| As with everything else, everybody has an opinion as | | | | feedback, I Heard Her Call My Name is on most lists of |
| to who is the greatest guitar solo player and what | | | | top ten solos. Taken from Velvet Underground's |
| was their greatest solo. All this is a matter of opinion of | | | | second album, I Heard Her Call My Name is Lou |
| course but we can still learn from the opinions of | | | | Reed's claim to fame as a guitar player and a |
| musicians on what makes guitar solos great. Today I | | | | precurser of heavy metal. |
| thought that I would run through some of the so-called | | | | Songs that start slow and work up into a sweat are |
| great guitar solos and see what we can learn from | | | | always popular with audiences, and Freebird by Lynyrd |
| such a list. I have decided not to number this list. I just | | | | Skynyrd became the number audiences hung out for. |
| want to bring these classics to your attention. | | | | This is another song that is on almost every list of |
| Stairway To Heaven was recorded in 1971 and never | | | | great songs or guitar solos. The transition from ballad |
| released as a single in the USA but is still among the | | | | to up tempo rock has to be experienced to be |
| most requested songs ever. Composed by Jimmy | | | | believed. |
| Page and Robert Plant, the final version of the song | | | | In 1977 The Eagles released an album called Hotel |
| was a result of many hours of work in the studio by | | | | California with the title song being interpreted in many |
| Jimmy Page. | | | | dark and mysterious ways. The song was famously |
| Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits introduced to the | | | | changed to an acoustic number featuring eight guitars |
| world the sparse arrangements and lyrical genius of | | | | but in its original form the lyrics were just there to put in |
| Mark Knopfler. The version of the song that appeared | | | | the spaces between the guitar parts. |
| on the album was voted number 22 on Guitar World | | | | You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC is a favorite |
| magazine's greatest guitar solos. | | | | amongst fans of Angus Young, a showman who |
| Another song that was transformed in the studio was | | | | loves playing the guitar and giving the crowd what it |
| All Along The Watchtower. The guitar solo fits the | | | | wants. |
| song as though it was made for it but Jimi Hendrix | | | | Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd features two guitar |
| took the original song by Bob Dylan and added layers | | | | solos. They are a mixture of several solos improvised |
| of electric guitar music until the original could no longer | | | | in the studio and blended together by guitarist David |
| hold up its head. In fact, Bob Dylan now uses Jimi | | | | Gilmour. This was supposedly a routine way of |
| Hendrix' interpretation. | | | | working for Gilmour and in this case it resulted in guitar |
| Sunshine Of Your Love is famous for its distinctive riff | | | | solos that feature on everybody's list of greats. |
| and Eric Clapton's use of the Rogers and Hart song | | | | So that is a list of great guitar solos. Your mission now |
| Blue Moon to start off his guitar solo. The solo is | | | | is to go to YouTube or a music store and seek out |
| classic Clapton in its tone and phrasing. | | | | the songs you have read about here and give them a |
| Sometimes things work out in the end. Like the day | | | | listen. Then if you are intersted, go and find some other |
| Van Halen's record producer heard Eddie Van Halen | | | | top ten or top one hundred lists and find bands and |
| fooling around on the guitar and insisted that he include | | | | music you have never heard of and make them part |
| it on their first album. The result was an instrumental | | | | of your musical background. And keep playing the |
| track called Eruption. | | | | guitar. |
| One of the first songs to feature distortion and | | | | |