Now *THIS* is a guitar solo
We were laughing at work today, marveling how readers of GUITARIST magazine in the UK ranked the guitar part from a Carpenters' song as rock history's 18th best solo.Granted, Tony Peluso's fuzz-guitar ending to "Goodbye to Love" is fabulous. Still, I wonder how many electric guitar fans have waited through the entirety of Karen Carpenter's warbling before getting to Peluso's whacked-out solo.
Perusing the list, yet another memorable solo caught my eye: Clocking in at No. 6, I saw GARY MOORE (pictured) and the solo on his 1974 single "Parisienne Walkways."
"Now *THIS* is a guitar solo," I said to myself.
I couldn't wait to get home to hear it again.
Sure enough, "Parisienne Walkways" starts off sounding like all the song contains is one long guitar solo by Belfast-born Moore.
Then, Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy starts to sing.
I closed my eyes just to let the song sink in to my soul.
"Parisienne Walkways" is easily one of the most beautiful songs in the rock canon.
The solos from "Hotel California" by the Eagles and Van Halen's "Eruption" took the top two honors in this particular ranking.
For my money, though, it's that captivating solo -- and the song it calls home -- in the sixth spot that makes the top of my list.
posted by erik hogstrom at 6:31 PM
1 Comments:
In 1972, with AM radio, vinyl discs and cassette tapes(let's not even start on eight-tracks), we didn't have much choice but to listen to the end of "Goodbye to Love" and all the pop songs of the era. We were at the mercy of the technology.
So we did hear that solo -- a lot.
By the way, I note that "Goodbye to Love" made another list: The Truck Driver's Gear Change Hall of Shame. A bit harsh, don't you think?
http://www.gearchange.org/
descriptions/The%20Carpenters
%20-%20Goodbye%20To%20Love.html
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