There are so many other guitar solos that didn't make the "best of" list, so I thought I would share a few more here. I love all of these - I bet you do too.
Jimi Hendrix - "Voodoo Child." The clip below is from Live In Maui. I think most of the crowd is stoned.
Eddie Van Halen - "Eruption." The clip below is an extended version from a live show back in 1986.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd - "Blue On Black." I loved this song the second I heard it on the radio, way back in 1997. The track is on Shepherd's debut album Trouble. Noah Hunt does the vocals.
Richie Kotzen - "Fooled Again" from the 2007 album Go Faster. One of my favorite songs, period.
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) - "High Hopes" from the 1994 album The Division Bell.
I was on vacation at Disney World all last week, so I did not pay too much attention to the news. It was hot and rainy in Orlando and on Tuesday, Disney dropped the mask mandate inside the parks for fully vaccinated guests. It was jarring being around so many people again after being largely isolated fo the past year and a half. I went from being in a crowd no bigger than a line at Costco to suddenly being lined up with enough people to fill a concert venue! Yes, I rode the new Rise of the Resistance at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge inside Hollywood Studios. It was pretty darn epic - and it took a 10 hour wait, multiple storms, a lightning strike, Eric and I being evacuated and finally getting to experience it all in full.
The biggest news over the past week in America seems to be the designation of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Pretty amazing this finally happened.
For the first time in nearly 40 years, Juneteenth was officially made a national holiday. and just in time for Saturday's 156th anniversary of the day that marks the last African American slaves being freed in Texas in the wake of the Civil War. https://t.co/s5muNQjf8Epic.twitter.com/gy41CYtO9d
A rare copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln is being displayed at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, in recognition of Juneteenth. https://t.co/uLwcjRy1l8
COVID-19 is waning in America thanks to the available vaccines. The virus still rages in many parts of the world. What started the virus? Maybe it was a sneaky cat?
Thanks to everyone that made this possible. It didn't just "happen." It's not true in many other countries with vaccine. It's an incredible achievement to be here in June. https://t.co/gqLS4EIq5e
Roger Waters fights back against Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. Can't argue with Waters here - he is right!
Roger Waters said he rejected a “huge” offer from Facebook for the use of the classic Pink Floyd song “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” and called the corporation’s boss, Mark Zuckerberg, “one of the most powerful idiots in the world": https://t.co/hRCG4vOixT
— UltimateClassicRock (@UltClassicRock) June 15, 2021
Benjamin Netanyahu is out as Prime Minister of Israel after 12 years. When all different political parties get together to oust you... well, maybe your ideas, actions and policies suck.
BREAKING: Benjamin Netanyahu has been ousted as Israel’s prime minister, ending his 12-year rule.
"Best Of" lists are always subjective and it is really hard to judge and quantify art. Still, I hope you have enjoyed this countdown of my favorite guitar solos of all time. For the top spot, I spent a lot of time thinking about the solos that mattered the most to me. I kept coming back to something I used to say to a coworker at my old job: "I just want to focus on my work and listen to David Gilmour play guitar." That hasn't really changed. In fact, I often swing between classic Pink Floyd tunes and Gilmour's solo work. I especially like the 2015 solo album Rattle That Lock.
My choice for the best guitar solo of all time goes to David Gilmour and the Pink Floyd masterpiece, "Comfortably Numb." The song actually has two memorable guitar solos, but the second is the best. The song is on the 1979 release The Wall.
This was a hard choice for me because I also love the solo work on "High Hopes" from The Division Bell. In fact, I think that track displays some of Gilmour's best work and that is saying something considering his impact on guitar and the music world period.
The smoothness and uniqueness of "Comfortably Numb" tops my list because the solo is so transcendent and made extra special by the warm tone achieved by Gilmour. It provides a nice juxtaposition to the chilling lyrics performed by Roger Waters. It is fitting the duo share a writing credit and vocal duties on this signature track. It is the most important song on The Wall - and the song catapulted Pink Floyd into the stratosphere of epic rock stardom. No one thought the band could eclipse The Dark Side Of The Moon... and The Wall far exceeded expectations.
When the second guitar solo kicks in, Gilmour is ready to rock and show off. There's a lot of soul going on that helps bring the theme of The Wall together. Live, the song can go on forever and ever. Of any artist I have not yet seen live, the one I want to see more than any other is David Gilmour. The majestic second solo is a highlight of Gilmour's epic performance at Pompeii in 2016. Want to watch a masterclass in live guitar work? Just view the clip below.
It is fitting that the last song the members of Pink Floyd ever performed live together was "Comfortably Numb" during Live 8 in 2005. Also worth a watch:
"Stairway to Heaven" is one of those magical songs: it speaks to different audiences, the theme of the song is unique for a rock band and most importantly, it is timeless.
"Stairway to Heaven" is on Led Zeppelin IV, released in 1971. Jimmy Page created one of the most iconic pieces of music with his solo during "Stairway." The piece is singable, memorable and so melodic. I remember hearing the song the first time when I was a kid and listening to classic rock radio. My glam, I was straight mesmerized.
If you watch old videos of Page playing the "Stairway" solo live, you will notice he always changed things up. I suppose this was on purpose - and maybe some alcohol talking too. But to always improvise without losing the true essence of the solo just adds something special to the song. It must have been magic seeing Led Zeppelin live back in the day.
I love listening to the "Stairway to Heaven" studio and live recordings. I also dig hearing the orchestral interpretations of the song. In fact, the 1997 London Philharmonic recording Kashmir: Symphonic Led Zeppelin is one of my most-played albums of all time.
I bet this one will surprise you: I'm putting "My Sharona" by The Knack in the number 3 slot on the best guitar solos of all time list. I always regarded "My Sharona" as a rock song, but pop radio had different ideas and would typically chop out the awesome guitar solo to save time. "My Sharona" is the signature track of the New Wave era. Released in 1979 as The Knack's debut single, the song appears on the album Get The Knack.
Berton Averre's great guitar work in the solo section help solidify "My Sharona" as a perpetual ear worm. The solo is long, smooth, melodic and just out-of-left-field for a song like "My Sharona." This song - and Berton - always seem to get skipped on "best of" lists. I hope you agree this gem deserves here.
Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 03:21PM 