Welcome to 1979, the last year of the great music decade that was the seventies! Here are two absolutely exemplary guitar instrumentals from two guitarists divided not only by the vast expansion of the Atlantic Ocean and the north American Landmass but also coming from diammetrically opposed guitar traditions and styles. To all intents and purposes Frank Zappa`s fusionist flurries and highly modal guitar solos would seem a million miles away from the delicate sonorifics and nascent power of Peter Green`s guitar style.
But you decide; Green`s Slabo Day is an absolute triumph of phrasing, tone, meter, understated elegance and power – Zappa`s Watermelons in Easter Hay a similar victory of substance over stylistics. These tracks are available on In the Skies and Joe`s Garage. If this doesn`t move you then perhaps you need to get your hearing tested. Here`s a link to a Zappa exegesis site for those of you who want to learn more. There is also some amazing guitar playing from Steve Vai on a lot of Zappa`s albums especially on the “You are what you is” album from 1981.
The Zappa video below contains swearing, so, 18 years or older please.
Joe from Pasadena has asked us to recommend ten tasty guitar lead tracks. After a quick shout out on twitter the general consensus is that these are pretty sweet examples. If anyone out there would like to offer up any more superlative examples then please comment.
1. Peter Green Slabo Day
2. Jeff Beck Where were you & Blast From the East
3. Junior Wells & Buddy Guy Stormy Monday
4. Chet Atkins Kicky
5. Eric Clapton Blues Power Live on Just One Night
6. Jimi Hendrix Are you Experienced Live at Winterland UK L.P.
7. Billy Corgan Soma on Siamese Dream
8. Johnny Winter Stranger Blues or Johnny Guitar
9. Dire Straits Sultans of Swing 10. Alvin Lee Live with 10 years after playing Im going Home live 11.Eagles Hotel California 12. Santana – Soul Sacrifice 13. Ry Cooder – Paris Texas 14. Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb 15. Joe Satriani – Back to Shalla-Bal 16. Nirvana – Smells like Teen spirit
Unfortunately this is an endless list! If you want to catch up with these awe inspiring idols of fretboard greatness then Jamorama is a great place to begin. Mark McKenzie is currently teaching The Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler on Song Pond.
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