If you can capture a great guitar solo on tape, it’s a pretty big feat. But, no matter how amazing a recording might be, studio conditions can never replicate the energy of a live performance. The three rock songs below all feature stellar guitar solos. But, as good as the recorded version is, these solos sound even better in a live setting.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Hotel California” — The Eagles
The guitar solo in The Eagles’ “Hotel California” is always superb, but we’ve all heard it so many times on the recorded version that it has the potential to feel a bit stale at times. Every Eagles fan knows all the twists and curves of this iconic, harmony-driven solo. It’s almost a secondary chorus with how much we can sing along to every note. But there is a way to hear “Hotel California” with new ears again.
[RELATED: 4 of Don Henley’s Best Solo Singles After The Eagles Disbanded, Including One Iconic Duet]
The live version of this hit from the band’s iconic Hell Freezes Over live album provides a fresh take on a solo that’s been played to death. We can never truly replicate the first time we heard “Hotel California,” but we can get pretty close by listening to this inventive live version.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” — The Beatles
This entry is a little unfair, given the live version had even more star power than the original, but it’s still worth mentioning. The George Harrison-penned Beatles song, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” features an expert guitar solo from Eric Clapton. The original solo is impressive enough without anyone else expounding on it, but nevertheless, Prince delivered a version arguably more exciting than Clapton’s at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In honor of Harrison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, and Dhani Harrison delivered a powerful rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Coming in at the last second to wow on the guitar was Prince. The iconic musician ripped through this solo with ease, amping things up from the original.
“Comfortably Numb” — Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” is a solo that many guitarists would love to be able to play. It’s seen as a building block of rock talent. Once you can nail this solo, then you’ve really got something as an instrumentalist. The recorded version earned this solo the prestige, but at the band’s reunion performance at Live 8, organized by Bob Geldof, we find an even richer rendition.
This performance was a coup for Pink Floyd fans, getting a chance to see the band’s classic lineup years after they disbanded. Among the setlist was a version of “Comfortably Numb” with a guitar solo befitting the monumental occasion.
(Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images)
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