Nation Demands More Mind-Blowing Guitar Solos

[Graeme]

For a period of time it seemed as if every song required a guitar solo, so bands shoehorned a guitar solo into every song. Sometimes there is no need. In the 80's most guitar solos blurred knot one another, which was the appeal of slash because he was an old school blues based player, so his leads stood out from the third rate EVH wannabes.

But guitar solos became a mark of the time, and the insanely complex technical noodling is pretty dated in mainstream music. You have to be damn good to get away with it, and good luck to anyone who thinks they can get a solo longer than Slash's in November rain on top 10 radio ever again.

Do you not think that it's a little bit sad that audiences are now less enamoured with people being really good at their instruments though? It's almost a bit of a slap in the face for the people who do actually put in the effort to be the best that they can be to be told that because their playing is perhaps more challenging to listen to as well as to play that they "lack emotion" or some such nonsense and then to be ignored or outsold by someone who may have a tenth of their dedication?

[Guest Len B'stard]

For a period of time it seemed as if every song required a guitar solo, so bands shoehorned a guitar solo into every song. Sometimes there is no need. In the 80's most guitar solos blurred knot one another, which was the appeal of slash because he was an old school blues based player, so his leads stood out from the third rate EVH wannabes.

But guitar solos became a mark of the time, and the insanely complex technical noodling is pretty dated in mainstream music. You have to be damn good to get away with it, and good luck to anyone who thinks they can get a solo longer than Slash's in November rain on top 10 radio ever again.

I think it can be done, if it fits the song, if it has feel people'll go for it. But as you say, they'll have to be damn good.

[Iron MikeyJ]

So I have thought long and hard about the this thread. I wanted to take a step back and re evaluate things if you will. But before I get to all that I just want to tell a little bit about me; music, and rock music in particular have always been very important to me. I have been "aware" of music for as long as I can remember, and have been playing music (high school, college, professionally) for most of my life. So yes I have given a lot to this thing called music, more than most. I love when I see and hear (any music) being made by people who are really being honest to goodness musicians. They are fighting this fight (which is a major losing battle in todays industry) and for the most part, non musicians just don't give a shit. So I know how hard it is out there, I guess that makes me a little defensive.

I have always held on to the belief that "there's always a chance." If a band came along that is a REAL rock and roll band, an awesome guitar player, solid rhythm section, and great singer that anything is possible. To be quite frank, I think the world needs that right about now. I'm talking about getting back to the music, not image. It just seems like EVERYTHING is just so "commercial" right now. I'm not talking about 80's cock rock, as so many like to point out, I'm talking about purer than that. I'm talking about the blues, and blues based music essentially. Also with including some of the vibe of people like chuck berry, the beatles, Jimi Hendrix, the stones, led zeppelin, and others. There is some of that still going on, Gary Clark jr is a good example, but he is just a single guy, I'm talking about a band. Which I know there is some that exist, probably in the UK even more than here, but still they seem to be becoming less and less. That's what leads me to the whole rock vs electronic dance music debate. (I'm not going to comment on hip hop, I also love it, but I do feel it is in serious decline, but thats another topic all together. The only reason I encluded hip hop in the first place is because the two sort of mix together quite frequantly.)

It's not that I don't think there is a place for that type of music, it's not for me. You all call me old and what not, but I'm actually on 32, and the average age of my band is 28, and I am the oldest. I was just hoping that there were more liked minded individuals out there, but perhaps not, perhaps I am a dinosaur of a dying species. But man that just makes me sad for humanity really, in ways more so than just music. Not that their isn't talented and amazing musicians making that kind of music, but any type of music that has the ability to literally make anyone sound good in a studio, I have to really question. Sorry but that just me. But having said all that, it is what it is, and everyone has the choice to like or dislike whatever they want. But perhaps I have put too much focas on this, and it is my perception that is scewed....

[foghat43]

There are two ways to look at it…

1) Guitar solos are out of style, dated, unpopular or whatever because guitar solos and guitar driven music is shit.
2) Guitar solos are out of style, dated, unpopular or whatever because today’s music is shit.

I think it is clearly the latter more than the former. And since when did the 80s become the exclusive era of the guitar solo? They were calling Clapton “God” in the 60s. And his peers were Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Hendrix. The guitar and the solo was the centerpiece of hard rock/blues rock/metal from the 60s through at least the grunge era in the 90s…and there are still some great guitarists today…Derek Trucks comes to mind. For me the guitar playing is what music is all about. Heck, I'll even suffer through a song I don't particularly care for (if it has an amazing solo) just to hear the solo. Long live the guitar solo...

[TeeJay410]

There are two ways to look at it

1) Guitar solos are out of style, dated, unpopular or whatever because guitar solos and guitar driven music is shit.

2) Guitar solos are out of style, dated, unpopular or whatever because todays music is shit.

I think it is clearly the latter more than the former. And since when did the 80s become the exclusive era of the guitar solo? They were calling Clapton God in the 60s. And his peers were Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Hendrix. The guitar and the solo was the centerpiece of hard rock/blues rock/metal from the 60s through at least the grunge era in the 90sand there are still some great guitarists todayDerek Trucks comes to mind. For me the guitar playing is what music is all about. Heck, I'll even suffer through a song I don't particularly care for (if it has an amazing solo) just to hear the solo. Long live the guitar solo...

Thing is 80's is when solos became a parody of itself as did rock music. Record labels were forever desperate trying to find the frontman lead guitar pairing of a Paige and Plant, Keith and Mick, perry and Tyler, Roth EVH, etc. So this meant that every song had to have a guitar solo and every singer had to strut and sing as high as they fucking could. After a while every band was verse chorus verse chorus bridge shred chorus, 3:20 songs. What made GNR and later nirvana the the like so huge is how they broke from that formula.

[foghat43]

There are two ways to look at it

1) Guitar solos are out of style, dated, unpopular or whatever because guitar solos and guitar driven music is shit.

2) Guitar solos are out of style, dated, unpopular or whatever because todays music is shit.

I think it is clearly the latter more than the former. And since when did the 80s become the exclusive era of the guitar solo? They were calling Clapton God in the 60s. And his peers were Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Hendrix. The guitar and the solo was the centerpiece of hard rock/blues rock/metal from the 60s through at least the grunge era in the 90sand there are still some great guitarists todayDerek Trucks comes to mind. For me the guitar playing is what music is all about. Heck, I'll even suffer through a song I don't particularly care for (if it has an amazing solo) just to hear the solo. Long live the guitar solo...

Thing is 80's is when solos became a parody of itself as did rock music. Record labels were forever desperate trying to find the frontman lead guitar pairing of a Paige and Plant, Keith and Mick, perry and Tyler, Roth EVH, etc. So this meant that every song had to have a guitar solo and every singer had to strut and sing as high as they fucking could. After a while every band was verse chorus verse chorus bridge shred chorus, 3:20 songs. What made GNR and later nirvana the the like so huge is how they broke from that formula.

I agree. And just to add another thought...even though rock had become a parody of itself, a lot of folks were introduced to some really great music indirectly by listening to all those "hair bands"...you know, your favorite guitar player from some hair band mentions in an interview that Clapton was the reason he picked up a guitar. Next thing you know you're listening to Cream and Blind Faith to figure out who this Clapton guy is. Then you read that Clapton was influenced by Robert Johnson...next thing you know you're exploring the world of blues music. It's really amazing to see how the whole thing evolved from the blues. But I'm sure Robert Johnson would roll over in his grave if he knew that somehow he influenced Poison....

Edited March 22, 2014 by foghat43

[Guest Len B'stard]

So I have thought long and hard about the this thread. I wanted to take a step back and re evaluate things if you will. But before I get to all that I just want to tell a little bit about me; music, and rock music in particular have always been very important to me. I have been "aware" of music for as long as I can remember, and have been playing music (high school, college, professionally) for most of my life. So yes I have given a lot to this thing called music, more than most. I love when I see and hear (any music) being made by people who are really being honest to goodness musicians. They are fighting this fight (which is a major losing battle in todays industry) and for the most part, non musicians just don't give a shit. So I know how hard it is out there, I guess that makes me a little defensive.

I have always held on to the belief that "there's always a chance." If a band came along that is a REAL rock and roll band, an awesome guitar player, solid rhythm section, and great singer that anything is possible. To be quite frank, I think the world needs that right about now. I'm talking about getting back to the music, not image. It just seems like EVERYTHING is just so "commercial" right now. I'm not talking about 80's cock rock, as so many like to point out, I'm talking about purer than that. I'm talking about the blues, and blues based music essentially. Also with including some of the vibe of people like chuck berry, the beatles, Jimi Hendrix, the stones, led zeppelin, and others. There is some of that still going on, Gary Clark jr is a good example, but he is just a single guy, I'm talking about a band. Which I know there is some that exist, probably in the UK even more than here, but still they seem to be becoming less and less. That's what leads me to the whole rock vs electronic dance music debate. (I'm not going to comment on hip hop, I also love it, but I do feel it is in serious decline, but thats another topic all together. The only reason I encluded hip hop in the first place is because the two sort of mix together quite frequantly.)

It's not that I don't think there is a place for that type of music, it's not for me. You all call me old and what not, but I'm actually on 32, and the average age of my band is 28, and I am the oldest. I was just hoping that there were more liked minded individuals out there, but perhaps not, perhaps I am a dinosaur of a dying species. But man that just makes me sad for humanity really, in ways more so than just music. Not that their isn't talented and amazing musicians making that kind of music, but any type of music that has the ability to literally make anyone sound good in a studio, I have to really question. Sorry but that just me. But having said all that, it is what it is, and everyone has the choice to like or dislike whatever they want. But perhaps I have put too much focas on this, and it is my perception that is scewed....

Why do we have to hang onto that old thing though man? Rock n Roll, why can't it just have it's day and then onwards like everything else? And quite frankly thats not anything either of us can have any control over anyway, it just is what it is, it's a fact, it is just is not gonna happen, that day is over and it's been over ages. That don't mean the music won't exist or you won't find it in bars, or pubs or bands playing it but it's just not that day of HUGE rock bands and it meaning stuff to kids and it being life-changing and all that stuff, that was because it was revolutionary, the nature of what it was challenged things in society...but you go from challenging...to accepted...to parodied...to history, thats just life, it'll happen to hip hop style too, which is basically what pop is today. That don't necessarily mean their won't be guitars or whatever but....look, you need to look at human history with a little more broad a perspective. Rock n Roll has been around since...what, the 50s? What makes you think that it's immortal, what about it or about any kind of music made you think that? Jazz was like THE thing musically from the 20s right up until the 50s y'know...but what is it now? It's still music and it's there but are people going 'y'know, i just KNOW when the right Jazz band comes along!'

If you love a music you just love it regardless forever, it don't have to be the mainstream or widely accepted for it's quality to be validated, it's quality is validated the moment it strikes you

In fact what makes you think music will maintain that importance, that particular sort of importance where it speaks to people and represents generations and it like the mouthpiece of youth culture? There will always be music and music lovers but this huge importantness, this cultural domination, it's not a HUGE episode of human history and i don't think it was ever gonna be an inexhaustible one either.

Look, youth culture was established in the 1950s out of the fact it didn't exist before, it used music as a tool to establish itself...but once it's established, once youth have an identity, internationally it doesn't necessarily need that tool to establish itself anymore, it's already there, it's a thing, pre-1950s there was no prescribed culture for people of that age really.

None of this bullshit is gonna last man, don't be duped into thinking that your (or our) lifetime was special in that what was established culturally was infinite cuz it isn't....it's never been with any cultural thing in history, it's all just transitory and as we evolve so do the various cultures we create. It's sad on some level but it just ain't that day anymore man. And it won't be this day forever either.

Edited March 21, 2014 by sugaraylen

[Lithium]

but its rock n rawl maaaaaaan

[Snake-Pit]

but its rock n rawl maaaaaaan

u high?

[Lithium]

No. Have you ever not been high?

[sweetness]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerviolence

Pretty silly, and sort of dated name for a subgenre (usually bands just use the blanket statement "hardcore"), but it is a thing, and it's fun as shit to play. Especially live

Whenever I start talking about heavy music the thread usually dies pretty hard, and this thread probably should die so... die motherfucker

That was absolutely brilliant, is that you or just an example of a band that plays that? Cuz thats amazing...and thats a style of playing? Fuck me, their arses must be hanging out after 3 songs! That was great though!

Shit, they got a band called Charles Bronson, fuck that I'm sold! I gotta fuckin' listen to a band that called Charles Bronson

I wish we were that badass, but nah this is one of the newer bands that play a similar style, I'm just using them as an example. This album came out last year and it FUCKING RIPS. My band has a little bit more straight punk riffage and lots more dissonance, I'll post our EP when it's finished in the Nice Boys Don't Play Rock N' Roll section.

Playing music like this does take a lot out of you physically, I'm sweating bullets like 3 songs in and gasping for air by the end of a set. Totally worth it though, it's a blast.

Also, I hate love to break it to you Len... this might be hard for you to swallow, but you actually like metal.

Edited March 22, 2014 by sweetness

[Johnny Drama]

This^. That's metal as fuck.

[Guest Len B'stard]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerviolence

Pretty silly, and sort of dated name for a subgenre (usually bands just use the blanket statement "hardcore"), but it is a thing, and it's fun as shit to play. Especially live

Whenever I start talking about heavy music the thread usually dies pretty hard, and this thread probably should die so... die motherfucker

That was absolutely brilliant, is that you or just an example of a band that plays that? Cuz thats amazing...and thats a style of playing? Fuck me, their arses must be hanging out after 3 songs! That was great though!

Shit, they got a band called Charles Bronson, fuck that I'm sold! I gotta fuckin' listen to a band that called Charles Bronson

I wish we were that badass, but nah this is one of the newer bands that play a similar style, I'm just using them as an example. This album came out last year and it FUCKING RIPS. My band has a little bit more straight punk riffage and lots more dissonance, I'll post our EP when it's finished in the Nice Boys Don't Play Rock N' Roll section.

Playing music like this does take a lot out of you physically, I'm sweating bullets like 3 songs in and gasping for air by the end of a set. Totally worth it though, it's a blast.

Also, I hate love to break it to you Len... this might be hard for you to swallow, but you actually like metal.

It is? Sounded more like a kind of crazy alternative version of Hardcore. The vocals were the least impressive part of it and they certainly came across metalley. I love that idea though, it's brilliant, it like these kinda short really concentrated explosions of sound, it's brilliant

[sweetness]

It is? Sounded more like a kind of crazy alternative version of Hardcore. The vocals were the least impressive part of it and they certainly came across metalley. I love that idea though, it's brilliant, it like these kinda short really concentrated explosions of sound, it's brilliant

Yeah that's pretty much exactly what it is, to get into the "taxonomy" I guess, grindcore is basically a mixture of hardcore punk and death metal, and damn right is it brilliant! Metal didn't really get interesting until bands started mixing elements with punk, for example d-beat drums, which would eventually influence more original ideas like blast beats and eventually more odd time signatures and unorthadox song structures n shit. It sort of broke free from the traditional thrashy Sabbathy/Antraxy/Metallicay/Megadethy shit in the late 80's/early-mid 90's with bands like Napalm Death, Anal Cunt, Converge, and Pig Destroyer to name a few.

I love it becuse it doesn't take itself too seriously (for the most part) and the music in unpredictable and it feels anything but forced, it's for real, but the best bands to mix metal and punk are the ones who mix it up a lot. They aren't all 100% GO HARD ALL THE TIME, they're actually tasteful and know how to write a good albums worth of material, if you're at all interested I would highly recommend the album Jane Doe by Converge, that's what got me into this sort of shit. I hated it at first, mainly because of the vocals, but something about it really caught my attention and I kept listening to it, eventually it turned into one of my favorite albums.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52g3E3oEnzI

Guitar music has still managed to reinvent itself, it just isn't as popular within the mainstream for obvious reasons, and I think that's also sort of the idea.

Edited March 22, 2014 by sweetness

[Guest Len B'stard]

It is? Sounded more like a kind of crazy alternative version of Hardcore. The vocals were the least impressive part of it and they certainly came across metalley. I love that idea though, it's brilliant, it like these kinda short really concentrated explosions of sound, it's brilliant

Yeah that's pretty much exactly what it is, to get into the "taxonomy" I guess, grindcore is basically a mixture of hardcore punk and death metal, and damn right is it brilliant! Metal didn't really get interesting until bands started mixing elements with punk, for example d-beat drums, which would eventually influence more original ideas like blast beats and eventually more odd time signatures and unorthadox song structures n shit. It sort of broke free from the traditional thrashy Sabbathy/Antraxy/Metallicay/Megadethy shit in the late 80's/early-mid 90's with bands like Napalm Death, Anal Cunt, Converge, and Pig Destroyer to name a few.

I love it becuse it doesn't take itself too seriously (for the most part) and the music in unpredictable and it feels anything but forced, it's for real, but the best bands to mix metal and punk are the ones who mix it up a lot. They aren't all 100% GO HARD ALL THE TIME, they're actually tasteful and know how to write a good albums worth of material, if you're at all interested I would highly recommend the album Jane Doe by Converge, that's what got me into this sort of shit. I hated it at first, mainly because of the vocals, but something about it really caught my attention and I kept listening to it, eventually it turned into one of my favorite albums.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52g3E3oEnzI

Guitar music has still managed to reinvent itself, it just isn't as popular within the mainstream for obvious reasons, and I think that's also sort of the idea.

Thats usually a benefit in a purely musical sense because when commerce ain't a concern it's literally ALL about the music, kinda why so much interesting shit came out of the punk movement post 1979. I'll give your reccomendation a go though fella I like what you say about not taking yourself too seriously, thats one of the other reasons i could never get on with metal, it's fundamentally comical in terms of the choice of topic and yet it appears, on a surface level at least, to be taking itself too serious.

[Thin White Duke]

Who wants a guitar solo when you can have a synth solo?

[Johnny Drama]

1. Metal ain't by and large about fuckin pixies, unicorns and wizards.

2.