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Guitar solos in rock music: yay or nay?

What is your opinion on guitar solos in rock?


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    96

Maverick

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What do you think and feel about guitar solos in rock music?

Rock in the 70's and 80's overindulged in the guitar solo "thing". Now, it's rarer to hear guitar solos in rock music. I'd be glad to see hear the equivalent of a modern Jimmy Page or Slash in many current rock bands. I like guitar solos as a moment of freedom in the otherwise rigid structure of a song, aswell as a replacement of the vocals.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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Where's the "solos ARE the music" option?

Bleh
I lean in this direction as well. The basic material of much rock music is rather simple and 'needs' development and variation to be a satisfying exploration of the ideas, rather than just verse by verse reiteration. I'm a supporter of more solo improvisations overall, involving whatever instruments are used, even voice. Jazz provides a useful model for this type of thing.
 

Rajah

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Depends on the musician

I'm finding I like them a lot more since playing this.
 
Last edited:

Langrenus

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Hurrah, some quality discussion :)

Satriani, Vai, Page, Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray, Eddie Van Halen, Mark Knopfler, and John Petrucci figure highly for me. I've never really gotten into Mr King - any recommended albums?
 

Maverick

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Good guitar players there... I'd recommend the album "Lucille".

I find some of Pink Floyd's solos mesmerizing. David Gilmour has such a great touch. My favorite one is from "Comfortably Numb".
 

Brendan

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Whoever picked any but the first option obviously hasn't had the pleasure of hearing Freebird :rolleyes2:
 

Kanamori

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Generally speaking, I like the climaxes/interestng moments that have more than just the guitar doing cool stuff... they tend to be more powerful.
 

Langrenus

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Good guitar players there... I'd recommend the album "Lucille".

I find some of Pink Floyd's solos mesmerizing. David Gilmour has such a great touch. My favorite one is from "Comfortably Numb".

I shall look it up and...err, purchase it

Try and get hold of a copy of Dream Theater's cover of Comfortably Numb if you can...great track.
 

Rhu

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Guitar solos in rock are fine, as long as they aren't too long or too cliche.

On the other hand: drum solos. Drum solos longer than five seconds do not belong in rock music. I've certainly never heard a jazz drum solo that I liked. And marching band cadences make me angry.
 

Sling

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;) My favorite guitar players include BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Satriani and Marty Friedman... what about you?

Same here. Except replace BB King with Jerry Cantrell.

Damn, I listen to albums that are nothing but guitar solos. :headphne:
 

rhinosaur

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For those of you who don't like guitar solos, listen to Pink Floyd's "Time" once more, and reconsider your options.
 
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A lot of the guitarists mentioned are exemplars of classy and intelligent (not to mention often beautiful) rock music... I would add that George Harrison's runs in many Beatles songs are some of the most excellent and tastefully done solos I've ever heard... I don't know why no one's mentioned Jimi Hendrix, since he's the guitarist's guitarist... a guitarist who is just ridiculously good, a forebear to people like Stevie Ray Vaughan, is the inimitable Roy Buchanan... he was so good Mick Jagger begged him to be in the band... he demurred.

Rock solos, as someone said earlier, help to develop the often simplistic three or four-chord themes... they can provide greater peaks than the chorus alone... Even though I'm only in my twenties, I would say they just don't play solos like they used to...
 
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