Most Impressive Unaccompanied Guitar Solo

Ever since Eddie Van halen recorded “Eruption”, guitarists have been trying to play even harder, faster unaccompanied solos from tie to time on their albums. What is your favorite unaccompanied guitar solo which appears on an album (not just something you heard in a concert), in terms of speed, difficulty, and most of all how much you enjoy listening to it!

My favorite is the unaccompanied solo Yngwie played on the Steeler album right before the song “Hot On Your Heels” begins. Since then some guys have recorder faster solos or solos with a greater variety of complex techniques, but in terms of he impact it had on me and others at the time and the fact that I genuinely enjoy listening to it, it’s my favorite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGzLLpa5XoE

A couple honorable mentions: “Frenzy” by Paul Gilbert on the first Racer X album

“Hey Mike” by Michael Angelo Batio from the second Nitro album

2 Likes

I haven’t thought about this in a long time, but I remember Vinnie Moore’s solo ‘Invader’ from an old Vicious Rumors record was pretty amazing.

Varney put quite a few of those on the early Shrapnel records, like the aforementioned ‘Frenzy’. I’d also give honorable mention to the following:

Joey Tafolla’s ‘Wrecking Ball’
MacAlpine’s ‘Quarter to Midnight’
Bruce’s solo from RX ‘Extreme Volume 1’ (though I suppose it’s not really unaccompanied)

6 Likes

Paul Gilbert - Intense Rock REH intro
Jason Becker - Serrana
Jason Becker - Paganini 5th caprice
andy timmons - puppet show
van halen - spanish fly
zakk wylde - speedball

Paco de Lucia solos are always unbelievable:

Does having your boys knock the table count as accompaniment?

4 Likes

The cliffs of dover intro is quite iconic.

2 Likes

Michael Schenker’s intro solo on Save Yourself.

There are a few good ones mentioned here too. I’m sure there are loads more, but I can’t think of them at the minute.

1 Like

My favourite is the intro solo of “Mutha (Don’t Wanna Go to School Today)” by Extreme.

1 Like

Quarter To Midnight - Tony Macalpine

I don’t know if it qualifies as the “most impressive ever” but I was mighty impressed with Prince’s solo breakdown at the end of “Let’s Go Crazy”.

1 Like

I think everyone should check out Timo Tolkki of Stratovarius. His lead on the song “Kiss of Judas” off of their Visions Albums is unbelievable.


Let me know what you guys think, I would like to hear some feedback. All above mentioned solo’s are awesome.
1 Like

I don’t think this song fits the criteria. I love his work with Stratovariaous, it’s a shame how his playing degraded over the years though.

I agree. But he was pretty damn good.

I would struggle to name anything that has left a greater impression upon me than the intro to Cliffs of Dover from the iconic '88 ACL performance.

2 Likes

Timeless… and classy

1 Like

I’m sort of cheating because there is a quiet keyboard accompaniment in part of it, and by the end of it the band does join it, but I’ve got to mention it because it’s so awesome and probably not super well known some of the other awesome mentions on here. It is mostly unaccompanied :slight_smile:

Steve Morse doing his thing. Ultra melodic shredder.

:joy:

2 Likes

Think solo unaccompanied guitar is mostly in the acoustic realm, any gypsy or flamenco etc.

My mind is blank when it comes to epic electric guitar unaccompanied.

Not exactly unaccompanied but epic :slight_smile:

I really like Tom Bukovac’s playing, he’s soulful, his home schooling series is amazing!
They all start with some incredible unaccompanied thing.

You should check out the Trucks video (he refers to) of the track he plays after the Mahavishnu bit, it’s out of this world.

1 Like

EVH had two great introductions, Eruption and Intruder.

This always makes me smile especially halfway through on the speed up!

2 Likes