Take A Solo

I’ve heard people say “I hate guitar solos, they ruin the song.” Well it depends on the song and how it fits. For instance I don’t think that many people hear the solo in the Jimi Hendrix version of All Along The Watchtower ruins and think it ruins it.
But I’ve known guitar players who just want to show off their guitar soloing skills. Doing that diddly diddly wank thing that Eddie Van Halen does with his strumming hand up on the fret board. They don’t care about the song, for them the solo is the song. It’s just showing off and its boring. Stop playing so many notes, let them ring out a bit and try finding some melody in there.
I would take Kurt Cobain’s solo on Come As You Are or Neil Young’s one note solo in Cinnamon girl over any Steve Vai or Van Halen solo.
In this months The Word Magazine there are interviews with both Robbie Robertson and Josh Homme. Both are great guitar players and they can play great guitar solos, but only if it serves the music, for the good of the song.
Homme’s solo in Feel Good Hit For The Summer certainly serves the song. It’s fast and intense but it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Its seven seconds long.



Get Queens Of The Stone Age: Feel Good Hit For The Summer mp3 Here