughlin:

 

[tlongII]

Dan Balmer!

 

[Denny Crane]

Larry Carlton and Steve Lukather

 

[crowTrobot]

cliche, but Eruption has to be the most influential.

 

[oldguy]

Go Blazers

 

[Denny Crane]

Steve Morse Band:


Dixie Dregs:

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Keith

 

[maxiep]

Pick from any of Pink Floyd's songs and you get great guitar solos. The one from Comfortably Numb is certainly top 10.

I like Jessica by the Allman Brothers Band, too.

How about the lead from Reelin' in the Years by the Doobies? That song is one continuous guitar solo with singing on top.

Crazy Train is one of the most played songs at sporting events. I hear it a lot. It's a brilliant combination of Randy Rhoads' guitar playing and Ozzy Osbourne's songwriting. The guitar solo is pretty amazing in that song.

Free Bird, Hotel California, and Clapton's Layla have to be up there.

I know you would find something from Jimmy Page, Richie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen (Eruption?), Alex Lifeson (many Rush songs have awesome guitar solos, how about 2112?), Jimi Hendrix, Joe Walsh (Life's been good so far, Rocky Mountain way).

I actually spent a few minutes thinking about this post

Do you mean "Reelin' In The Years" by Steely Dan? If so, that magic was all Elliot Randall. Regardling Steely Dan, perhaps the most famous was Jay "Wah-Wah" Graydon's solo on "Peg", but my favorite guitar work was Larry Carlton's on "The Royal Scam" album. Magnificent.

And IMO, "Blue Sky" is superior to "Jessica", but I know it's a controversial opinion.

 

[maxiep]

By the way, the best guitarists are the ones who are almost completely unknown.

 

[Denny Crane]

Do you mean "Reelin' In The Years" by Steely Dan? If so, that magic was all Elliot Randall. Regardling Steely Dan, perhaps the most famous was Jay "Wah-Wah" Graydon's solo on "Peg", but my favorite guitar work was Larry Carlton's on "The Royal Scam" album. Magnificent.

And IMO, "Blue Sky" is superior to "Jessica", but I know it's a controversial opinion.

Skunk Baxter did some of the guitar on Reelin' in the Years and played for the Doobies. I knew it was Steely Dan, my bad.

Blue Sky -> Mr. Blue Sky -> ELO -> Geoff Lynne -> Roll Over Beethoven

 

[maxiep]

Skunk Baxter did some of the guitar on Reelin' in the Years and played for the Doobies. I knew it was Steely Dan, my bad.

Blue Sky -> Mr. Blue Sky -> ELO -> Geoff Lynne -> Roll Over Beethoven

The leads were all Elliot Randall. Skunk and Denny Diaz were the two guitarists that were members of Steely Dan at the time, but they didn't play the lead on that track, for what reason I don't know. They're both amazing. Diaz' best work is on the song Aja.

 

[Denny Crane]

http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/gp-flashback-/march-2011/3998

Did you play the solos on "Bodhisattva," "Reeling In The Years." and "My Old School"?

I played the second solo in "Bodhisattva"; Denny Dias played the first. On "Reeling In The Years" I did the surf parts—the little spots before each solo. "My Old School" was one time when I said to Don and Walter, "Hey, I got a line on this. I don't care what you say, I'm going to play this. And I think you're going to like it." It worked out good. That was with my homemade Stratocaster-style guitar.

(note I said "some of the guitar" not the lead)

 

[Denny Crane]

BTW, Baxter is now a defense contractor.

 

[maxiep]

http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/gp-flashback-/march-2011/3998

Did you play the solos on "Bodhisattva," "Reeling In The Years." and "My Old School"?

I played the second solo in "Bodhisattva"; Denny Dias played the first. On "Reeling In The Years" I did the surf parts—the little spots before each solo. "My Old School" was one time when I said to Don and Walter, "Hey, I got a line on this. I don't care what you say, I'm going to play this. And I think you're going to like it." It worked out good. That was with my homemade Stratocaster-style guitar.

(note I said "some of the guitar" not the lead)

I never said Skunk didn't play on Reelin' in the Years. I said he didn't play the leads for which the song is known. Diaz and Baxter played what I would call the "breaks"--the 16th notes--in harmony.

I was going to write about Bodhisattva, but I wasn't sure if I remembered how to spell it and didn't want to look it up . The solo from My Old School is also one of my faves, but the real issue for me is that I love so much of the guitar work on Steely Dan albums (they're willing to take melodic risks with their soloists and their chord changes are unique) it's hard to pick a favorite.

An interesting aside, Skunk Baxter also played on the lead for Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff". The guy can play damn near anything.

 

[maxiep]

BTW, Baxter is now a defense contractor.

Completely self-taught. Just an incredible guy. He changed our thinking about missle defense just by having a different perspective.

And his advice on learning the guitar? Take five years of classical piano.

 

[tlongII]

Yay! Steely Dan fans! I saw Steely Dan here in Portland summer before last. It was at the Schnitzer Concert Hall and I had floor seats. Great show!