I don’t understand how Adrian Belew didn’t make a single appearance. His work with Bowie, Talking Heads, and King Crimson is a total master class in “outside the box” guitar work, ESPECIALLY, when it comes to solos. Just listen to Bowie’s live version of Station to Station.
I came here to say this. You also forgot his tenure with Frank Zappa. Anyone that's played with Zappa should probably be on this list. I'm happy that Elliot Easton got some love, I think he's underrated. I've always loved that Andy Summers solo, just _because_ it's so WTF? I really do agree with this list.
Always thought that Friedman solo was WICKED. It doesn't even sound strange to me. It's expertly crafted and teeters perfectly between being "outside" and right on point.
Marty Friedman is an A++, cant be touched. Love playing Freidman's licks, the best of the best. So sad he left Megadeth, RIP Nick. Rust in Peace is one of the best albums EVER made.
Kim Thayil was always going to be in here. A tab book of Soundgarden way back when simply said ‘random combination of notes and scratchings with an absence of musicality’ for one of his solos instead of any tablature.
Some of Rick's videos feel like you're just hanging out in a music shop with a guy who seems to work there but just shows you all the cool stuff he's found.
What made Zappa's solos so strange, and so unique, is that he hardly ever wrote or rehearsed his solos, except in the earliest years of the Mothers. Most of his recorded solos, especially LIVE solos, were entirely improvised, on the spot. I once read an interview where he said they were, for him, one of most exciting parts of playing a show, because "I don't know what I'm going to do, and you don't know what I'm going to do, so let's find out together." And the one in this video, "five-five-FIVE," is an example of one of those live improvised solos.
0:31 Driven to Tears by The Police (Andy Summers) 1:18 Painkiller by Judas Priest (K. K. Downing) 2:13 Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden (Kim Thayil) 3:03 Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana (Kurt Cobain) 3:34 Just What I Needed by The Cars (Elliot Easton) 4:15 Symphony of Destruction by Megadeth (Marty Friedman) 5:12 Cut to the Chase by Rush (Alex Lifeson) 5:58 The Sails of Charon by Scorpions (Uli Jon Roth) 6:43 Zero by The Smashing Pumpkins (James Iha) 7:12 Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine (Tom Morello) 7:54 Goodbye Divinity by Sons of Apollo (Ron Thal) 8:37 Sunny Days by The Drills (Phil X) 9:07 Jordan by Buckethead) 9:54 The Attitude Song by Steve Vai 10:34 Fives by Guthrie Govan 11:35 Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes (Trevor Rabin) 12:35 Sinner's Swing! by Van Halen (Eddie Van Halen) 13:05 five-five-FIVE by Frank Zappa 14:06 Tokyo Dream by Allan Holdsworth 15:14 Scatterbrain by Jeff Beck
El 99 %de los solos de Zappa son raros ...para un análisis exhaustivo. Pero parece ser que Zappa no es de los músicos favoritos de Rick.... siendo uno de los compositores más importantes del siglo XX .. jamás le dedicó ni un programa..tampoco a cientos de músicos negros estadounidenses precursores..tampoco a varias bandas de rock y músicos de Sudamérica...en fin tú te lo pierdes Rick. Me gustan tus programas pero te falta mucho " background"
@@toddgarci1966 He said that everything that he has tried use by Zappa had gotten blocked. The song he used on this list just one of the rare few is that only one that wasn't blocked.
Honestly, whenever I think of strange solos I always go with Larry LaLonde's playing with Primus. Like, the stuff he plays on My Name Is Mud, Jerry Was A Race Car Driver, Wynona's Big Brown Beaver and pretty much everything he does in Primus is so weird but it fits the vibe of the band so well. As for other players, George Harrison on The Beatles' All You Need Is Love is a bit of an oddity as well but I still really like it
Couldn't say it better myself. Primus' whole catalog is just a library of unique solos, weird phrasing, offkey and offbeat descending and ascending climbs
Can’t have a “strange guitar solos” list without Buckethead! Glad you included him. I remember seeing Buckethead play with Primus in the late 90’s. That dude blew my mind!
Adding to the large pile of suggestions for Belew and Fripp. Belew’s playing on Remain In Light is mind-melting, particularly that solo for the Great Curve. Also Verlaine/Lloyd for Television have some excellent phrasing on Marquee Moon. Ichiro Agata from Melt Banana is also incredible.
I reckon Adrian Belew's solo from "Elephant Talk" should have been included if only for its weird sound. (though his note choices weren't exactly ordinary either.)
Another vote for Vernon Reid and "Cult Of Personality." All his solos really remind me of Coltrane's "sheets of sound" technique from his later years.... which is a HUGE compliment for any guitarist. I remember that song dropping in the middle of an era of sound-alike glam metal and it blew my teenaged mind!
When it first came out, there was nothing in my world that sounded even remotely close to it. It was like, "What is this dude even doing? Does he even know how to play? Whoa! That was epic! Genius!"
Yep, Vernon Reid immediately came to my mind, too. Any number of his solos could fit here. Can't say I like all of them, but I do admire the guy for trying something different.
#20 0:31 Driven To Tears (The Police) #19 1:18 Painkiller (Judas Priest) #18 2:12 Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden) #17 3:00 Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana) #16 3:32 Just What I Needed (The Cars) #15 4:14 Symphony of Destruction (Megadeth) #14 5:10 Cut To The Chase (Rush) #13 5:55 The Sails of Sharon (Scorpions) #12 6:35 Zero (Smashing Pumpkins) #11 7:11 Bulls on Parade (Rage Against The Machine) #10 7:52 Goodbye Divinity (Sons of Apollo) #9 8:31 Sunny Days (The Drills) #8 9:05 Jordan (Buckethead) #7 9:53 The Attitude Song (Steve Vai) #6 10:34 Fives (Guthrie Govan) #5 11:35 Owner of a Lonely Heart (Yes) #4 12:34 Sinners Swing! (Van Halen) #3 13:04 Five-Five-Five (Frank Zappa) #2 14:16 Tokyo Dream (Allan Holdsworth) #1 15:14 Scatterbrain (Live) (Jeff Beck)
The best solo, by far, of Lifeson’s entire career, was the lead from “Free Will.” Somehow both an utterly raw emotional outburst and a statement of musical sophistication, “Free Will” also features his best use of effects and his most epic structural climax. That show-stopping transition from the 6/8 lead break into the 4/4 pre-chorus near the end is a moment of sublime beauty that moves me every time I hear it. I’m not sure a bastardization such as the “progressive rock single” should even exist, but “Free Will” was Rush’s best argument against that bias. It is easily the best sub-six-minute song of their four-decade run.
i also think his solo at the 3.35 mark on Spirit of Radio is really unusual. I'm not sure it would really be called a solo but it's an abrupt, radical shift in the song's rhythm and timbre, leading into two additional slightly less jarring shifts and a final reprise of the song's opening section.
@@edwardx.winston5744 I love the Freewill solo. Alex gets the crown for making his guitar sound like Godzilla! Go ahead.... try to listen to Freewill without hearing Godzilla's ROAR! You can't do it. It is now forever implanted in your brain. You're welcome ;o)
Trevor's solo on "Owner" makes a lot more sense if it's seen as a duet with Squire's bass, they're jiving together closely. Also, he leaves out some notes and lets you "fill them in", suggesting them as part of the solo curve without actually playing them, a device also used by Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck.
Same here, that solo have it all when it comes to weirdness like strange tone and effects, atonality and the syncopated bends. So strange it wasnt included here!
he could have put some Devo on here as well but at least we got some Zappa and Yes. i agree though, i always respect Bowie and the musicians he worked with. gonna go listen to Fashion now!
I would love to see a sequel like "ANOTHER 20 strange guitar solos". Because let's be honest, it's the strange ones that drive innovation in the instrument and there are sooooo many interesting pieces.
@@porkbelly0713 I too would like this to turn into a series. Like, put together 5-10 more like these every few months and see how much more influential they'll be, especially for the younger audiences (not to mention the new players & bands on the internet).
@@ccelik97 I also would like to see this, and not just a part two. This has been some kind of great discussion on this topic. I am subscribed so it will pop up for me if he does another one
I think having something from Adrian Belew (King Crimson, Talking Heads, Zappa, David Bowie) would be worth looking at. I feel like he’s criminally underrated for the acts he’s been involved with.
He’s one of those “musician’s musicians.” He’s criminally underrated for a reason, I think. Same thing goes for Ty Tabor and Ian Thornley. Both guitar masters and nobody’s ever heard of ‘em…
@@brendanoshea1472 musicians'musician? No, my friend. I lightly disagree. Who played with Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson is not a musicians'musician. He's a musician for evoluted ears. He researches ever something more, something new, something that go beyond the same old song. To me, one of the GOAT
Yeah what the hell, I'm a big fan of Rick's but with regard to the topic of Zappa he's like the boy staring at the hottie the other side of the disco afraid to go up and talk to her.
The Robert Fripp solo in David Bowie's "Fashion" is one of the top ones for me. I saw an interview with Fripp where he basically thanked Bowie for letting him play... that.
When I saw the video this solo was my first thought. That song blew my mind as an impressionable 13 year old and I have tended to prefer solos like that ever since.
Absolutely expected this solo on the list, also thought Rick would refer to the #20 Andy Summers solo as a Fripp ripoff; a "Fripp-off" if you will. In my attempts to learn it, my transcriptions always were titled, "Fripp Insanity Interval Rip"
Exactly. Crazy fast, quasi-scales noodling is not strange to me at all. In fact they sound conformist. It's the solos that are minimalist, dissonant, off-beat, but perfectly fitting that are the real miracles of creativity. No Fripp? No Belew? GTFOH! Even early Devo managed more outlandish, rule-breaking solos than half of what's on this list.
I would also say that the 1966 song "Eight Miles High" by The Byrds has some of the weirdest soloing going on. There certainly wasn't anything like it during that era.
I got to see Buckethead perform live with John Zorn / Bill Laswell’s Painkiller back in 93 (?). Stood literally 3 feet from him. He’s not human. His fingers are freakish. Have been a fan ever since
Theres a real Miles Davis philosophy to all these...."you gotta learn to play inside before you can play outside" - all these guys can play inside if they wanted but instead chose some weird notes to make it oddly perfect. Great idea for a list, Rick! (and PS - I think Adrian Belew should have been on this list. The master of stunt guitar)
Zappa really couldn't play inside. He had no sense of rhythm, was always trying to make some obscene jokes that didn't quite work, was his own worst enemy all wrapped up in a freakin' genius workaholic. He could twist a phrase or a guitar with equal virtuosity.
I could not agree more, except that besides Rush, Rick never seems to mention Steve Howe very much. That guy had extremely crazy guitar solos. I guess progressive rock is not held in high regard in Rick's circle.
So often overshadowed by Les’s huge presence but I was kinda surprised none of Ler LaLonde’s eclectic solos made the list. Primus really threw music a curveball and I love it!
When you said "Les" my mind immediately went to Les Paul. In that time period there was nothing else even close. Sped up tracks and sound effects! LaLonde should have definitely been included in this list, too.
Would love to see you do a feature of King Crimson, maybe even an interview with Robert Fripp. I met him many years ago, he was was very courteous and brilliant.
Holdsworth's style is so unique because when he was a kid and his father asked him what instrument he wanted to learn and play, Alan's answer was the saxophone. Well, dear old dad bought him a guitar instead and taught him to play, but Alan never lost the desire to play sax - so he adapted his guitar style around saxophone scales. Knowing this, if you listen to ANY of Alan's guitar work, you can easily imagine and almost "hear" the same piece being done on a sax.
Yeah, every time he said "All his solos are weird." which was quite a few times, I thought "Here is comes. Robert Fripp." But it never came. I also thought Syd Barrett could go on this list.
I think what I like most about this channel, is the pure celebration of music. We're talking about the top 20 strangest guitar solos of all time and nowhere is Rick saying these are in poor taste or quality. Instead it's like "hey check this out. It's different." I love that.
Rick, the story behind Driven To Tears goes that Sting and Stewart hated lengthy solos, they would limit Andy to a few bars. Sting said Driven To Tears was the perfect example of less is more. Andy did indeed do it in one take, apparently furious, and that's what we hear.
If you watch an Andy Patrfidge interview (xtc, English band), they had a rule where you couldn't play the Ernie. You know, the er-nie. ( as a bit of a country player I could be offended, but I take it with good humour), love Elliot Eastons playing btw.
@@mattiasorre1718 bend g string 1 whole step (3rd finger, anywhere)..hit that b string with 4th finger...fast, slow, do the reverse Ernie, if you like?. You now know Ernie.
I think one of the most beautiful guitar solos is by you, Rick. Your solo on "Cardinal Motion" by Crowfield is off the charts and gives me goosebumps! It's a beautiful and loving song and your solo fits in perfectly. Love it!
"Driven to Tears" was definitely the first thing to come to mind. One "strange" solo not included but that still gets a lot of airplay is Vernon Reid's work in "Cult of Personality". Love him or hate him, he definitely had his own thing going on. Glad to see Rick finally give Uli some love, too (maybe Michael Schenker next?)
I was so happy to see Holdsworth make it near the top.. Amazing player. He was my little brother's idol and was a huge influence. His band opened for Allan once and each time he returned he requested that Brian open for him. I even once saw him drinking a beer on the side watching Brian play and giving him "the nod". When my brother became terminally ill Allan called several times, sent him some stuff and asked me to call him when Brian passed. The Bruford album with Allan and Jeff Berlin on bass was amazing.
@Rick Milan , sorry to hear about your brother, getting a nod from Alan Holdsworth is monumental. Hopefully they’re jamming together now… Are there any links to your brothers playing? I’d love to have a listen. Holdsworth has been a favorite of mine since I first heard him with Soft Machine when the “Bundles” album came out… many years ago
I was waiting for Buckethead, Zappa and Vai to pop up in that Top 10! Well done as always. A notable mention, if I may! "The Battle of Bob" by my dear friend Mattias Eklundh. Absolutely gorgeous and bizarre piece of guitar music.
Absolutely. Most of IA’s playing is weird and pure technical playfulness. He could easily make the list. Not sure he’s that well known outside of Scandinavia (orJapan) though..
Lots of strange solos from Adrian Belew and King Crimson - Elephant Talk comes immediately to mind. And speaking of King Crimson, Robert Fripp's Satori in Tangier is definitely "out there".
The 2nd solo on "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead might be my favorite one. I love how at one point Jonny is playing along with the melody and seconds later he's playing totally alien stuff. And it goes back and forth on that. Mind-blowing.
Awesome list of unique guitar solos. Marty Friedman era of Megadeth are the absolute best. His solos always amazed me. It was great seeing Painkiller on there. I never thought that it was a strange solo but seeing it on your list for being unique I’ll have a deeper appreciation for it.
Great video Rick , I agree with #1 but would have put number # 20 at # 2 - that simple odd solo on Driven to tears is brilliant yet simple and definitely very crazy
I saw Allan at thebakedpotato in Los Angeles in 2009 and my jaw was onthe table for most of the show... I was pleased to meet him and he's the coolest guy ever
That's fun seeing Rick who is a masterful guitarist himself playing air guitar and geeking out to his favorite weird solo's of all time. Never change Mr Beato we love ya for your intense and unyielding passion for music.
Rick you are the man!!! I wish I could hang out and jam with you.........that's on my bucket list.......I've learned so much watching you and I think your skills in the "musical" realm of life are nothing less than spectacular, phenomenal, amazing, staggering, astounding, bewildering......etc......I like your channel and I think you're a really cool dude!!! I wish nothing but the best for you and I hope to keep learning and being inspired by you and your knowledge!!!!!! Your chops are pretty fantastic as well!!!! by the way your studio is kick-a$$...........so many toys..........It's like your very own music store lol........How many guitars do you own in total?? I', very curious.........If I had to guess.........I'd say at least 50????????................................Stay thirsty my friend and keep on rockin in the free world!!!
Fiery Gun Hand by Cardiacs has a fantastically schizophrenic solo. Would love to see it incorporated into a future list. Sartori in Tangiers by King Crimson is also a fun listen.
Yes, exactly. I don't find that solo strange at all. It outlines the chord changes perfectly, and then throws in that cool kinda rockabilly double-stop bit at the end. I played this song with my band and it was really fun to learn the solo.
@@Wizardofgosz I don’t think this list is meant to be negative as such. “Weird” in this context means “very different” but not in a bad way. He says he likes them
The "Just What I Needed" solo is one of my favorite solos of all time. I don't consider it that crazy though, as it is very "tasty" and fits so well. I was really expecting Vernon Reid's solo from "Cult of Personality" to be on this list, though.
I thought you always hated Frank Zappa but delighted to see "Five Five Five" on the list. I'd love to see you do an episode on him. I guess Gail Zappa was such a blocker when she took over his catalog? And now Ryko owns his catalog? Such a shame that so many people can't hear his playing, you bring great exposure and exposition and analysis. I'd love to see you review some of his work on Joe's Garage like 'Packard Goose' or 'He used to cut the Grass' He's one of my favourite guitarists. And putting Beck and Holdsworth in top spots puts him in good company! That Rush solo blew me away too. Great video!
Great choices all. I have always enjoyed listening to Kim Thayil of Soundgarden. Learned something, I never heard of a couple of the people you mentioned will need to listen to them.
Andy Summers Driven to Tears solo is actually my favorite on the list. It fits the driving desperateness and despair of the song. It's strange but fits so well. And many of Tom Morello's solos could have been on here as well. Great list. And like everyone said...I want more!!
I have to add myself to the list of those who thought first of Andy Summers brilliant solo on Driven To Tears which I understand was played on a fretless guitar.
@@Anautistictherapist sitar guitar, its a guitar but it has a thing by the bridge that just basiclaly gives it permenent fretbuzz, giving it a sitar sound. basically a guitar with a built in effect
I don't know if anyone commented here but the UK band Cardiacs have a 'marmite' solo in the song "Is This The Life" - I love it, you gotta hear it to believe it - a beautiful tune! Have a great day!
I agree with Fripp or Belew on the list but King Crimson would get blocked unless Rick can get Toyah to dance on the screen of his video during the solo.
Elliot Easton is truly underrated. His playing is so tasteful, unique, and while his choices are sometimes odd, they are totally palpable and make an already great song, irresistible.
I read somewhere that even though Elliot plays left-handed, he's right-handed. It said the reason he plays left-handed is that their manager liked the way the Beatles looked onstage, with their guitar necks pointed in opposite directions, and had Elliot learn out to play left-handed so they could do the same thing on stage. If he plays that good with his off-hand, how good is he playing right-handed?
0:08 Criteria 0:32 (20) Andy Summers - Driven to Tears 1:18 (19) KK Downing - Pankiller 2:12 (18) Kim Thayil - Black-Hole Sun 3:01 (17) Kurt Cobain - Heart-Shaped Box 3:32 (16) Elliot Easton - Just What I Needed 4:14 (15) Marty Friedman - Symphony of Destruction 5:10 (14) Alex Lifeson - Cut to the Chase 5:56 (13) Uli Jon Roth - The Sails of Charon 6:34 (12) James Iha - Zero 07:11 (11) Tom Morello - Bulls on Parade 07:52 (10) Ron Bumblefoot Thal - Goodbye Divinity 8:31 (09) Phil X - Sunny Days 09:05 (08) Buckethead - Jordan 09:53 (07) Steve Vai - The Attitude Song 10:34 (06) Guthrie Govan - Fives 11:35 (05) Trevor Rabin - Owner of a Lonely Heart 12:34 (04) Eddie Van-Halen - Sinner's Swing! 13:05 (03) Frank Zappa - Five-five-five 14:16 (02) Allan Holdsworth - Tokyo Dream 15:14 (01) Jeff Beck - Scatterbrain
You missed ‘Cult of Personality’ by Living Colour. That solo makes me want to scream in agony every time I hear it. Vernon’s rhythm playing is so absolutely precise and then this solo is just nuts. I was learning to play guitar when it came out and my teacher said “don’t do that.”
That Buckethead track was one of the solo battles on Guitar Hero.. Beat the piss out of me... Glad you also had Kim Thayil on here too. He's frickin awesome.
Props for remembering Uli John Roth! I'm always so torn about his departure from the Scorpions. I love Uli's playing but I think Matthias ended up being exactly what they needed to hit the next level. Absolutely not a knock on Uli and I still love it when I hear him play. Old Scorpions still make it to my CD player all the time though.
Rick Beato is a better guitar player than I am but I absolutely destroy him at air guitar…
Yeah? So, what? I destroy him at air drums.
He may be a better bass guitarist, however he is not the bass hero
omg, that's hilarious and I totally agree. Love hearing him talk about music and crack up watching him look goofy 😂.
Rick’s one of the few people better at real guitar than air guitar 😂
He’s got that move: the Bobblehead 😂
I don’t understand how Adrian Belew didn’t make a single appearance. His work with Bowie, Talking Heads, and King Crimson is a total master class in “outside the box” guitar work, ESPECIALLY, when it comes to solos. Just listen to Bowie’s live version of Station to Station.
I second that your honour 🎶🎶🎸
I came here to say this. You also forgot his tenure with Frank Zappa. Anyone that's played with Zappa should probably be on this list.
I'm happy that Elliot Easton got some love, I think he's underrated. I've always loved that Andy Summers solo, just _because_ it's so WTF? I really do agree with this list.
Totally agree.
His solo on Elephant talk (and the one of Robert Fripp) is brutal
...and those solos with Talking Heads (Remain in Light, just to mention one)
We will be having none of that elephant talk here. (No, I agree.)
Always thought that Friedman solo was WICKED. It doesn't even sound strange to me. It's expertly crafted and teeters perfectly between being "outside" and right on point.
Marty Friedman is an A++, cant be touched. Love playing Freidman's licks, the best of the best. So sad he left Megadeth, RIP Nick. Rust in Peace is one of the best albums EVER made.
Kim Thayil was always going to be in here. A tab book of Soundgarden way back when simply said ‘random combination of notes and scratchings with an absence of musicality’ for one of his solos instead of any tablature.
lol.
Love Kim Thayil- Atonality, and jazz/prog is my jam.
How you managed to list 20 strange guitar solos with none of them by Robert Fripp astounds me.
Agreed, but Fripp never got played on radio or TV like the rest of em
It's his list, it's not your list. Opinions vary.
@@CHodgy do you ever hear Heroes by David Bowie on the radio?
@@evansteidtman962 I know! As soon as I typed I remembered
@@CHodgy Um, Heroes by Bowie was quite a big hit. And that solo is influenced by the Oblique Stratagies.
Some of Rick's videos feel like you're just hanging out in a music shop with a guy who seems to work there but just shows you all the cool stuff he's found.
Same vibes here dude!...
Definitely he will be fun to hangout with
I've always considered the Robert Fripp solo on Bowies Fashion is one of the greatest strange solos
Great, but the relentless harmonic logic on Baby's on Fire from Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets gets my Fripp's Best vote.
"Up the Hill Backwards" would be my pick.
Swastika Girls II is pretty odd too. Was surprised not to see any Fripp solos mentioned…
Most of these first few sounded pointless, squawking metal that had no interest for me when they came out, and still don't interest me.
I never liked Robert Fripp. He's too strange. It scares me.
What made Zappa's solos so strange, and so unique, is that he hardly ever wrote or rehearsed his solos, except in the earliest years of the Mothers. Most of his recorded solos, especially LIVE solos, were entirely improvised, on the spot. I once read an interview where he said they were, for him, one of most exciting parts of playing a show, because "I don't know what I'm going to do, and you don't know what I'm going to do, so let's find out together." And the one in this video, "five-five-FIVE," is an example of one of those live improvised solos.
I was thinking his solo on "Zomby Woof" (studio) would qualify, but maybe it got blocked. Never heard a whammy bar sound like that anywhere else.
Yo Mama 🎉❤
0:31 Driven to Tears by The Police (Andy Summers)
1:18 Painkiller by Judas Priest (K. K. Downing)
2:13 Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden (Kim Thayil)
3:03 Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana (Kurt Cobain)
3:34 Just What I Needed by The Cars (Elliot Easton)
4:15 Symphony of Destruction by Megadeth (Marty Friedman)
5:12 Cut to the Chase by Rush (Alex Lifeson)
5:58 The Sails of Charon by Scorpions (Uli Jon Roth)
6:43 Zero by The Smashing Pumpkins (James Iha)
7:12 Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine (Tom Morello)
7:54 Goodbye Divinity by Sons of Apollo (Ron Thal)
8:37 Sunny Days by The Drills (Phil X)
9:07 Jordan by Buckethead)
9:54 The Attitude Song by Steve Vai
10:34 Fives by Guthrie Govan
11:35 Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes (Trevor Rabin)
12:35 Sinner's Swing! by Van Halen (Eddie Van Halen)
13:05 five-five-FIVE by Frank Zappa
14:06 Tokyo Dream by Allan Holdsworth
15:14 Scatterbrain by Jeff Beck
What's the point of the summary list? Watching it is the fun part.
Ooh dittoes to K.K.'s wild ride on "Painkiller." Sick. In the best way.
El 99 %de los solos de Zappa son raros ...para un análisis exhaustivo. Pero parece ser que Zappa no es de los músicos favoritos de Rick.... siendo uno de los compositores más importantes del siglo XX .. jamás le dedicó ni un programa..tampoco a cientos de músicos negros estadounidenses precursores..tampoco a varias bandas de rock y músicos de Sudamérica...en fin tú te lo pierdes Rick. Me gustan tus programas pero te falta mucho " background"
There's so many you could draw on....Jerry Garcia, I suppose that could be an episode all in it's own...
@@toddgarci1966 He said that everything that he has tried use by Zappa had gotten blocked. The song he used on this list just one of the rare few is that only one that wasn't blocked.
Adrian Belew needs a mention, especially for his solo in The Talking Heads’ “Great Curve”
Yes! I thought Belew for sure would be in this list. Many of his solos are brilliantly oddball.
Yeah exactly or the dial up telephone solo on born with punches
yes! or the one in KC's Elephant Talk!
@@Enneque absolutely! I saw him live with the Bears. Phenomenal show! “Big Electric Cat” etc. No one sounds like him!
His work on Laurie Anderson's "Sharkey's Day" is worth the price of admission, too.
And Ler LaLonde remains one of the most underrated guitar wizards of my era...
Came here to mention Larry LaLonde. Criminally underrated player!
I love playing Larry's parts and solos on drumset... here's to sharn' love for Ler
Kim Thayil is always underrated and that’s why i always like those solos! Feel on Black Days is a masterpiece!!!
It indeed is, but it's actually called "Fell on Black Days"...
Honestly, whenever I think of strange solos I always go with Larry LaLonde's playing with Primus. Like, the stuff he plays on My Name Is Mud, Jerry Was A Race Car Driver, Wynona's Big Brown Beaver and pretty much everything he does in Primus is so weird but it fits the vibe of the band so well. As for other players, George Harrison on The Beatles' All You Need Is Love is a bit of an oddity as well but I still really like it
Couldn't say it better myself. Primus' whole catalog is just a library of unique solos, weird phrasing, offkey and offbeat descending and ascending climbs
I thought of 'Ler too!!!
I know nothing about LaLonde but judging from his playing style, there must be something not in place inside his head. And that makes it more cool
I agree 100%
This
Btw. Larry, he has the ability to create solo's that are both weird AND catchy and that's imho a pretty amazing feat.
Can’t have a “strange guitar solos” list without Buckethead! Glad you included him. I remember seeing Buckethead play with Primus in the late 90’s. That dude blew my mind!
Anything Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) Just, Paranoid Android, to name 2 that stand out.
Anything Nels Cline (Wilco) Impossible Germany**, One Wing
i.e: look at my pfp
Buckethead is the king of strange guitar solos.
Buckethead is in his own guitar world. Hence why he is much better being a solo artist.
Good ones! Especially Nels Cline’s.
Black Hole Sun, Heart Shaped Box, Just What I Needed, Symphony of Destruction, and especially Owner of a Lonely Heart's guitar solo are just iconic
Adding to the large pile of suggestions for Belew and Fripp. Belew’s playing on Remain In Light is mind-melting, particularly that solo for the Great Curve.
Also Verlaine/Lloyd for Television have some excellent phrasing on Marquee Moon. Ichiro Agata from Melt Banana is also incredible.
Yes, came here to say this!
I reckon Adrian Belew's solo from "Elephant Talk" should have been included if only for its weird sound. (though his note choices weren't exactly ordinary either.)
that solo rules!
Great call!
I expected his "modem solo" from Born Under Punches to be in this list
King copy-write-strike....
Yup - How he missed that one in a collection of "All Time" solos is almost sacrilegious.
Another vote for Vernon Reid and "Cult Of Personality." All his solos really remind me of Coltrane's "sheets of sound" technique from his later years.... which is a HUGE compliment for any guitarist. I remember that song dropping in the middle of an era of sound-alike glam metal and it blew my teenaged mind!
When it first came out, there was nothing in my world that sounded even remotely close to it. It was like, "What is this dude even doing? Does he even know how to play? Whoa! That was epic! Genius!"
Yep, Vernon Reid immediately came to my mind, too. Any number of his solos could fit here. Can't say I like all of them, but I do admire the guy for trying something different.
Exactly!
Exactly what came to mind for me too 👍
Agree. On Vernon Reid being weird and wonderful at the same time, I might suggest the intro to Information overload, though.
“Saint Elmo’s Fire” - Robert Fripp on Eno’s Another Green World. Love that solo
So good
Alan Holdsworth is one of my heroes. Thank you for including him here. RIP Alan.
Alan is/was an animal. Eddie V loved him.
#20 0:31 Driven To Tears (The Police)
#19 1:18 Painkiller (Judas Priest)
#18 2:12 Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden)
#17 3:00 Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana)
#16 3:32 Just What I Needed (The Cars)
#15 4:14 Symphony of Destruction (Megadeth)
#14 5:10 Cut To The Chase (Rush)
#13 5:55 The Sails of Sharon (Scorpions)
#12 6:35 Zero (Smashing Pumpkins)
#11 7:11 Bulls on Parade (Rage Against The Machine)
#10 7:52 Goodbye Divinity (Sons of Apollo)
#9 8:31 Sunny Days (The Drills)
#8 9:05 Jordan (Buckethead)
#7 9:53 The Attitude Song (Steve Vai)
#6 10:34 Fives (Guthrie Govan)
#5 11:35 Owner of a Lonely Heart (Yes)
#4 12:34 Sinners Swing! (Van Halen)
#3 13:04 Five-Five-Five (Frank Zappa)
#2 14:16 Tokyo Dream (Allan Holdsworth)
#1 15:14 Scatterbrain (Live) (Jeff Beck)
Not all heroes capes etc etc 😁👍👍
I personally think Dirty Movies is a weirder Van Halen solo than Sinner’s Swing but that’s just me
@@TheIdiotNamedJoe Always loved that atonal intro to that song.
I've always been fascinated by Alex Lifeson's guitar solo in "Limelight." It sounds so eerie and otherworldly.
Epic song and solo!
The best solo, by far, of Lifeson’s entire career, was the lead from “Free Will.” Somehow both an utterly raw emotional outburst and a statement of musical sophistication, “Free Will” also features his best use of effects and his most epic structural climax. That show-stopping transition from the 6/8 lead break into the 4/4 pre-chorus near the end is a moment of sublime beauty that moves me every time I hear it.
I’m not sure a bastardization such as the “progressive rock single” should even exist, but “Free Will” was Rush’s best argument against that bias. It is easily the best sub-six-minute song of their four-decade run.
Oh yeah
i also think his solo at the 3.35 mark on Spirit of Radio is really unusual. I'm not sure it would really be called a solo but it's an abrupt, radical shift in the song's rhythm and timbre, leading into two additional slightly less jarring shifts and a final reprise of the song's opening section.
@@edwardx.winston5744 I love the Freewill solo. Alex gets the crown for making his guitar sound like Godzilla! Go ahead.... try to listen to Freewill without hearing Godzilla's ROAR! You can't do it. It is now forever implanted in your brain. You're welcome ;o)
Trevor Rabin is so amazing, his solos are often between the strange and the beautiful. Each time I listen to his music the more I love it!
One of the most talented people in Yes and planet Earth 🌍
Trevor's solo on "Owner" makes a lot more sense if it's seen as a duet with Squire's bass, they're jiving together closely. Also, he leaves out some notes and lets you "fill them in", suggesting them as part of the solo curve without actually playing them, a device also used by Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck.
Hugely enjoyable thank you and some great new discoveries 🙏🏻
Let's not forget about Adrian Belew. The stuff he did with King Crimson back in the 80s was insane. Super exciting contrast to Fripps style. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🚀
I'd also suggest to check his work with Talking Heads: The Great Curve has one of the strangest and most badass solo ever.
Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp are both absolutely geniuses on guitars.
I agree. I also feel like you can't have this list without Larry LaLonde from Primus. My contribution would be Professor Nutbutter from Primus.
In my mind I thought Rick was going to pick anything by Adrian Belew as number one, but alas we settled for Jeff Beck :) lol
Adrian was in Capt. Beefheart's Magic Band, was he not?
I would personally add "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead. Jonny Greenwood absolutely kills it with 2 mind-boggling solos.
Same here, that solo have it all when it comes to weirdness like strange tone and effects, atonality and the syncopated bends. So strange it wasnt included here!
I was thinking exactly the same while watching the video. Maybe not for top 10, but I missed to see it in the list.
@@whitestplayer3014 I was waiting for it too.
This song and Cult of personality would be my +2
Oh yeah, Jonny is definitely up there for odd solos but I still love his playing
Robert Fripp's solo in Brian Eno's "Baby is on fire" must be there
Every one of these is amazing. Such fine musicians and in the case of Beck and Holdsworth such fine aliens from another realm! Great video
ANY solo by Adrian Belew could fit on this list. Fantastic guitarist with an incredible resumé who still somehow often flies under the radar.
I had the solo from Larks' part 4 as a ringtone and surprisingly i never got tired of heating that
His solo on Talking Heads, Born Under Punches from their Remain in Light album.
Elephant Talk!
The Great Curve
I'll throw in "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club
Robert Fripp’s solo in David bowie’s “Fashion”. Is weird odd and complete genius….and far more satisfying than most of this list
that whole scary monsters album has some messed up lead brilliance
he could have put some Devo on here as well but at least we got some Zappa and Yes. i agree though, i always respect Bowie and the musicians he worked with. gonna go listen to Fashion now!
And it still gets radio airplay!!!
@@hillx021hill3 radio usually plays an edit of Fashion that cuts out some of Fripp's solos.
Ikr
Anything by Vernon Reid of Living Colour could be in this list. Took me a while to get used to his style but now I love it.
I wasn't expecting to see so many of the obscure musicians I love so much. Great list.
I would love to see a sequel like "ANOTHER 20 strange guitar solos".
Because let's be honest, it's the strange ones that drive innovation in the instrument and there are sooooo many interesting pieces.
Well said!
and there are so many others that could be included. C'mon Rick we need a part two to this asap
@@porkbelly0713 I too would like this to turn into a series. Like, put together 5-10 more like these every few months and see how much more influential they'll be, especially for the younger audiences (not to mention the new players & bands on the internet).
Well said! I love all of these videos, but this one spoke to me on another level.
@@ccelik97 I also would like to see this, and not just a part two. This has been some kind of great discussion on this topic. I am subscribed so it will pop up for me if he does another one
I think having something from Adrian Belew (King Crimson, Talking Heads, Zappa, David Bowie) would be worth looking at. I feel like he’s criminally underrated for the acts he’s been involved with.
was gonna say it’s a crime his solos on Remain in Light are nowhere to be seen
He’s one of those “musician’s musicians.” He’s criminally underrated for a reason, I think. Same thing goes for Ty Tabor and Ian Thornley. Both guitar masters and nobody’s ever heard of ‘em…
To me, one of the best guitarist. Innovation, originality ever. To go beyond.
@@brendanoshea1472 musicians'musician? No, my friend. I lightly disagree. Who played with Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson is not a musicians'musician. He's a musician for evoluted ears. He researches ever something more, something new, something that go beyond the same old song. To me, one of the GOAT
Adrian Belew on Thela Hun Ginjeet (King Crimson - Discipline, 1981). There's a live version on YT...amazing to see how he works with feedback.
I love watching these videos because I feel like I’m just hanging out with a friend 🤙 Rick, you’re an awesome dude with a gnarly take on life.
💥YES!💥 O! Yes! Indeed!
It's about time you mentioned Frank!!! Do more of him.
Yes! 😊
Yeah what the hell, I'm a big fan of Rick's but with regard to the topic of Zappa he's like the boy staring at the hottie the other side of the disco afraid to go up and talk to her.
The Robert Fripp solo in David Bowie's "Fashion" is one of the top ones for me. I saw an interview with Fripp where he basically thanked Bowie for letting him play... that.
When I saw the video this solo was my first thought. That song blew my mind as an impressionable 13 year old and I have tended to prefer solos like that ever since.
Voilà. Fripp. And Steve Howe. And ughhhh Richard Pinhas!
I was about to comment the same
Absolutely expected this solo on the list, also thought Rick would refer to the #20 Andy Summers solo as a Fripp ripoff; a "Fripp-off" if you will. In my attempts to learn it, my transcriptions always were titled, "Fripp Insanity Interval Rip"
Exactly. Crazy fast, quasi-scales noodling is not strange to me at all. In fact they sound conformist. It's the solos that are minimalist, dissonant, off-beat, but perfectly fitting that are the real miracles of creativity. No Fripp? No Belew? GTFOH! Even early Devo managed more outlandish, rule-breaking solos than half of what's on this list.
I would also say that the 1966 song "Eight Miles High" by The Byrds has some of the weirdest soloing going on. There certainly wasn't anything like it during that era.
Finally someone mentioned it
Definitely the ORIGINAL strange guitar solo.
I got to see Buckethead perform live with John Zorn / Bill Laswell’s Painkiller back in 93 (?). Stood literally 3 feet from him. He’s not human. His fingers are freakish. Have been a fan ever since
Trevor Rabin guitar solo on the song Big generator to me was always just so wildly strange and perverse. Such an awesome solo
Robert Fripp has written and played some "impossible" solos with King Crimson, from the 70s until recently when he announced his retirement.
I have really tried to listen to him. I just don't get it. I don't like his playing at all.
I was thinking of the ‘banjo’ solo on Sailor’s Tale as a weird but magical example.
Sheltering Sky, Baby on Fire, Sailor's Tale.... any of those should make this list
The one on the Album Red, that is like 2 notes for 2 minutes....
@@zendisciple3737 fallen angel
Theres a real Miles Davis philosophy to all these...."you gotta learn to play inside before you can play outside" - all these guys can play inside if they wanted but instead chose some weird notes to make it oddly perfect. Great idea for a list, Rick! (and PS - I think Adrian Belew should have been on this list. The master of stunt guitar)
Zappa really couldn't play inside. He had no sense of rhythm, was always trying to make some obscene jokes that didn't quite work, was his own worst enemy all wrapped up in a freakin' genius workaholic. He could twist a phrase or a guitar with equal virtuosity.
Exactly, i think john frusciante said the same thing once: ‘you have to learn the rules to be able to break them with finesse’
Yes, I'm a little bit mad that Adrian didn't make this list.
I was thinking these all had a jazz feel in the sense of expressing angsty emotion,
That reminds me of Josh homme since he has weird but badass guitar riffs as well as solos
Paranoid android by radiohead definitely came to mind. Jonny is such a guitar wizard
Absolutely
GREAT LIST and what a tough chore.
FWIW, Phil Keaggy's solos on Sounds (4:20 ish mark) and The Wall (1:20 ish) have always intrigued me.
It's great to see the love for Frank Zappa. He was such an incredible guitarist and for some reason slips under so many peoples' radar.
The meandering and complex nature of Zappa tunes can be a bit… much.
@@petermuller161 I’ve been listening to Frank for 35 years and I have no idea what you’re talking about. Lol
Hes definitely an acquired taste.
Adrian Belew should be in this list, a lot of his solos are crazy af
TRUTH! His solos are weird but in a great way
I could not agree more, except that besides Rush, Rick never seems to mention Steve Howe very much. That guy had extremely crazy guitar solos. I guess progressive rock is not held in high regard in Rick's circle.
Adrian Belew on KC Elephant Talk
Adrian intro and solo on Mister heartbreaker ( Sharkey's day) with Laurie Anderson !!!! not only it's weird but it's candy for the brain.
I feel like Adrian is in this list in spirit so many times. A good 50% made me think “Oh, he’s doing Belew” or “Oh, he’s doing Fripp”!
20 "strangest guitar solos" becomes an appreciation of 20 beautiful and brilliant guitar solos. Great video Rick. So much fun watching this 🙂
I was waiting for Zappa..... and not disappointed... great list!
Allan Holdsworth was such an incredibly unique guitarist, often times overlooked.
Honestly possibly the greatest single note improviser of all time. I’d put Allan’s playing up against Coltrane, Cannonball, Brecker, literally anyone
Agree
Totally.
@@michaelgaboardi9817 I disagree, probably also the most interesting use of unique chord voicings.
Agree. His solo on 'In the Dead of Night' is one of my all-time favorite solos
So often overshadowed by Les’s huge presence but I was kinda surprised none of Ler LaLonde’s eclectic solos made the list. Primus really threw music a curveball and I love it!
I was just scrolling through to see if anyone else noticed!
Beat me to it.
I concur... The solo in Mr. Krinkle is pretty out there.
Yeah, Primus could have taken at least six spots on this list for me.
When you said "Les" my mind immediately went to Les Paul. In that time period there was nothing else even close. Sped up tracks and sound effects! LaLonde should have definitely been included in this list, too.
Bumblefoot is ridiculously amazing.He was actually a music teacher at a local music store in Staten Island.great to see him break out.
I'm actually glad you mentioned the subscription, I've been watching for years, and just now realized I never subscribed..... so I did.
I was really waiting to hear Robert Fripp's incredible three -minute two-part (at least) solo from Brian Eno's "Baby's on fire"
Agreed
YES!
Would love to see you do a feature of King Crimson, maybe even an interview with Robert Fripp. I met him many years ago, he was was very courteous and brilliant.
His solo in Brian Eno's ''Baby's on fire'' should have been on this list.
@@ferleiva7080 Absolutely!
Holdsworth's style is so unique because when he was a kid and his father asked him what instrument he wanted to learn and play, Alan's answer was the saxophone. Well, dear old dad bought him a guitar instead and taught him to play, but Alan never lost the desire to play sax - so he adapted his guitar style around saxophone scales. Knowing this, if you listen to ANY of Alan's guitar work, you can easily imagine and almost "hear" the same piece being done on a sax.
Great list, Rick.
Fripp's last solo on Starless (King Crimson) is glorious. After the sax solo. Really intense. Fripp really have the gift to set the mood.
Fripp is objectively underrated... possibly my favorite guitarist.
Exactly! Fripp was forgotten here.
It’s too bad anytime anyone posts any Fripp anything it gets taken down. Although he could’ve tossed up something Belew.
Yeah, every time he said "All his solos are weird." which was quite a few times, I thought "Here is comes. Robert Fripp." But it never came. I also thought Syd Barrett could go on this list.
King Crimson blocks everything
“Are You Experienced” - Jimi Hendrix. Love this song, very strange and psychedelic sounding
Oh yeah, great suggestion! That one still sounds strange but must have been scary-strange back when it first came out.
Its that reverse delay thing
Surprised Hendrix didn't make the list. Maybe copyright problems
Kim Thayil always sounds like he's not even listening to the song he's soloing on, but they always fit perfectly for Soundgarden.
your passion for music is contagious
I think what I like most about this channel, is the pure celebration of music. We're talking about the top 20 strangest guitar solos of all time and nowhere is Rick saying these are in poor taste or quality. Instead it's like "hey check this out. It's different." I love that.
That is what makes Rick Rick. What a breadth of musical styles.
Rick, the story behind Driven To Tears goes that Sting and Stewart hated lengthy solos, they would limit Andy to a few bars. Sting said Driven To Tears was the perfect example of less is more. Andy did indeed do it in one take, apparently furious, and that's what we hear.
If you watch an Andy Patrfidge interview (xtc, English band), they had a rule where you couldn't play the Ernie. You know, the er-nie.
( as a bit of a country player I could be offended, but I take it with good humour), love Elliot Eastons playing btw.
@@clickbaitcharlie2329 ernie?
@@mattiasorre1718 bend g string 1 whole step (3rd finger, anywhere)..hit that b string with 4th finger...fast, slow, do the reverse Ernie, if you like?. You now know Ernie.
Great list brother. Idk what took me so long to find your channel but im here to stay
I think one of the most beautiful guitar solos is by you, Rick. Your solo on "Cardinal Motion" by Crowfield is off the charts and gives me goosebumps! It's a beautiful and loving song and your solo fits in perfectly. Love it!
"Driven to Tears" was definitely the first thing to come to mind. One "strange" solo not included but that still gets a lot of airplay is Vernon Reid's work in "Cult of Personality". Love him or hate him, he definitely had his own thing going on. Glad to see Rick finally give Uli some love, too (maybe Michael Schenker next?)
Vernon Reid's shredding is insane.
Not that I agree, but both of those solos make it onto the "worst solos" lists. I think it's great how blatant and "in your face" they are.
Those two solos were my first thought, as well. Driven to Tears I like. Cult of Personality's solo, not so much.
Came here to say 'Cult of Personality.'
I was so happy to see Holdsworth make it near the top.. Amazing player. He was my little brother's idol and was a huge influence. His band opened for Allan once and each time he returned he requested that Brian open for him. I even once saw him drinking a beer on the side watching Brian play and giving him "the nod". When my brother became terminally ill Allan called several times, sent him some stuff and asked me to call him when Brian passed. The Bruford album with Allan and Jeff Berlin on bass was amazing.
@Rick Milan , sorry to hear about your brother, getting a nod from Alan Holdsworth is monumental. Hopefully they’re jamming together now…
Are there any links to your brothers playing? I’d love to have a listen. Holdsworth has been a favorite of mine since I first heard him with Soft Machine when the “Bundles” album came out… many years ago
Excellent choice for number one! Personally, I would have put Belew and Fripp on the list, but definitely Jonny Greenwood.
I thought for sure Paranoid Android would make it. That one at the 3 minute mark is so wonderfully weirdo!
Love your videos, subscribed! More unusual guitar vids please. Maybe vol 2 weird solos etc.....
I was waiting for Buckethead, Zappa and Vai to pop up in that Top 10! Well done as always.
A notable mention, if I may! "The Battle of Bob" by my dear friend Mattias Eklundh. Absolutely gorgeous and bizarre piece of guitar music.
Shreeeeeeed!
Yes! Mattias Eklundh should absolutely be on the list.
Amen!👍😘🇸🇪
Absolutely. Most of IA’s playing is weird and pure technical playfulness. He could easily make the list. Not sure he’s that well known outside of Scandinavia (orJapan) though..
love that Rage, pain killer, YES, five, just all brilliant
Lots of strange solos from Adrian Belew and King Crimson - Elephant Talk comes immediately to mind. And speaking of King Crimson, Robert Fripp's Satori in Tangier is definitely "out there".
My go to for odd guitars is Scary Monsters.. Go TEAM FRIPP~!!! Word~!!!
And the weird solo on Sailors Tale from Islands.
Satori in Tangiers for sure :)
Belew for sure.
Saw Belew in concert - man were there some strange sounds coming out of his guitar! (In a good way, of course)
its your list bro. no editing needed. love it all
I miss Robert Fripp and Adrian Bellew. I think they both have the most original ideas how the guitar solo should sound like.
Steve Howe's close to the edge solo in the beginning is crazy
Heard the one he does on "Sound Chaser"?
Absolutely. HOW does one miss Howe!
The 2nd solo on "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead might be my favorite one. I love how at one point Jonny is playing along with the melody and seconds later he's playing totally alien stuff. And it goes back and forth on that. Mind-blowing.
Also his solo on "Go to Sleep", especially live
I'm surprised he didn't include "Just" on here, as that's one of his favorite songs. The outro solo at the end is pretty odd.
I was expecting Jonny as number one. Epic fail by Rick. Search for Paranoid Android live performance on Jools Holland, on BBC channel
My thoughts exactly
In "What makes a song Great" (Paranoid Android episode) Rick just ignored Jonny's insane solo as well, AGAIN
Awesome list of unique guitar solos. Marty Friedman era of Megadeth are the absolute best. His solos always amazed me. It was great seeing Painkiller on there. I never thought that it was a strange solo but seeing it on your list for being unique I’ll have a deeper appreciation for it.
Great video Rick , I agree with #1 but would have put number # 20 at # 2 - that simple odd solo on Driven to tears is brilliant yet simple and definitely very crazy
Holdsworth’s playing is just so fluid - like a horn player who never needs to pause for a breath
I saw Allan at thebakedpotato in Los Angeles in 2009 and my jaw was onthe table for most of the show... I was pleased to meet him and he's the coolest guy ever
It sounds like he must be hammering on or two handing his s9los, but yet he doesn't 3xcept on a rare occasion
Single pick and left hand do everything
I seem to remember that guitar world magazine included a little thin plastic vinyl record with devil take the hindmost on it
What an incredible solo
That's fun seeing Rick who is a masterful guitarist himself playing air guitar and geeking out to his favorite weird solo's of all time. Never change Mr Beato we love ya for your intense and unyielding passion for music.
Rick you are the man!!! I wish I could hang out and jam with you.........that's on my bucket list.......I've learned so much watching you and I think your skills in the "musical" realm of life are nothing less than spectacular, phenomenal, amazing, staggering, astounding, bewildering......etc......I like your channel and I think you're a really cool dude!!! I wish nothing but the best for you and I hope to keep learning and being inspired by you and your knowledge!!!!!! Your chops are pretty fantastic as well!!!! by the way your studio is kick-a$$...........so many toys..........It's like your very own music store lol........How many guitars do you own in total?? I', very curious.........If I had to guess.........I'd say at least 50????????................................Stay thirsty my friend and keep on rockin in the free world!!!
Fiery Gun Hand by Cardiacs has a fantastically schizophrenic solo. Would love to see it incorporated into a future list. Sartori in Tangiers by King Crimson is also a fun listen.
first thing I thought of when I thought of a crazy solo
Cardiac own. They're unreal.
Cardiacs absolutely! Another one for this list would be Tom Verlaine (Television) and his solo on "Foxhole".
Absolutely going to back this one up. Incredible piece of music from a strange, unique and wonderful band.
Its brilliantly unhinged - would love to see a Cardiacs deep dive of Ricks channel at some point
Eliot Easton is terribly underrated. He’s a phenomenal player who always served the song.
Contrary to Rick’s assessment, this Easton solo isn’t weird; it’s perfect.
I was thinking "This is a new wave George Harrison special" as I listened to the Easton solo (which I've heard a million times, of course).
Yes, exactly. I don't find that solo strange at all. It outlines the chord changes perfectly, and then throws in that cool kinda rockabilly double-stop bit at the end. I played this song with my band and it was really fun to learn the solo.
Love this solo. “Shake it Up” is a classic, too.
@@Wizardofgosz I don’t think this list is meant to be negative as such. “Weird” in this context means “very different” but not in a bad way. He says he likes them
The "Just What I Needed" solo is one of my favorite solos of all time. I don't consider it that crazy though, as it is very "tasty" and fits so well.
I was really expecting Vernon Reid's solo from "Cult of Personality" to be on this list, though.
The fact that Reid did not back down from having a Hendrix tribute in his shows says a lot. To me, anyway!
Eliot Easton's middle name is Tasty.
Agreed. That solo is beautifully melodic, and certain notes are expertly accentuated. I don’t think of it as crazy or odd.
Correct. Strange inclusion.
💯
I thought you always hated Frank Zappa but delighted to see "Five Five Five" on the list. I'd love to see you do an episode on him. I guess Gail Zappa was such a blocker when she took over his catalog? And now Ryko owns his catalog? Such a shame that so many people can't hear his playing, you bring great exposure and exposition and analysis. I'd love to see you review some of his work on Joe's Garage like 'Packard Goose' or 'He used to cut the Grass' He's one of my favourite guitarists. And putting Beck and Holdsworth in top spots puts him in good company! That Rush solo blew me away too. Great video!
Great choices all. I have always enjoyed listening to Kim Thayil of Soundgarden. Learned something, I never heard of a couple of the people you mentioned will need to listen to them.
Robert Fripp’s scalene-triangle solo on David Bowie’s “Fashion.” That will melt your head.
Surprised there was no Fripp in the list. What he did on Bowie's Scary Monsters album was beyond fabulous - let alone his Crimson stuff!
Yeah - Fripp really ought to be on that list.
By the criteria here, “St. Elmo’s Fire.”
He was my first thought when I saw the title
The solo on Sailor's Tale is stranger than everything on this list.
His solo o. “Ashes to Ashes” would be great.
Love first place!! Always been curious as to how Jeff's mind worked; always fantastic, and fantastically odd❤❤❤
I started thinking about Buckethead part way through this video and including Jordan was such a great choice!
Andy Summers Driven to Tears solo is actually my favorite on the list. It fits the driving desperateness and despair of the song. It's strange but fits so well. And many of Tom Morello's solos could have been on here as well. Great list. And like everyone said...I want more!!
Same. I thought #1 on this list as i clicked play.
I have to add myself to the list of those who thought first of Andy Summers brilliant solo on Driven To Tears which I understand was played on a fretless guitar.
+1
I feel that was meant ironically. In his book he says that "No Solos" was the slogan of The Police, although he did play some solos at live shows.
It's a great song but without the freakazoid solo it would just be something nice to hum.
I think that “do it again” by steely dan should definitely be on the list, I’ve never heard anything like it and I just love the sound
Played by Denny Dias, I believe, who never bent strings.
That's a Sitar and not a guitar I do believe.
@@Anautistictherapist sitar guitar, its a guitar but it has a thing by the bridge that just basiclaly gives it permenent fretbuzz, giving it a sitar sound. basically a guitar with a built in effect
Funny, I saw the title of this video and thought "Oh, there has -got- to be at least one Steely Dan song on this list!"
I don't know if anyone commented here but the UK band Cardiacs have a 'marmite' solo in the song "Is This The Life" - I love it, you gotta hear it to believe it - a beautiful tune! Have a great day!
I'll never forget hearing The Cardiacs for the first time. Hell, whenever I listen to them it's almost like I had never heard them before. Unreal.
I thought I was the only one who loved Cut to the Chase by Rush. And I agree that that guitar solo is absolutely insane.
Absolutely love it too
I love the entire Counterparts album. It’s amazing record
That is a great song and an awesome album.
I still think the 'strangest' solo I've ever heard is Fashion (David Bowie). Robert Fripp's solo still haunts me to this day haha
Yeah, Fripp should've been somewhere on the list. He's cranky enough that he's probably a blocker though.
And there are at least two, weird solos in the full album version.. plus the weird fills throughout the song.
I agree with Fripp or Belew on the list but King Crimson would get blocked unless Rick can get Toyah to dance on the screen of his video during the solo.
@@mbacko1 On point about Toyah. haha
Elliot Easton is truly underrated. His playing is so tasteful, unique, and while his choices are sometimes odd, they are totally palpable and make an already great song, irresistible.
Elliot Easton’s phrasing is impeccable. Each solo is a musical sentence.
I used to play that solo. Great fun.
I read somewhere that even though Elliot plays left-handed, he's right-handed. It said the reason he plays left-handed is that their manager liked the way the Beatles looked onstage, with their guitar necks pointed in opposite directions, and had Elliot learn out to play left-handed so they could do the same thing on stage. If he plays that good with his off-hand, how good is he playing right-handed?
He’s literally underrated
@@ronaldlonsberry3888 he is DEFINITELY left handed!
Jeff becks playing as an example of the strat and how capable it is at expressing itself when it's really pushed more so than most other Guitars
Steve Hackett in the early days of genesis has some pretty strange and amazing solos, too.
Exactly!! "Can Utility and the Coastliners" features one of the weirdest solos out there
And "The Lamia" guitar solo !
Firth of Fifth!😮
He was too musical for the list 😉 fantastic solos in the context of Genesis, unique tone.
0:08 Criteria
0:32 (20) Andy Summers - Driven to Tears
1:18 (19) KK Downing - Pankiller
2:12 (18) Kim Thayil - Black-Hole Sun
3:01 (17) Kurt Cobain - Heart-Shaped Box
3:32 (16) Elliot Easton - Just What I Needed
4:14 (15) Marty Friedman - Symphony of Destruction
5:10 (14) Alex Lifeson - Cut to the Chase
5:56 (13) Uli Jon Roth - The Sails of Charon
6:34 (12) James Iha - Zero
07:11 (11) Tom Morello - Bulls on Parade
07:52 (10) Ron Bumblefoot Thal - Goodbye Divinity
8:31 (09) Phil X - Sunny Days
09:05 (08) Buckethead - Jordan
09:53 (07) Steve Vai - The Attitude Song
10:34 (06) Guthrie Govan - Fives
11:35 (05) Trevor Rabin - Owner of a Lonely Heart
12:34 (04) Eddie Van-Halen - Sinner's Swing!
13:05 (03) Frank Zappa - Five-five-five
14:16 (02) Allan Holdsworth - Tokyo Dream
15:14 (01) Jeff Beck - Scatterbrain
‘Pankiller’
@@Firenmage433 KK hates bread
Thank you for your service.
You missed ‘Cult of Personality’ by Living Colour. That solo makes me want to scream in agony every time I hear it. Vernon’s rhythm playing is so absolutely precise and then this solo is just nuts. I was learning to play guitar when it came out and my teacher said “don’t do that.”
I was about to comment that this was the first thing that came to mind. Totally chaotic.
Haha, was gonna mention this as well! Total slopfest.
Vernon Reid was SPITEFULLY dissonant :) because he could totally play melodic if he wanted to.
The riff is killer though. One of my fav songs featured in GTA San Andreas. 😄
That Buckethead track was one of the solo battles on Guitar Hero.. Beat the piss out of me... Glad you also had Kim Thayil on here too. He's frickin awesome.
Props for remembering Uli John Roth! I'm always so torn about his departure from the Scorpions. I love Uli's playing but I think Matthias ended up being exactly what they needed to hit the next level. Absolutely not a knock on Uli and I still love it when I hear him play. Old Scorpions still make it to my CD player all the time though.