why are guitar solos not cool anymore?

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jimistone

jimistone

long standing member
none of the new rock has guitar solos in it. Well, if you count a simpleton riff that is basically the vocal line of the chourus (that my 7 year old daughter couyld probably play) there ARE solos...but nothing like the great solos on classis rock tracks of the late 60's and early 70's.

why arn't guitar solos cool anymore?.......i just don't get it...is it because there is a huge lack of guitar talent in the younger generation and its easier to say guitar solos suck than it is to actually learn to play lead guitar?

thank God for blues!
 
-maybe the new generation needs more practice, when grunge came out (and I love grunge!!!) and green day (I also like green day) kids said "well, I dont need to play that much to make it"
- todays life is to fast, maybe a solo is just getting in the way of the next chorus. (in the mind of the producer)
-I realy don't now.
thank God for John Petrucci !!!!!
 
BEcause there were so many solo's in the 80's... it was overdone... and the "it used to be better" always applies to old folks... hheheheh pun intended :)

Guhlenn
 
You're assuming guitar solos were cool in the first place?
 
oh yeah! there a re l alot of coolsolo's inn the 80's ... all those hair bands and shit there were so many that statistically there had to be cool ones...

Nothing else matters has a wonderful solo that almost everybody likes..

Guhlenn

Thank god for Nirvana to end all that solo crap... there really WAS too much... and if you like solo's that much just buy a vai or satriani album or some shit like that...
 
i cant believe all the negatives here against guitar solos. imho no song is complete without some sorta instrumental section that expresses feeling. i mean just about anyone can bang on a guitar and make noise but someone like stevie ray vaughn plays with so much emotion that it is breath taking.dont get me wrong i am not taking sides here and i like all music and appreciate it for what it is. sure i have my favorites as do all of you and besides opinions are like assholes we all have one. but alot of todays music was derived from those long haired guitar playing 70s and 80s bands. tim pate.
 
guhlenn said:
oh yeah! there a re l alot of coolsolo's inn the 80's ... all those hair bands and shit there were so many that statistically there had to be cool ones...

Nothing else matters has a wonderful solo that almost everybody likes..

Guhlenn

Thank god for Nirvana to end all that solo crap... there really WAS too much... and if you like solo's that much just buy a vai or satriani album or some shit like that...
Click to expand...

Sorry, but that is really as shitty post!! It is wrong to think that solo's are only some technical showoffs. I also don't like the 80's solo's a lot, but I adore the Hendirx stuff (listen to the solo of Machine Guns, just briljant) and heaps of great blues and jazz stuff. I even like Morello's solo's: it is a manner of expressing your feelings through your guitar.

Off course a lot of songs don't require a solo, but lately it seems that evrybody is too lazy to practice or to become one with his guitar: the only thing that seems to matter is a song that kids can hum along and will sell many copies.

Btw, you mention Nirvana as an ending, but Smells Like Teen Spirit contains a great guitarsolo: simple but perfectely in that song.
 
BrettB said:
btw, you mention Nirvana as an ending, but Smells Like Teen Spirit contains a great guitarsolo: simple but perfectely in that song.
Click to expand...

OH yes, you had to bite hadn't you? Well Brett , to put your mind at ease, i kinda posted just to get a response like yours . :D However, it is funny that you mention the nirvana solo of smells like teen spirit cuz it's exactly what Jimistone describes ; it's the chorus line played on the guitar... it aint a solo in the way Jimistone ment it. :)

And by saying that it is simple yet effective you kinda agree with me; it doesn't have to be Vai to be called a solo... And it doesn't have to have 1/32 notes just to be interesting... I think the whole shred stuff is still good, but since it was so popular in the 80's it 's now pushed back by the "a song is a song " crowd...

But still, calling the nirvana "smells like teenspirit" riff a solo is a disgrace to all shredders. i bet jimi has to agree on that one...

Guhlenn
 
jimistone said:
none of the new rock has guitar solos in it. Well, if you count a simpleton riff that is basically the vocal line of the chourus (that my 7 year old daughter couyld probably play)
Click to expand...

Sounds like the smells like teen spirit solo to me!

Guhlenn
 
Guitar solos are cool! And they don't have to be 1000 notes to be that way. Sometimes one note says more that 1000 notes if it's the right note. Just listen to Albert (the Iceman) Collins.
 
yeah, guitar solos suck :rolleyes:
expanding the limits of the instrument is pointless :rolleyes:
using the guitar as more than a rhythem instrument is so 80's and big haired :rolleyes:
if you want to listen to solos, go listen to vai or satriani?:confused:

ignorance must be bliss
 
A big part of the punk movement said that solos were just wanking off, and were frowned upon. I remember a few quotes from Jello Biafra about it, and a lot of the new stuff wants to pretend its punk so.......
 
IMHO, the lack of guitar solos and guitar virtuosos is due to the crap MTV & the record companies have been promoting. They're only concerned with finding the next Brit Spears/Nsync while over looking the other musical talent out there.

There are alot of talented, entertaining guitarists out there playing incredible solos in a variety of flavors - but your not going to here them on the radio or see on MTV or listed in the billboard top40.

I basically listen to rock & metal, but I don't listen to "nu-metal" & "new rock" because it lacks the musical quality I look for in a song. I'm not going to buy a "nu-metal" or "new rock" CD because based on what I've heard on the radio - it sucks. Maybe there are some good tunes on the "nu-metal" CD's, but I'm not going to waste my money to find out. MOST of the time, my favorite song on a CD I buy is not the "hit" that I heard on the radio.

Downloadable MP3"s? You bet!

MTV and the record producers have rewarded a generation of lazy
musicians that don't realize the value of guitar skills or song writing skills that incorporate melody in the song & lyrics.

Do you think a guitarist today, with the talent of an Edward VanHalen (for example) is going to be content hiding their light under a bush and just slamming out some power chords or heavy riff on a detuned 7-string? Hell no! I've never met a talented guitarist that doesn't want to show case their skills in a solo - provided they have the chops to do so. And I don't remember a time when people wouldn't drop what they are doing to watch a blazing guitarist rip out a cool solo.

Its out there and its good, they're just not giving it to us through the mainstream chanels. Well there's my $0.02...

Commit random acts of kindness! :D
 
Hey, "Don't Let Me Get Me" (Pink) has a git solo. Bad solo, horrible tone, but at least it's something.
 
Here's the deal:

Everything old will be new again. The history of anything goes in cycles, and music is no different.

In a few years solos will be cool (again), and all the great studio cats will come out for their moment in the sun. Then things will snowball (again) until everybody is sick of it and starts looking for something different (again).

Right now I see country being what rock was in the '80's: lots of flash. You want guitar solos? Listen to "Come on Over" by Shania Twain. Lots of great guitar work on that album, and not just country pickin' either. Some great rock licks and even a talk-box solo. Ditto with lots of other country music.

In a few more years things will cycle through again. But one thing is undeniable: regardles of what type of music you play, to remain popular through the cycles you have to write great songs.

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
 
I have to agree with Firebird, guitar solos are completely cool. I used to be impressed with the technical ability of those super fast pickers. My taste has changed a lot in that I really enjoy the slower more tasteful solos. I once read that a famous guitarist said (can't remember his name, I think it was David Bowies guitarist RIP) that a really good solo is one that you can whistle. Have you ever tried to whistle a Van Halen solo?:)

Listen to George Harrisons solos they were really beautiful and memorable. He made many wonderful, memorable solos with very few notes. :cool:
 
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Lazy?

I don't really buy the argument that kids are getting lazy and simply don't practice enough. The generation of musicians currently on the radio are very talented. I think at this particular moment nobody really gives a shit about technical virtuosity on guitar, though. Being able to write a memorable hook requires as much talent as the ability to play 32nd notes with your teeth. Maybe more.

I'm sorry, but if I didn't play guitar and I was just Joe Shmoe consumer, I wouldn't be able to sit through a minute long Yngwie solo. On the other hand, as a musician I hate having to sit through 2 minutes of bad song writing to get to the guitar solo. What a paradox.

Producers play a big role in whether there is a guitar solo or not, aswell.

BTW anyone hear any of the old Incubus demos (when they were in high school)? Mike Eizenger is a phenom on guitar. The Mudvayne guy is also swell on the git-fiddle.

apush
 
I agree that the pendulum continues to swing. The early-mid '90's announced that it was no longer cool to be a solid musician - especially for guitar players. Players who were good (Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains) had to hide their skills in order to be taken as credible until years later. (Tiny Music from STP and Three-Legged Dog by Alice in chains as examples) Even still, though, there wasn't a lot of soloing.

Over recent years, though, (at least in rock), we have seen a return to melody as opposed to pure angst. I think we are starting to see a return to strong musicianship also. There are a few indicators that soloing may become cool again. Sum41 are quite popular with the younger set, and their song In Too Deep actually has (and shows in the video:eek: ) some rudimentary finger-tapping!! :eek: :eek: Some of the Nu-Metal players (who are influencing the players of tomorrow) are quite good players. Maybe it will come soon. I hope so, because I can't wait to start shredding again!!:D :D :D

Chris
 
Shredders=Fags. :D:D:D

Whatever happened to real solos like in Cinnamon Girl...... What did you say..???

That solo was 8 bars of one note???? :D



Anyways... I don't like crazy, soloing, like Mr. Via.... When the guitar player becomes THE song, rather than just a part of the music......

I get very unimpressed quickly with that sort of playing....

I know of a great guitar player who solos just enough but doesn't overplay..... When the time is right, he shreds, but when it's time to relax, he chills........ He's great.. You might know him ;)

(For those of you who are lost, Chris is my guitar player (And im his drummer), and his taste is great))


Voxvendor is posting in red today, to symbolize the 9/11 tragedy
 
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