Ten From the Beatles: Favorite Guitar Solos
My next Beatles commentary concerns my favorite guitar moments on Beatles records. Including solos from John, Paul and George (and sometimes all three at the same time!) the guitar work on these numbers showcases some of their best playing, but above all shows why the guitar solo must always be in service to the song. No one wants to hear endless showboating, complexity for the sake of being complex, and soloing for the sake of soloing. Serve the song. This the Beatles always did. And while none of them would make anyone’s top ten list of best guitar players ever (George would perfect a sound and style of playing post-Beatles that I would suggest DOES place solo George in the top ten, but that’s another story), the playing on these and many other examples shows that the Beatles could indeed play and play very well. Check out these great favorites, again in no particular order:
Fixing a Hole
George’s opportunity to shine on the Pepper project was infrequent at best. While his composing credit, his second Indian offering to the group “Within You Without You,” certainly fits well within this eclectic set of music, I’d stop short of calling it the “spiritual centerpiece of the album,” as one writer did. (Obviously George didn’t take it too seriously either, given the burst of laughter that follows it). Outside that song, he (and Ringo) spent much of the lengthy prep for the album (700+ hours) sitting around waiting to play. But when given the opportunity George does not disappoint, and this solo is among the very best in the groups’ oeuvre. There’s no repeat of the melody, and he takes the trick first used on “Nowhere Man” (ending lower than where he started rather than the usual higher) and uses it to great effect, growling out a dirty sounding conclusion that offsets the sprightly harpsichord nicely. It is fantastic and possibly my favorite.
The End
This one is a no-brainer. Upon reaching the conclusion of what they called “The Long One” on Abbey Road, the fellas decided a guitar showcase was needed to follow Ringo’s first and only drum solo. I don’t recall ever seeing whose idea it was for each of the three guitar players to trade out two-measure bars of playing in turn (Paul, then George, then John), but it is probably the best overall guitar playing the group ever recorded. George’s turns are the most melodic and thought out. John plays aggressive, rhythmic sections, and Paul sounds like he has his guitar already set up to cut the tracks on his first (proper) solo album, “McCartney.” And the whole thing is absolute guitar playing joy.
I’m Only Sleeping
George was never much for spontaneous soloing and noodling on the guitar. He preferred to work out what he was going to play. I suspect that might stem from the way he, and the rest of the Beatles for that matter, learned to play to begin with. It wasn’t via lessons or even through self-teaching so much as copying what they heard on the radio. In fact, it was both Paul’s and George’s abilities to play certain songs “note for note” that impressed John enough to have them join the band. Perhaps that influenced George’s playing and recording preferences, though that is strictly conjecture on my part. Regardless, the best (and most extreme) example of his working out what he was going to play certainly would be this track. In a time where the Beatles were quite keen on new and interesting sounds, and in the wake of ground-breaking examples such as “Rain” and “Tomorrow Never Knows,” George felt a full backwards guitar solo would suit “I’m Only Sleeping” best. And right he was. Via painstaking trial and error, the guitarist worked tirelessly to get the placement of what he wanted to play just so. Sources indicate he planned what notes he wanted to hear and then actually reconstructed them in reverse. The fantastic result is a dreamy, lethargic solo that drags along John’s hypnotic sped-up vocal and lyric and sends the whole thing soaring into the clouds of euphoria. It was worth the time and effort, and the “Quiet One” made his mark on another marvelous Beatles track. To really hear the necessity of the solo to the song, check out the Anthology version. The greatness of the song itself is in place, but the full glory isn’t reached until George did his thing. They were almost always better together, the sum usually reaching greater heights than the parts.
Taxman
George’s song. George’s first (and only) album opener. George’s style. George’s lyric. George’s idea. *Paul’s* solo. Odd though it may seem, on a song that is so completely George Harrison, the Beatle responsible for this masterpiece of six-string virtuosity was Paul McCartney. When the author couldn’t come up with something to satisfy himself and do the song justice, Paul stepped in and really stole the show. Channeling his inner Jeff Beck, McCartney plays a very Yardbirds-ey solo that was so good producer George Martin tacked it on a second time at the end of the track so we get to hear it twice! George was plenty happy for Paul to do it too, later noting his appreciation for the “Indian” style of the notes his bandmate selected. It’s a rip-roaring classic.
And Your Bird Can Sing
John Lennon wrote the song, later said he thought it was a lousy song, and it eventually became a “deep cut” favorite of Beatlemaniacs everywhere. A much better lyric than John gave it credit for (it may likely be about Frank Sinatra, but that is for another list), but the guitars are the real show stealers here. While there seems to be some question surrounding who actually played the two parts (George is a given, is the other Paul or John? – my money is on Paul), there is no doubt as to how incredible they are from the very first note. Playing parallel harmony lines, the two show a mastery of their instruments and an understanding of song structure that extends well past what most anyone else was doing in 1966. In doing so, they created a style of playing that near as I can tell had never been done before. You can credit the Beatles (or blame them depending on your point of view) for the invention of the style that would become the signature sound of southern rock and stadium rock a decade later. And while it is strictly speaking not part of the “solo” portion of their playing, I absolutely love the counter melody on the bridge. (“When your prized possessions…” and “When your bird is broken…”) Tasty!
You Never Give Me Your Money
It is part of the famous “long one” on side 2 of Abbey Road, and the guitar lead that connects the “oh that magic feeling” section to the “one sweet dream” section of this “medley within the medley” is pure, unbridled joy. The runs modulate the key, changing it with every line and working its way up the scale until it lands in the home key. A fantastic listen, it seems unclear who is playing the solo. Research is little help, as all three guitar-playing Fabs are listed on the track notes as playing the six string on the song, but my money is on Paul.
Honey Pie
One of Paul’s throwback numbers, this song from the White Album was one that John and George would have referred to as his “granny music.” All the stranger then that it is Lennon who plays the wonderfully perfect solo the completely evokes the style and the era of the song. And the version to hear is the mono version, which adds some whimsical notes to the end of the solo. “I like this kind of hot kind of music!” Lennon and Harrison would say they didn’t, but even cynical John couldn’t pass up this opportunity, and it couldn’t be more perfect.
Good Morning Good Morning
Back to Sgt. Pepper again, but this time it is Paul who steps in and gives a killer performance. One of John’s most complex numbers to date (and another one he called “a piece of garbage”), “Good Morning Good Morning” has long been a personal favorite. Even though the Beatles were “playing a role” on the Pepper project, the songs are actually some of Lennon’s most personal to date, referencing his sordid past (“Getting Better”), his son’s artwork (“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”), and even his own personal lifestyle habits, as in “A Day in the Life” (his penchant for reading newspapers), and of course THIS song (lines lifted from a cornflakes commercial on his beloved TV which he kept turned on all the time). The song never really settles into a steady meter or groove, with the time signatures jumping all over the place and the band sitting back and letting Ringo punch every line with a drum fill (this is another top performance from him, btw). The lyrics are stream of consciousness from the Lennon life by the telly and the parade of animal noises at the end gets all the attention, but it is McCartney’s solo that really completes this track. Similar in style and structure to what he did on “Taxman,” Paul once again elevates one of his bandmates’ songs. Not bad for a bass player.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Yes, everyone knows it wasn’t a Beatle who played the solo on this White Album Harrissong, but I am not going to exclude it from my list of best Beatles guitar solos just because Eric Clapton played it. I am going to INCLUDE it because Eric Clapton played it. And because it is stellar.
Something
George’s song, George’s solo, George’s shining moment. Everything about “Something” is perfect – the lyric, the structure of the chords, the bass playing (oh the bass playing – what a thing of beauty!), and particularly the modulation of the bridge from C to A and then back to C again for the gorgeous solo. Couple this with “Here Comes the Sun,” and an album full of genius (“Abbey Road”) from John and Paul almost gets overshadowed by “little brother.” Both songs are legendary, and the guitar work on either could make the list, buy George’s solo on “Something” is as beautifully perfect as anything the band ever recorded.
Honorable Mention
I just want to point out that I feel bad for excluding “A Hard Day’s Night,” and “Drive My Car,” and “Get Back,” and “You Can’t Do That” (style over substance, man) and “Hey Bulldog,” and so on and so on. Plus, I want to mention the guitar/bass unison break from “Birthday,” which along with “Yer Blues” is really just the Beatles saying “we could be Cream if we really wanted to.”
#beatles
#fabfour
Fixing a Hole
George’s opportunity to shine on the Pepper project was infrequent at best. While his composing credit, his second Indian offering to the group “Within You Without You,” certainly fits well within this eclectic set of music, I’d stop short of calling it the “spiritual centerpiece of the album,” as one writer did. (Obviously George didn’t take it too seriously either, given the burst of laughter that follows it). Outside that song, he (and Ringo) spent much of the lengthy prep for the album (700+ hours) sitting around waiting to play. But when given the opportunity George does not disappoint, and this solo is among the very best in the groups’ oeuvre. There’s no repeat of the melody, and he takes the trick first used on “Nowhere Man” (ending lower than where he started rather than the usual higher) and uses it to great effect, growling out a dirty sounding conclusion that offsets the sprightly harpsichord nicely. It is fantastic and possibly my favorite.
The End
This one is a no-brainer. Upon reaching the conclusion of what they called “The Long One” on Abbey Road, the fellas decided a guitar showcase was needed to follow Ringo’s first and only drum solo. I don’t recall ever seeing whose idea it was for each of the three guitar players to trade out two-measure bars of playing in turn (Paul, then George, then John), but it is probably the best overall guitar playing the group ever recorded. George’s turns are the most melodic and thought out. John plays aggressive, rhythmic sections, and Paul sounds like he has his guitar already set up to cut the tracks on his first (proper) solo album, “McCartney.” And the whole thing is absolute guitar playing joy.
I’m Only Sleeping
George was never much for spontaneous soloing and noodling on the guitar. He preferred to work out what he was going to play. I suspect that might stem from the way he, and the rest of the Beatles for that matter, learned to play to begin with. It wasn’t via lessons or even through self-teaching so much as copying what they heard on the radio. In fact, it was both Paul’s and George’s abilities to play certain songs “note for note” that impressed John enough to have them join the band. Perhaps that influenced George’s playing and recording preferences, though that is strictly conjecture on my part. Regardless, the best (and most extreme) example of his working out what he was going to play certainly would be this track. In a time where the Beatles were quite keen on new and interesting sounds, and in the wake of ground-breaking examples such as “Rain” and “Tomorrow Never Knows,” George felt a full backwards guitar solo would suit “I’m Only Sleeping” best. And right he was. Via painstaking trial and error, the guitarist worked tirelessly to get the placement of what he wanted to play just so. Sources indicate he planned what notes he wanted to hear and then actually reconstructed them in reverse. The fantastic result is a dreamy, lethargic solo that drags along John’s hypnotic sped-up vocal and lyric and sends the whole thing soaring into the clouds of euphoria. It was worth the time and effort, and the “Quiet One” made his mark on another marvelous Beatles track. To really hear the necessity of the solo to the song, check out the Anthology version. The greatness of the song itself is in place, but the full glory isn’t reached until George did his thing. They were almost always better together, the sum usually reaching greater heights than the parts.
Taxman
George’s song. George’s first (and only) album opener. George’s style. George’s lyric. George’s idea. *Paul’s* solo. Odd though it may seem, on a song that is so completely George Harrison, the Beatle responsible for this masterpiece of six-string virtuosity was Paul McCartney. When the author couldn’t come up with something to satisfy himself and do the song justice, Paul stepped in and really stole the show. Channeling his inner Jeff Beck, McCartney plays a very Yardbirds-ey solo that was so good producer George Martin tacked it on a second time at the end of the track so we get to hear it twice! George was plenty happy for Paul to do it too, later noting his appreciation for the “Indian” style of the notes his bandmate selected. It’s a rip-roaring classic.
And Your Bird Can Sing
John Lennon wrote the song, later said he thought it was a lousy song, and it eventually became a “deep cut” favorite of Beatlemaniacs everywhere. A much better lyric than John gave it credit for (it may likely be about Frank Sinatra, but that is for another list), but the guitars are the real show stealers here. While there seems to be some question surrounding who actually played the two parts (George is a given, is the other Paul or John? – my money is on Paul), there is no doubt as to how incredible they are from the very first note. Playing parallel harmony lines, the two show a mastery of their instruments and an understanding of song structure that extends well past what most anyone else was doing in 1966. In doing so, they created a style of playing that near as I can tell had never been done before. You can credit the Beatles (or blame them depending on your point of view) for the invention of the style that would become the signature sound of southern rock and stadium rock a decade later. And while it is strictly speaking not part of the “solo” portion of their playing, I absolutely love the counter melody on the bridge. (“When your prized possessions…” and “When your bird is broken…”) Tasty!
You Never Give Me Your Money
It is part of the famous “long one” on side 2 of Abbey Road, and the guitar lead that connects the “oh that magic feeling” section to the “one sweet dream” section of this “medley within the medley” is pure, unbridled joy. The runs modulate the key, changing it with every line and working its way up the scale until it lands in the home key. A fantastic listen, it seems unclear who is playing the solo. Research is little help, as all three guitar-playing Fabs are listed on the track notes as playing the six string on the song, but my money is on Paul.
Honey Pie
One of Paul’s throwback numbers, this song from the White Album was one that John and George would have referred to as his “granny music.” All the stranger then that it is Lennon who plays the wonderfully perfect solo the completely evokes the style and the era of the song. And the version to hear is the mono version, which adds some whimsical notes to the end of the solo. “I like this kind of hot kind of music!” Lennon and Harrison would say they didn’t, but even cynical John couldn’t pass up this opportunity, and it couldn’t be more perfect.
Good Morning Good Morning
Back to Sgt. Pepper again, but this time it is Paul who steps in and gives a killer performance. One of John’s most complex numbers to date (and another one he called “a piece of garbage”), “Good Morning Good Morning” has long been a personal favorite. Even though the Beatles were “playing a role” on the Pepper project, the songs are actually some of Lennon’s most personal to date, referencing his sordid past (“Getting Better”), his son’s artwork (“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”), and even his own personal lifestyle habits, as in “A Day in the Life” (his penchant for reading newspapers), and of course THIS song (lines lifted from a cornflakes commercial on his beloved TV which he kept turned on all the time). The song never really settles into a steady meter or groove, with the time signatures jumping all over the place and the band sitting back and letting Ringo punch every line with a drum fill (this is another top performance from him, btw). The lyrics are stream of consciousness from the Lennon life by the telly and the parade of animal noises at the end gets all the attention, but it is McCartney’s solo that really completes this track. Similar in style and structure to what he did on “Taxman,” Paul once again elevates one of his bandmates’ songs. Not bad for a bass player.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Yes, everyone knows it wasn’t a Beatle who played the solo on this White Album Harrissong, but I am not going to exclude it from my list of best Beatles guitar solos just because Eric Clapton played it. I am going to INCLUDE it because Eric Clapton played it. And because it is stellar.
Something
George’s song, George’s solo, George’s shining moment. Everything about “Something” is perfect – the lyric, the structure of the chords, the bass playing (oh the bass playing – what a thing of beauty!), and particularly the modulation of the bridge from C to A and then back to C again for the gorgeous solo. Couple this with “Here Comes the Sun,” and an album full of genius (“Abbey Road”) from John and Paul almost gets overshadowed by “little brother.” Both songs are legendary, and the guitar work on either could make the list, buy George’s solo on “Something” is as beautifully perfect as anything the band ever recorded.
Honorable Mention
I just want to point out that I feel bad for excluding “A Hard Day’s Night,” and “Drive My Car,” and “Get Back,” and “You Can’t Do That” (style over substance, man) and “Hey Bulldog,” and so on and so on. Plus, I want to mention the guitar/bass unison break from “Birthday,” which along with “Yer Blues” is really just the Beatles saying “we could be Cream if we really wanted to.”
#beatles
#fabfour
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
©2015-2020 Joshua V. Best
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