# Favorite - ultra ultra short - guitar solos **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610 "2013-07-04T03:32:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/41 "2013-07-05T18:42:07Z")
I was going to post J’s solo on Dinosaur Jr’s _Freak Scene_, but having timed it it is longer than I thought - about 30 seconds, and a fair proportion of the entire song. Here it is anyway, solo starts at 1:43: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pxLpEX2bt8w/hqdefault.jpg "Dinosaur Jr. - Freak Scene") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxLpEX2bt8w) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/42 "2013-07-05T18:42:38Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Wow, 10 seconds, holy crap – _excellent_ little solo! It repeats and gets expanded a bit later in the song. Exhilarating is the right word for sure. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/43 "2013-07-05T18:43:49Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I submit Jimmy Page’s solo at the end of the soundscape bridge section of Whole Lotta Love. Perfect. I agree with this. It’s pretty much the gold standard of short, powerful, perfect-for-the-song solos. Another in a similar vein is Joe Walsh’s solo on the James Gang’s “Funk #49”. Perfect for the song, brief, powerful, sounds cool. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/44 "2013-07-05T19:01:10Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I agree with this. It’s pretty much the gold standard of short, powerful, perfect-for-the-song solos. What really takes that solo to the next level for me is Page’s much noted sloppiness; it somehow makes the solo _better_. The whole time he’s punching out those call-and-answer riffs, it sounds like he’s barely holding it together and will fuck up any second, and he never does. That creates a delicious tension all the way through that section of the song, and when the band comes back in you almost have to heave a sigh of relief. Its’ hints at imperfection are just so perfect. > [@](#): > > Another in a similar vein is Joe Walsh’s solo on the James Gang’s “Funk #49”. Perfect for the song, brief, powerful, sounds cool. Good example. The actual “solo” part lasts all of 7 seconds, completely unaccompanied, then Walsh restates the opening riff and off we go again. Wham, bam. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/45 "2013-07-05T20:29:53Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > What really takes that solo to the next level for me is Page’s much noted sloppiness; it somehow makes the solo _better_. The whole time he’s punching out those call-and-answer riffs, it sounds like he’s barely holding it together and will fuck up any second, and he never does. That creates a delicious tension all the way through that section of the song, and when the band comes back in you almost have to heave a sigh of relief. Its’ hints at imperfection are just so perfect. That’s really well put. Sometimes with Page, particularly in some of their later stuff, I find that sloppiness to be off-putting, but it’s great in that song. Absolutely brilliant. It really does sound like he’s at the very edge of breaking apart. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/46 "2013-07-05T20:56:39Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I agree with this. It’s pretty much the gold standard of short, powerful, perfect-for-the-song solos. > > Another in a similar vein is Joe Walsh’s solo on the James Gang’s “Funk #49”. Perfect for the song, brief, powerful, sounds cool. Another example, from the album that followed, would be his solo in “Midnight Man.” ---
**Author:** ![mabJuly4\_2013](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bcef8e/32.png) [@mabJuly4\_2013](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mabJuly4_2013)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/47 "2013-07-06T02:12:06Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > What really takes that solo to the next level for me is Page’s much noted sloppiness; it somehow makes the solo _better_. The whole time he’s punching out those call-and-answer riffs, it sounds like he’s barely holding it together and will fuck up any second, and he never does. That creates a delicious tension all the way through that section of the song, and when the band comes back in you almost have to heave a sigh of relief. Its’ hints at imperfection are just so perfect. Wow, I’ve never heard it stated so perfectly. I agree with everything you wrote. The best I could ever say about it was THAT’S FUCKIN’ AWESOME! ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/48 "2013-07-06T05:03:50Z")
The main solo in Orianthi’s [According To You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu1aQvm5MrU) is a solid contender at 15 seconds, from 2:12 - 2:27. Before that, though, is the three-second gem at 0:59 - 1:02. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/49 "2013-07-06T05:15:33Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Wow, I listened to the whole song twice and had trouble telling when an actual guitar was soloing. Definitely weird, and definitely Belew. 🙂 Belew plus Brian Eno, even. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/50 "2013-07-06T05:19:19Z")
> [@Satellite\_Guy](#): > > The main solo in Orianthi’s [According To You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu1aQvm5MrU) is a solid contender at 15 seconds, from 2:12 - 2:27. Before that, though, is the three-second gem at 0:59 - 1:02. That’s a great entry, brief and way punchy. I do find that video really confusing – I’m not getting why there’s a disembodied POV guitar neck in the foreground “playing” things that aren’t _at all_ like what I’m hearing. It feels like a track from Guitar Hero or something, a really broken one, and it’s really distracting. Any idea why they did that? ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/51 "2013-07-06T09:21:22Z")
The lead in to **Mississippi Queen** is an oldie but goodie, grabs you right out of the box. Todd Rundgren has some really ridiculously nasty solos that aren’t necessarily “featured solos”, but the ones I remember best all clocked in over :30 This is a good thread, really makes you search the memory banks to try to fit the criteria. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/52 "2013-07-06T11:13:18Z")
The Linda Ronstadt version of **You’re No Good** has a nice short solo by Andrew Gold, and Elvis Costello’s version of **(What’s So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding** has a sweet little solo, I presume by the man himself. Both are about 14 seconds long. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/53 "2013-07-06T11:23:55Z")
Big Brother and the Holding Company added a two-measure intro to the intro (both appear again later in the song) which isn’t in the original Erma Franklin recording of **Piece of My Heart**. It could very well be considered its own tasty little 7-second guitar solo – played by Sam Andrew or Peter Albin, I’m not sure which. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/54 "2013-07-06T12:45:09Z")
One more. It’s not _ultra_ short at 16 or 17 seconds, but Peter Buck’s solo on R.E.M.'s **Flowers of Guatemala** is so simple and perfect in its way that I think we should count it – especially because it’s really just four measures of music (a two-measure phrase repeated three times, followed by a different two-measure phrase,) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/55 "2013-07-06T21:43:20Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > The Linda Ronstadt version of **You’re No Good** has a nice short solo by Andrew Gold It certainly does. > [@](#): > > and Elvis Costello’s version of **(What’s So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding** has a sweet little solo, I presume by the man himself. Both are about 14 seconds long. Huh, I’m darned if I can dig up an album version of that song on YouTube; lots of live versions, but I want to hear the “canon” solo. I’m not going to go buy the song to hear 14 seconds of music. Hmph. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/56 "2013-07-06T21:44:33Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Big Brother and the Holding Company added a two-measure intro to the intro (both appear again later in the song) which isn’t in the original Erma Franklin recording of **Piece of My Heart**. It could very well be considered its own tasty little 7-second guitar solo – played by Sam Andrew or Peter Albin, I’m not sure which. I’d forgotten about that intro (probably 'cuz I’m not much for Janice), but that is a great little guitar lead-in. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/57 "2013-07-06T21:46:11Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > One more. It’s not _ultra_ short at 16 or 17 seconds, but Peter Buck’s solo on R.E.M.'s **Flowers of Guatemala** is so simple and perfect in its way that I think we should count it – especially because it’s really just four measures of music (a two-measure phrase repeated three times, followed by a different two-measure phrase,) A bit sparse for me, but well done and it does fit the song quite well. And at - I think - 20 seconds it certainly fits the category. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/58 "2013-07-06T21:58:18Z")
> [@Satellite\_Guy](#): > > The main solo in Orianthi’s [According To You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu1aQvm5MrU) is a solid contender at 15 seconds, from 2:12 - 2:27. Before that, though, is the three-second gem at 0:59 - 1:02. I do love Orianthi, but every time I hear that song I think “Is she covering a song that Taylor Swift wrote for Kelly Clarkson to sing?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/59 "2013-07-06T22:10:13Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > It certainly does.Huh, I’m darned if I can dig up an album version of that song on YouTube; lots of live versions, but I want to hear the “canon” solo. I’m not going to go buy the song to hear 14 seconds of music. Hmph. [Elvis Costello - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding](http://vimeo.com/m/43308455) – starts at 2:16 ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610/60 "2013-07-06T22:18:05Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > [Elvis Costello - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding](http://vimeo.com/m/43308455) – starts at 2:16 Nice! Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-ultra-ultra-short-guitar-solos/662610.md?page=4)