List your favorite present day guitar solos.

[sunvalleylaw]

There have been lots of discussions of what are the best solos of all time. The list includes typically some stuff from Jimi Hendrix, something from Page, SRV, etc.

But what about today's lead players and their solos? Who is out there laying down some good lead work with a good ripping solo in say the last 5 or 10 years?

Please list a couple songs/soloists if you like, and a vid or audio of the performance you are listing would be great.

I am going to hold off on mine until others post. But I know who I am going to list.


P.S. I am thinking of more traditional songs (think good ol' rock guitar screaming solos) here and not so much instrumental performances or some prog symphonic event (ducks from Spud's thrown shoe . . . ) But if you want to make a compelling case for your lead or solo, go for it.

[Jx2]

My first guy I dont think I can pick just one solo from. He's been gone for a few years now. But I think he will always be rembered. None other than Dimebag Darrell Abbott.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9raw6qc6hs

I think Zakk nailed every aspect on In This River.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HUr9UKAxiY

Id say Slash but honestly his best solo work was with Guns. I miss the great guitars of the past. And while I really admire guys like Mark Tremotti. There really isnt much out there IMO in good ole fashion style rock that grabs you by the balls and force's you to listen. There are some amazing artists, but they just dont seem to have that vibe about them imo and I think part of what makes a great solo is the vibe or soul thats behind the music. That is what I think is missing. With that said though, Ive really enjoyed listening to guys like Joe Bonamasssa and KWS. But thats a diffrent cat completely imo.

[Eric***]

Well SVL, we all know whose altar you worship at, so it'll take something special to surprise me.

The first songs that come to mind are some stuff off of Sky Blue Sky by Wilco. I think Nels Cline has really great solos in Impossible Germany and Side With the Seeds.



And for some undeniable corniness, I have a soft spot for the solos from the Darkness, particularly I Believe in a Thing Called Love and Givin' Up.



These both sound a little different from the album versions, but I guess you get the idea.

[Katastrophe]

Tremonti rips on this solo, IMO.



Skolnick / Peterson both do well on this tune...

[K31Scout]

I like Joe Bonamassa's Just Got Paid and Blues Deluxe on the Royal Albert Hall dvd.

[R_of_G]

I doubt anyone will be surprised that my entry here is from Marc Ribot. Undaunted by the challenge of finding one that's not an "instrumental performances or some prog symphonic event," I offer the following track off the 2008 debut album Party Intellectuals from Marc's power trio Ceramic Dog. I suspect most of you know this song in its original incarnation...

[sunvalleylaw]

Grin!! I had no doubt you could meet the challenge, and also no doubt you would list Mr. Ribot. Thanks for posting! And thanks everyone for the contributions so far. I believe there is good music out there today. Glad to see some of it from your perspectives!

[Jimi75]

SVL, where's your JM post then?
JM is always great choice!


Actually, and that's the funny part, my favourite solo by far is a solo from James La Bries new Album "Static Impulse" of a song called "Over The Edge", BUT two days ago I found out that it is the keyboards played through a guitar amp!!!! It still remains my favourite solo of the past 2 years, because the guitar player in that band (Marco Sfogli) has a very similar style and he would and could have played that solo, too.

Unfortunately no vid or yt link.

[sunvalleylaw]

Ok, you guys nailed me. He was who I first thought of. I was just waiting for others first at least. But one other player whose tone and melodic approach I really enjoy and wanted to mention is Rivers Cuomo. He comes from a metal background and has lots of skill, and his tone is very expressive. He sometimes brings a Brian May kind of flavor just a bit, which he makes his own and uses to really say something as he plays. Same with his use of feedback. I just wish he would play a few more longer solos.

Here is one:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwv-iRvyDZg



And of course, here is my top pick:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NxFH2344eo

I particularly enjoyed this performance and how he mixes major and minor tonalities, his tone, the whole thing.

[R_of_G]

Was hoping I could find a video for this one...

This is Stephen Malkmus (leader of Pavement and Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks) from his 2005 solo album Face the Truth. In a career full of great solos, this is defintely one of his best. If you're not too into the song itself, the solo starts around 2:06.

[Robert****]

Listen to Landau's solo about 1:50 in. And then Robben's solo.

Just WOW.

[Retro Hound]

Wow. I really like that Stephen Malkmus. Thanks R of G.

[ibanezjunkie]

[Duffy]

1. Jonny Lang, Ron Wood, and Buddy Guy playing "Miss You" at Crossroads 2010. Youtube below but the performance on the new DVD is totally awesome and Jonny Lang tears it up with them on a Muddy Waters tune.



Jonny Lang, 16 years old, "Good Morning Little School Girl":


Jonny Lang with Double Trouble playing Dr. John's, "There's No One Like You":





2. Gary Moore, "The Boys Are Back In Town":



Gary Moore and Eric Bell playing, "Whiskey In A Jar":

[R_of_G]

Wow. I really like that Stephen Malkmus. Thanks R of G.

Glad to hear it. One of several excellent songs on that particular album (the best of his four post-Pavement albums in my opinion).

[duhvoodooman***]

Listen to Landau's solo about 1:50 in. And then Robben's solo. Just WOW.

Holy moley, yes indeedy. Gotta pick me up that CD!!

I like Joe Bonamassa's Just Got Paid and Blues Deluxe on the Royal Albert Hall dvd.

Both great choices. I think this is my favorite JB solo, though. It has definitely been my personal highlight of the last two shows I've seen, even though it really wasn't one of my favorite tunes of his before then. This clip isn't the RAH DVD version, though--it's one recorded at the North Sea Jazz Festival in July 2009 in Rotterdam, a couple of months after the RAH concert. The video quality isn't as good, but there are some great closeups of his fret work and the audio quality is fantastic for a live recording. I think I like his performance better here, too. The intro is great, and the main solo & outro start around 5:00. Just blistering, slow blues at its best....