My Sharona...Greatest guitar solo ever.

[rammer24]

Most people only know the radio edited short version of this tune.

But the long version, which I'm posting, has what I think is possibly the most well constructed guitar solo I've ever heard. It just keeps building and building, with some awesome rock and roll licks. There are even some Johnny Winter licks in there. I've always thought this might be the best rock/pop guitar solo I've ever heard.

Solo starts at about 2:45 and it's over a minute long, with no filler.

I know most people on this forum are kind of anti-guitar solo, anti-virtuoso. But listen to this with an open mind. It should blow you away, unless you really don't want it to. [BBvideo=560,315]https://youtu.be/BR2JtsVumFA[/BBvideo]

[miroslav]

We actually covered it in one band...
...but that's the kind of stuff they wanted at that time in the clubs, along with like the The Cars, Devo and all that other New Wave Pop/Rock stuff.

Yeah...most radio stations played the short/no lead version...and so did we.
TBH...when the lead kicks in, it's like another song, and I think that's why most stations cut it out. It changes the drive of the robotic riff, which is what kept the people out on the dance floor.

[rammer24]

We actually covered it in one band...
...but that's the kind of stuff they wanted at that time in the clubs, along with like the The Cars, Devo and all that other New Wave Pop/Rock stuff.

Hehe...You don't have to explain or apologize. Anyone playing in a cover band in the 80's probably played this song.

Yeah...most radio stations played the short/no lead version...and so did we.

Actually, the short version still goes into the solo, but they cut out more than half of it.

TBH...when the lead kicks in, it's like another song, and I think that's why most stations cut it out. It changes the drive of the robotic riff, which is what kept the people out on the dance floor.

Yeah, it does take off from the tune. But man, it really builds up well.. I love every lick in that solo.

I'm going to do some digging, because I'd put money down that this was a session musician. Wouldn't be surprised if it's Rick Derringer or something. I'd be seriously surprised if this was the band's actual guitar player.

[rammer24]

No, looks like it was the band's guitar player.

I know that after hyping it up this much, anyone listening to it now will be disappointed. I hyped it too much. It's just a cool solo for an 80's new wave band's pop song, that's all.

[miroslav]

Actually, the short version still goes into the solo, but they cut out more than half of it.

I recall hearing the song with just the repetitive line, start to finish...or maybe that's just how we use to do it...?
It's been awhile....

[rammer24]

I recall hearing the song with just the repetitive line, start to finish...or maybe that's just how we use to do it...?
It's been awhile....

Here'sthe short version. Solo still starts at 2:45, but it's a lot shorter.

[BBvideo=560,315]https://youtu.be/bbr60I0u2Ng[/BBvideo]

[Armistice]

Funny you mentioned this - I always thought the guitar solo in this was absolutely killer, but the full version rarely got played.

I'm pretty sure I worked it out once as I do remember playing the song in a covers band oh so many years ago, and I would have gone the full version.

[Tadpui]

The mention of this song always reminds me of that time that Deerhunter played an hour-long cover of this song after a drunk heckler yelled out a request for it.

[JD01]

That is a good solo actually, mainly manages to stick to being melodic and complimenting the song

[Lt. Bob]

It's a good solo ..... I'm also not against solos .... it why I get paid regularly.

[rammer24]

it why I get paid regularly.

You gig? I had no idea.

[Lt. Bob]

wasn't pointing out I gig ...... was saying that soloing is the primary thing that gets me gigs

[rayc]

I like the sustained note - it's cool. I remember thinking that the edit was odd on the video (I didn't buy the single or album - as much as they were touted as the next Beatles after Duran Duran failed to become that).
It's an irresistible riff and cool solo but the vocalist struck me back then as sleazy.

[Roman]

It is a cool solo, and i love how it comes towards the endof the song.

For the anti guitar solo crowd, i didnt know they existed here. But if they do, shame on you for being a traitor to the craft.
I think most started off recording as guitar players first.
Can't turn your back on that......unless you play shitty solos. A good guitar solo doesn't have to be a technical marvel. It just has to fit the tune and have some passion.

A good solo is like good sex. It has a climax.

Anyway for the life of me, i don't remember his name, but the guitar player in the band did in fact do the solo.
I did some work for him and asked him when he picked up his guitars. He played the solo 3 feet in front of me when checking out a guitar.
Proof enough for me.

[Greg_L]

For the anti guitar solo crowd, i didnt know they existed here. But if they do, shame on you for being a traitor to the craft.

I'm not anti-solo, but they don't do a whole lot for me. I couldn't care less about a guitar solo. I accept their bloated over-hyped role in rock music, but I'm totally fine without them too. I've never in my life liked a song because of the guitar solo, or liked a solo just for what it is. I've never been inspired by a player for his solo abilities. If that makes me a traitor, then good! My entire preferred genre of music was born out of disgust for the bloated self-indulgent wankfest that rock and roll music had become.

[Roman]

But see, with you and your punk bkgnd, thats understandable.

Haha, I knew my post would draw you out. Lol

[Greg_L]

But see, with you and your punk bkgnd, thats understandable.

Haha, I knew my post would draw you out. Lol

Lol. But I play solos all the time. They're just part of the song, not something on top of the song. I actually let the other guy play most of the solos. I'm way better than him at solo'ing, but he actually likes doing it. He thinks it's special to be a "lead guitar player", so I let him have at it. I couldn't care less about a fucking guitar solo in what has become the standard definition of a guitar solo.

[JD01]

Greg... maybe in your own way you're becoming an Elitist! Some sort of punk puritan

There's nothing wrong with a guitar solo, in fact I like a good guitar solo, regardless of whether its complex or not providing its complimentary to the music and is written to be a musical expression as opposed to just some thing purely designed to show of wanky guitar playing and technique.

There's a few complicated solos that do this really well - a lot of the shred wankers take the piss out of Kirk Hammett for mainly playing fairly basic pentatonic stuff.. but, he usually sounds good and it sounds musical.

Take the solos from Master of Puppets (particularly the mellow one) and The Unforgiven - they're both really well constructed so they're an extension of the music as opposed to being a thing that just sits on top of it, like nearly everything by nearly all metal bands - the more modern they are the worse they tend to be.

[Greg_L]

Greg... maybe in your own way you're becoming an Elitist! Some sort of punk puritan

This is news? What drew me to the music I like is that I can do it without having to be some fancy fuck virtuoso. I'm sort of in a weird middle-ground though. I'm probably much much better than your typical punk rock guitar player. In fact, I know I am. But compared to actual guitar players that care about "the craft", I'm just another dumb neanderthal punk rock guitar player.

There's nothing wrong with a guitar solo, in fact I like a good guitar solo, regardless of whether its complex or not providing its complimentary to the music and is written to be a musical expression as opposed to just some thing purely designed to show of wanky guitar playing and technique.

There's a few complicated solos that do this really well - a lot of the shred wankers take the piss out of Kirk Hammett for mainly playing fairly basic pentatonic stuff.. but, he usually sounds good and it sounds musical.

Take the solos from Master of Puppets (particularly the mellow one) and The Unforgiven - they're both really well constructed so they're an extension of the music as opposed to being a thing that just sits on top of it, like nearly everything by nearly all metal bands - the more modern they are the worse they tend to be.

I don't hear any of that in that way. I just hear unnecessary notes flying around. My ear is not trained to hear the "expression" in a guitar solo. I don't even know what that means. People talk about "phrasing" and I don't get it. I don't hear it. I don't hear the playing differences between EVH or Randy Rhoads or Kirk Hammett. They're all just frilly fairy boys playing notes really fast to me. I'm not that kind of guitar player and it doesn't interest me. And whenever I try to understand it, I get a little ashamed of myself.

[JD01]

And whenever I try to understand it, I get a little ashamed of myself.

LOL - this is probably the crux of it - you really don't want to know and that's fair enough. Its probably mostly based in the fact that you just don't like the music that you associate with solos before you even get to the solos themselves.

I don't hear any of that in that way. I just hear unnecessary notes flying around. My ear is not trained to hear the "expression" in a guitar solo. I don't even know what that means. People talk about "phrasing" and I don't get it.

Yeah, you do get phrasing, its just collections of notes and you like riffs, don't you? You like the phrasing and feel of them riffs. Take and example we both like Anesthesia by BR - there's quite a lot of lead guitar and riffing going on there and it compliments the music direction of the song - its got quite careful phrasing - I can't remember off the top of my head whether they break into an actual solo in that song.

I don't hear the playing differences between EVH or Randy Rhoads or Kirk Hammett. They're all just frilly fairy boys playing notes really fast to me. I'm not that kind of guitar player and it doesn't interest me.

Ah, right. I do. I hate EVH, don't like Rhoads songs much, but I do like the way his lead work is put together and I quite like Kirk Hammett.
That's probably just 'cos you don't like the music though. Take Brett Gurewitz, Eddie Clarke, Pete Townshend. They're all great guitarists in their own way and they probably all play solos that you like the sound of. Its just down to you liking the style of music more. Some of the stuff Pete Townshend does is actually really difficult, but it still sounds really good - to me at least.