worst guitar solos

[Thomas Rickert]

There is some truth to this. Page has discussed how he would keep solos that had
mistakes if they captured the mood, the essence, had that edge.

But there is more to it than this. Technical exellence doesn't preclude a
certain amount of sloppiness _necessarily_. Page has talked about his style
before, mentioning that some of his influences had a way of moving in and out of
the beat, of falling out of key and rhythm, but then bringing it back in. Like a
cat landing on its feet. This is the essence of his "tight but loose" style. And
ultimately, this is a matter of taste more than aesthetics. I like that
sloppiness. I think Page is a master of incorporating error and making it
integral to the music. More often than not, it's the wrong note that is the most
important note. For me, that is what rock is all about--that
always-threatening-to-collapse mix of chaos and order. To be honest, truly
technical players are so often also incredibly boring. Alex Lifeson, for
example: a great player, sure, but he can't solo his way out of paper bag. It's
studied and boring, with maybe a few exceptions.

That's my taste, but I can defend it as a viable aesthetic. I'll take the
Stooges over Rush any day. And Hawkwind over ELP or latter day Floyd (though
maybe these aren't the best comparisons). Ultimately, to knock Page for not
being a "clean" player kinda  misses the point of what makes him a great
guitarist, songwriter, and soloist.

Horse Whisperer wrote:

> Jimmy Page has been an excellent songwriter, but his soloing has always been
> a little "forced".  Whereas most of the solos where _musically_ beautiful
> and really tasty, his _technical_ ability hasn't been so good, almost as if
> he were primarily a composer but also a frustrated guitar player.  To me he
> always sounded as if he knew exactly what he wanted to hear, but could never
> quite get his fingers to play quick enough or clean enough, when playing he
> almost sounded as if his fingers were tripping over themselves while trying
> to play everything he wanted them to play....
>
> C.
>
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