Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Battle of the "Stairway" solos


Rabs

Recommended Posts

On 8/15/2021 at 11:07 AM, Whitefang said:

I never cared for the song anyway, so what do I care?  :rolleyes: [cool]

Whitefang

Really?  I know the song became a living cliché but that wasn't any fault of the bands.

to each his own, 

but for me anyway, that is probably one of the best recorded solos that guy ever did.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

56 minutes ago, NighthawkChris said:

I still get goosebumps when I hear the outro of Stairway.  As played as it is, awesome song hands down. 

Yep.  Sure is subjective.  I've never understood it's appeal.  Especially since both before and since Zeppelin has done much, MUCH better tunes.  But then maybe it's just me.....

There's other songs I consider mediocre or just not that great that other people kind of "feen" over(if I'm using that right).  like......

Aerosmith's "Dream On"

The Eagles' "Hotel Catatonia(er...California [wink])"

Queen's  "Blowhemian Crapsody"  [bored]

And of course, I'm pretty sure a lot of the tunes I really like  probably rate high on other people's "barf meter" .

Whitefang

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, Whitefang said:

Yep.  Sure is subjective.  I've never understood it's appeal.  Especially since both before and since Zeppelin has done much, MUCH better tunes.  But then maybe it's just me.....

There's other songs I consider mediocre or just not that great that other people kind of "feen" over(if I'm using that right).  like......

Aerosmith's "Dream On"

The Eagles' "Hotel Catatonia(er...California [wink])"

Queen's  "Blowhemian Crapsody"  [bored]

And of course, I'm pretty sure a lot of the tunes I really like  probably rate high on other people's "barf meter" .

Whitefang

 

lol, yeah I just think that the Stairway solo is perfect the way it is.  It may be because it has burned its sound into my brain, but it is well articulated and meaningful to my ears.  I don't get into the entire song as much, but when Jimmy's solo comes in, it is awesome... 

Since we are talking Stairway, I heard it was recorded on a Tele.  Those older Teles I believe only had 21 frets, but if I recall, the highest pitch bends sound like it needed a 22nd fret...  Can someone clear this up with me to help make sense of this?  I could be wrong, as it has been many years since I played the solo, but I seem to recall using my 22nd fret to do a whole step bend...  Maybe Jimmy had 22 fret Tele...  Confused!!! 

Edited by NighthawkChris
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, NighthawkChris said:

lol, yeah I just think that the Stairway solo is perfect the way it is.  It may be because it has burned its sound into my brain, but it is well articulated and meaningful to my ears.  I don't get into the entire song as much, but when Jimmy's solo comes in, it is awesome... 

Since we are talking Stairway, I heard it was recorded on a Tele.  Those older Teles I believe only had 21 frets, but if I recall, the highest pitch bends sound like it needed a 22nd fret...  Can someone clear this up with me to help make sense of this?  I could be wrong, as it has been many years since I played the solo, but I seem to recall using my 22nd fret to do a whole step bend...  Maybe Jimmy had 22 fret Tele...  Confused!!! 

from what I've read, if one believes what ya read, it was a Telecaster in the original track.

and I agree, the song in general, doesn't really grab me all that much, well maybe the first 600 times I heard it.. 🙂

but that solo still rates in my book as one of the best ever recorded certainly one of the best HE ever recorded.  I may get out numbered here, but opinions being what they are, there were far better guitar players back in the day.. 

Ritchie Blackmore being one of them.

 

(...and Eric Johnson is still one bad-***-Mofo....  )

 

 

Edited by kidblast
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@kidblast yeah I agree about how great a solo that Stairway's is regarding JP. 

I'm a big guitar solo guy.  I have learned to appreciate many different kinds of guitar solos in many different genres of music.  That being said - validating my expertise haha! - I feel that JP's solo is very "in-tune" with the song which I personally again (giving my expert knowledge...) feel is necessary for any solo in any type of song.  It needs to say something plain and simple.  They can sound good at any tempo, but the receiver of the "message" shouldn't leave looking confused.  Otherwise, what's the point of a guitar solo?  There are more ways to show how good of a guitar player one is than just being able to play 200bpm scales that sound like a computer generated the chain of tones.  Adjectives like taste come to mind...  Stariway's solo again, very tasteful IMHO.  If I was in front of a crowd and had to come up with the JP Stairway solo, man it would give me a rush the likes of none other.  We talk about iconic here at Gibson, but JP's Stairway solo IS iconic.  I don't know how my pimple-faced teenage years would have been without JP and Stairway. 

Edited by NighthawkChris
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, NighthawkChris said:

@kidblast yeah I agree about how great a solo that Stairway's is regarding JP. 

I'm a big guitar solo guy.  I have learned to appreciate many different kinds of guitar solos in many different genres of music.  That being said - validating my expertise haha! - I feel that JP's solo is very "in-tune" with the song which I personally again (giving my expert knowledge...) feel is necessary for any solo in any type of song.  It needs to say something plain and simple.  They can sound good at any tempo, but the receiver of the "message" shouldn't leave looking confused.  Otherwise, what's the point of a guitar solo?  

That's kind of my take on the whole "solo" thing too Chris, and it's not just guitar, it's any improv really

But going back to the guitar angle.... It's why guys like EVH, (RIP) Satch and Vai, and the others in their whole class of players don't really do a lot for me.

I admire their abilities and no doubt they have off the chart chops,  but at the end of the day, (or song..) it's just endless blur of notes that really do nothing for the song.

I can't take more than one or two tunes,  To sit thru a 13 / 14 track album of any of that, not happenin.. 

 

 

 

Edited by kidblast
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, kidblast said:

That's kind of my take on the whole "solo" thing too Chris, and it's not just guitar, it's any improv really

But going back to the guitar angle.... It's why guys like EVH, (RIP) Satch and Vai, and the others in their whole class of players don't really do a lot for me.

I admire their abilities and no doubt they have off the chart chops,  but at the end of the day, (or song..) it's just endless blur of notes that really do nothing for the song.

I can't take more than one or two tunes,  To sit thru a 13 / 14 track album of any of that, not happenin.. 

 

 

 

Depends on the album for me.  Anyway.....

I get the solo thing.  But I'll give Vai  some slack.  His solos at least(it seems to me) appear to be GOING somewhere, unlike EVH(and throw Malmsteem on that heap) whose solo work seems to be nothing more than  self indulgent musical masturbation.  Y'know, maybe I'll resurrect an old thread of mine from other forums about "Favorite guitar solos".  Look for it soon(unless one of YOU guys start it!  [wink])  But originally, I kept my list down to five.  So as not to bore too many folks.

Whitefang

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Whitefang said:

Depends on the album for me.  Anyway.....

I get the solo thing.  But I'll give Vai  some slack.  His solos at least(it seems to me) appear to be GOING somewhere, unlike EVH(and throw Malmsteem on that heap) whose solo work seems to be nothing more than  self indulgent musical masturbation. 

yea, I sort of agree with you on Vai,  and for sure Malmsteem is in the pile.  But hey, those sons-a-b!th3s do have chops!  but, my brain can't process the musicality of it all.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've gone through that nonsense a lot.  My saying I don't like this musician or band or singer doesn't necessarily mean I think they're not good.(except in a few cases) .  Just that what they do isn't appealing to me.   For instance;  BARBARA STREISAND.  I once said I didn't care for her.  A rabid fan of hers immediately jumped o my case----

"How can you say she's NOT a GREAT singer when she has the BEST voice in the world?"   

Well, I never did say I thought she couldn't sing.  She has a fantastic voice.  It's just the music she sings is not to my liking.  Or at least most of it. I did like her breakout "People".  But a lot of those saccharine  Bacharach  and Hamlisch tunes weren't for me.  And but for a few tunes I really didn't have too much use for the very talented David Bowie, and as talented as he also was, I couldn't get into Prince that much(if at all).  I could go on, but I'm sure you got the point.

Whitefang

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Whitefang said:

I've gone through that nonsense a lot.  My saying I don't like this musician or band or singer doesn't necessarily mean I think they're not good.(except in a few cases) .  Just that what they do isn't appealing to me.   For instance;  BARBARA STREISAND.  I once said I didn't care for her.  A rabid fan of hers immediately jumped o my case----

"How can you say she's NOT a GREAT singer when she has the BEST voice in the world?"   

Well, I never did say I thought she couldn't sing.  She has a fantastic voice.  It's just the music she sings is not to my liking.  Or at least most of it. I did like her breakout "People".  But a lot of those saccharine  Bacharach  and Hamlisch tunes weren't for me.  And but for a few tunes I really didn't have too much use for the very talented David Bowie, and as talented as he also was, I couldn't get into Prince that much(if at all).  I could go on, but I'm sure you got the point.

Whitefang

Usually the riposte would be 'unless you can sing like Streisand, you have no business criticising her'. I've always thought this a ridiculous & puerile attitude. 

I feel a bit uncomfortable with music used or viewed or in a competitive way. I know its always been there with virtuosos etc. Also JS Bach (whose music I love) enjoyed a musical spar. I know that Lennon & McCartney were rival songwriters & that helped them both excel. I know people enjoy comparing musicians and their ability. Maybe its because objectifying music & musicians bypasses what makes them special.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, merciful-evans said:

 

I feel a bit uncomfortable with music used or viewed or in a competitive way.

Oh, yeah.  Like back in "the day"  There would be real loud arguments that sometimes broke into actual fistfights over who were better.... The Beatles or The Stones.  :rolleyes:  And for people like me, who liked them both, it was precarious because we'd often get pressed( with the threat of violence) to make a choice.   And it's my understanding they both thought highly of each other.

You mentioned Bach.  Well, I really don't think those old "masters" felt competitive about anything.  Some likely liked and enjoyed other composer's music  or disliked other's too but made no public bones about it.  Except maybe Beethoven [wink]  who criticized other musicians playing of his music rather than other composers(as after a time he was unable to hear any of it).   But my dislike of Hector Berlioz has nothing to do with possibly my thinking he had no talent as a composer.  I never thought that.  

And we all know that supposed "rivalry" between Mozart and Salieri was urban legend.  But did make for a good play and movie.  [cool]

Whitefang

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...