Your favorite guitar parts in rock music

Cafe Society
81

I don’t know; it’s been a long time since I had – er – “got” to play that one live, but something always seemed off. I think the timing. Obviously, the chords are about as basic as you can get, but it never sounded right to me the way them … charming…guitarists … played it. Of course, I never got Billy Powell’s thing down 100% either, so I’m not dissing out of hand.

Haven’t got to the Faces yet – it’s on my list. Thanks again for the tip – I always wanted to check what was up and never had a real reason or motivation to do it. Thanks again!

82

Well, I haven’t seen these mentioned, so I’ll offer some from left field:

Rik Emmet: Midsummer’s Daydream off Triumph’s Thunder Seven. While not an intro like Styx’ Prelude 12, it’s a classically-inspired piece that reminds people that rockers aren’t just Julliard wanna-be’s who only know power-chords.

Rik Emmet: A break for the rest of the band that finishes off the live version of Rock and Roll Machine off Triumph’s Stages

**Don Felder and Joe Walsh **trading licks during the live version of The Eagles: Hotel California off *The Eagles: Live *(not the Hell Freezes over version, which is interesting but lacks the fire).

Nancy Wilson’s Intro on the long version of Crazy on You. First time I heard it, the radio announcer introduced the song and I thought What? You’ve got the wrong track of the wrong artist’s wrong album! Then it segued into the familiar intro and it all just seemed like a natural fit.

Someone mentioned Lindsey Buckingham. The subtle complexity of Go Your Own Way off *Rumours *is just delightful and shifts into a surprisingly simple-but-biting solo. The Travis-picking and integrated solo on Landslide is also quite impressive.

**Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma **on (Don’t Fear) The Reaper from Blue Oyster Cult’s *Agents of Fortune *– particularly the middle part. It was that part that made me believe in 7th grade that I could progress from the few simple chords that my small hands could handle to an aural hurricane. Yeah, kid, there’s more to guitar playing than that hollow box of nylon you’re plucking!

**Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi **on Dry County from Keep the Faith – particularly the middle part. This came out much later than Eric and Buck’s piece, but reminded me of why I didn’t give up the guitar in 7th grade.

**Brian May **in I want it All from Queen’s Miracles. I actually called up the radio station and said, “Who’s that guy playing the lead part on that Queen song you just played? Really? Wow! That’s not his signature sound but it’s perfect for the song (where his signature sound would not have fit) and just plain stunning!”

Okay, as the chorus goes, there’s more and more and more….

83

My first thought was the solo in “Sweet Child o’ Mine” where the singing and lyrics mercifully stop and Slash takes over and my ears go from bleeding in a bad way to bleeding in a good way.
But all this time and nobody’s gotten to these?

  • Clapton on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”

  • Clapton and Duane Allman trading licks and overdubs on “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?”

  • Neil Young playing one note on “Cinnamon Girl”

  • the riff for Ozzy’s “Crazy Train”

Honorable mention to:

  • The fills on Howlin’ Wolf’s version of “Spoonful”.
  • early live versions of the Grateful Dead’s opening to “China Cat Sunflower” where Weir goes from playing a single chord to a beautiful complex riff interlocking with the other parts, in a way that makes it sound like he’s inventing/evolving it on the spot.
  • Wah-wah on “White Room”
  • Probably doesn’t belong here because the drums (and rest of the song) get some of the credit, but the lick to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” kind of sets the high-water mark for how the guitar can be funky.

Well, some people might disagree as to whether it gets better, even within the same song. Not that the opening riff isn’t good, but it’s opinion as to whether the solo at the end is better, right?

84

It, along with Gimme Shelter, is my favorite Stones song, so you won’t hear an argument from me about the extended end. Deserves to stand alongside Layla and Hey Jude in my mind. But the intro - as an intro? - it’s just greasy, riffy perfection :wink:

85

I don’t think there’s any guitar on the original version of “Superstition.” The main riff is played on a clavinet (well, two of them). Many guys successfully moved it to guitar, of course.

Excellent choice.

If we’re talking Hubert Sumlin, I love his solo on “Hidden Charms.” Great, underrated blues player.

86

True. It was originally written for Jeff Beck, but Stevie ended up recording it himself first with keyboards. But El Becko does a mean version…

87

Guitars are awesome. Here’s some parts I like:

The White Stripes - Hello Operator. There’s been a lot of Jack White talk in this thread and I have to say that while initially (around the time White Blood Cells came out and he was no every guitar magazine cover) I didn’t see the appeal, I am now a devotee to the Church of Red and White. This song makes me play air guitar, without fail.

Ratatat - Seventeen Years. These guys are an electro-clash duo (which doesn’t really mean anything, but one guy plays guitar and the other does computers/keyboards). This song has so many slick guitar parts - nothing particularly technical, just great sounding - especially as the track moves from stadium banger in the beginning to low-key chill out after party music at the end.

Bright Eyes - Down a Rabbit Hole. Nobody associates Bright Eyes with great guitar work, but the solo in this has been one of my favorites since I heard it. It occurs around 2:30, and is all about SUSTAIN. I love it. It demonstrates, to me at least, the true power a single string note can have. So thick, so steady, so strong.

Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea - A solo that helps bridge the songs “Jesus, I” and “Mary Star of the Sea” on the album of the same name. Billy Corgan may have done all he can to tarnish his reputation nowadays, but this solo shows why anyone was listening in the first place. The link is from the DVD that came with the album and only shows the solo.

Radiohead - High and Dry. The acoustic intro. Will get you laid.

Maps + Atlases - Songs for Ghosts to Haunt to. Eddie Van Halen may have begun the whole fretboard tap revolution, but listen to what people are doing with it decades later!! The lead singer (who even I’ll admit doesn’t have the greatest voice) is the one handling all the heavy lifting regarding the tapping guitar work - pretty incredible really. I don’t even know how these guys sit down to write guitar parts.

88

Really?
Wow, according to wikipedia, you’re right. I did not know that [/Johnny Carson]

How does he get the guitar-with-the-left-hand-muting-the-strings chikka sound in the middle of the riff?

So is the guitar player on the Sesame Street video (search for “Stevie wonder superstition sesame street” just trust me and go look/listen. I’ll wait.
See? I know, right?) actually playing the riff or just um, finger-synching?

89

I don’t know enough about Clavinets to say. The Wikipedia entry on the instrument has a picture of the one Stevie used on Superstition.

Yes, he’s really playing. That’s a live performance. There’s very little guitar on the Talking Book album. I was sure there was an acoustic on Big Brother, but that’s the clavinet, too. The only guitars are on Maybe Your Baby and Looking for Another Pure Love.

90

Wow!
A guitar riff thread with no mention of Edward Van Halen! Inconceivable!

There’s the obvious “Eruption” or “You Really Got Me” but I love the crunch/brown sound of “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love” or the chain saw/flanger attack of “Unchained”. You gotta crank them!

Joe Walsh’s (James Gang) - Funk 49 riff

I’ve said it before, but Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms could be one of the greatest guitar compositions of all time.

91

Similarly, with “Long Way To Go”

92

In high school, my friend and I decided that Clapton’s best work was on a Beatles song, and that Harrison’s best work was on a Cream song (Badge). One of the few things I haven’t changed my mind about since high school.

93

Martin Barre on Jethro Tull’s Black Satin Dancer. This song has one of the best interplays between soft interludes and crashing guitar chords ever. The energetic solo is even more icing on the cake.

94

It’s been a while I’ve heard it, just guessing, might be using an autowah device, or maybe just a regular wah and he’s really good at clamping it where he wants it rhythmically. Almost 100% you can’t play the three lines together without overdubbing – but you can get close. Maybe that’s just my incompetence, but I think I’ve heard others who actually play the tune live say the same thing. Not one I play, so take with a grain of salt.

If you look deeply, I believe you can still find the original tracks for 'Superstition" somewhere – like, drums on one track, bass on another, vox on another, and so forth for all the instruments. I don’t know where to find it anymore.

95

There are no three-way trading solos in that song. (There are only two exceptionally brief lead guitar bits by George.) Maybe you’re thinking of the following track, “The End”?

96

Well yeah, that’s obviously what I meant. I got to know the album on vinyl so I never was really aware of when exactly CTW ended and The End began. I always assumed it was where all the instruments dropped out and the piano started. As far as I’m concerned they’re both part of a song called “Golden Slumbers to The End”.

97

Slash’s Snakepit, 5:00 albm, “Doin’ Fine” from 2:53-3:18.

98

I didn’t know zombies played guitar. Huh.

99

Well, All You Zombies has an OK guitar solo. And of course The Zombies had a couple of guitarists, but they probably wouldn’t make anyone’s list of great players.

100

I miss Opal Cat.

The entire album of Layla is the finest guitar work of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, though rarely as solos. Amazing stuff, and more than 40 years after its release, still the summit of guitar coolness. Jimi may have been more talented, but he produced nothing as ambitious in scope or enduring.