Disclaimer : This list is totally based on my preference. You don't have to agree with it. Opinions differ, right?
A great guitar solo is something that not only adds to the musicality of a song but takes the song to a new height altogether. It creates a new dimension out of the song entirely. Nothing displays the musicianship of a guitarist more than throwing a scorching, electrifying (pun intended) solo. Below are the 10 solos that are my favorite and which I believe is a showcase of the amazing talents of these great axe men. These are selected on the basis of their composition, diversity, originality and of course, staying power. All of these solos will make you hit the replay button countless times & leave you begging for more. So without further ado, here goes:
10.For the Love of God (Steve vai) :
Talk about pushing the boundaries of guitar playing. Just listening to this solo is an emotionally draining experience. You will feel goosebumps as the guitar wails and screams through the entire time. Vai recorded this solo on the 4th day of a 10 day fast because"I do try to push myself into relatively altered states of consciousness. Because in those states you can come up with things that are unique even for yourself". The theme of the solo is how far a man is willing to go in the pursuit of God's love and after listening to it,you will certainly feel how far Vai went with his guitar playing.
9.Time (David Gilmour) :
David Gilmour can do with one note what most other guitarists can't do with the entire fretboard. The man makes every note count. In this song,he creates one of the most truly constructed solo. It is magnificently structured and is more like a song itself. The way the solo starts,reaches higher in every phrase & finally collapses with some awesome bends......word's can't describe this.
8.White room (Eric Clapton) :
Composed of some irresistable licks and bends,Clapton blows through the roof with this crunching solo. If you ever wondered about those graffities in the wall of England that read Clapton is God,this is all the evidence you need. This solo showcases the otherworldly axe-manship of Clapton in his prime. As someone commented in youtube--"Clapton cheats.He uses God mode".
7.Stairway to Heaven (Jimmy page) :
I had a tough time choosing between Stairway & Achillis' but Stairway got the nod in the end. There's nothing that can be said about this solo that haven't already been said. With masterfully constructed notes & otherworldly chimes,it's the essential,archetype of guitar solos. Mr.Page makes a songbird out of his guitar to sing about the redemption & salvation of mankind. To sum up in one word : Epicness on steroids.
6.One (Kirk Hammett) :
The song is about the horror that war unleashes on mankind,particularly on an individual,while hammett wages war through his guitar. With two handed tapping & mach 3 level speed,hammett channels all the brutality,agony,pain and suffering of war through his guitar & delivers one of the most soul crushing solos ever conceived. And the guitar actually survived all this. Now that's a war hero.
5.Lonely in the Night (Eric Johnson):
Melancholy & beauty rarely gets along this well in music. This is true fantasy stuff. With the chrome velvet tone of that fender & those heavenly chimes,E.J tells a heartwarming story through his guitar that's bound to stick in your head. Hearing this solo will make you imagine yourself walking through the streets of Paris on a winter night while snow forms in the distance. A truly transcendent solo,as beautiful as it gets,albeit only a little over 2 minutes.
4.Mr.Crowley (Randy Rhoades) :
One of the most unfortunate events in the history of music is the death of Rhoades only at the age of 25. Despite a much shorter career,he is widely recognized as one of the most influential guitar players. When recording this song,he came up with several different solos but none fitted well. Then he was asked by Ozzy to just let go of trying to write a solo & just express himself through his guitar & whatever came up,will be recorded. Rhoades did it in one take and this solo was born and so did legions of Rhoades worshipping guitarists.
3.All along the Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix):
The pioneer of guitar playing,Jimi Hendrix played the guitar as if it was an extension of himself. Guitar playing would never be the same without him. About halfway into this cover of a Bob Dylan song,he opens a portal through his guitar & summons various otherworldly creatures that make sounds that haven't been heard before,such is the power of this solo. It can take you anywhere you want it to----from your local car park to the outer space. It cannot be stressed enough how much transformative power this one packs. Want to journey to the surface of Venus? Just get boozed & listen to this one. You aren't coming back to the Earth's atmosphere for a long,long time. Happy journey.
2.November Rain (Slash):
A master soloist,Saul Hudson in his prime,is a one of a kind storyteller who uses a guitar instead of a pen. In november rain,he crafts one of the finest narrative about unrequited love. This solo is more of a song within a song that is as heartwarming and soulful as it gets. The guitar sings as much as the singer himself,perhaps in a more moving way. Guitar playing rarely gets this artistic & reach this height. Words can't do it justice here. You'll just have to listen to it.
1.Comfortably Numb (David Gilmour):
David Gilmour is not from this planet,period. It is very possible that he was sent in a space capsule by the people of a distant galaxy who happens to look similar to us,who wanted to teach the inhabitants of Earth a thing or two about music. This solo is straight from the milky way. I find only one word to describe this : Cosmic. From the out-of-this-world tone to the phrasing,every single aspect of this breathtaking solo is beyond comprehension. When the studio version reaches it's end,you just don't want it to end,and when you hear the much superior live versions,the solo becomes an addiction. It will take you higher every time you hit the replay button. No other solos I've heard has this much staying power. It's music at it's finest.
A great guitar solo is something that not only adds to the musicality of a song but takes the song to a new height altogether. It creates a new dimension out of the song entirely. Nothing displays the musicianship of a guitarist more than throwing a scorching, electrifying (pun intended) solo. Below are the 10 solos that are my favorite and which I believe is a showcase of the amazing talents of these great axe men. These are selected on the basis of their composition, diversity, originality and of course, staying power. All of these solos will make you hit the replay button countless times & leave you begging for more. So without further ado, here goes:
10.For the Love of God (Steve vai) :
Talk about pushing the boundaries of guitar playing. Just listening to this solo is an emotionally draining experience. You will feel goosebumps as the guitar wails and screams through the entire time. Vai recorded this solo on the 4th day of a 10 day fast because"I do try to push myself into relatively altered states of consciousness. Because in those states you can come up with things that are unique even for yourself". The theme of the solo is how far a man is willing to go in the pursuit of God's love and after listening to it,you will certainly feel how far Vai went with his guitar playing.
9.Time (David Gilmour) :
David Gilmour can do with one note what most other guitarists can't do with the entire fretboard. The man makes every note count. In this song,he creates one of the most truly constructed solo. It is magnificently structured and is more like a song itself. The way the solo starts,reaches higher in every phrase & finally collapses with some awesome bends......word's can't describe this.
8.White room (Eric Clapton) :
Composed of some irresistable licks and bends,Clapton blows through the roof with this crunching solo. If you ever wondered about those graffities in the wall of England that read Clapton is God,this is all the evidence you need. This solo showcases the otherworldly axe-manship of Clapton in his prime. As someone commented in youtube--"Clapton cheats.He uses God mode".
7.Stairway to Heaven (Jimmy page) :
I had a tough time choosing between Stairway & Achillis' but Stairway got the nod in the end. There's nothing that can be said about this solo that haven't already been said. With masterfully constructed notes & otherworldly chimes,it's the essential,archetype of guitar solos. Mr.Page makes a songbird out of his guitar to sing about the redemption & salvation of mankind. To sum up in one word : Epicness on steroids.
6.One (Kirk Hammett) :
The song is about the horror that war unleashes on mankind,particularly on an individual,while hammett wages war through his guitar. With two handed tapping & mach 3 level speed,hammett channels all the brutality,agony,pain and suffering of war through his guitar & delivers one of the most soul crushing solos ever conceived. And the guitar actually survived all this. Now that's a war hero.
5.Lonely in the Night (Eric Johnson):
Melancholy & beauty rarely gets along this well in music. This is true fantasy stuff. With the chrome velvet tone of that fender & those heavenly chimes,E.J tells a heartwarming story through his guitar that's bound to stick in your head. Hearing this solo will make you imagine yourself walking through the streets of Paris on a winter night while snow forms in the distance. A truly transcendent solo,as beautiful as it gets,albeit only a little over 2 minutes.
4.Mr.Crowley (Randy Rhoades) :
One of the most unfortunate events in the history of music is the death of Rhoades only at the age of 25. Despite a much shorter career,he is widely recognized as one of the most influential guitar players. When recording this song,he came up with several different solos but none fitted well. Then he was asked by Ozzy to just let go of trying to write a solo & just express himself through his guitar & whatever came up,will be recorded. Rhoades did it in one take and this solo was born and so did legions of Rhoades worshipping guitarists.
3.All along the Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix):
The pioneer of guitar playing,Jimi Hendrix played the guitar as if it was an extension of himself. Guitar playing would never be the same without him. About halfway into this cover of a Bob Dylan song,he opens a portal through his guitar & summons various otherworldly creatures that make sounds that haven't been heard before,such is the power of this solo. It can take you anywhere you want it to----from your local car park to the outer space. It cannot be stressed enough how much transformative power this one packs. Want to journey to the surface of Venus? Just get boozed & listen to this one. You aren't coming back to the Earth's atmosphere for a long,long time. Happy journey.
2.November Rain (Slash):
A master soloist,Saul Hudson in his prime,is a one of a kind storyteller who uses a guitar instead of a pen. In november rain,he crafts one of the finest narrative about unrequited love. This solo is more of a song within a song that is as heartwarming and soulful as it gets. The guitar sings as much as the singer himself,perhaps in a more moving way. Guitar playing rarely gets this artistic & reach this height. Words can't do it justice here. You'll just have to listen to it.
1.Comfortably Numb (David Gilmour):
David Gilmour is not from this planet,period. It is very possible that he was sent in a space capsule by the people of a distant galaxy who happens to look similar to us,who wanted to teach the inhabitants of Earth a thing or two about music. This solo is straight from the milky way. I find only one word to describe this : Cosmic. From the out-of-this-world tone to the phrasing,every single aspect of this breathtaking solo is beyond comprehension. When the studio version reaches it's end,you just don't want it to end,and when you hear the much superior live versions,the solo becomes an addiction. It will take you higher every time you hit the replay button. No other solos I've heard has this much staying power. It's music at it's finest.
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