Greatest Slide Guitar Solo Of All Time

[Heron Mathis]

Backwhen I used to play some guitar, slide was the one thing I could do reasonably well. One significant reason for this was that my weak fretting-hand fingers were relieved of the duty to hold down strings. The more important reason, though, was that it was a sound that I loved. The irony of being a pianist is that the instrument is particularly ill-suited to getting the crying, vocal sounds that I love as much as practically anything in the sonic world. I still bust out the slide from time to time (the one way I can play guitar without hurting myself) and fantasize about being able to reach a fraction of the heights represented below.

In a genre defined by epic riffs and flamethrowing solos, the slide guitar stands as a howling testament to raw, unbridled emotion. It's not just a technique; it's a wild, soul-stirring cry that cuts through the smog of standard chord progressions and generic fretwork. Playing with a slide is less about speed or precision and more of a showcase of pure, unadulterated feel. Here are the ten best uses of slide guitar in classic rock:

Like last call in a boozy backwoods roadhouse, the slide in Tush is wild, sleazy and carefree. Billy Gibbons' guitar moans and wails, a frenzied beast unleashed. His aggressive technique here is dominated by rapid slides up and down the neck, with a gritty, overdriven tone that cuts through the mix like a two-by-four through a plate glass window. As bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard piledrive their way through a twelve-bar blues progression, Gibbons delivers a feverish, sweat-soaked sermon from the Church of Electric Mayhem.

Slide guitar was pioneered by acoustic blues players like Robert Johnson and Blind Willie Johnson in the early 1900s. The style began firmly intertwined with Southern rock, blues and country with the arrival of the electric guitar and the sheer talent of players like Duane Allman, Muddy Waters and Ry Cooder.

Without a doubt the most mind-blowing slide player of the modern era, Derek Trucks shot into the spotlight as a child prodigy, touring alongside the likes of Buddy Guy, Bob Dylan and the Allman Brothers Band before he was even able to legally drink.

Initially learning how to play slide guitar on a one-stringed diddley bow as a teenager, James would achieve acclaim among in the 1950s as one of the first electric blues guitarists, installing two hot-wired DeArmond pickups in his acoustic and driving it into a driven valve amplifier to create a nasty tone that inspired everyone from Muddy Waters to Keith Richards to follow suit.

Waters was also noted for his immense vibrato, and was famous for rolling up the volume knob prior to his solos to create eardrum shattering levels of distortion to cut through the mix and write himself into history.

your profile join preferences help search next newest topic next oldest topicAuthorTopic: What were/are the greatest lap steel solos?Bob Markison

Member From: San Francisco, CAposted 25 September 2004 01:49 PM profile send email edit As a horn player who is trying to improve on lap steel, I have previously worked on the earth rattling unique extended solos of horn history on my horns. Most horn players would include Body and Soul (Coleman Hawkins, 10/39), KoKo based on the changes of Cherokee (Charlie Parker, 12/45), and Giant Steps (Coltrane , 5/59). The great new McGann/Volk Murphey transcription book has piqued my interest to solicit your ideas about great lap steel solos. Horn players are obsessed with trying to tell a story in a solo, and I invite your thoughts as I expand my collection of lap steel recordings. I'm particulary interested in specific recordings that have touched you for their special story telling capacity. Many thanks and best regards! - BobRick Aiello

Member From: Berryville, VA USAposted 25 September 2004 04:08 PM profile send email edit I would seriously consider getting Cumquat Records "6 Pack" of Andy Iona.You can't find that kinda passionate, energetic and expressive music anywhere else !!Here's a sample ... if you ever heard anything "hotter" on steel guitar ... please let me know Kakaako Rag------------------

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 25 September 2004 at 04:10 PM.]

From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USAposted 25 September 2004 04:49 PM profile send email edit Jules Ah See's late 1950's recording of "Hula Blues". IMHO the definitive recording of this tune. Jules phrases like a horn player on this cut and the band is behind him 100%. Hula BluesDo you like this stuff? Then join us at HSGA Joliet Convention, October 14-16, 2004.We jam like this all night long.------------------

Gerald Ross

'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 25 September 2004 at 04:53 PM.]

From: Oceanside, California, USAposted 25 September 2004 05:53 PM profile send email edit From a completly different genre of music. David Lindly's solo on "Running on Empty" by Jackson Browne. Probably one of the most influental solos in so far as bringing lap steel to the attention of a whole new generation of players. Soul and tone for miles.RogerBob Markison

Member From: San Francisco, CAposted 25 September 2004 05:59 PM profile send email edit Rick, Gerald, Roger - thanks! These are just the kinds of things I'm looking for. Lindley's name came up just yesterday when I was looking at some cool Weissenborn-type guitars at the Berkely Music Exchange - he's an amazing musician. All suggestions are welcome. This forum never fails to inform in a most generous way. Thanks again! - BobSteinar Gregertsen

Member From: Arendal, Norwayposted 25 September 2004 06:14 PM profile edit "Santos Dream" by Greg Leisz is a beauty, as always his playing is very melodic and free of clichs.

It can be found on the "Legends Of The incredible Lap Steel Guitar" compilation album from HorseRock Records. Don't know if it has been released on any other albums (but there are 13 other good reason for buying the 'Legends' album...).Steinar------------------

www.gregertsen.com

Bill Creller

Member From: Saginaw, Michigan, USAposted 25 September 2004 06:23 PM profile send email edit That is a really neat tune Rick. Played it about four times!!

BillTravis Bernhardt

Member From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadaposted 25 September 2004 07:16 PM profile send email edit David Lindley's solo on "Bon Temps Roule" on the blue album, and "Mercury Blues," either version; sorry for the vagueness, but any number of tracks by Sol Hoopii, Jim & Bob, and Benny Nawahi; Junior Brown, "Hung it Up" (tabbed by--ahem--yours truly and available in the Tablature section ); more vagueness, but any number of Jerry Douglas solos or any parts of Buddy Emmons'/Buddy Charleton's/Speedy West's solos where they're not using pedals--which is probably quite a bit, really; anything by Debashish Battacharya--no apologies for vagueness there; Ben Harper, "Ground on Down," "Forgiven/Faded (live)"; lots more...-TravisP.S. Keep in mind that a lot of great steel players, all the way back to Sol Hoopii and co., got a lot of their ideas from horn players...[This message was edited by Travis Bernhardt on 25 September 2004 at 11:43 PM.]

From: Edmonton, AB., Canadaposted 25 September 2004 08:05 PM profile edit Sweet Georgia Brown by Joachim Murphy ! Andy Volk

Member From: Boston, MAposted 25 September 2004 08:22 PM profile send email edit Funny you should mention this, Bob, as John and I are working in this vein for the next book. Here are a few favorites off the top of my head:For sheer spontaneous creativity and a certain breathtaking, racehorse-bolting-out-of-the-gate quality, nobody's yet beaten Joaquin in my book. Tex Williams on the air has many of my personal favorites.BY all means pick up some Andy Iona and Dick McIntire on Cumquat. Other great Hawaiian stylists include David Keli'i who had a unique swinging bounce to his playing and Billy Hew Len. I'd also recommend Barney Isaacs acoustic CD with George Kuo ... very beautiful touch from Barney; Bob Brozman's duet CD with Cyril Pahinui - anything with Gabby Pahinui's great steel playing including Ry Cooder's "Chicken Skin Music" for two incredible cuts (see thread on Yellow Roses), Sons of Hawaii with David Feet Rogers, and Made In Hawaii, Hawaiian Steel Guitar - a great collection of modern players.David Lindely on Brother John from "Win This Record" is a textbook in wonderful, melodic lap steel over a New Orleans groove. Look So Good from the same record was a clarion call to acoustic steelers.Freddie Roulett's Spirt of Steel is the best CD showcase for his work - but even better is his work on the Vestapool video "World of slide Guitar." Check out forumite Basil Henriques work with the 60's group, the Waikiki Islanders. Baz has great feel and timing. Vance Terry's pedal steel playing on Brisbane Bop is a must have. It's closer to a non-pedal approach and tone than a modern pedal steel sound and has plenty of flat-out astonishing steel playing. The two Biily Jack Wills CDs featuring Vance's early non-pedal work are great too.Jerry Byrd's playing on the albums Hi-Fi Guitar & Nani Hawaii for exquisite Rickenbacher tone and JB's unique phrasing

were never better than on these two albums IMHO.Aubrey Ghent's solo album is fantastic and the Rope-A-Dope compliation CD "None But The Righteous" is THE Sacred Steel collection to have (notes written by my friend and forumite, Bob Stone).Cindy Cashdollar's new CD "Slide Show" is a fine record with some heartfelt lap steel on "Locust Grove."I'd 2nd the recommendation for Debashish. Trinity of Guitars, his latest, is the one I'd go for.All Tom Morrell's records are great but I particularly like Pteradactyl Ptales Vol. 4, No Peddlers Allowed, and the excellent Shanachie compliation CD "Wolf Tracks."Lastly, Harry Manx is doing some gorgeous, understated acoustic lap steel work. There's a lot to discover out there. Enjoy![This message was edited by Andy Volk on 25 September 2004 at 08:31 PM.]

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