http://entertainment.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=170098 Magazine Names 100 Worst Riffs, Solos Oct 8, 11:11 AM EST The Associated Press Is Poison that bad? He may be known for his over-the-top antics but Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille has another claim to fame: his "Guitar Solo" has been named the worst of all time by Guitar World magazine. The magazine selected the "100 Worst Riffs, Licks & Solos of All Time," identifying ones that are "lazy," "boring," "just plain stoopid," or "involve C.C. Deville." The list includes songs by David Bowie, Def Leppard, Metallica, Green Day, B.B. King, The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith and The Strokes, among others. Many are guitar legends who simply had a bad night or bum note. Guitar World describes DeVille's nine-minute solo "completely devoid of taste, structure or steady tempo" and recommends every budding guitarist listen to it because "surely, they can't do any worse." DeVille was also cited for his "Cherry Pie" solo when he played with Warrant and Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." The magazine recommends DeVille "take solace in the fact that he's in some rather good company." Rounding out the top 10: "Summertime Blues," Blue Cheer; "The Game of Love," Carlos Santana; Falstaff beer 1967 radio spot, Cream; "All You Need is Love," The Beatles; "Thirsty and Miserable," Black Flag; "Wango Tango," Ted Nugent; "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," Rolling Stones; "Sting of the Bumblebee," Manowar; and "American Woman," Lenny Kravitz.
There are some pretty good players in just this list of 10. Somebody out there must get this mag, show me the list!
Joan Jett's "I Love Rock & Roll" has to be in there. Although, that solo does make me believe in the absolute value theory in math where if something is -100, it is actually 100. It's almost so bad that it's genius. ALMOST. In reality, it's just awful.
Remember that band, Candlebox? They had like 1 or 2 hits in the mid/late 90s. The solo in one of 'em was literally 1 note held with lots of compression (sustain) and feedback style distortion. Oh actually, I take it back. Sometimes he'd wiggle in a half-step drop and come back to that 1 note. If that's not the worst solo I've ever heard, I dunno what is. That or anything 3 Doors Down considers a solo.
Really? I love that solo. Its a great pop solo. Let me tell you, Carlos Santana bends his notes wrong - they his little bends are always an eight-note flat, he never quite hits it. "Black Magic Woman," especially. It's uncanny.
While a fun topic, I would hardly take a list such as this on face value. I'd love to see the entire list; not because I believe it would clue me in on bad/good lead solos but only to see how much his opinion jibes with mine. IMHO, some of the best leads are far from fast and technically proficient, but more to do with something slick, cool or just really catchy. Pete Townsend, while revered as a great song writer, has never been particularly known for his nimble fingerdness in regard to solos, but his lead in 'I can see for Miles' (if you can call it that) is just a single low note repeated incesantly - and just really kills. Some one only interested in degree of dificulty or how many notes per second would never catch on to what a great lead it really is. Now that I think of it, Neil Young does the same, mostly single note lead in Cinammon Girl to devastating affect. Get what I'm talking about? I simply HATE lead guitarist that play blinding fast 'scale type leads'. I hear NOTHING musically note-worthy in such an approach. Give me the relatively simplistic, but like a knife to the heart lead such as the one on 'Frees' Allright Now anytime (can't remember the guitarists name for some reason). The lead is rather slow and incorporates one of the first repeating patterns any budding guitrist is likely to learn, but it's delivered with such dramatic aplomb that combined with the guitarists unbelievable yet natural vibrato, timing and gutsy warm tone that I would put it up against any of Hendrixs' best any time. I could go on and on with this topic and similar comparisons, but would at the very least like to convey the message that solos, like music in general, is completely subjective and if YOU like it, then I see no reason to justify it.
Just remebered..... Frees' guitarist was Paul Kossof, who went on to put out a couple of solo albums and put together a band (Back Street Crawler) that never really went much of anywhere. If I remember correctly, he OD'ed while still in his twenties.
Believe it or not, one of my least favorite solos comes from one of my favorite bands. Cult of Personality - Living Colour Obviously Vernon Reid is an amazing guitarist but that particular solo is just slop. At one point, he just starts playing as fast as he can and you can't even hear the notes. Every other solo on that album is amazing but that one is beneath him. Oh yeah. Any solo played by the band Oasis. Just pick one because they all sound the same.
Genius slop - Bob Stinson with the Replacements on "Run It" from Hootenanny. Johnny Ramone with the Ramones on "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" from Ramones Keith Richards with the Rolling Stones on "Honkey Tonk Woman" or "b****" A little slack is good.
Lifeless ones: Anything by Poison "Self-Esteem" by Offspring. Lots of Green Day solos. I also agree about Kravitz "American Women" On a different tanget, I really like a lot (too many to list) of The Edge's riffs even if they may be pedestrian in technical skill. Can't think of song where I'd call Billy Gibbons lifeless either.
Yeah, I like guitarist that have their own sound. You can hear the first few notes of any solo by The Edge and know immediately who it is. Lots of open strings, lots of delay, lots of harmonics etc. Maybe not very technical but always very creative. It's not always about technical ability. Creativity is a good thing.
I always missed the boat on Vernon Reid, generally. I thought a lot of his solos sounded like HAL 9000 from "2001" malfunctioning. Your counter reference about Noel Gallegher is spot on, too. Usually pretty boring.
Guitar World is easily the worst of the guitar mags, IMO. And, who is responsible for Guitar One? That piece of crap hits my door once a month and promptly goes in the recycling. That's what happens when you subscribe to a magazine (Home Recording) that folds before the end of my subscription. I get a crappy substitution. To quote one of my favorite late 80's-early 90's local Houston bands The Missles in their song "I Get No Respect from the Public News," ...I wouldn't wipe my ass with that rag.
