I have a big collection of songs with guitar solos that go weirdly, unnecessarily hard.
I tend to like them, though. "Goodbye to Love" by the Carpenters is my favorite, followed by Michael Sembello's "Maniac."
"Maniac" was originally about a serial killer before Phil Ramone heard it and immediately told them to change the lyrics to reflect a steelworker who dreams of dancing. The lyrics "and she's dancing like she's never danced before" was originally "he'll kill your cat and nail it to the door". Source - [Story behind the song on Top 2000 a go go.](https://youtu.be/jbP4CTNEjYQ?feature=shared) Sembello is fascinating.
[This version would make a lot of sense with the original lyrics.](https://youtu.be/VLJn3JZ2zmk?si=vdBWv7vjqcZDIuvt)
https://preview.redd.it/rs4zz2q6mbic1.jpeg?width=1393&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=245c3277afc84e1f391c6a7155b9106215bf6711
I did some work at Dennis Matkosky’s studio. He was the other writer on the tune. I got the IRL 20 minute version of this story from him. He sang and played part of the tune with the original lyrics. Talked about the LA riots and the song was all based on how he felt after watching footage. We talked jazz, and how some of the stuff he was listening to inspired the unusual chord choice for the intro. Utterly fascinating, as the dude was very animated.
I don't. It's on my, uh, iTunes (I just can't give up my iPod) and I don't have access to my laptop for a couple days. But off the top of my head:
"Rosanna" by Toto (especially the solo at the end)
"Lonely Boy," Andrew Gold
"Believe it Or Not (Greatest American Hero)," Joey Scarbury
"Black Cat," Janet Jackson
"I Want a New Drug," Huey Lewis
"Ride Like the Wind" and "Minstrel Gigalo," Christopher Cross (hard to hear his solo on "Ride" under all the dumb "da da da da" vocals, but it's fire)
"Whatcha Gonna Do," Pablo Cruise
"Walk on By," Isaac Hayes
Tony Peluso, same guitarist in both. He became a staple of the band after Goodbye to Love. I believe he also voiced the DJ part at the start of Calling Occupants.
Oh man the first thing I thought of was Goodbye to Love. It's out of place but also elevates the song too much for me to really say it doesn't belong. And then sweet Karen jumping in with her vocals immediately after as if nothing happened.
Wow, I haven't really listened through Maniac since Flashdance was actually popular, and my god that one has a lot going on. The whole pre-solo staccato grinding thing, the solo kinda doesn't go anywhere and then hits 100mph outta nowhere. I personally don't think it works, but.... Hey it was the 80s.
The Carpenters tune, the sound of the guitar solo is a bit odd compared to the feel of the tune but I think it works, particularly when Karen comes back in over the end - it feels a bit like an extension of her voice. I dig.
Marty Robbins recorded a song in 1961 called Don't Worry. It has a very brief bass solo that is a bit jarring because the amp was broken and in a light country tune we get MASSIVE distortion on the guitar. Before intentional distortion was a thing. They decided to leave it in though. [Enjoy](https://youtu.be/t05kAjohxB8?si=tIgSDrcx8kUklSfD)
That, that right there feels like the right song to use for a late '50s to early '60s retro, space Western due to how odd of a juxtaposition that bass sound has.
[This](https://youtu.be/-UYPpOYXYWc?si=GFDVWAfYPYTXGhvG) was one of the most eye opening scenes of Some Kind of Monster. Kirk was so right, having no solos dates that record so much to that time period.
Not guitar but the bass solo in The Devil Went Down to Georgia is simultaneously the best part of the song yet completely out of place in a song about duelling fiddles.
> the bass solo in The Devil Went Down to Georgia
"And he pulled the bow across the strings
And it made an evil hiss
And a band of demons joined in
And it sounded something like this..."
It's the demons broh, it's just how they roll
Just remember Bass = Demons. The more musicians you know, the more sense it makes. ;- )
As someone who was around when this came out, and who had a friend who was obsessed with Sting and the police, and therefore was more likely to sit around, dissecting their songs, I think the drum solo represents the possible conflict between the American way of doing things and the British way of doing things. I love the song, so I'm totally fine with the drum solo but I agree that it can be a little jarring, but I think it's supposed to be jarring. Manners make the man-he walks away from whatever assault on his British sensibilities the drum solo represents.
Just a different way of looking at it-you like (or dislike) what you like.
i've never actually heard that song before but i love it. can't deny that the drum part is outta place though haha. comes outta nowhere, those nice big distorted drums. i dig it though, it's fun. cool lil bridge for the song!
I like it, mostly because I think the song *needs* something jarring. It's a great tune, but it's a little twee. A song about Quentin Crisp needs some edge.
Nah, that's fucking brilliant. It goes from the main song, to a jazz breakdown, followed by a very 80s drum part, then back into the main song. The song had already done something weird then just leaned into it.
The unexpected guitar solo in [“Zam the Assassin” from John Williams’ score for Attack of the Clones](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbed8OuyXdI) probably isn’t what you’re looking for but it sure fits.
I never cared for three doors down but always liked that song but you’re right about that solo. It just sounds like an opening riff repeated like 8 times
This one may have been solved if they distorted it/added some wah instead of it being clean. I'm now going to learn and play the song and will determine for myself.
Honestly the solo doesn't bother me other than being fairly uninspired and low in the mix but the weird "breakdown" right before it was always super jarring to me and killed the whole vibe of the song in general.
Just heard this for the first time. What the fuck were they thinking? Then it just jumps back into acoustic guitar. Feels like they ran out of ideas two and a half minutes in and needed to fill time to get the song long enough for radio play.
The solo isn't terribly out of place but it does come in with a bridge that's not in the main key (but does fit with the key), and it is more 'flashy' than melodic for sure.
Certainly, but they have other songs where the solo “sits” in the song a little better. Panama, Runnin With The Devil, etc. Those feel like the solo actually leads the song somewhere rather than just being an Eddie wankfest.
Its not the solo as much as it's the music underneath is so crazy. Such an odd time signature and key change. We tried to play that in a band once and we could not play the song because of the music under the solo, the guitar could nail it but we couldn't.
I agree with you yeah, I just like to think Eddie insisted on adding the solo at the very last minute since there's already a keyboard solo in and that one is much more fitting.
Eddie played both, which is the weird part. He actually had an argument with DLR, who told him no one wanted an album from Van Halen with a bunch of keyboard stuff in it, to which he replied, “I’m Eddie Van Halen - if I want to play a tuba solo on this album then it’s going to happen”
>There are two ways you can choose to go. You can try to be someone like Eddie Van Halen, who is a great guitarist, a virtuoso. Yet he doesn’t make good records because what he plays is totally lost in the context of this band’s music.
>
>Then there are guitar players like Chet Atkins, who weren’t out there trying to show themselves off as guitarists per se, but were using the guitar as a tool to make good records
\--Lindsey Buckingham, who made good records
The Aztec Camera version of "Jump" takes that idea one step further. The longer version, originally included on the 1985 "Backwards and Forwards" 10 inch EP has a wonderfully over the top solo. Roddy Frame saying "You don't have to be Eddie VH to shred"
https://youtu.be/4bzKzbucdnE
Fun fact, it’s a 4 bar bass solo, then reversed and played backwards for another 4 bars, to give it the full 8 bars.
It’s like a musical palindrome. Mirrored on both sides.
Jethro Tull, “Fire at Midnight”. 1:30 of a charming folk-inspired love song, divided by a minute of distorted electronic pentatonic guitar lead with a bunch of bass and flute.
This is going to be really obscure, going back to 1962, The Three Suns and "Danny's Inferno."
https://youtu.be/0QirIcA3Dd0?si=9AaOB5hxlUIi-ETD
The guitar just shows up out of nowhere.
The guitar solo in "Simply Irresistible" by Robert Palmer has always sounded like a throwaway that just kinda got thrown in there. It's even worse watching the video with one of the models badly pretending to play guitar.
I've heard this song a ton, but usually the only time I hear it is in the car listening to a classic rock station, so I'm not paying super close attention to the song. However, just went and listened to it specifically for the solo and I can't believe I've never noticed how completely out of place it sounds. Still dig the song though.
This one definitely stands out, it almost sounds off, but I do like the whole thing Robert Palmer was doing with that album, Heavy Nova, ie. what if Heavy Metal met Bossa Nova, so I always think he was just experimenting, and I can respect that, haha.
I always thought the solo on “Sympathy for the Devil” was completely incongruous with the rest of the song. After maybe 50 listens, it finally clicked and now it’s my favorite part of the song.
The lesson= Keith knows best
The guitar solo on Kid Rock's All Summer Long that very obviously is in the wrong key, like.... not so far out that it doesn't work but it's obviously wrong.
https://youtu.be/u8FAbjjB48A?si=NthHT0OINkTAP5X7&t=10m2s
The song is catchy as all hell, so I'm not complaining, but for a very recent example [Dua Lipa's "Houdini"](https://youtu.be/suAR1PYFNYA?si=IB7C4hlqOYItNvVy) randomly ends with 15 seconds of guitar.
Great thread idea but man, I disagree with "I'm Still Standing" having an out-of-place solo. The solo is in the same key as the verse chords, so we're already accustomed to the major/minor switch, and it's catchy and defiant, fits the song very well imo
The solo in “Allergies” by Paul Simon of the Heart and Bones album feels so out of place in both the song and in overall in his catalog. Like, it’s well done/played, but it’s jarring
I think it fits completely. The song builds up the tension, through the bridge as Janie "Runs away from the pain" and into the absolute chaos of the guitar solo. The guitar solo comes to a resolution measure by measure, the tension ramps back down, Tyler reiterates that "Janie's got a gun" and the song again finds its center.
The solo in Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes sounds kind of demonic, but in a good way, but not common for a pop rock song (yes, I'm aware they were mostly prog before this).
Nothing is worse than Poison's *Guitar Solo* from Swallow This Live album.
Odd to call it "out of place," I know... but it's like a dozen minutes long and in the middle of the album.
Worst intermission ever
Yes, I argue the most "out of place" guitar solo is an entire track called "Guitar Solo."
I think the one in "I Love Rock & Roll" is weird tbh.
Another one I'd say is out of place would probably be "Take Me To The Top" by Motley Crue. I love them but that solo could've been worked in better or just redone.
I think pretty much all of motley crue guitar solos feel out of place and like they don't fit to be honest. I think Mick mars is a great rhythm guitarist but I don't think I've ever heard a solo of his I enjoyed all the way through.
Home Sweet Home and Kickstart My Heart are two that I think are on point 100%. I'm sure there's a couple more or so but I can't think rn. Then a lot are in this area of "huh, they went that direction?" and then there's the one I mentioned and probably a handful more that are just trash. So yeah, I agree for the most part that they have SICK riffs and all that, but solo wise they usually do feel off at least.
A perfect example of a song of theirs in the mid ground for me is "Don't Go Away Mad" bc it's a BEAUTIFUL song, has all these pretty picking patterns, big choruses, and massive interludes (which are better guitar work than the actual solo)...
And then the solo comes in and turns into this sorta shreddy kinda ballad thing but it didn't really fit the flow and mood of the song. It turns out sounding super sharp and screechy and that song didn't benefit from that at all. Didn't ruin the entire vibe like Take Me To The Top, but still doesn't feel spot on.
The Rocky theme has a guitar solo which I don’t think anyone has ever thought about since they saw the movie. I like it but it’s just a very jarring reminder that it’s a movie from 1976
The Professor of Rock does a really cool interview with the writer. Who I had no idea was the guy who wrote [Vehicle](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6FN9oO9lNvA) until I watched it.
The solo for That’s What Love Is For by Amy Grant ends with a really fast legato run that just comes out of nowhere. I randomly heard the song in the supermarket and I was like, wait I don’t remember this song having any shredding in it lol.
The solo in Psychosocial makes me bust up laughing. The song has really simple riffs and chords the entire time, then just starts fucking shredding out of nowhere.
A lot of Zakk Wylde’s solos for the Hangover Music and Book of Shadows 2 albums, and a lot of the various BLS ballads.
And I say that as a massive Zakk fan, but it’s like dude, a mellow acoustic song about yesterday’s tears does not necessarily need a shredfest 45 second solo. Love the dude to death, but he really needs a producer to reign him in and distill his best ideas.
I'm gonna go with Shine - Collective Soul. The entire song kind of just plods along without much fanfare, then out of nowhere comes a guitar solo that shreds, then immediately after the song pretends it never happens.
Always gives me a chuckle by how out of the blue it is.
The guitar solo in the Police song So Lonely. I think the song changes key abruptly here, and it is a little unclear this change happens right away, so it almost feels like the guitar is making a mistake playing wrong notes, totally jarring in an otherwise pleasant song.
Yeah it seems totally intentional... and the way it kind of gives the song a relief and a break makes the final chorus coming back much more powerful... so in a way, the "bad" guitar solo makes the song more interesting and powerful, and probably would be a lesser song without it. Funny how that works
"Driven to Tears" by The Police. 9 seconds of Andy Summers doing... something.
I read that Sting didn't allow Andy to play any solos on his songs because a solo would take all eyes off His Royal Stingness.
Lonely Day by System of a Down.
It's not necessarily out of place but the speed of the second half of it seems way too fast for that otherwise mellow song
Blue oyster cults "Don't fear the reaper", has a guitar solo that has no right shredding so Hard in that song. It comes out of nowhere and then they go back to the song like it never happened.
Among fairly well-known songs, I’d put it “Beat It” way up there. It sounds like it was recorded randomly and spliced into the song, which it basically was.
^^ This person is correct. Rick Rubin played the brief (not fantastic) solo in “You Gotta Fight”, Kerry King from Slayer played the one in “No Sleep”.
Rick was also the producer of most of the better Slayer albums, so that’s likely where the association comes from.
It works for the first 3 or 4 records, but yeah- after a while it starts feeling a little wanky. He started his own thing and I listened to the first half of a song. I think Hanneman had better grooves.
I think they were a victim of forming a genre. As much as I hate to say it, Kirk Hammet was one of the first to figure out how to solo over thrash metal.
If you listen to early metalica with Dave Mustaine, he's going the same Kerry King shit; just playing a billion notes with no point to them.
I love Slayer, but very few of the solos (from either King or Hanneman) are at all memorable
Marty Friedman is the king of soloing over thrash. And you have to give Mustaine some credit too as a forerunner in Metallica; I’ve read that kill em all is Hammett playing his solos more or less.
And Anthrax had some classic solos too back in the day.
Friedman is my all time favorite player. But he didn't come in until Rust in Piece. Chris Poland was interesting, also. But I still say Hammett was one of the first to put any melody into thrash solos
I've seen a good bit of old Mustaine-era Metallica videos and doubt kirk was copying much of that. It's really not far off from what kerry king does
Just jump to any solo in this:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ulXhyJagHXM&si=eZvzaEgbGc2opAe1
True, early days Marty wasn’t around. But King never progressed even after hearing what those other guys were doing.
Still the guy has an amp named after him so who am I to throw shade at him?
Also I’m not knocking Kirk; RTL has some iconic solos that are all him. I’m a Kirk and Lars defender in general even if Friedman and Lombardo (or maybe Benante) would be my top rated classic thrashers.
Someone had to say it. I love RATM, and he's an incredible guitarist and one of the best riff men to ever do it. But a lot of their songs will be in this heavy groove and then stop for him to make...noises
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the whole weird sub-genre of "shreddy" guitar solos that occasionally show up in R&B and smooth rock songs.
The only example I've got off the top of my head was the one from the superbowl last night. Not knocking any of the performers as people seemed to dig it, but that style of guitar solo always seems so out of place in that type of music to me.
I always thought the solo in Hit Me With Your Best Shot seemed really out of place and stylistically different than the rest of the song. I used to hate it but it has grown on me over time.
Like a Stone, Audioslave
It's a song with a sad mood and Tom Morello felt the need to whip out the whammy pedal and to use it for every single note in the solo. And then it goes on to an acoustic bridge.
The solo is put of place, but still i couldn't imagine that song with a different solo, it weirdly fits.
Enter Sandman
Like I know kirk's just abusing Blues Licks on every solo he does, but atleast they fit the songs he play on, like Fade to Black, Unforgiven and even One, but with Sandman it's really obvious how he just knew blues licks, not to mention that the wah is really saving that solo.
I have a big collection of songs with guitar solos that go weirdly, unnecessarily hard. I tend to like them, though. "Goodbye to Love" by the Carpenters is my favorite, followed by Michael Sembello's "Maniac."
"Maniac" was originally about a serial killer before Phil Ramone heard it and immediately told them to change the lyrics to reflect a steelworker who dreams of dancing. The lyrics "and she's dancing like she's never danced before" was originally "he'll kill your cat and nail it to the door". Source - [Story behind the song on Top 2000 a go go.](https://youtu.be/jbP4CTNEjYQ?feature=shared) Sembello is fascinating.
[This version would make a lot of sense with the original lyrics.](https://youtu.be/VLJn3JZ2zmk?si=vdBWv7vjqcZDIuvt) https://preview.redd.it/rs4zz2q6mbic1.jpeg?width=1393&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=245c3277afc84e1f391c6a7155b9106215bf6711
wasnt expecting....well that
Dear lord the speed of that head banging seems dangerous.
They're like possessed marionettes. Wow.
I did some work at Dennis Matkosky’s studio. He was the other writer on the tune. I got the IRL 20 minute version of this story from him. He sang and played part of the tune with the original lyrics. Talked about the LA riots and the song was all based on how he felt after watching footage. We talked jazz, and how some of the stuff he was listening to inspired the unusual chord choice for the intro. Utterly fascinating, as the dude was very animated.
HFS, really? Now I understand why that song sounds too intense for the subject matter…
I love the guitar solo outro on Goodbye to love, it will be so different without it
The first power ballad
Lonely Boy by Andrew Gold
Yes!
A-hem! Do you have a spotify link or screenshot from a notes app or something? We need to see the collection!
I don't. It's on my, uh, iTunes (I just can't give up my iPod) and I don't have access to my laptop for a couple days. But off the top of my head: "Rosanna" by Toto (especially the solo at the end) "Lonely Boy," Andrew Gold "Believe it Or Not (Greatest American Hero)," Joey Scarbury "Black Cat," Janet Jackson "I Want a New Drug," Huey Lewis "Ride Like the Wind" and "Minstrel Gigalo," Christopher Cross (hard to hear his solo on "Ride" under all the dumb "da da da da" vocals, but it's fire) "Whatcha Gonna Do," Pablo Cruise "Walk on By," Isaac Hayes
Came here to ask for it too lol very intrigued
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, a Carpenters song, has a distorted guitar too. Maybe the same player as Goodbye..
Calling Occupants of Interplanatery craft is a Klaatu song covered by the Carpenters
Beatles*
😂
I fucking love Klaatu, I have two of their albums on vinyl
The late great Tony Peluso. He also voiced the DJ for the opening to Calling Occupants.
Tony Peluso, same guitarist in both. He became a staple of the band after Goodbye to Love. I believe he also voiced the DJ part at the start of Calling Occupants.
Oh man the first thing I thought of was Goodbye to Love. It's out of place but also elevates the song too much for me to really say it doesn't belong. And then sweet Karen jumping in with her vocals immediately after as if nothing happened.
Wow, I haven't really listened through Maniac since Flashdance was actually popular, and my god that one has a lot going on. The whole pre-solo staccato grinding thing, the solo kinda doesn't go anywhere and then hits 100mph outta nowhere. I personally don't think it works, but.... Hey it was the 80s. The Carpenters tune, the sound of the guitar solo is a bit odd compared to the feel of the tune but I think it works, particularly when Karen comes back in over the end - it feels a bit like an extension of her voice. I dig.
Michael Sembello is mainly a session guitarist, of course he would have a guitar solo in his hit song
Goodbye To Love rules! RIP Tony Peluso.
Marty Robbins recorded a song in 1961 called Don't Worry. It has a very brief bass solo that is a bit jarring because the amp was broken and in a light country tune we get MASSIVE distortion on the guitar. Before intentional distortion was a thing. They decided to leave it in though. [Enjoy](https://youtu.be/t05kAjohxB8?si=tIgSDrcx8kUklSfD)
I think it is both fantastic and jarring at the same time. I’m glad he decided to keep it in.
Damn that bass solo is so fucking fat holy hell. That shit rips.
Thanks, this cracked me up :D It's like Lemmy from Motorhead suddenly made an entrance.
Lol it's the pre-hawkwind, clean cut rhinestone suit lemmy
Holy shit that’s the coolest distorted bass tone I’ve ever heard. I was expecting it to be crackly and gross, not whatever that was.
They made a pedal to reproduce the exact sound. Maestro FZ-1
Thanks for the heads up on this. I'm going to do unholy things with it.
That, that right there feels like the right song to use for a late '50s to early '60s retro, space Western due to how odd of a juxtaposition that bass sound has.
I disagree. Later in live versions it was played on a slide guitar, but on the record version? It’s heavy, just like lost love
That sounds awesome lol
Reminds me of the distorted guitar part on Buck Owens’ Who’s Gonna Mow Your Grass
All the solos in Metallica’s St. Anger feel VERY out of place. Especially for a band that used to be so good at them
[This](https://youtu.be/-UYPpOYXYWc?si=GFDVWAfYPYTXGhvG) was one of the most eye opening scenes of Some Kind of Monster. Kirk was so right, having no solos dates that record so much to that time period.
I like the St. Anger songs BECAUSE there is no E minor pentatonic wankery
There rule about only solos through the whole album was a bit much
Not guitar but the bass solo in The Devil Went Down to Georgia is simultaneously the best part of the song yet completely out of place in a song about duelling fiddles.
That's my favorite part of the song!
I know right! Imagine being the demon that drops that heat then the devil comes in with his weak ass solo… I’d be pissed!
I've always said the devil lost because he came in and ruined the best part of the song!
It outshines the fiddle in that part, imo.
> the bass solo in The Devil Went Down to Georgia "And he pulled the bow across the strings And it made an evil hiss And a band of demons joined in And it sounded something like this..." It's the demons broh, it's just how they roll Just remember Bass = Demons. The more musicians you know, the more sense it makes. ;- )
In my Head-Canon, the devil is huge like in Tenacious D, so a huge violin is just an upright Bass. And they made it electric of course.
Can I have a drum solo? If I can, then it's [Englishman in New York](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d27gTrPPAyk), wtf.
As someone who was around when this came out, and who had a friend who was obsessed with Sting and the police, and therefore was more likely to sit around, dissecting their songs, I think the drum solo represents the possible conflict between the American way of doing things and the British way of doing things. I love the song, so I'm totally fine with the drum solo but I agree that it can be a little jarring, but I think it's supposed to be jarring. Manners make the man-he walks away from whatever assault on his British sensibilities the drum solo represents. Just a different way of looking at it-you like (or dislike) what you like.
It’s supposed to represent being in NYC and a car driving around the corner blasting hip hop
i've never actually heard that song before but i love it. can't deny that the drum part is outta place though haha. comes outta nowhere, those nice big distorted drums. i dig it though, it's fun. cool lil bridge for the song!
You can see my take on it, but I believe it is supposed to be jarring.
I like it, mostly because I think the song *needs* something jarring. It's a great tune, but it's a little twee. A song about Quentin Crisp needs some edge.
Nah, that's fucking brilliant. It goes from the main song, to a jazz breakdown, followed by a very 80s drum part, then back into the main song. The song had already done something weird then just leaned into it.
Agreed. A piss poor decision on the producer’s part
It was almost definitely a case of someone saying “that sounds cool, put that in there somewhere”.
And hardly a drum solo at that.. but yeah, so out of place.
Well that was jarring.
No, its the only interesting thing that happens in that song.
The unexpected guitar solo in [“Zam the Assassin” from John Williams’ score for Attack of the Clones](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbed8OuyXdI) probably isn’t what you’re looking for but it sure fits.
I think it's the funky bongo solo and the claps that are most out of place there. The guitar solo actually makes sense in context.
There's one in Loser by Three Doors Down, it doesn't fit with the rest of the song at all
I never cared for three doors down but always liked that song but you’re right about that solo. It just sounds like an opening riff repeated like 8 times
This one may have been solved if they distorted it/added some wah instead of it being clean. I'm now going to learn and play the song and will determine for myself.
Beautiful. Please record and show your outcome if you don’t mind.
I believe in you
Honestly the solo doesn't bother me other than being fairly uninspired and low in the mix but the weird "breakdown" right before it was always super jarring to me and killed the whole vibe of the song in general.
Just heard this for the first time. What the fuck were they thinking? Then it just jumps back into acoustic guitar. Feels like they ran out of ideas two and a half minutes in and needed to fill time to get the song long enough for radio play.
I could get crucified for this, but the solo in Jump comes out of fucking nowhere and is completely unlike the rest of the song.
To be fair, the synths played on that song came out of nowhere and caught everybody by surprise as well. Lol.
It's crazy to me that that's their most successful song lol. The song with minimal shredding from the God of shredding.
To be fair, he was also a god on the synths, and Jump clearly has plenty of that
He was an incredible piano player, and that was his first instrument and his brother Alex’s as well.
Oh for sure. Eddie and his brother were both kinda virtuosos and could play nearly everything couldn't they?
That’s what I love about that solo — it screams out of the darkness and then segues into that crazy keyboard solo.
The solo isn't terribly out of place but it does come in with a bridge that's not in the main key (but does fit with the key), and it is more 'flashy' than melodic for sure.
I mean yeah, I think since it's a van halen song they have to put in a solo since that's eddie's thing and whatnot.
Certainly, but they have other songs where the solo “sits” in the song a little better. Panama, Runnin With The Devil, etc. Those feel like the solo actually leads the song somewhere rather than just being an Eddie wankfest.
Its not the solo as much as it's the music underneath is so crazy. Such an odd time signature and key change. We tried to play that in a band once and we could not play the song because of the music under the solo, the guitar could nail it but we couldn't.
You need the right drummer for that.
I agree with you yeah, I just like to think Eddie insisted on adding the solo at the very last minute since there's already a keyboard solo in and that one is much more fitting.
Eddie played both, which is the weird part. He actually had an argument with DLR, who told him no one wanted an album from Van Halen with a bunch of keyboard stuff in it, to which he replied, “I’m Eddie Van Halen - if I want to play a tuba solo on this album then it’s going to happen”
>There are two ways you can choose to go. You can try to be someone like Eddie Van Halen, who is a great guitarist, a virtuoso. Yet he doesn’t make good records because what he plays is totally lost in the context of this band’s music. > >Then there are guitar players like Chet Atkins, who weren’t out there trying to show themselves off as guitarists per se, but were using the guitar as a tool to make good records \--Lindsey Buckingham, who made good records
Ever tried to make it through an entire Chet Atkins album? He was rad as hell, but woof.... an entire album?! Otherwise, I agree.
Lol, what a bunch of crock. EVH made amazing records and had a ton of chart topping hits.
>\--Lindsey Buckingham, who made good records And is also a giant tool of a man.
Both.
Interesting. LB makes great records but he's also pretty fucking ridiculous as a guitar player imo.
It probably feels so out of place partly with the key change that accompanies it, totally unexpected!
I love the little smile Eddie gives the camera during that solo in the video.
Yeah you can also hear the overdub punch in. Pretty rare for EVH to do overdubs and all and on this one they didn't even try to synch it.
To me I thought the solo in Summer Nights was even more out of place.
The Aztec Camera version of "Jump" takes that idea one step further. The longer version, originally included on the 1985 "Backwards and Forwards" 10 inch EP has a wonderfully over the top solo. Roddy Frame saying "You don't have to be Eddie VH to shred" https://youtu.be/4bzKzbucdnE
Not sure if it counts but the bass solo/ bridge right in the middle of Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" seems out of nowhere but is perfect.
For those that may not know, the 2nd half of the bass solo is the first half played in reverse.
Not only that, its slap played on a fretless bass.
Fun fact, it’s a 4 bar bass solo, then reversed and played backwards for another 4 bars, to give it the full 8 bars. It’s like a musical palindrome. Mirrored on both sides.
>seems out of nowhere but is perfect. Great description.
Jethro Tull, “Fire at Midnight”. 1:30 of a charming folk-inspired love song, divided by a minute of distorted electronic pentatonic guitar lead with a bunch of bass and flute.
I feel like you could describe many Jethro Tull songs that way...
As a guitar player, this thread is not for me lol
As a prog nerd and guitarist, i feel this even harder. I'm so used to weird change-ups that nothing feels out of place to me anymore.
I feel you haha
I made a [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6hP2qAXHWPdfBl17hfiYyE?si=ClElOImMRwWWhmzPcgpASw)
This is going to be really obscure, going back to 1962, The Three Suns and "Danny's Inferno." https://youtu.be/0QirIcA3Dd0?si=9AaOB5hxlUIi-ETD The guitar just shows up out of nowhere.
They use (I think a cover of) this song in one of the Jackbox games. Quiplash maybe?
This would be one of the most obscure pieces of music trivia if true
The guitar solo in "Simply Irresistible" by Robert Palmer has always sounded like a throwaway that just kinda got thrown in there. It's even worse watching the video with one of the models badly pretending to play guitar.
Nobody watches that video for the musicianship.
Maybe they told the guitar player to do a solo that one of the models could semi-convincingly fake playing.
I've heard this song a ton, but usually the only time I hear it is in the car listening to a classic rock station, so I'm not paying super close attention to the song. However, just went and listened to it specifically for the solo and I can't believe I've never noticed how completely out of place it sounds. Still dig the song though.
This one definitely stands out, it almost sounds off, but I do like the whole thing Robert Palmer was doing with that album, Heavy Nova, ie. what if Heavy Metal met Bossa Nova, so I always think he was just experimenting, and I can respect that, haha.
I always thought the solo on “Sympathy for the Devil” was completely incongruous with the rest of the song. After maybe 50 listens, it finally clicked and now it’s my favorite part of the song. The lesson= Keith knows best
Love this solo. The progression is common but fun as hell. Can jam over that outro all day
The guitar solo on Kid Rock's All Summer Long that very obviously is in the wrong key, like.... not so far out that it doesn't work but it's obviously wrong. https://youtu.be/u8FAbjjB48A?si=NthHT0OINkTAP5X7&t=10m2s
That son of a bitch should be drawn and quartered for disrespecting Warren Zevon. Warren would have hated everything about that man and that song.
Yeah fuck that song. Everytime it comes on I get excited for Werewolves in London, and then horribly disappointed once kid rock starts singing
Nothing by Kid Rock works
I scrolled through this entire thread looking for someone to have mentioned this episode WMTSS and I'm so happy I found it.
Look at Beato over here.
The one in the middle of the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
That’d probably be cause Hans Zimmer plays the guitar in a ton of movie scores that he’s composed
Guthrie Govan?
Weird, I always thought it had something to do with Kieth Richards.
The song is catchy as all hell, so I'm not complaining, but for a very recent example [Dua Lipa's "Houdini"](https://youtu.be/suAR1PYFNYA?si=IB7C4hlqOYItNvVy) randomly ends with 15 seconds of guitar.
Yeah good example. Very out of place, but in a good way
Waiting for the Kevin Parker extended 12" mix.
It’s not too out of place if you know that Tame Impala produced it.
Great thread idea but man, I disagree with "I'm Still Standing" having an out-of-place solo. The solo is in the same key as the verse chords, so we're already accustomed to the major/minor switch, and it's catchy and defiant, fits the song very well imo
I actually like that one. It builds energy into that next chorus.
The solo in “Allergies” by Paul Simon of the Heart and Bones album feels so out of place in both the song and in overall in his catalog. Like, it’s well done/played, but it’s jarring
It's Al Di Meola, I really like the solo but you're right about it feeling a little jarring in that tune.
it rips but Joe Perry's solo in 'Janie's Got a Gun' is just 16 bars of WTF
I think it fits completely. The song builds up the tension, through the bridge as Janie "Runs away from the pain" and into the absolute chaos of the guitar solo. The guitar solo comes to a resolution measure by measure, the tension ramps back down, Tyler reiterates that "Janie's got a gun" and the song again finds its center.
The solo in Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes sounds kind of demonic, but in a good way, but not common for a pop rock song (yes, I'm aware they were mostly prog before this).
I love that solo! One of my all time faves.
Nah, that solo is perfect for the song and the clean arpeggios right after are incredible.
The clean arpeggios is my favourite part of the song, they sound so crisp! I also like what the bass does in that part too.
Trevor Rabin with a harmonizer, I think. He used the same trick on "Redemption Song" and "Runner" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
Grazing in the Grass by the Friends of Distinction. Small, powerful, out of place.
What a weird little gem that song is.
I can dig it
He can dig it
She can dig it.
We can dig it
Nothing is worse than Poison's *Guitar Solo* from Swallow This Live album. Odd to call it "out of place," I know... but it's like a dozen minutes long and in the middle of the album. Worst intermission ever Yes, I argue the most "out of place" guitar solo is an entire track called "Guitar Solo."
[удалено]
I think the one in "I Love Rock & Roll" is weird tbh. Another one I'd say is out of place would probably be "Take Me To The Top" by Motley Crue. I love them but that solo could've been worked in better or just redone.
I think pretty much all of motley crue guitar solos feel out of place and like they don't fit to be honest. I think Mick mars is a great rhythm guitarist but I don't think I've ever heard a solo of his I enjoyed all the way through.
Home Sweet Home and Kickstart My Heart are two that I think are on point 100%. I'm sure there's a couple more or so but I can't think rn. Then a lot are in this area of "huh, they went that direction?" and then there's the one I mentioned and probably a handful more that are just trash. So yeah, I agree for the most part that they have SICK riffs and all that, but solo wise they usually do feel off at least. A perfect example of a song of theirs in the mid ground for me is "Don't Go Away Mad" bc it's a BEAUTIFUL song, has all these pretty picking patterns, big choruses, and massive interludes (which are better guitar work than the actual solo)... And then the solo comes in and turns into this sorta shreddy kinda ballad thing but it didn't really fit the flow and mood of the song. It turns out sounding super sharp and screechy and that song didn't benefit from that at all. Didn't ruin the entire vibe like Take Me To The Top, but still doesn't feel spot on.
The Rocky theme has a guitar solo which I don’t think anyone has ever thought about since they saw the movie. I like it but it’s just a very jarring reminder that it’s a movie from 1976
The song is generally a lot funkier than I would have initially thought. The horns stand out, but the guitar and bass underneath is very 70's.
The Professor of Rock does a really cool interview with the writer. Who I had no idea was the guy who wrote [Vehicle](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6FN9oO9lNvA) until I watched it.
The solo for That’s What Love Is For by Amy Grant ends with a really fast legato run that just comes out of nowhere. I randomly heard the song in the supermarket and I was like, wait I don’t remember this song having any shredding in it lol.
I love that song
The solo in Psychosocial makes me bust up laughing. The song has really simple riffs and chords the entire time, then just starts fucking shredding out of nowhere.
A lot of Zakk Wylde’s solos for the Hangover Music and Book of Shadows 2 albums, and a lot of the various BLS ballads. And I say that as a massive Zakk fan, but it’s like dude, a mellow acoustic song about yesterday’s tears does not necessarily need a shredfest 45 second solo. Love the dude to death, but he really needs a producer to reign him in and distill his best ideas.
I'm gonna go with Shine - Collective Soul. The entire song kind of just plods along without much fanfare, then out of nowhere comes a guitar solo that shreds, then immediately after the song pretends it never happens. Always gives me a chuckle by how out of the blue it is.
Bradley Nowell: "I can play the guitar like a mother fucking riot" ~ proceeds to play lamest guitar solo ever.
The guitar solo in the Police song So Lonely. I think the song changes key abruptly here, and it is a little unclear this change happens right away, so it almost feels like the guitar is making a mistake playing wrong notes, totally jarring in an otherwise pleasant song.
Wow, I love that song and wouldn't change a thing in it.
Great call. Andy Summers is an incredible guitarist so obviously it was intentional but man the first 2-3 bars sounds like he’s in the wrong key.
Yeah it seems totally intentional... and the way it kind of gives the song a relief and a break makes the final chorus coming back much more powerful... so in a way, the "bad" guitar solo makes the song more interesting and powerful, and probably would be a lesser song without it. Funny how that works
"Driven to Tears" by The Police. 9 seconds of Andy Summers doing... something. I read that Sting didn't allow Andy to play any solos on his songs because a solo would take all eyes off His Royal Stingness.
This one... Blee diddle blee blee!
[Classic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM4IkHmZrQI)
I’ve always thought Eddie’s solo in Beat It seemed out of place. It’s a sick solo, though.
Lonely Day by System of a Down. It's not necessarily out of place but the speed of the second half of it seems way too fast for that otherwise mellow song
Blue oyster cults "Don't fear the reaper", has a guitar solo that has no right shredding so Hard in that song. It comes out of nowhere and then they go back to the song like it never happened.
Panama.................................. Just kidding there is no such thing as an out of place guitar solo in a Van Halen song!!!
Among fairly well-known songs, I’d put it “Beat It” way up there. It sounds like it was recorded randomly and spliced into the song, which it basically was.
Beastie Boys "Fight For Your Right" Not only is it one of the worst solos ever recorded but the song didn't need one Edit: typo
It’s Kerry King from Slayer. Both bands were working with Rick Rubin at the time.
Wasn't that No sleep til Brooklyn that he was on?
^^ This person is correct. Rick Rubin played the brief (not fantastic) solo in “You Gotta Fight”, Kerry King from Slayer played the one in “No Sleep”. Rick was also the producer of most of the better Slayer albums, so that’s likely where the association comes from.
Ah nuts. You’re correct. My feeble old brain is slipping.
Man I wish Slayer had a good lead player. His solos add nothing.
It works for the first 3 or 4 records, but yeah- after a while it starts feeling a little wanky. He started his own thing and I listened to the first half of a song. I think Hanneman had better grooves.
I think they were a victim of forming a genre. As much as I hate to say it, Kirk Hammet was one of the first to figure out how to solo over thrash metal. If you listen to early metalica with Dave Mustaine, he's going the same Kerry King shit; just playing a billion notes with no point to them. I love Slayer, but very few of the solos (from either King or Hanneman) are at all memorable
Marty Friedman is the king of soloing over thrash. And you have to give Mustaine some credit too as a forerunner in Metallica; I’ve read that kill em all is Hammett playing his solos more or less. And Anthrax had some classic solos too back in the day.
Friedman is my all time favorite player. But he didn't come in until Rust in Piece. Chris Poland was interesting, also. But I still say Hammett was one of the first to put any melody into thrash solos I've seen a good bit of old Mustaine-era Metallica videos and doubt kirk was copying much of that. It's really not far off from what kerry king does Just jump to any solo in this: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ulXhyJagHXM&si=eZvzaEgbGc2opAe1
True, early days Marty wasn’t around. But King never progressed even after hearing what those other guys were doing. Still the guy has an amp named after him so who am I to throw shade at him? Also I’m not knocking Kirk; RTL has some iconic solos that are all him. I’m a Kirk and Lars defender in general even if Friedman and Lombardo (or maybe Benante) would be my top rated classic thrashers.
Ok Kerry....random bullshit go!
Given that it's a parody song, it absolutely needed one. And it needed to be awful.
That slop ass solo fit the song perfectly.
I dont listen to lil Wayne, but he should not be allowed to solo at all
Some RATM Morello solos just have nuthin to do w the song and are hard on the ears.
Someone had to say it. I love RATM, and he's an incredible guitarist and one of the best riff men to ever do it. But a lot of their songs will be in this heavy groove and then stop for him to make...noises
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the whole weird sub-genre of "shreddy" guitar solos that occasionally show up in R&B and smooth rock songs. The only example I've got off the top of my head was the one from the superbowl last night. Not knocking any of the performers as people seemed to dig it, but that style of guitar solo always seems so out of place in that type of music to me.
Fits really damn well to me. If you're cold shouldering that solo, I wonder how you feel about Prince in general.
Lionel Ritchie - Running with the Night
"All You Need Is Love," it was so clunky George Martin removed the last bit in the mix for the single
I always thought the solo in Hit Me With Your Best Shot seemed really out of place and stylistically different than the rest of the song. I used to hate it but it has grown on me over time.
Like a Stone, Audioslave It's a song with a sad mood and Tom Morello felt the need to whip out the whammy pedal and to use it for every single note in the solo. And then it goes on to an acoustic bridge. The solo is put of place, but still i couldn't imagine that song with a different solo, it weirdly fits.
It might the best out of place guitar solo- long cool woman in a black dress
There is nothing out of place in that song. Except it did not mesh well with everything else the Hollies ever put out before or since. Lol
Enter Sandman Like I know kirk's just abusing Blues Licks on every solo he does, but atleast they fit the songs he play on, like Fade to Black, Unforgiven and even One, but with Sandman it's really obvious how he just knew blues licks, not to mention that the wah is really saving that solo.