First and Foremost, anything by Buck Dharma, most specifically in ETI and Perfect Water.

Many things by Zappa. The Solo in Cozmic Debris is most excellent. Great extended solos in The Torture never Stops and My Guitar Wants to Kill your Mama. (Kudos also for the best ever name for a song length solo: Orrin Hatch on Skis) Also, excellent blues fills in Road Ladies and Po-Jama People.

Mark Knopfler: Brothers in Arms and Once Upon A Time In The West

And one more that will very likely not be mentioned: Marc Ribot - Black Market Baby (Off Tom Waits' Mule Variations.)

Second the Intro to Sweet Jane, and anything by Jimi, SRV, and Dave Gilmour. (And though the lyics are weak solo, the guitar is Still fantastic.)

I'm not even going to get into Jazz or that rock/jazz junction where Satch and Steve Vai hang out.

You don't think that is intentional?

^ Agreed, about the Zappa solos. Those records you mentioned are some with the finest guitar work he has done. "Zoot Allures" and "Black Napkins" stand out in my mind, for sure. I also love the stuff on One Size Fits All, most notably the solo on "Inca Roads"...

I am partial to Kanga-Roo from Jeff Buckley's album Grace.

Early and persistent favorites -- Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendix

Evey note, every lick of some albums.

Voodoo Chile -- Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn

now I must go listen

Great picks. Especially Alex Lifeson

I have all of his solo material. While I don't TOTALLY agree with this statement (His self titled is pretty good) I gotta say that out of both his solo albums I only REALLY like one song off of each. Meaning I wanted to listen to it over and over.

His best stuff is definitley with Floyd. He's the G.O.A.T. And he's releasing a new Solo album with 3 instrumental tracks :D Plus doing a 10 date tour in the US! I'd quit my job and blow all the money I'm saving up for a place to catch that show. That is, if he comes to Texas and it's anywhere remotely close to where I live.

Anyone mention Steve Howe of Yes yet? Listen to the begining of Close To The Edge. Maybe not the best solo but certainly the most original and innovative.

I think often times simplicity is overlooked too. Like Justin Haywards guitar solo's on The Moody Blues song Blue Guitar. Nothing too remarkably difficult but great solo's none the less.

Also John Popper's solo album? One song comes to mind "Fledgling" The song really drags on but he finishes it off with one of the best solo's I've ever heard from anyone. You should check it out.

Asta!! :thumbsup:

Almost forgot

Starflyer 59 - Too Much Fun!

Holy fuckin shit!

Check it out :thumbsup:

Asta!!

Although I do love the guitar duo in Freebird lately I've began to like the guitar solos in Stanglehold by Ted Nugent. The whole song just flows so smoothly.

Supertramp - Don't Leave Me Now, Waiting So Long (Off Famous Last Words)
Coverdale/Page - Take Me For A Little While

While My Guitar Gently Weeps (For this one usually anyone who's done it does it great. From the original with Clapton to Jeff Healy but my favourite rendition is when Prince took over the solo)

Clapton also does a great intro on Phil Collins song "I Wish It Would Rain"

Gilmour on (Not previously mentioned) "On The Turning Away" "A Great Day For Freedom" "High Hopes" , etc. etc. etc.

Slash all over November Rain.

Prince on Purple Rain

John Popper on that one Blues Traveler song "Look Around" and their other song "Just Wait" but on that one it's not John

Foghat - I'll Be Standing By

So many great guitar solo's.

Asta!!

Wow, ya don't have someone mention Foghat every day. I wore out Energized in 10th grade in my first car. Saw them in my hometown about 10 years ago and the only original member was the drummer.
Clapton's solo on Badge always gets me. Also It's in the Way That You Use It.

all the dates sold out in under 60 seconds! Just buy his live DVD from one or two year's back, it's unfuckinbelievable

Everything On The Sound Of Perseverance and Symbolic by Death and everything on Heartwork by Carcass.

Damn. Oh hell yes. Thats been on my shopping list for years now haha. That and the live video "The Delicate Sound Of Thunder" that ones really expensive and hard to come by though...Either way I'd blow a fat load a cash on it regardless.

Yeah Foghat are fuckin great. Haven't really FULLY explored their catalog though to be honest. I just have a hits CD :(. I should pick up an actual album of theirs.

Asta!!

How in the hell does everyone miss Jimmy Page playing "White Summer"?????

MY favorite guitar solo then. Watch that DVD i garauntee you'll be impressed.

Stevie Ray Vaughan playing Lenny is always amazing
B.B. King - Worry, Worry from his live at the Regal disk is one of my favorites
John Mayer also plays a really good cover of Lenny into Man on the Side

seconded.............it is fucking killer.

that's off of "how the west was won" right?

It is indeed. I first heard the song on their box set, i dont know which actual album the song is from, but it is on how the west was won. Great clip, its like a 10 minute long song.

"John Petrucci Guitar Solo" from Dream Theater's Once In A Livetime.

either way it always bothered me.

Randy Rhodes-Revelation Mother Earth/Ozzy

Though it is the combination of Guitar and Piano that makes this in my opinion

Steve Howe's solo at the end of Parallels (from the painfully unfashionable "Going For The One" album by Yes).

The whole song is intricate, and features a very good bunch of musicians at the top of their form.

An interesting solo, not my favorite (risking departing from the theme of the thread) is Neil Young's one-note solo on Cinnamon Girl. I've wondered if that was a statement or if he just felt it that way. Anybody know? Either way it's pretty effective.

Back in 1983 an album was released by an almost unheard-of band named Steeler. The band’s guitarist was someone whose name I couldn’t pronounce “Yngwie Malmsteen”. The band was just another 80’s metal group but the guitarist blew me away. Track 4, side one, was entitled “Hot on Your Heels” (remember when albums were big black plastic discs with two sides?) It began with a 2 minute guitar solo that progressed through flamenco to classical to a blazing fast hammer-on metal solo and proceeded into the rest of the song. I had never heard anything like it.

Good pick man! Going For The One is one of my favourite Yes songs.

Asta!! :thumbsup:

Pound for pound, 'Blue Sky' by the Allman Brothers has one of the most beautiful solos ever played.

I'll second these, and add:
Morbid Angel (Trey Azagthoth) - Blasphemy Of The Holy Ghost Remix (The remix of the song on the album contains a great solo about 50 seconds in, the other version leaves it out) - This one is even better live and will last longer
In Flames (Jesper Stromblad) - The Jester Race + December Flower (not quite as complex as some, but great sounding solos)
Yngwie Malmsteen - Far Beyond The Sun (this whole song is basically a really complex solo)
Manowar - Black Arrows (power metal shredding and not much else, but still fun to listen to)

Stone Temple Pilots had some badass solos. the one in Lounge Fly is my all time favorite.

I still can't pick a favourite, but because it hasn't been mentioned yet and because I am seriously pumped about their new album on May 2, I have to nominate Mike McCready from Pearl Jam on the track Yellow Ledbetter. He definitely shows what he's made of on that track.

EDIT - I should mention too that I feel something of an affinity with McCready too, since we suffer from the same illness. I still remember when he announced it and it was in the paper. I was recuperating from a bout of illness at my mother's house and she came in with a paper and said 'some guy from a band has Crohn's.. I don't know who they are, but I think they're called Pearl Jam.'

Kudos for turning me onto that DVD. It's awesome. Beautiful, and lots of closeup stuff. Almost like an instruction video. Hey, I'm terrible but I can play little bits of Gilmour now! (badly)

Another Floyd set I enjoy is from '91. A laserdisc of La Carrera Panamericana, the 50's Mexican race reborn. Gilmour and Mason and about 100 other classic cars racing 2000 miles through Mexican countryside. The music really sets it off. Not sure if it ever made it to DVD.

Eric Johnson, Knopfler, Clapton's work with blues legends is great to watch. Journey's Neil Schon has some nice solo work. So many, so little time...

It makes me very happy to see all the Pink Floyd fans. Shine on you Crazy Diamond, Comfortably Numb, Hey You, Another Brick in the Wall, Time...etc.

I didn't see a mention for Robbie Krieger from The Doors... notably WASP (Texas Radio), Light my Fire, Roadhouse Blues...etc. (I know it's not guitar but a little nod for Ray Manzarek on keyboard solos)

Hopefully I am not alone on this one.

Jason Becker "Temple of the Absurd"

If you have never heard of him--he's pretty incredible