Most Underrated guitar solos of all time

barhrecords said:
When I saw that Running On Empty tour, he sat on the edge of the stage and played the lap steel through a Marshall stack. IIRC, it was an early 70's Super Lead? Tone was jaw dropping live.

But he had his hair over his face and looked down mostly, a little creepy lol
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I saw that tour, only time seeing Jackson Browne. Derek and Dominoes rhythm section. Great band. I have no idea what Lindley was playing through, but he played a bunch of different instruments including a Les Paul and fiddle. With El Rayo X, it was a Dumble. Now it's mostly acoustic with things like saz and Weissenborn lap slide.

He's a really smart and funny guy. I heard Bernie Larson, 2nd guitarist from early El Rayo X, open for Junior Brown about a month ago, solo. He had an old plywood looking small acoustic into a Gretsch 6150T (I think) 1-8" amp. Incredible tone when he cranked up. One of the coolest tones I've ever heard. Absolutely huge when he wanted it to be. Had no idea he was even playing and I enjoyed him more than Junior, who's great.
 
I was just listening to that, I though I would share :


I have always loved the solos in this song. Donald Roeser (he must be the one playing the solo AFAIK) is definitely and very sadly under-rated as a guitarist. Personally I find his playing is very expressive, melodic and with a very precise touch.
 
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PALYGAP said:
I was just listening to that, I though I would share :


I have always loved the solos in this song. Donald Roeser (he must be the one playing the solo AFAIK) is definitely and very sadly under-rated as a guitarist. Personally I find his playing is very expressive, melodic and with a very precise touch.
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'Buck's Boogie' is another great one. Totally underrated axman.
 
Everyone remembers Wishbone Ash for Argus, but "Just Testing" was always my favourite. Great use of Ebows I think
Haunting Me by Wishbone Ash on Spotify

Steve Hillage was famous for his Gong stuff and early solo albums, but his last (I think) "normal" album - loads of sequenced synths with so much guitar on top, was exceptional, but commercially unsuccessful I think.
"For To Next", Pleasingly the "bonus LP" - "And Not or" - present in CD reissues had much less singing and much more unrestrained guitar
Before The Storm - 2007 Digital Remaster by Steve Hillage on Spotify
Serotonin - 2007 Digital Remaster by Steve Hillage on Spotify
Still Golden - 2007 Digital Remaster by Steve Hillage on Spotify

Enough nostalgia though:

This one is amazing though I think from beginning to end. Not sure he's well known at all. Tone, scales, expression, everything:
Tore Down House by Scott Henderson on Spotify
 
+1 for Buck Dharma being underrated, here's two favorites of mine from him, both insanely cool to play :



 
Rick said:
... 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.
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Now I was working on the Axe-FX II/Matrix stand at the Great British Guitar Show and this American chap was asking me about the AF2, so I handed him my strat and dialled up some tones to his request. We chatted about the rig I was using and how capable and great sounding the AF2 is, and he handed me his business card. I looked at the name on the card and asked the gent "Pardon me for asking, but are you the Elliott Randall who...". At that point he said yes.

We chatted a bit more about and never "big timed" it. A nice man.
 
Bernard Butler's one of my favourite underrated guitarists. Great melodic swooping rhythm/lead-hybrid style. The quirky angular solo with the perfect build into the chorus is marvellous.



Then there's the melodic solo and the crazy psychedelic outro in I am the Resurrection

 
funny_polymath said:
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.
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+ 1 on the Inca Roads Solo - Although I would not qualify it as underrated, in as much as it is relatively unknown by the masses...Good Ole Frank, not many have been able to get very close to his style and phrasing, even his offspring...
 
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