Most Underrated guitar solos of all time

funny_polymath

Fractal Fanatic
How about it folks, who do you like? What solo no-one's ever heard (or at least a lot of us) do you just love.

Sure, you can pick a famous guy - if you still think he or his solo (she or her solo)a are underrated, but I'd love to hear some relative unknowns.

But I'll start with some knowns:

Dickie Betts, Stormy Monday, Live at Fillmore East - Everyone gushes over Duane Allman's solo on this one, but I find it a tad predictable. Betts' solo, on the other hand, with its jazzy and risky tangents, just thrills me. I love a solo that builds slowly and reaches a really beautiful crescendo.

Frank Zappa - Inca Roads - One Size Fits All - My favorite guitar solo ever. A thinking man's solo - and you can almost hear the gears going in Frank's febrile brain while he constructs this masterpiece on the fly - NOTE: this IS an edited solo. The actual live solo from the You Can't Do That On State Helsinki album is great, but has some fluff in it - but that just goes to show that Frank was also damn good at editing his work. And after all, many solos these days are constructed out of multiple takes - though I do appreciate a one-take or live solo the most.

Kim Thayil - Just Like Suicide - Superunknown - An utterly thrilling and fantastic solo - well, it's two guitars tracked there, but whatever the hell it is, I love it!

I'll think of some lesser-known artists to, but I welcome your 'nominations'! Suprise us! Educate us!

Thanks.
 
let's see, first out we have Buckethead who does one of the most moving solos I know of. It's so unique in it's expression and it's lifting me up from my chair and taking me on a journey to the place where war and world hunger has ended, so beautiful and up in the sky.




Next we have Fredrik Thordendal doing what he does best. The alien speech trough his guitar, beaming shivers down my spine.

 
Kid Charlemagne- Steely Dan, solo by Larry Carlton. Still a mid blower and no one who isn't a guitarist (or music mag writer) even seems to remember the song.
I do! Excellent choice! Oh, but I'm a guitarist...

Didn't know it was carlton, though. Thought it was... they guy who did the Rickie Don't Lose That Number solo, which I also quite like.
 
Sorry, but I've got one more. This one actually fit the "underrated" criteria, although the guy is ... well ... known.



How could I have forgottent it
:eek:
 
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I do! Excellent choice! Oh, but I'm a guitarist...

Didn't know it was carlton, though. Thought it was... they guy who did the Rickie Don't Lose That Number solo, which I also quite like.

Skunk Baxter, another under-rated 70s studio monster. He had a slew of charted records with Steely Dan, back to Reelin' In The Years/Can't Buy a Thrill days, although I think the actual solo on Reelin' was done in the studio by Elliot Randall (who I think started Randall Amplifiers). Skunk (Jeff, properly) also did a lot of work with The Doobie Brothers. Great player. Love S/D, just great music over a long span.
 
Kid Charlemagne- Steely Dan, solo by Larry Carlton. Still a mid blower and no one who isn't a guitarist (or music mag writer) even seems to remember the song.
Absolutely Larry's first solo is my favorite example of getting outside and still sounding right.(Genius) The outro just takes it home so well. I just wish it would keep going. I used to turn it up to hear the last few notes as it faded out.

For another completely different style, how about Tears for Fears Everybody wants to rule the World. Nothing fancy just nice rhythmic work. One of those ones that can just slip by you but listen carefully, its really nice.

Edit: Jump to 2min 15 secs

Tears For Fears - "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - ORIGINAL VIDEO - YouTube

 
Absolutely Larry's first solo is my favorite example of getting outside and still sounding right.(Genius) The outro just takes it home so well. I just wish it would keep going. I used to turn it up to hear the last few notes as it faded out.

Yeah, it's why the only words I ever remember are the "clean this up or we'll all go to jail" because I'm listening to the ending!

And I agree, loved the rhythm guitar sounds of Tears for Fears and Crowded House (Don't Dream It's Over) in that period. Not a big solo period for sure, but the chords were so open and chimy. Andy Summers' influence, I think. Speaking of under-rated...
 
Kid Charlemagne- Steely Dan, solo by Larry Carlton. Still a mind blower and no one who isn't a guitarist (or music mag writer) even seems to remember the song.

I do too. I have allways liked that song and that solo is really good. The short solo on Peg I also find fits just perfectly as the guitar on Your Gold Teeth II. Alot of good guitar work on Steely Dan records.
 
Hmm .. OK here we go .. not best ever, but probably very underated :)

The solo from "Dallas 1pm" by Saxon @3':20'' here:




and ... Tony Peluso on The Carpenters "Goodbye to Love"@ 1:20 and outro ... oddly enough, I was shocked a few years ago when John Lord also picked this as his favourite guitar solo.

 
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Well, this one always sticks in my mind as a perfectly constructed and executed pop solo: Neil Giraldo's solo on "Hit Me With Your Best Shot". Gets in, gets it said, gets out, no fluff, no muss, fits perfectly.

Always had no respect for Pat Benatar until I heard that solo. Yep, it rocked.
 
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