snap judgement saturday

[dr_memory]

(With apologies to Dr. Berube, whose “Arbitrary but Fun Friday” schtick I am mercilessly appropriating.)

Your snap-judgment question for the weekend is:

What is the best guitar solo in a rock song that is not by someone who’s last name is Hendrix, Page or Clapton?

My answer: Kim Thayil’s amazing breakdown in the middle of Soundgarden’s “Like Suicide

Comments

[learnedax]

The Allman Brothers - Ramblin' Man. From about 3:00 on. It's not fast, nor is it precisely a solo, but it's an awesome piece of guitar work.

Runner-up: Dick Dale's Misirlou, which is about the most fun you can have with one string.

[fraterrisus]

From the "In Memory Of" department:

Prince going absolutely apeshit during the tribute to George Harrison at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.

Allman Brothers "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed", which I could listen to pretty much forever.

[dr_memory]

Oh man, good choice. Prince is, for my money, one of the most criminally underrated guitarists ever: "When Doves Cry" would probably be my first runner up behind the Soundgarden track.

[dr_memory]

Oh my god: Tom Petty has turned into Vampire Dennis Hopper.

...meanwhile, Prince, who is all of 8 years younger than Petty, is still apparently 32. Damn.

[fraterrisus]

Oh my god: Tom Petty has turned into Vampire Dennis Hopper.

True story. The man was always a little creepy but now he is downright scary-lookin'. Still plays pretty good music, though he doesn't exactly belong in a discussion of guitar gods.

[arkham1010]

Freebird. Duh :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0solnL1XY

[tssandwich]

Top 5 of the moment:

1. Baby's on Fire, Brian Eno, 1974, solo by Robert Fripp. Another example of Brian Eno's genius as a producer-- Fripp has never, ever, played anything nearly this good in King Crimson. And I like King Crimson.

2. Don't Fear the Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult, 1976, solo by Don "Buck Dharma" Roeser. So fantastic that it's become a metal cliche, with the so-gothic harmonic minor runs and tremolo picking.

3. Muffin Man, Frank Zappa/Captain Beefheart, 1975, solo by Frank Zappa. A ridiculous, slick, almost trivial song. And then the guitarist spontaneously combusts.

4. A tie-- Maggot Brain, Funkadelic, 1971, solo by Eddie Hazel. Maybe the greatest thing ever done with just a blues scale. Super Stupid, Funkadelic, 1971, solo by Eddie Hazel. Out-Hendrixs Hendrix. They're on the same album, and I could pick either, depending on my mood. So I pick both.

5. Blank Generation, 1977, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, solo by Robert Quine. It's outside, and the rhythm sounds like he's falling down the steps, but it

[tssandwich]

And I'll complain that nobody has posted Patto's "Money Bag" to the web, anywhere I can find, so I had to leave out Ollie Halsall.

[dr_memory]

I was figuring you'd have some good suggestions. :)

And lordy -- thank you for reminding me about 'Maggot Brain'. If I recall correctly, we both heard that track for the first time together, wandering through the South Street Tower Records at some point close to closing time...

[dr_memory]

...and the phrase "doing more drugs than Dave Mustaine" is one that should make even the most stout-hearted among us quail.

[lil_brown_bat]

...and, oh yeah, how could I forget Steve Vai. Really too many to mention, but I'll suggest all of the instrumental "Frank" (a tribute to Frank Zappa).

And Micheal Franti certainly can bring the goods, although he seems to mostly reserve it for his live shows...but the opening guitar riff on "Yell Fire", while brief, is all that.