The Golden Age of the Guitar Solo 

This whole series is scored by my friend and collaborator Brian, from Ways in Waves. He posted a timelapse of his entire process for this episode if you want to check it out: ru-vid.comqSa0cq6CNxc And if you want to listen to more of his music, find him at waysinwaves.bandcamp.com/

The fact zeppelin played a version of Dazed and Confused that lasted (no exaggeration) 45 minutes is insane in the best way possible. They really gave you your money’s worth. Bring back 3 hour concerts!

I love the solo on Time, especially when he reaches on those bends....WOW

the guitar is overdue for a renaissance in popular music.

Maaaannn, I've always been amazed at how David Gilmour's solo in "Time" is, effectively, him reciting the lyrics of the song... just through a guitar. Absolute poetry without a single human voice.

So glad you recognize Zappa and include him in the history of guitar solo. For so many years, people have always pretended to be deaf and almost completely ignore his influence on music, and instead focusing on his rather eclectic and bizarre image. His technicality, and his ability to built moods and integrate feelings in his compositions, really goes decades beyond others at the time.

When I think of 70's rock, the unique sound that always comes to mind is that of the band Boston. The heavy guitars, the duet solos, Brad Delp's angelic harmonies. Would've loved to hear them in this video.

Man, the 70s was such a golden age of music, not just guitar solos, but everything. I feel like there's an endless list of great artists and bands in so many genres.

Unfortunately, there are sections of this video that I needed to trim out because of RU-vid's byzantine copyright system. If you want to watch the piece in full, with extended guitar solos, you can check out the full, 38 minute cut on Nebula here: nebula.tv/videos/polyphonic-the-golden-age-of-the-guitar-solo

When I saw Rory's check shirt at the end, I teared up. He's always been my favorite and I love seeing him get the recognition he never got when he was alive, but likely wouldn't have cared about even if he had. Thank you for this project..

My favorite alert. Thanks for your excellent work. At 62 nearly 63, I feel so fortunate to have heard so much beauty and passion. And it isn't over, long live Rock and Roll.

we've always said if you find yourself singing along to the guitar solo, you've given the instrument it's voice. The power to speak without saying a word always gives me chills. It demands your attention but also earns it.

So glad I was in high school in the early 70s. I got to experience all this as the record albums hit the stores. It makes being old now worth it! 😂

Glad to see Steve Howe mentioned. He had so many incredible moments during Yes’ classic period. Not to mention how his skills went beyond just the electric guitar.

To anyone curious about Rory Gallagher, check out his band from the 60s, Taste. Their 1970 Isle of Wight Festival performances were truly electrifying. Seeing Taste's live performances of What's Going On and Sugar Mama on RU-vid back in 2019 was what made me stick with guitar when I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. Both of their albums and Rory's first two solo albums are awesome. I also must say that Rory's saxophone playing is beautiful.

The craziest thing about Elliott Randall's solo on Reelin' in the Years is that he just came in, read the lyrics to get a sense of the feeling of the song and just whipped it out of nowhere but they didn't record it since they thought he was just practicing. Then he just played it again one more time and that was it, perfection.

A deep dive on live Stairway solos is so fulfilling. Never played the same twice, dozens as good as Earl’s Court May 25th

I feel like I was born at the right time to enjoy the glory days of the guitar solo. Page, Perry, Nugent, Gilmour, EVH, Randy, Zakk and every one from the late 80s were all people that I got to enjoy in real time.

A little upset Gary Moore wasn’t mentioned. I believe he was already killing it in Thin Lizzy in the 70’s. He’s one of the absolute Greats with the most beautiful Vibrato you’ll hear.

Saw Brian May live in Toronto last month it's like walking into a dream when he plays live

Eddie Hazel on Maggot brain is next level🤟🏼🎶

Love the mention of Hackett. His recognition as one of the greatest guitarists of the 70s is long overdue. It would be great to see your take on the work of Genesis in a standalone video. Great video :)

I'm way happy that you mentioned Zappa for a video on solos. Dude had some of the best chops in the game

Thank you for highlighting Rory Gallagher. I had the pleasure of seeing him live three times and he put on awesome shows every time. I saw a lot of shows in the 70s, including most of the players you showcased here (alas, I was a bit too young for Hendrix!) and they were all great.

The solo from Comfortably Numb is one the very best solos ever. Not the most technical, but so many emotions in this song and in the solo. It's extraordinary

Jeff Beck had one of his greatest decades of playing in this era, where was he in this?

"Watermelon in Easter Hay" is so hauntingly beautiful!

Probably should've mentioned Tom Scholz of Boston. He's responsible for many guitarists' sound profile and some of his solos are truly insane (like the one from Hitch A Ride)

This was superb and you covered all the guitarists that I love ! Thank you for having good taste !

A heartfelt thank you for including Rory Gallagher. An absolutely underrated gem of a musician. If the first 30 seconds or so of “Irish Tour” doesn’t stand your hairs up, check your pulse and call a physician because something is wrong with you.

It is cool to see Steve Hackett get some love and attention for His groundbreaking guitar work.

Man.. being a guitarrist myself, left handed and in a Genesis Cover Band.. I mean, it really borught tears in my eyes. PS: Kudos to putting Hakket tapping before EVH.

I really love you content. The videos look so professional and the topics you choose are always interesting. Thank You for you work Sir!

"Can you think of another song, any song, for which, when its first chord is played, an entire audience of 20,000 rise spontaneously to their feet, not just to cheer or clap hands, but in acknowledgement of an event that is crucial for all of them?" Grateful Dead playing Dark Star

This series is just perfect. Congratulations for all your good work 🤘🏻

It must have been awesome seeing to see live!

Loving this video!!!! Thank you Polyphonic!

Great video series man i'm enjoying them

I love that you've recognized Zappa in this video ! I love his work and I'd love to see you cover more of his work .

I just love how Page starts the Stairway solo. So much taste on it!

God damn, you just went through the list of my favorite bands, one by one. I could cry.

Great overview! This genera is my jam and I'm proud that there wasn't a song or album that was listed that I hadn't known. Still gives me goosebumps to this day even though I've listened to them all dozens of times by now.

My two favorite soloists are Clapton & Page. They always seemed to make great choices that fit the song itself.

Very well put together !

My favourite guitarist is Andy Latimer of Camel. He can play as fast as anyone, but normally just plays wonderful, melodic and emotional solos. Hackett is also a genius. His solo on Firth of Fifth is incredible. As for Rory Gallagher, you may not have heard of him in the States, but in the UK, he's a legend.

Hey Polyphonic, you and your vid’s rock as much as these 70’s guitarists! Thanks for all your hard work. 😍

This was amazing. Next episode will be.... perfection.. loved that ending bit

Watching this video I suddenly realized that the guitar solos, especially the most complex ones, were an important part and in some cases they became historic and inspiring for future generations. They are no longer important for the music industry. In many cases, if the music is simple or less complex, it will be more successful for the masses.

Such a great video! I’m signing nebula soon!!!

I want to highlight the effort and talent you have put into your videos. Thanks a lot man!!!

Hi @Polyphonic, let me start off by saying this is an amazing video that I bet was rather challenging considering the sheer number of amazing guitar solos in the 70s. I'm not sure how often you read the comments underneath your videos, let alone take suggestions from random people, but there's been something that's captivated me as of late and I can't think of a better person to do a video on it than you. UFO is considered one of the best underrated bands out there, and what I find particularly intriguing is their first 2 albums, which are often overlooked; UFO 1 and UFO 2: Flying. They were released in 1970 and 1971 respectively, and feature some of the best space and heavy rock I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, especially the latter one. These two albums are far more experimental in contrast to their later works (which are far more streamlined) and were done by the original lineup which featured the guitarist that preceded Michael Schenker. His name is Mick Bolton, and despite the talent and potential you hear in their early work, he just... disappears? I couldn't find anything about him beyond his work with UFO, but maybe I lack the research skills you and your team have. I think it makes for an interesting video and I'm really curious to hear your thoughts on the matter; if not in a video, then hopefully in a comment. Songs like Star Storm and Flying are journeys in and of themselves, not too dissimilar to Pink Floyd's Echoes or Zeppelin's Achilles Last Stand. Truly makes one wonder what else they could've done had they kept the original lineup intact, and if there are similar works out there by other bands that have been buried under the sands of time.

You'll never convince me that the studio recording of Sultans of Swing isn't the pinnacle of guitar work. It's absolute perfection. the rhythm, the cadence, the tone.

The ending is just brutal. Love the vid!

My fave live Zep moment (that I've only really seen through youtube videos cuz im a youngin) was in their latter years (maybe 75-78), Jimmy was doing an extended solo and someone in the audience shouts "get on with it" very audibly, Jimmy just starts playing louder and more insane and goes on for another few minutes before getting back into the song

Dude, this series just keeps getting better!

After all these years I am still discovering hidden gems from the 70s. It was an era of musical experimentation and long improvisations that still managed to be fun. The electric guitar ruled that era above all else.

Band of Gypsys is my favorite live record of all time. Machine Gun, Isabella, classics.

"You've e got a piece of time and you have to decorate it".. perfect quote from zappa there!

Fanfrickintastic. Another stellar video, Noah. Thanks for kicking rockumentary-video-essay ass so consistently.

The kicker about "Eruption" was that it was Eddie Van Halen just warming up! Someone happened to record it.

your channel is the best! i just finished the last episode on nebula too!

25 minutes in and i was loosin hope, but then my prayers were answered and you gave Rory some time in the spotlight. I'll always be convinced he's the greatest, tying with Stevie Ray and Eddie.

Cool! Thanks! Some really surprising mentions!

Today has been a difficult day. Seeing this vid on my feed made my lunch break much better. Thanks.

Polyphonic you always make me happy. The guitar solo is one of the things I live for. When I am alone and playing my Les Paul I go into a solo I pulled out of the air and get lost for 10 minutes or more and I think of all the Polyphonic videos I have seen. You feed me what I need. Thank you so much. Life is good!! ❤ I wish you would do something about Bonnie Raitt and her slide guitar solos and how she achieves them. She is one of my guitar heroes.

When I went to concerts in the 70s and 80s the crowd loved the solo's. We lived for them. The place was like a cloud of smoke anyway and the solos were mesmerizing.

Great compilation of guitar musicians. One stand out omission, for me, would be Peter Green. Rarely can a guitarist make his instrument talk and communicate quite like he did in Albatros and Green Manalishi with a grateful nod to Danny Kirwin.....a very young but talented member of young Fleetwood Mac.

Great job. Bummed you didn’t mention any of Alex Lifeson’s work during this. Then I realized you are waiting to you him in the next video. I know Tom Sawyer is the popular choice, but on Red Barchetta, he really evokes the feeling of flying down the open road in a fast car.

Thank you for this amazing research, Polyphonic. Rock music is life.

This might be my favourite series of music. Amazing.

glad to see rory gallagher mentioned at the end!!! this video and series is absolutely awesome!! and huge shoutout to brian raine for the original music, it's just great and really fits the videos

I ❤learning here... thx for putting these out.

That's very good vid awesome work! thanks

Great stuff!

You managed to include a good many of my favorite rock numbers of all time...thank you

Yesssss the time solo needs to be talked more about

I have no comments on the content itself, because I'm speechless. I'm just commenting to praise your work. Thank you!

Thank you polyphonic for remembering rory gallagher, its about time he gets more recognition along with gary moore, gallagher is insane on his shadow play live solos

Good commentary; not bloated or rhetorical. Just about the right time length. Good collection of masters. I always miss Rik Emmett of Triumph in these mentions of great guitarists.

Very, very good video! All the bands I grew up with....

one of the best things about videos like this is that I get to see where a lot of my favourite musicians got their own inspirations from. every time I hear a Robert Fripp or Hendrix clip I think 'oh this is where John Frusciante got it from' in the best way

thanks for the killer playlist ⚡️🎸⚡️♥️⚡️

Fantastic jaunt through the greats over the decades.

I remember when Desire by Meg Myers came out in 2014 and that has an AMAZING guitar solo. I thought maybe we’d have a renaissance, but we get the great solo just here and there still. Makes them even more special when they do pop up!

as a teenager i loved The Stranglers & Tangerine Dream but on a school trip bus in 1978 I 1st heard Ritchie Blackmores’ bonkers lead solo in Highway Star from the original Made in Japan. That & Alex Lifeson on La Villa..on Hemispheres had me hooked on heavy Rock or Prog etc

I love these videos!

Excellent as usual.

I was fortunate enough to see Rory Gallagher open for Rush back in the day. Good call!

Love the Lindsey Buckingham shoutout, have always thought he's underrated among the pantheon of great guitarists

Great stuff as always. I do think you overlooked two guitarists that must be, imo, in such a video. First one is Jeff Beck, who like Rory appears on the mt Rushmore of many many talented and famous guitarists. Beck implemented Bluesy solos that were more popular in Rock music as you told, in funky and jazzy rhythms, basically inventing Red Hot Chili Peppers' entire style (a hyperbole, but you know what I mean). His solos inspired probably every guitarist in the next decade and the emergence of Hair Metal. Second one I want to mention is Andrew Latimer from Camel. An absolute staple of prog rock. Their 1975 album The Snow Goose is to prog rock basically what Dave Brubeck's Time Out is to jazz. It is one of the first records you will ever listen to when venturing into the genre. Latimer embeds his solos throughout the orchestral arrangements and for many people was the first time they heard distorted guitars in such a "classical" setting. If you go over the comments and read this, would love to hear your thoughts about them.

Strictly speaking, Page’s double-neck is not a Gibson SG, it’s an EDS-1275.

Well done, I am a big prog fan , and enjoyed this.

I would watch it all, again (just arrived her to leave that comment) but I enjoyed it already on Nebula. Great promotion, ey ;) Keep making those videos. I'm already curious about the next episode

Great video 💚

Brilliant musical journalism! Thanks

Thank you for being through enough with the Zappa research to highlight WIEH!

I've played guitar for over 40 years and today I've been introduced to both Frank Zappa - Watermelon In Easter Hay, and Eddie Hazel / Funkadelic - Maggot Brain. Epic!

I know you can’t capture everything, and this is an awesome video! That said, could be worth mentioning the rise of dual (sometimes triple) harmony solos - like Thin Lizzy & Boston. That style of harmonies becomes diffuse through the 80s (eg, Maiden).

The quality of these videos is crazy. Starting to get in the same neighborhood as a Ken Burns doc

POLYPHONIC…… you do your research thoroughly You are absolutely incredible. Thank you for this post.