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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!