Underrated Guitar Solos

I've been a musician most of my life. There is something that is absolutely enchanting about music, it guides, cajoles, and lives in our memories, setting off good thoughts about a time and place.

For me, the pinnacle of music is the guitar solo. Probably because I'm a guitar player, but there is something so American about a guitar. Yes, I know it was invented elsewhere, but rock music is uniquely American and the ultimate expression of guitar is the solo.

I've played hundreds, if not thousands, of guitar solos. My wife will forever hate 'Sympathy for the Devil' because of a ten minute solo I once did on that song.

Anyway, I talk to a lot of guitar players, and every time I mention the following solos, they say 'oh, shit, totally forgot about that, it's fucking awesome.' So that's the requirement for an underrated solo. Solos like 'Stairway to Heaven,' 'All Along the Watchtower,' and 'Hotel California' are iconic. As such, they will not be included. So without any further ado, and in no particular order, here is my list of the ten most underrated guitar solos.

In the Evening, Led Zeppelin, In Through the Out Door, by Jimmy Page. Yes, he's sloppy. And his technique isn't the greatest. But this solo stands out. If you listen closely, you can hear the springs of the tremelo system as they expand at the beginning of this solo. The first time I heard it, I stopped what I was doing, slack jawed and siad 'what the fuck was THAT?'

Mean Street, Van Halen, Fair Warning, Eddie Van Halen. It's difficult to imagine that there is an underrated Van Halen solo, but this one might be the penultimate one. First of all, you have David Lee Roth saying 'Dance, baby' and this wonderful rhythm part underneath it, all glistening and shiny. Then BAM. He tears into a vintage solo that would would give Satan a hard on. It's one of the few solos that I took the time to learn note for note, and it still fucking floors me even though I can play it. Typically, I don't think much of my guitar playing, so if I can play it, I figure it must suck. This one? Yeah, it retains the magic behind the curtain.

No More, No More, Aerosmith, Toys in the Attic, Joe Perry. I never got Aerosmith when I was younger. I liked the hits, but I could never understand why Joe Perry was so highly rated. Then I heard this solo and I never questioned the greatness that is Joe Perry. The outro is unreal. Turn the stereo up, put the car in fifth gear and hit the gas. Make sure to do it on a warm fall day and you too will get this religion. There's a road in Marlton, New Jersey where the trees overgrow the road. You run down this path and stare at the dimpled sunlight through the leaves. If you have this song on while you do it, you will forever be thankful.

Driven to Tears, The Police, Zenyatta Mandatta, Andy Summers. This guy basically takes 16 bars to break into your house, fuck your wife, kick your dog, drink your whiskey, steal your tv and is out the door. You can't even get mad, you just nod in amazement and repeat Will Farrel's line from Anchorman: 'I'm not even mad, I'm just impressed.' It's that fucking good.

In the Mood, Robert Plant, Isle of Wight. There's a version of this song out there and the dude does an 8 minute solo that makes you hang on every note. It starts off a bit slow, just dripping with feel and then explodes into an extravaganza for the ears. If anyone ever asked me: 'how do I know when I'm a good guitar player?' my response would be 'when you can get this solo. Not playing it, just get it.'

Miss You, Eric Clapton, August, Eric Clapton. Yes, this album is totally commercial. The backstory on this solo is Clapton had a very heated argument with the producer, a gentleman by the name of Phil Collins, and he went in to the studio scowling and busted this one out. Clapton is a God, and has many highly regarded solos, but this one is never brought up, and it should be, because you can feel the animosity coming out of the speakers. I've been to three Clapton concerts, and at the first two I fell asleep. I'm not kidding, I was that bored. The third one? I was in the 14th row at the Spectrum and I now understand why there is a God and he is Clapton.

Planet of New Orleans, Dire Straits, On Every Street, Mark Knopfler. If I could be any guitar player, it'd either be Clapton, Van Halen or Mark Knopfler. What he does all over this album is nothing short of kick you in the balls in such a way that you say 'thank you sir, may I have another.' This album, which in my opinion might be Dire Strait's best, is much maligned because of its commercial value. But good is good. And this solo, or series of solos, makes you understand that if Jesus came back today, he'd be sporting a Stratocaster and playing this solo.

Let Me Put My Love Into You, AC/DC, Back in Black, Angus Young. A guitar player once said to me when I told him that I loved Angus 'really? No One Loves Angus.' I just stared at him. This guy does things with a guitar that makes me question if I even exist. To be able to play that way is just unsettling on a fundamental level. As noted in previous posts, my AC/DC shirt, which my wife regrets buying me, is a fundamental part of my existence. And this solo is the reason.

Estranged, Guns and Roses, Use Your Illusion 2, Slash. I was definitely a latecomer to the Guns and Roses Bandwagon, but this album? Holy Mother of Fuck, it was stupendous. Generally regarded by critics as the better of the duo, this one is a late night drive by shooting in the making. The second solo, the one that begins with the volume fade ins, is like an ill wind blowing through your screen door at 5 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. Unexpected, unwanted, and totally addictive.

My Morning Song, Black Crowes, Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, Rich Robinson/Ford. If you don't have this album, go out and buy it. Right now. It is the most important album in the past 20 years. Hyperbole? Maybe. But I'm telling you, from the opening strains of 'Sting Me' through the sheer slide and sex that is 'My Morning Song' you will not be disappointed. If you like rock music, you'll like this album. And if you don't like this album, you have no soul. Exaggeration? Not a bit.

Bonus 11th Track:

Join Together,The Who, Lifehouse Project, Pete Townshend. This one takes a while to get moving, but like a runaway train, it just picks up speed, bowls you over, and leaves you looking at its tail end wondering what the hell just happened. Both solos in this one are worthy of emulation. The first one is about 4 bars in E, but it doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard. The second one sounds like a desperate lover on a three day binge begging for one more go.

As noted in my last post, Music, Art, and Beauty are the things that make it worth being human. If you don't think so, well, go fuck yourself. This one is my line in the sand.