NorioDS
I love 80s rock and metal but, when I was a kid, I never really paid attention to the solos. Now that I'm older, I've realised that some of my favourite bop-along rock songs of the 80s have some pretty killer solos in them.
Does anyone know of some players we could all check out or let's get a list going of some of the lesser known guitarists of the time that played in some of the better known songs.
Nothing worse than great talent going unnoticed!
dirkv
i have to say, that even tho they were not the flashiest of bands, i really like the guitar work of Mick Jones from Foreigner. i saw them when they were here last year.
There is just something about his playing, he enjoys every note.
i dunno, what do you think?
NorioDS
Links to a track or 2 please ;D
stunter01
ok guys
what about whitesnake in the song still of the night, that was one of the best
songs for me in the 80's where he uses a violen stroker (do no what ye call it) to play on the guitar
that was awesome. i think the best rock and metal comes from the 80's
NorioDS
I love Whitesnake, especially that song ?
Definitely agree, all the best rock and metal comes out of the 80s!
And some of the dodgiest pop too ?
Deaan-Vivier
There was a band called Giant, with a album called (Last of the runaways) or something like that. (correct me if im wrong) That might've been just a songs name om the album,. Anyway - I liked them a lot, I had one tape of them long ago and I can remember there was some killer solo's in their music. That's basically all I know of this band.
ralley
Norio - That version of Whitesnake featured John Sykes, he previously did some good stuff with Thin Lizzy. After 'Snake he formed Blue Murder, they seemed a bit generic to me. These days he seems to be playing with a re-formed Thin Lizzy - sans Phil Lynnott of course, bit weird. I actually prefer the earlier, bluesier, Whitesnake. Early incarnations were basically Deep Purple with a different guitar and bass player.
Deaan - Giant was Dan Huffs band, awesome player but pretty weak songs I thought, very generic stuff. He's played on heaps of studio sessions, including Shania Twain. He also produced a couple of the later Megadeth albums.
From the 80's metal stuff I really like Vivian Campbell from Dio (later in Whitesnake, now in Def Leppard), Wolf Hoffman from Accept and Michael Schenker from Scorpions, UFO, MSG, back to UFO, back to MSG.... (kind of erratic guy!)
Cheers, Rob.
JoeyBones
I was really into The Cult. Don't know what I was thiniking, but anyway. Firewoman and She sells sanctuary come to mind.
arjunmenon
Don't ask me why i got in so late on this topic...cos i grew up with a heavily glam-rock influenced older bro...
Well, further to the names mentioned in above posts, i think Key Marcello from Europe, Erik Turner & Joey Allen from Warrant, Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda from Twisted Sister, Phil Collen from Def Leppard, Reb Beach & George Lynch from Dokken, Jake Lee Ex-Ozzy...Man, these guys were absolute face-melters.. ?
uKrease
The 80`s was responsible for the best music ever. Period.
Warren de Martini from Ratt comes to mind, the twin guitar setups of bands like Iron Maiden (Dave Murray and Adrian Smith), The Scorpions (Matthias Jabs and Rudolf Schenker), the likes of Marty Friedman (check out his first solo album - Introduction), Richie Kotzen, Randy Rhoads of course, Patrick Rondat, Vinnie Moore, Tony McAlpine (now jamming with Steve Vai), Malmsteen, Eddie van Halen, Steve Lukather, Joey Taffola, lets not forget about KK Downing and Glenn Tipton from Judas Priest, oh man I could go on forever.....
Riaan-Combrink
Hi,
Cool topic - brings back memories.
Love all the guitarists already mentioned by you guys. I'm going to step slightly left field for a sec and draw attention to one of my favourite 80s albums - 'The Nightfly' by Donald Fagan (first solo disc from Steely Dan co-founder). Although a jazzy kind of album, the guitar solos on display by a galaxy of super players is truly astonishing. Imagine Larry Carlton, Dean Parks, Rick Derringer, Steve Kahn and Hugh McCracken all playing on the same album! This is of course typical Steely Dan style - the great solos played on their records by top musos over the years is a whole different dicussion!
Couple of my favourite 80s guitarists:
Neil Schonn (Journey)
Trevor Rabin (Yes)
EVH
Angus Young
Andy Summers
Edge
Dave Gilmour
Steve Howe (Asia & Yes)
Keith & Ron's lazy 80s Stones riffing.
Couple of my memorable solo moments from the 80s:
- 'photograph' by Def Leppard
- the incredibly atmospheric lead fills on Don Henley's "Boys of Summer' [solos played by Mike Campbell of TP's Heartbreakers]
- 'Rockin in the free world' by Neil Young
- 'Back on the chain gang' by Pretenders [what a melodic solo/riff running right through this song!]
- My oh my' by Slade
Although not a great solo as such, one of my favourite 80s rock ballads is 'Sister Christian' by Nightranger. The way the powerchords come in after the soft piano stuff is such an inspired dynamic. Real zippo in the air stuff!!
And ... my favourite 80 solo: "Brick in the wall Pt 2' and both of "comfortably numb" - released in September 1979, but huge in 1980, so I guess it qualifies??!!
Cheers
Riaan C
AlanRatcliffe
- 'photograph' by Def Leppard
I'd forgotten that one! On
Pyromania wasn't it? Great album.
Don Henley's "Boys of Summer' [solos played by Mike Campbell of TP's Heartbreakers]
I didn't know that was Mike! Can barely remember the song, I'll have to check it out again.
- 'Back on the chain gang' by Pretenders
Great one. Lot's of Rickenbacker jangle on that IIRC.
And ... my favourite 80 solo: "Brick in the wall Pt 2' and both of "comfortably numb"
Lord, that whole album blew my mind. Just as much for the recording technique as the music. Lyrics too. That's what got me into recording.
Also in three months in '84, I heard tracks by three players who completely changed my outlook on guitar playing - not because I emulated them, but I realised that if playing was a competition, I had no hope at all... so I started relaxing and just enjoyed playing. It was when Guitar Player started including floppy records in the mag. The first was Vai's
Attitude Song, the second Was Holdsworth's
Devil Take The Hindmost and the third was Malmsteens
Black Star. I very nearly gave up completely...
Oh yeah, Michael Hedges
Aerial Boundaries...
Renesongs
Do any of you guys get to hear the 80's guitarist from Texas who did the solo in David Bowie's Let's Dance, I think his name was Billy Joe Vaughn or Stevie Ray Armstrong or something like that ?
AlanRatcliffe
Billy Ray Cyrus played for Bowie?
?
Renesongs
No, hang dammit I got it , it was Billy Bob Thornton - I seed it, It was tattooed all the way across his guitar B.B.T. or was that BB King - you got me all confused now Mr Ratcliff. ?
AlanRatcliffe
I used to have customers bring me guitars with what looked like B.L.T. all across their guitars.
...and you don't wanna know what I found in the Rasta's acoustic.
FatBoy
And THAT'S why I always check the inside of my acoustic in dry season!