411 Music Ten Deep 8.20.09: Top Ten Guitar Solos

Posted by Andrew Moll on 08.20.2009

Nothing describes rock excess better than the guitar solo, so join us as we look at some of the best solos that rock music has to offer. From "November Rain" to "Stairway to Heaven," and from "Free Bird" to "Comfortably Numb," see what made the list of the Top Ten Guitar Solos in this week's edition of 411 Music Ten Deep.



(Disclaimer: All opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of 411 Music and its staff.)


Welcome to the fifth edition of Ten Deep, presented exclusively by 411 Music. I am Andrew Moll, your general all-around party host for this column and I'd like to take a moment to mention the passing of Les Paul who dies last week at the age of 94. Paul was one of the innovators of the solid-body electric guitar and he is one of the men that undoubtedly helped shape the sound of rock and roll. The Gibson Les Paul guitar is one of rock's most recognizable instruments, used by guitarists like Slash, Duane Allman, Frank Zappa and B.B. King, among others. With Paul's passing, this week we're presenting the Top Ten Guitar Solos. But first, a look at some of the feedback from last week's list of the Top Ten Rock Drummers (Not Named Bonham, Moon or Peart).





feedback and yelling YA! FUGAZI!
Posted By: Guest#0008 (Guest) on August 13, 2009 at 09:27 AM

Well put, my friend. Well put.

Dude, that list sucks. Some of these people are just random. Just because they are your favorite bands doesn't make them top 10. Dave Grohl and Stewart would be on my list but you can't leave out Bonham and Moon and have any credibility.
Posted By: Real Man (Guest) on August 13, 2009 at 10:09 PM

READING!

The top ten are great drummers but Mike Portnoy should have been in the top ten. He could drum circles over the top ten list. Terry Bozzio would have also been a good addition to the list.
Posted By: Josh (Guest) on August 13, 2009 at 12:48 AM

how can you call this a top 10 list, when you leave out Dave Lombardo?
Posted By: anti-messiah (Guest) on August 13, 2009 at 08:39 AM

I'm a drummer myself and I have to say that Mike Portnoy really deserves to be more than just an honourable mention, the stuff that guy can do is just incredible.
Posted By: Flagg (Guest) on August 13, 2009 at 09:14 AM

Mike Portnoy should of been number 1 on the list... If anybody disagrees, listen to dream theater or any of the side projects that includes Mike Portnoy... Check out some videos of him performing bonham's moby dick drum solo flawlessly... Maybe you should of named the list top ten drummers that aren't named bonham moon peart or Portnoy
Posted By: Guest#7162 (Guest) on August 13, 2009 at 02:04 PM

I'm assuming you've never heard of Dave Lombardo from Slayer.
Posted By: Guest#2449 (Guest) on August 13, 2009 at 02:24 PM

Complete travesty that Portnoy did not make this list. He can play in ANY style he wants flawlessly. I would also add Terry Bozzio, Mike Mangini, Bobby Rock (look him up if you don't know who he is) and Eric Singer who is very very underrated by the average fan but highly regarded by his peers.
Posted By: Guest#5574 (Guest) on August 13, 2009 at 09:12 PM

OK, you guys got me. I'm not really a metal fan. I mean, I like Mastodon, I like The Austerity Program, I like Metallica, I like other metal bands, but I'm not much of a metal guy. So my apologies to all of you as well as Mike Portnoy, Dave Lombardo and any other metal drummer I may have left out. I can recognize their talent, but if I'm somewhat unfamiliar with someone's work, it's impossible for me to justify putting them on a top ten list.

But that's all in the past now, as we're ready to move onto this week's list. In a tribute to Les Paul, I present to you:



Top Ten Guitar Solos



The guitar solo: rock's great masturbatory triumph. Alright, maybe that's a little unfair. Obviously solos too often devolve into egomaniacal wankathons where lead guitarists show off all their skills in lieu of actually contributing something to the song. But that's not always the case. A well done guitar solo can take a song to another level giving it life and energy, feeling an emotion, or whatever else the song calls for in order to make it something special. The guitarists and their solos on this list don't overshadow the classic songs they play on, but rather they add to them by providing a boost that can make a song iconic. Technical mastery, passion and feeling are what make a great solo, and qualities that all of the songs on the list share. So, in honor of the legacy of Les Paul, I present to you the Top Ten Guitar Solos, right after a look at these honorable mentions.


Some Honorable Mentions: Built to Spill - "Broken Chairs"; Derek and the Dominos - "Layla"; Metallica - "Master of Puppets"; Prince - "Purple Rain"; Rage Against the Machine - "Bulls on Parade"; Sonic Youth - "The Diamond Sea"; The Stone Roses - "I Am the Resurrection"; Van Halen - "Eruption"; Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Texas Flood"; White Stripes - "Ball and Biscuit"



10. Funkadelic - "Maggot Brain"


The song that opens Funkadelic's classic album of the same name, "Maggot Brain" is a ten-plus minute showcase for guitarist Eddie Hazel, probably the greatest funk guitarist off all-time. It opens with a voice over saying something about the mother earth, but that is quickly put to the side and makes way for Hazel's evocative guitar. Legend has it that Funkadelic leader George Clinton told Hazel to play the song like his mother just died, and that raw emotion comes through in Hazel's performance. You can feel the hurt and sadness coming out of his guitar as he completely bypasses funk and even psychedelic music and ends up with only heartbreak being put out by his amplifiers.





Originally the song had called for more accompaniment from the rest of the band, but Clinton faded them out in favor of highlighting Hazel's performance, as the other musicians are left to a barely audible backing part. Clearly this was the right choice on Clinton's part as the song allows Hazel to play without any other distraction and the focus is squarely on his painful yet impressive work. Amazingly, the song was recorded in one take, although if you think about it makes sense because the kind of emotion that Hazel puts out can't be easily replicated. Using Clinton's motivation about his mother, Hazel created an epic ten minutes song managed to not only describe the drug era without any words but also provide the soundtrack to any heartbreak a person may feel.





9. Television - "Marquee Moon"


"Marquee Moon" is such a complex, detailed and intricate song that when it was first written, original guitarist Richard Hell was fired partly because he lacked the skills to play it. Television stood in stark contrast to their New York punk rock peers of the time, like The Ramnoes, Patti Smith and more. The band was heavily steeped in jazz and used that influence to create epic rock jams, like the title track to their legendary debut. The song actually contains two solos, the first brief one played by guitarist Richard Lloyd. But four minutes in, after the third chorus Television's other guitarist Tom Verlaine delivers a long and expansive solo that single-handedly redefined what punk could be and showed that even punk bands could have mastery of their instruments.





Verlaine's solo goes for a few minutes and is a jam in the best sense of the word as Verlaine goes off on some jazz-inspired riffs while the rest of the band provides the perfect backup. As Allmusic points out in their review of the song, the solo by Verlaine here "is nothing short of sublime." It's tough for me to find a better way to describe it than that. The solo builds and builds in intensity with the band in tow before it reaches it cathartic climax and drifting into a dream-like tenderness that eventually gives away to one more verse and chorus. "Marquee Moon" is an absolute classic, with Verlaine's solo being not only his standout moments, but a standout moment for all of punk rock as well. Punk and jazz fused together here to make an extended jam that is never overbearing or egocentric. If you can, check out the version from the live album The Blow Up that clocks in at almost fifteen minutes and might even be better than the original studio version.





8. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - "Cortez the Killer"


Neil Young once said himself that "Cortez the Killer" featured some of his best guitar playing ever, and I find it difficult for anyone to argue that. The song is one of the best example of Young's style of guitar playing, one featuring big chords and solo riffs that both melodic and rough around the edges, which is a pretty good way of describing much of Young's musical output. But for all the edginess that Young can put out, he still possesses an elegance to much of what he does, as evidenced by the first three minutes of this song. The slow-building jam is Young at his best, extending a killer riff into something majestic while utilizing the cohesiveness he's always had with Crazy Horse.





There's no urgency here, no feeling that anything has to be rushed or amplified for more than it's actually worth. Young and the band just let the song build on its own with that riff and Young's nimble guitar work driving the tale of the Spanish conquistador that took Mexico in the sixteenth century. There's no idea of that influence of the music itself, but it's not necessary. Instead, the band gives a methodical performance that features the best guitar work Young ever produced in his long and distinguished career. The seven and a half minute jam is also probably the best work Crazy Horse ever provided Young, and the jam was meant to go longer but a studio snafu forced the band to fade the song out at the end. The definitive version probably appears on the album Live Rust but really any version of this classic is a must-listen for any rock fan.





7. Guns N' Roses - "November Rain"


By 1991, Guns N' Roses had become somewhat bloated due to Axl Rose's fascination with the becoming the Elton John and crafting ballads that reached for epic status at each moment in the song. The best of these GNR songs is definitely "November Rain" a song that is pushed beyond a simple power ballad by Slash. His first solo a few minutes into the song is a beautiful one, a soloing skill that Slash was actually able show quite a few times with Guns N' Roses. That first solo moves around effortlessly and fits the mood that Axl was looking for perfectly. I'd be remised if I didn't mention the music video for this song that takes Slash's performance to another level. His first solo seems him playing alone in the desert, hair blowing and being shot from a helicopter flying above. It's all very over-the-top, but once again fits the song.





Of course, the best was saved for last as the finale to the song is bombastic, anthemic, moving and powerful. Slash's solo is absolutely blistering and cuts right through Axl's dramatic orchestral arrangement. It's a solo that's also enhanced by the music video, with the iconic shot of Slash standing atop Axl's piano and delivering his solo to a packed theater. Like I said before, it's all just so completely over-the-top, but that's the fun part of it. Not all Axl's theatrical songs worked during this period, but "November Rain" is the one that get its right. The arrangement smartly saves the most powerful moment for the end, letting Slash finish the song with an amazing flourish and solidifying himself as one of the best guitarists of the era, if not the best. This is a song made to fill arenas and Slash provides the epic quality that made it happen.





6. Pearl Jam - "Alive"



This may surprise you, but there are not very many arena rock classics that deal with possible incest. Obviously, though, what makes "Alive" a great song isn't necessarily the lyrical content. Rather part of it is the crowd-pleasing chorus where Eddie Vedder bellows the song's title. Another huge factor is Mike McCready's intense solo that is just as crowd-pleasing and raucous as anything Vedder could yell. McCready's himself claims he basically played Ace Frehley's solo from the Kiss song "She" and while there certainly are some similarities between the two, what separates McCready's solo is the absolute passion and energy that comes out of his guitar during the extended solo. The simple fact is the band rocks as hard during that sequence as they did during any other song in their career. Once Vedder finishes the final chorus it feels as if there's nothing left from the band to give, like all the energy has been poured into the song already. But McCready's solo manages to push them higher, like he refuses to let the song end, and the band is able to take the listener with them.





I realize I may pretty biased considering Pearl Jam is my favorite band, but I think McCready's work definitely justifies its placement on the list. I've seen Pearl Jam in concert a few times and seen them play "Alive" a couple times with the best performance coming in Montreal in 2005. In fact, their performance of "Alive" is the single best song I've seen any band do live, ever. The crowd's chanting of "yeah!" during the solo on every downbeat was astonishing to hear and McCready matched the crowd's energy with a scorching solo that still gives me chills when I hear it. "Alive" has one of the best Hendrix-inspired riffs and solo ever recorded as McCready combines with classic arena qualities to create a solo that is impossible to resist and get into. This solo just a natural energy to it that most guitarists would be hard pressed to match.





5. The Beatles - "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"


This is labeled as a Beatles song but it's really a George Harrison song, and the guitar solo isn't performed by a Beatle at all but rather by Harrison's close friend Eric Clapton. Harrison's original composition was initially rejected by the rest of the band, but once Clapton came along to provide lead guitars the song came together and proved to be one of the highlights of the band's career. When you title your song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," you had better be prepared to deliver a guitar part that matches the title in emotion, and luckily Clapton delivers one of his best solos. I know this sounds kind of corny and idiotic, but Clapton really does give off the sense that the guitar is "weeping" or that he is weeping through the guitar. The fluid, bluesy guitar riff his instantly memorable a deeply emotional.





From the Yardbirds to John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers to Cream, Clapton was already proving himself to be one hell of a blues guitarist when the song was recorded. His respect and talent essentially brought the Beatles together for at least a little while to get this song done, and Clapton ended up providing the perfect solo for Harrison's song. This was clearly a very emotional song for Harrison and there wasn't anybody better suited to provide the proper guitar work and solo than Clapton was. Backed by Paul McCartney's organ and piano parts, Clapton takes center stage towards the end of the song, delivering the blues in a pretty Beatles-esque manner, with a good amount of pop sensibility. The song fades out at the end, leaving the impression of a band exhausted by the emotional song they just performed.





4. Pink Floyd - "Comfortably Numb"


Now this may be heresy around these parts, but I'm prepared to go forward with it anyway: I've always found Pink Floyd to be a little overrated. This doesn't mean I hate them or anything; it's just that I don't find them to be the great geniuses of rock music or anything. But I will say that when Pink Floyd gets it right, they really get it right. That's the case with the trippy "Comfortably Numb," a standout from The Wall. Much of the song is dark but melancholy, with a certain atmospheric sense to it. Guitarist David Gilmour's first solo two minutes in gives a brief glimpse as to the more epic solo to come, but this one fits in more nicely with the song at this point as it leads into Gilmour's somewhat operatic chorus. The song continues like this with Roger Waters' darker verses and Gilmour's lighter choruses not revealing any of the blistering solo to come.





After the final chorus Gilmour comes in with that great solo, a two minute journey that is aggressive, something the song certainly hadn't been up to that point. Gilmour actually tried a few different versions of the solo before putting the best parts together to form an indelible performance. The solo is much more blues-influenced than you might realize with plenty of emotional peaks and valleys. This is a great example of a guitarist taking the opportunity afforded to him by the song and making the most of it. The character in the song is now drugged up and isolated, and the anger caused by that comes through in Gilmour's classic solo.





3. Led Zeppelin - "Stairway to Heaven"


"Stairway to Heaven," the power ballad to end all power ballads isn't really a power ballad at all. Sure, it's starts off acoustically and builds to its powerful end, but this is more than a power ballad. Jimmy Page's legendary guitar work is what makes this song great delivering a solo that would be enough to make him one of the great guitarists of all-time even without his other great works. The song spends nearly six minutes going through different sections, with each one building volume and speed, like its anticipating Page's solo. Eventually that moment does come and in some ways the song's success relies on Page hitting one out the park. When you're Led Zeppelin and you spend an entire song with acoustic guitars and slower parts while singing about, well, God knows what, something about hedgerows, you had better pack a punch and deliver something memorable.





The final interlude at about six minutes feels like a preparation for the solo and with that, Page is off with a tremendous solo that's highlighted by John Bonham's powerful and tumbling drums. The solo leads into the classi finale to the song that continues Page's powerful push. This is a lesson in building to a climax. If any part of the song had been rearranged or put in another place, it wouldn't have worked. Each step has to be taken in order to get to Page's solo, one of rock music great triumphs. He turns the song on its ear, from an acoustic ballad to a powerful rock track that has become Led Zeppelin's signature song.





2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "All Along the Watchtower"


From the ominous chords at the beginning of the song to the end, this is a master class in not only re-working a song but also in guitar theatrics and mastery. Jimi Hendrix's work on this song is nothing short of stunning, with the whole song feeling like one long guitar solo broken up by Bob Dylan's song that became completely obsolete once this version was recorded. There are a few different solos on this song broken up by verses and right from the start it's clear that Hendrix has produced a guitar classic. In fact the verses seem to act as launching pads for Hendrix's guitar wizardry, sending him into almost a tailspin that's only enhanced the more intense the song and his playing get. The skill with which he plays this track is amazing as he puts all his passion and fury into his guitar; the result is a venerable hurricane of guitar, with sounds, riffs, and feedback coming at you from a million different directions until you're completely swept up in it.





Rarely does a song deliver such a sonic force as this one does; this is Hendrix at his incendiary best, putting any frustration he has into his playing and the result is arguably the signature example of his genius and abilities. Towards the end of the song, Hendrix yells, "And the wind begins to howl!" and it's not only a line that seems to set him off once again on an intense solo, but it also comes off as the statement behind his performance and lends credence to the idea that this is a hurricane of sorts. No other song better exemplifies his skills than this one and while Hendrix would have epic solos just as good, on stuff like "Machine Gun" or "Little Wing" no guitar performance can hold a candle to the fury displayed on "All Along the Watchtower."





1. Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Free Bird"


There are at least a couple reasons why people yell "Free Bird!" at every conceivable rock concert. One reason is that people tend to turn into drunk morons when out in public and at a concert. But the real reason is that "Free Bird" is as iconic a rock and roll song that's ever been recorded, full of all the epic qualities, as well as piss and vinegar, which make rock music great. Starting off as an emotional ballad featuring the famous "If I leave here tomorrow, will you still remember me?" the song is highlighted by a well-played slide guitar from Gary Rossington that is one of the song's signatures. If the song were only about four or five minutes long it would be remembered as a beautiful ballad featuring a wonderful slide guitar that shows a real sensitivity. But the song is nine minutes long, and the final half of the song takes the idea of the free bird quite literally as the song takes off, flying high with seemingly no sign of coming down anytime soon. When lead singer Ronnie Van Zant sings, "won't you fly high, free bird" that's the signal for the band to go off.


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Guitarist Allen Collins takes the cue and transforms the song from a ballad into a southern rock epic and one of rock's great triumphs. The up-tempo section feels like it's never going to end, not that you want to, and turns the whole thing into the best damn driving song you've ever heard. In fact, you get the sense of being in a car that's at maximum speed and about to careen off the road and it's all being led by Collins's guitar. "Free Bird" features the ultimate jam, a double guitar attack that is unrelenting that provides a terrific groove that you have to move to. The entire band joins in on Collins and Rossington's guitar duel turning the song into a runaway freight train before it fades out. It's a fitting end because a song like "Free Bird" and its pounding solo shouldn't really end, per se. It should keep going as long as possible like many live versions of the song do that extend to about fifteen minutes in length. "Free Bird" features rock's great solo not because it's individualistic performance, but rather it leads the band along with it on a guitar frenzy that has never been matched.



That'll do it for this week folks, thanks for reading. If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to let me know, and make sure to leave your own lists in the comments. I'll see you all next week. And if you're out on your bike tonight, do wear white.