# Great Instrumental Solos **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2000, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244 "2000-03-24T05:11:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sealemon88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Sealemon88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sealemon88)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/41 "2000-03-25T16:15:00Z")
Another one: Dennis Rollin’s Trombone solo on I Got It Goin’ On, by US3 (The Hand On The Torch album). That is one smooth jam. * * * You say “cheesy” like that’s a **BAD** thing. ---
**Author:** ![PaulYeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e36b37/32.png) [@PaulYeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulYeah)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/42 "2000-03-26T06:48:00Z")
Hiram Bullock’s solo on Sting’s recording of Little Wing blows me away. Stanley Clarke’s playing on School Days on the Live at the Greek recording. Jaco Pastorius on Continuum is great too. Paul Yeah ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/43 "2000-03-25T21:01:00Z")
The drum solo on Santanas ‘Heads,hands & feet’ check it out. The sax solo on Hazel O’Conners ‘Will You’ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/44 "2000-03-25T22:32:00Z")
John Coltrane & McCoy Tyner on “My Favorite Things” Jeff “Skunk” Baxter on Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” Bonzo on “Moby Dick” a fiddle player whose name escapes me on “All Along the Watchtower” during Bob Dylan’s 1978 tour Jeff Beck on “Beck’s Bolero” Fiora Purim’s vocal improvisations on Return to Forever’s “Spain” and “500 Miles High” Charlie Mingus’ bass solo on “Bluebird” Just about any solo Jimi Hendrix and Lester Young ever played ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/45 "2000-03-26T02:38:00Z")
If bass is allowed too: Geddy Lees short-break-solos on Rush’s YYZ. My goodness, there will never be a better bass player. Madpoet: Pastorius is fantastic, but he ain’t Geddy Lee. He ain’t Les Claypool either. * * * **Coldfire** _Voted **Poster Most Likely To Post Drunk** _ * * * _ **"You know how complex women are"** _ - Neil Peart, **Rush** (1993) ---
**Author:** ![Catrandom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Catrandom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catrandom)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/46 "2000-03-26T02:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by JohnLarrigan: > > Pete Townshend “the real me” from Quadrophenia… definitley… It’s a great song, but the lead lines are all on John Entwistle’s bass. Unless you were referring to something else? Catrandom ---
**Author:** ![Catrandom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Catrandom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catrandom)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/47 "2000-03-26T02:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Lexicon: > anaesthesia-pulling teeth > > It’s a bass solo by Cliff Burton. > This revoloutionary solo rocked the metal world in the early 80’s, showing people that the electric bass was more than a backing instrument. I haven’t heard this – wish I had – but didn’t John Entwistle do the above on “My Generation” in 1963? Catrandom ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/48 "2000-03-26T05:41:00Z")
“Jessica”, by the Allman Brothers. The whole song is one long collection of great solos. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/49 "2000-03-26T17:19:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Torgo: > > Eric Clapton and company (Derek & the Dominoes); the instrumental at the end of “Layla” > > \*\* ## I second this! I don’t know if this really counts, but I love the piano solos in Ben Folds Five songs, like “Army” and the violin (or something solo) in “Boxing.” “I was born in this town, I was raised in this town, and I’ll probably die in this town. Hell, I’ve already been hit by a car on this street, twice!”–if you recognize where this quote is from or who said it, please tell me. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/50 "2000-03-26T17:20:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Torgo: > > Eric Clapton and company (Derek & the Dominoes); the instrumental at the end of “Layla” > > \*\* ## I second this! I don’t know if this really counts, but I love the piano solos in Ben Folds Five songs, like “Army” and the violin (or something) solo in “Boxing.” “I was born in this town, I was raised in this town, and I’ll probably die in this town. Hell, I’ve already been hit by a car on this street, twice!”–if you recognize where this quote is from or who said it, please tell me. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/51 "2000-03-26T17:29:00Z")
> [@](#): > > a fiddle player whose name escapes me on “All Along the Watchtower” during Bob Dylan’s 1978 tour ## I asked my husband about this one, and he wasn’t sure. He said if you’re referring to Bob Dylan at Budokan, he thinks it was a woman, named Scarlet something-or-other (he couldn’t remember either) and yeah, she was awesome. This space blank, until Wally thinks up something cool to put here. ---
**Author:** ![Nu\_Vo\_Da\_Da](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/97f17d/32.png) [@Nu\_Vo\_Da\_Da](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nu_Vo_Da_Da)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/52 "2000-03-27T06:51:00Z")
I’ve got to echo anyone who credited Pink Floyd. Also Tom Morello has got to be one of (if not the) best guitar players out there, his solos are incredible. Finally whoever the sax player in DMB is, I’m too lazy to look it up, he has an incredible solo on their cover of All Along the Watchtower. (sends chills down my spine) * * * Still later, Gerald did a terrible thing to Elsie with a saucepan. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/53 "2000-03-28T20:44:00Z")
Drum solo on Chicago’s-I’m a man ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/54 "2000-03-28T21:14:00Z")
My two favorites: The intro to “Riders on the Storm” and the intro to U2’s “New Year’s Day.” ---
**Author:** ![Oblio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c4cdca/32.png) [@Oblio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblio)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/55 "2000-03-28T21:21:00Z")
Sax on Shine on You Crazy Diamond - Dick Perry (I think) Lead Guitar on Have A Cigar - Gilmore Both from Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/56 "2000-03-28T21:22:00Z")
Billy Joel’s piano on **Angry Young Man**. * * * Chaim Mattis Keller [ckeller@kozmo.com](mailto:ckeller@kozmo.com) “Sherlock Holmes once said that once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the answer. I, however, do not like to eliminate the impossible. The impossible often has a kind of integrity to it that the merely improbable lacks.” – Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/57 "2000-03-28T22:29:00Z")
The guitar intro in “Purple Rain” (Prince). The piano interlude in “The Last Resort” (Eagles) And, finally, the very brief drum segment which has launched the careers of air drum players everywhere, from “In the Air Tonight.” (Phil Collins) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Watson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Dr.Watson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Watson)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/58 "2000-03-28T23:34:00Z")
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman got together in the early 90’s and did a few sessions together, and one of the tunes (‘Arabia’, written by Grisman) made me put my guitar away in shame. I knew that Grisman was the God of the Mandolin, but beneath that drug-addled exterior that Garcia fella could actually _play_! I’m also surprised that nobody mentioned David Bromberg in all of this. (Sigh. These kids today . . . ) Dr. Watson “Man, if you gotta ask you’ll never know.” --Louis Armstrong ---
**Author:** ![Dirty\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Dirty\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Devil)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244/59 "2000-03-28T23:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Dr.Watson: > **…but beneath that drug-addled exterior that Garcia fella could actually _play_!** As if there was ever even a _question_ about it! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-instrumental-solos/15244.md?page=2)