Guitar shredding: Awesome or wanky?

[Factor]

I vote wanky. To me, shredding guitar solos are like listening to the guitarist masturbate to a picture of himself. All craft, no art.

 

[Braver]

I voted wanky as well, most guitarists don't seem to get beyond speed.

I do really dig Satriani though

 

[myself, aka me]

I vote awesome. Perhaps that means i'm wanky?

 

[cosmopragma]

I didn't vote, it depends on the artist.
Even the same artist can be awesome or wanky.
An example:
In the late seventies Al di Meola joined an all-star project called "Go", initiated by Stomu Yamashta.
"Man of Leo", a IIRC 17 minutes song, contains a very long solo by Al, citing and expanding a riff introduced earlier in this song.
This is one of the most involving songs I know.
Years later I went to a live concert: Al di Meola, Paco de Lucia and John Mclaughlin at the Loreley.Most of the soli in this concert were a demonstration and contest of how fast a guitar player can play without loosing control.A " Guiness book of records" experience, disappointing.
BTW, the same di Meola is often plain boring.

 

[jamvanman]

To be sure, some are pretty dull and just dont go anywhere.

But what about Eddie Van Halen ('Eruption', 'Beat It' etc), Steve Vai in 'Shy Boy', Randy Rhoad's stuff like 'Crazy Train' ? Would you include these in 'shredding' ?

 

[lojay]

I love Eddie Van Halen, and Eruption was eargasm. Shame you guys didn't hear him play......Guitar solos can really be interesting. And Funkadelic's Maggot Brain is AWESOME. Wait, that wasn't shredding...

 

[Jubei]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmopragma I didn't vote, it depends on the artist. Even the same artist can be awesome or wanky.

Yup. Great solos can be send chills down my spine, but I have to say the stuff that passes for guitar solos these days is quite pathetic.

 

[Jahn]

Probably the limit on my shred-o-meter is Joe Satriani's "Surfing with the Alien." any bombastic "classical"-influenced solos like Steve Vai and the later incarnations of Eddie Van Halen love are just bleh imho. To tell you the truth, I love the guitar solos in Layla, Hotel California, and Aqualung.

Edit - but not all long epic solos are good. "November Rain" anyone?

 

[Jubei]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn Probably the limit on my shred-o-meter is Joe Satriani's "Surfing with the Alien." any bombastic "classical"-influenced solos like Steve Vai and the later incarnations of Eddie Van Halen love are just bleh imho. To tell you the truth, I love the guitar solos in Layla, Hotel California, and Aqualung.

Agreed. In those days, guitarists tended to play melodies and not just scales. Since Eddie Van Halen, Malmsteen and the like became famous, it's become overly technical, but not very listenable.

I still remember back in 1990 when I bought the 20th anniversary edition of Layla. When the disc hit track 4 - Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out - Clapton's solo breaks brought tears to my eyes (literally). Nothing has quite the same impact these days.

Another point: guitar solos don't really have to be long - look at Hendrix. Sure he had his jams, but nice little ballads like Little Wing has great guitar work and clock in at only 2:24.

 

[lojay]

I listened to Joe Satriani's Surfing with the Alien all day long back a few years ago, but then I got hooked to Van Halen and that era (70's to 80's), never came back. But Joe Satriani plays guitar virtuoso, which doesn't really hit the rockin sweet spot, so I really can't get into that. And we're talking about SHREDDING.....c'mon dudes, not just solos.

n FYI, "Eruption"s on the first album of Van Halen. Ed wasn't Neo Classical yet... and I got chills to the spine on that one. Solos with shredding can really be annoying, but this one is awesome.

Quit bashing my fav. guitarist! (for this week)

 

[Jubei]

Didn't mean to bash Van Halen . . . well at least the early stuff, before Sammy Hagar. I actually like Van Halen I - it really rocks and Eruption is fab. I was refering to the imitations and the trend of "shredding" fast scales that was pretty much a result of the popularity of Van Halen.

 

[Jahn]

Oh lord, just thought of one. Buckethead. Bring back Slash, I didn't mean what I said about "November Rain," honest!

 

[lojay]

Quote:

Didn't mean to bash Van Halen . . .

Just kidding there....haha

You sound like you've heard a lot of rock Jubei (and Jahn too), nice to learn from you.. I've only got Van Halen I to 1984 so I've no idea how Van Halen changed, or influenced others. Generation gap maybe? I'm a bit too young to know too much..

 

[Factor]

The best guitar solo of all time is Tom Verlaine's solo in Television's "Marquee Moon."

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lojay Just kidding there....haha You sound like you've heard a lot of rock Jubei (and Jahn too), nice to learn from you.. I've only got Van Halen I to 1984 so I've no idea how Van Halen changed, or influenced others. Generation gap maybe? I'm a bit too young to know too much..

yep you should stop there and remember Eddie in his glory days. Don't go to the Post-David Lee Roth era, including when he comes back for the Greatest Hits albums. When Eddie's ego runs rampant later, his solos get way egotistical and bombastic. At least when he was a young punk he was egotistical and awesome.