Radio hits with "shred" guitar solos

General Music Discussion
#61

I seem to recall that Troy had a cracking the code video that briefly mentions the solo in this song as an example of how more technical playing was making its way into even top 10 commercial pop hits. Basically saying how like everybody had technique and how were they doing it. I could be wrong but for some reason I remember that from a long time ago. One of those videos. Maybe it was a different song. I knew the song back then and embarrasingly admit i liked it even without the solo with her kind of raw singing and the songs dramatic pauses and sort of vengeful lyrics.

Added:

Here is a grunge tune with a little bit of a shredsy solo

Soundgarden - Gun

Here is Kurt Cobain “shredding” for a few seconds:

Added:

I remember I was in Brazil in '93 and during my time there there was the Rock in Rio festival with a lot of bands including a Brazilian band called Dr Sin with a bona fide shredder. I forget his name.

Anyway, the concert also included Alice in Chains and Nirvana and I forget who else. Maybe RHCP. I was curious about Nirvana and they were a little messy that night but definitely grungy on tunes like heart shaped box (which I thought sounded much better live then studio version - almost like a different song with the accents in the studio) and also scentless apprentice etc. Flea from Red hot chilli peppers got up and did the smells like teen spirit solo with a trumpet. Kurt was insulting the audience, spitting on the cameras and flashing the audience.

But I was very impressed wtih alice in chains. I thought they were incredible… so heavy always playing with time… bending, slowing down etc

I’ve read that EVH and Jerry Cantrell (Of Alice in Chains) were good friends. I know EVH liked JC’s playing.

I watched the concert on TV… it was shown free. I wasn’t in Rio.

Chirs Cornell from Soundgarden was a great singer:

Fell on black days

1 Like
#62

Chris is probably the only celebrity I’ve cried over the death of. I remember exactly where I was when I heard. What a loss. I couldn’t listen to any of his stuff for like a year or two without almost breaking down.

2 Likes
#63

Also…

Like a stone - AudioSlave

Scar on the sky - acoustic live

Black hole sun - acoustic live

1 Like
#64

Oh all the Chris Cornell talk reminded me of another one!

Audioslave - Doesn’t Remind Me

1 Like
#65

I’ve read that Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins is a huge Yngwie fan.

He used to practice Yngwie stuff before he fell into the 90’s seattle sound - alternative rock style.

There’s a Beato interview with him and near the very end he mentions Yngwie but Beato doesn’t take it anywhere. But I’ve heard him talk about Yngwie many times.

I’ve never been the hugest fan of SP but the double album Mellon Collie and the infinite sadness is a great album. Quirky with different kinds of styles.

Mellon Collie and the infinite sadness

To Forgive:

Gallapagos

By Starlight

XYU

Just a random “ShoeGaze” song by Lush

Added:

I recall reading that Dave Grohl (NIrvana Drummer) and friends ran into Yngwie in a bar and approached him saying how much they liked him and respected him for his virtuosity stating we totally suck. I read that Yngwie was surprised they knew of him and liked him and he enjoyed the encounter and thought they were cool.

Added:

A rap icon (Ice-T)'s metal band (Body Count) cover of a Slayer track

1 Like
#66

This should give you a clue of how massive of a Billy/SP fan I am. To say that Siamese Dream is my favorite guitar oriented rock album of all time is probably an understatement.

PXL_20240824_114700086.MP
PXL_20240824_114700086.MP1920×3413 887 KB

My very worn Fender sig, we’ve been through quite a lot together.

I’ve never agreed with SP being grunge adjacent (unless having a relationship with Courtney Love automatically makes you grunge, hahahaha). Fun fact “Violet” by Hole is about Billy and Courtney claims she put a hex on him and all his hair fell out when they broke up).

Billy’s influences are more myriad, lots of shoegaze influence from bands like My Bloody Valentine Billy talks about it in the Beato interview and of course 80s metal.

This is on the same album as 1979 and Tonight, Tonight. Never fails to amuse me straight thrash riffing. Must have been like the people that bought Extreme II for “More than Words”

Rivers Cuomo from Weezer has a similar path pre fame very into 80s shred stuff. Here’s Billy in the 80s.

Billy’s an Uli Jon Roth fan too. Uli played with SP once.

Here’s some favorites from a guitar perspective.

Glad you brought up Ice-T in addition to playing the longest running male live action character in TV history he’s a huge metal fan. The Sabbath fans will know where the riffs in these came from

Ernie C. (Body Count’s lead guitarist) can shred his ass off. Somewhere in storage I have their debut album with “Cop Killer” on it before it was pulled. If memory serves in the liner notes they thank a lot of the thrash guys like Mustaine. It always cracks me up how the media called Body Count a “rap group” during the controversy, nah this is crossover thrash plain and simple. One of my favorites to crank up in the car driving. Only Body Count could write a ballad about crackheads

2 Likes
#67

I used to llke this Weezer song:

This is kind of a simple nice song by SP. I think it was one of the first songs they recorded and it’s not on any their normally released albums if I’m not mistaken.

Bleed

1 Like
#68

I’ll just leave this here

It’s funny cause Metallica themselves lifted the Sweet Home Alabama riff for the bridge of Four Horseman and a later riff in Sanitarium sounds a lot like Rush’s Tom Sawyer.

Apparently the Sweet Home Alabama thing started as a joke by Mustaine when Lars wanted a slower part and he played the riff as a joke and Lars didn’t know Skynyrd so it was left in.

1 Like
#69

I don’t know how high this version charted but it is a famous song and it has a couple of shreddy runs in the beginning

This Chicago song which was their first single release (only charted as high as number 24) has some quick playing in the beginning (bass sounds prominent on that)

1 Like
#70

Terry Kath was amazing. What a tragic loss.

1 Like
#71

I’m the same, Siamese Dream and MCATIS are likely my favourite rock albums. They still get regular listens decades later

1 Like
#72

Yngwie said that the singer should eat some Pearl Jam… (on the song “go”)

STP

Sad how all of these guys are dead (KC, LS, CC and SW).

1 Like
#73

Stuff that’s (IMO) been missed.

In the vein of killer guitar solos on major hits:

Rush - Tom Sawyer (that solo is no joke to play well. Angular lines over weird time signature(s))
Tesla - Love Song
G ‘n R - Sweet Child ‘O Mine
Bon Jovi - Living On Prayer
Peter Frampton - Do You Feel Like I Do
Metallica - One

2 Likes
#74

I do, too! lol On cassette, I was 13… this was about a year before I started playing guitar. I definitely had O.G. Original Gangster first (was huge into rap) and there’s a Body Count track on it, too, that served as a sort of teaser for the then-unreleased BC album.

To add to the post in general, since I don’t think it was mentioned yet: Rock Around the Clock. Pretty major hit at the time, and some wild guitar.

3 Likes
#75

That has one of my favorite guitar solos:

That two second part especially.

Beato does a video about this solo:

He has one about the song too. → link fixed - was a duplicate of link above

2 Likes
#76

The other day I was thinking about Paradise City. It’s mostly legato, .i.e cheating (jk lol) but Slash plays some pretty fast stuff in that solo at the end.

Also re: Rush…there’s this one that has some crazy (though sloppy, but still cool) really chaotic soloing. Definitely virtuoso level speed and a bit “fast for radio”. Free Will maybe? I can’t remember but I’ll have to check.

#77

I’m guessing Spirit of Radio or Freewill. Permanent Waves was where he really went ballistic.

Lifeson is criminally overlooked. He spent so much time fitting into the song….or being so outside the song it was like another part entirely.

2 Likes
#78

I used to like the Necromancer solo but I don’t think it was on the radio much.

Freewill solo.

La villa strangiato

1 Like
#79

If I had to pick one……the solo in Rush’s Kid Gloves is his best ever. Controlled, frenetic and intense….while fitting the song perfectly.

Factoid: He rarely worked out his solos. He’d run a few takes and pick. (Ignoring epics like 2112, Hemispheres, Xanadu, La Villa).

I’m a big fan:

1 Like
#80

Yeah after the refresher from @tomsters link Freewill was the one I was thinking of. Jimmy Page on steroids.

2 Likes