As I was flipping the stations on my satellite radio I came across a show where the DJs were having a segment about the greatest guitar solo in rock history. Those cats on the station were playing stuff by AC/DC (really?), Metallica and Deep Purple and the likes. I didn't stick around long enough to get much more info but thought about the premise a bit. Songs like The Rolling Stones' Shine A Light, the very gentle guitar work of John Frusciante on The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Scar Tissue, everything by Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn and even Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven.
I'm not going to come to a greatest guitar solo conclusion, but I will come to this conclusion: the guitar work by a very young Eric Calpton on The Yardbirds' A Certain Girl is absolutely perfect in tone, attack, phrasing and length. A Certain Girl was the flip-side of the bands' amazing first single, I Wish You Would. I've always thought A Certain Girl, the cover of the Neville Brothers original, was a bit goofy with the band hollering' out a baritone "Nooooo" too often, but this guitar work is undeniable.
Got any other great guitar solos you think need attention? Let us know in comment section below.
Agree: fantastic solo, so much so it overshadows the song, but who cares? Pretty vapid song, just the thing that probably repulsed Clapton. If anything were to count against the solo it is that it really doesn't belong in the middle of this pop tune and solos are meant to belong.
Just noticed the fuzzy lead throughout the song, another sign that Clapton is trying to roughen up the song a bit. The cool sounding rhythm guitar with heavy tremelo, heard only at the very end, begs the question, Why don't we care about the greatest rhythm guitar ever?
I guess there was a day when I would have said as much, and I do admire his playing, but it was more of an open ended question - why not give the rhythm guitar more spotlight time? High on my list would be P. Townsend, or perhaps David Bowie.
@Jack. I would never have thought to add David Bowie to that list. Pete Townshend, Keith Richards or even the cat from Radiohead, but Bowie? Not saying you are wrong, just not top of my thoughts.
@Mattbro22 - just listened to it. Tasty reverb lead. Reminds me of The Blues Project's No Time Like The Right Time.
A solo I've always loved was Glenn Tilbrook's in "Another Nail In My Heart" by Squeeze. It happens early on in the song (which is kind of unusual) and is skillful, without being flashy. Also, it bridges two verses, and when I hear it, I think "how's he going to get back to the verse?". But, he does, seamlessly. That's a great solo, fitting in with the rest of the song, and making it better.
Thanks for stopping in. This post is quite old. I did more research on it after this was posted and created a whole new post on Ernie K. Doe's original recording. You can read about, listen to and download the original recording here.
Agree: fantastic solo, so much so it overshadows the song, but who cares? Pretty vapid song, just the thing that probably repulsed Clapton. If anything were to count against the solo it is that it really doesn't belong in the middle of this pop tune and solos are meant to belong.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed the fuzzy lead throughout the song, another sign that Clapton is trying to roughen up the song a bit. The cool sounding rhythm guitar with heavy tremelo, heard only at the very end, begs the question, Why don't we care about the greatest rhythm guitar ever?
Greatest rhythm guitar ever? Keith Richards on Brown Sugar, hands down.
Deletedid you just say that Chris Dreja is the greatest rhythm guitarist ever?
ReplyDeleteI guess there was a day when I would have said as much, and I do admire his playing, but it was more of an open ended question - why not give the rhythm guitar more spotlight time? High on my list would be P. Townsend, or perhaps David Bowie.
ReplyDeleteI always loved the solo on The Charlatans, "Codine". "Vintage S.F. 1966 acid-blues by Mike Wilhelm.
ReplyDeleteIt's very short - but SWEET!
@Jack. I would never have thought to add David Bowie to that list. Pete Townshend, Keith Richards or even the cat from Radiohead, but Bowie? Not saying you are wrong, just not top of my thoughts.
ReplyDelete@Mattbro22 - just listened to it. Tasty reverb lead. Reminds me of The Blues Project's No Time Like The Right Time.
A solo I've always loved was Glenn Tilbrook's in "Another Nail In My Heart" by Squeeze. It happens early on in the song (which is kind of unusual) and is skillful, without being flashy. Also, it bridges two verses, and when I hear it, I think "how's he going to get back to the verse?". But, he does, seamlessly. That's a great solo, fitting in with the rest of the song, and making it better.
ReplyDeleteI've always been a fan of Johnny Greenwood's guitar solo on Paranoid Android. The one at the end of the song.
ReplyDeleteRob and Mac. Both good 'uns.
ReplyDeleteCool pixes! The first one is wonderful (hi friend).
ReplyDeleteIt's not a Neville Brothers song. It was written by Allen Toussaint under the pen name Naomi Neville.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping in. This post is quite old. I did more research on it after this was posted and created a whole new post on Ernie K. Doe's original recording. You can read about, listen to and download the original recording here.
Deletehttp://ontheflip-side.blogspot.com/2014/07/songs-yardbirds-taught-us-enrie-k-doe.html
Thanks for the great info. I hope you stop by more often!
It was first done by Ernie K-Doe.
ReplyDelete