Top 100 guitar solos

[glenneaglesfan]

From an article “100 Hottest Solos”, Total Guitar, May 2006

4
Track: Hotel California
Artist: The Eagles
Who played it: Don Felder and Joe Walsh
Genre: Rock
UK chart position: 8
Why it rocks: If this isn’t the most perfectly constructed piece of guitar work this side of Floyd’s Comfortably Numb, then we don’t know what is! From the moment Felder’s soaring Gibson kicks things off to the orgasmic harmony outro that’s so tight you couldn’t fit a Rizla between the players, every passage is packed with nuggets of six-string gold. Both guitarists are kings of the slinky lick, so it’s no surprise that Felder and Walsh push each other through a series of finger-twisting contortions featuring three-fret bends, super-sweet vibrato and intertwining ‘together’ moments that keep the listener enthralled. Listen closely and you can hear where the Felder Les Paul gives way to Walsh’s Telecaster before taking centre stage yet again later on. Although originally a Don Felder song, Walsh arranged Hotel California’s solo. “I’m very proud of it. I thought up the lead parts and was 75-80 per cent responsible for their arrangement.” says Joe. “But if Felder hadn’t been there, kicking me in the butt, I would not have played like that.” As with every truly great guitar solo, you can sing every note. This is guitar playing at its very best.
Find it on: Hotel California (1976)
Did you know? Hotel California was originally written and recorded in the key of E minor, before Don Henley decided it would suit his voice better in B minor. So Felder capo’d his 12-string at the 7th fret and the rest is history!

Total Guitar is a magazine my son used to subscribe to, so it doesn’t mince its words! Incidentally, their top twelve solos were:
1. Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin
2. Eruption – Van Halen
3. Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
4. Hotel California
5. Enter Sandman – Metallica
6. Crossroads – Cream
7. Voodoo Child – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
8. Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
9. All Right Now – Free
10. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
11. Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
12. Something – The Beatles
Tunnel Of Love came in at 15.

[sodascouts]

Thanks for that!

It's interesting that Joe here says he is responsible for most of the arrangement of the lead guitar parts. In a recent Guitar World Acoustic interview, Felder states that on the cassette he handed the guys, he had "just about the entire arrangement that appears on the record, verbatim, with the exception of a few licks Joe added to the end." I don't think either of the guys are lying - I just think it's funny how things get remembered differently! lol

[DonFan]

I just bought a copy of that Guitar World magzine. Although the bulk of the story is old, just a portion of Marc Eliot's book, the pictures are fantastic. And it is interesting to read how Joe and Don F both remember that time.

[SweetHolly]

Thanks for sharing that!

[glenneaglesfan]

Df, I think your article must be different. Total Guitar is a British magazine, and there weren't any pictures. If you get a chance to scan your article, that would be great!

[sodascouts]

GEF, I think Dana's referring to the Guitar World Acoustic interview linked in my post - it's already been scanned in. She's right, the photos are great - outtakes of HC I've never seen before. Here's a few:

[glenneaglesfan]

Damn, those are amazing! Thanks Soda and Donfan!

I've had a chance to read that article now. I haven't read To The Limit, so quite enjoyed some new stuff. Interesting to read about Don's relationships, and how the band members felt about Joe.