Top Five Epic Guitar Solos
By Brigid Choi
1. “The Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock 1969 – Jimi Hendrix
Halfway through the song, Hendrix terrorizes the familiar tune with his trademark use of feedback and whammy before slipping right back into a clean melody, pulling away ev-ery once in a while to tune his guitar when he plays an open string. This raucous rendition of the national anthem began as a symbol of the Vietnam War; now, it can represent any disillusions of the American government, the American dream or the destruction that American forces can bring to other countries, even if it is highly doubtful that there will be another Woodstock at which to play this.
2. “Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin; Guitarist: Jimmy Page
Yes, it’s tiring to hear beginning guitarists play the opening riff to this song, but I don’t think I’ll get tired of listening to the solo that appears half-way through it. Page’s balance between melody, catchy riffs and shredding has gone down in history, not to mention the fact that the double-necked guitar was invented specifically so that Page could shift between the open-ing and the solo.
3. “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Guitarists: Allen Collins, Steve GainesOf course, I had to include the most requested song on the radio, and the song yelled out by fans when a band asks for requests. With two guitars battling it out, the ridiculously epic solo takes up half of the nine-minute song.
4. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – The Beatles
Guitarist: Eric ClaptonClapton’s inclusion on this Beatles record momentarily united the quickly-disintegrating band during their White Album years. With sleepy slides and vibratos, Clapton shows listeners and guitarists that not all guitar solos have to be fast in order to be great.
5. “Cliffs of Dover” by Eric Johnson
I’ve placed this in fifth place for those who argue that the lack of vocals means that there’s no solo, even if there is a repeated refrain. Because of Johnson’s high gain and reverb, the tone of his guitar sounds light rather than a guitar’s typical scratchy whine. That effect along with the bouncing bass line gives the song a uniquely cheerful atmosphere.