Hi there!!!
Well, fellas it might sound silly but have
you ever asked yourselves what is the reason
we play solos?
Is it just to show off or we really need to express something?
For axample:Was listening to Hotel California last night and
the great thing about the solo is that every note counts.
The guitars talk to you!!! It simply adds another dimension
to the story. Or the story goes on with the guitars narrating
the rest of it. Absolutely fantastic piece of art.
While there are so many other songs out there
that the contribution of the guitar solo is meaningless,
without feelings, expressions etc.
I know we are guitar players BUT..
I believe you have to mean something when you
play. What we have in our hands is a means of
expressing emotions not just sounds.
What do you think???
Thanks.

Very well put, my friend. It tells a story about the true meaning of the song. The solo that came directly to mind wen i read this topic was the solo hammett performed on the song My Friend of Misery on the self-titled "Black" Album. It really comes from the heart. James wrote it perfectly to show the true misery he felt. It truely felt like the guitar was talking to me. Like it was written just for me. Many others come to mind but this one is the first. Thats my opinion tho.

Peace and Rock

When you consider that one mans garbage is another mans treasure, then what you say holds little merrit. We all have different ways of expressing ourselfs. An agressive personality may like to speed up and down the fret board, while a laid back individual may be more into grabbing notes and holding them for an hour. It's really all about the individual. There is no right or wrong way to express one's self artistically.

[Edited on 12/14/2004 by ricoboc]

I never said that the more complex the solo the more meaning it has, i simply said that a solo that spoke to me in a very unique way. There are other solos that speak to me also, such as the one by nirvana, The Man Who Sold The World. Extremely simple yet o so beautiful. Thats wut i think.

Peace and Rock

Well Im sure hotel california was not a one take solo...They probably played a number of riffs on that song that didnt make it...Then hand picked each phrase to fit just right...I think producing would of been key on this song...I love the solo by the way however i cant listen to it to much anymore because Ive worn out on it.

Regardless of fast or slow playing its the choice of notes that counts...I used to play fast however I dont any more because of the energy level it requires...A lot of work...Cheers to ya...

I like retro 60's to early 90's soloing...No one I hear on the radio can play with any emotion any more...Im not impressed at all...useless

Why do we need to solo...Because when its done right everyone who plays guitar says man how did they do that...I have to learn it man...When its not done right it is worthless...like most of the stuff on the radio today...I wish people would actually learn how to play...I dont know how many live acts Ive seen on all the talk shows at night and not one impresses me...Go back and learn your instruments before you become a star...I blame the record companies...just like everything else these days its been dumbed down for eveyone to understand...What a joke?

Metalica,
I was responding to the original post in general. I for one like fast articulate playing. I'm not into the blusey "Hey man, I play with feeling." stuff. I feel anyone who plays is playing with feeling. People just express them selfs in various ways. I simply implied that there is no such thing as a right or wrong way to approch playing. It's up to the individual to decide.



[Edited on 12/14/2004 by ricoboc]

:no: Oh no my friends.
There IS right and wrong like there is good and bad
song writting and performance.

Let me ask you...
Was Jimi Hendrix a good guitar player or not??
I'm focusing on good and bad, not like or dislike.
Now what about that old Motley Crue guitarist??
Is there a difference between them?

Don't confuse different styles of music
with good and bad music.
What we don't understand-like- doesn't mean is not good.
I don't like Steve Vai's music but i know he is a well respected
musician with years of studying etc...
Only the record companies like this grey area of
music where everything depends on ones opinion.

By the way, the Hotel California example was
just a popular song to start the topic.

Yes ricoboc my friend, everyone plays with feeling.
But not everyone can play good guitar.

The question remains...
To solo or not to solo?????????????

Thanks.




[Edited on 14/12/04 by xeno]

Good or bad/like or dislike go hand in hand...you cant have one without the other...Hendrix was not that great live...I think his producers had a lot to do with his success...Yes we should solo if it has something to say...Not just wanking for the sake of wanking...Yes there should be soloing however I think better musicians and better producers would help the bands of today.

The only reason Hendrix's live performance sounds a little more "raw" is because in the studio he used to do hundreds of takes on some songs and work on one song for days and days. It may also sound a little more "raw" live because he was'nt afraid to let loose rather than staying playing more conservative. Thats what I think atleast.

I agree...Also equipment was inferior...Guitar would not stay in tune and technology was not as advanced as it is now in a live sense...In the Studio there was more control of the sound...Ive listened to live albums of hendrix and I didnt like it that much.

The backwards guitar was invented by the sound guys in the studio not by hendrix...Thats what I've read anyway...

As far as this thread goes I feel there should be lead guitar/solo if the song calls for it...sometimes a cool riff is all a song needs...We dont want to be to predictable...verse verse...chorus...verse verse...chorus...SOLO...

The music that speaks to me was not done in one take but many takes and then glued together to form a masterpiece...The guys in the studio have a lot to do with these great classic tunes.

I want to know what you think of the radio music of today...I cant find one band I like...not one..nil..notta...zilch...

Sorry, but the country i live in has a very different
cultural background. e.g. music from the East with 3semitone intervals. Do you know? I've never visited the US so it's impossible
for me to talk about what is on the radio. Anyway here is most
crap mainstream music. Radio has to break through.
These days we need strong voices to turn people to listen
to good music. Not strictly commercial things.

I think all mainstream radio is becoming the same in essence...Its catering to a younger and younger crowd every year and that younger crowd does not have a clue as to what is good music...In 10 years none of them will admit they listen to the crap they listen to now...Its funny...All I see are a bunch of dancers posing as artists in pop...in rock every one copy cats each other to the point where you cant tell one band apart from the other...No wonder everyone downloads this music for free...Its not worth buying.

:boxer:

out of curiosity how old r u spidey?

Peace and Rock

Old enough to know better but still to young to care...lol

I grew up with friends who listen to crap music and now they wont admit they did...They got sucked in...I didnt...I know whats worth collecting and whats not...Music is getting younger and younger...pretty soon we will see 5 year olds singing in a band...Pathetic...I know some would say I dont understand the music because Im not a teen or in my early 20's anymore...I understand music that came before my time in the 50's,60's,70's..........The 80's and 90's were my younger years and even they were not as great as earlier decades...Every decade has good and bad music...I just believe the bad is out weighing the good in this point in time...video killed the radio star...Anyway...Keep soloing...Im done... :goodnight:

So... crap music really exists out there!!!!!!!!!!
Spidercents i think we are about the same age.
Young "artists" are mimics of what used to be
a rock n roll star. This is not to say there are no good
musicians to be found anymore.It's just harder.

"Principles of Aesthetics".
It's a book by Dewitt H. Parker (professor of philosophy in the university of michigan) which could
be interesting. Says there is good and bad art(music) and
tries to justify it.
Here's the link http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/pncst10.txt

A great question - and one that will be debated forever! Hopefully.

The solo in Hotel California fits the song like an alternative melody line - perfectly. To me the solo has to fit the song and become part of it. some of the best are simple:
Baker Street (the original one) Probably one of the easiest (and best) solos ever
Some of Ace Frehley's are great No technical wizardry there
Elliot Easton of the Cars - short and to the point - always tasty stuff!
The shredders are awsome too as long as they phrase well and fit the song - Schenker, Vai, Gilbert (list goes on).
For another example, listen to some of the blues greats, the solos and fills flow in and out of the song without taking away, almost could't have the song without them.