Marillion - Fugazi

Rush - Power windows

Rush - Pressure/Grace

Jadis - More than meets the eye

Steve Hackett - Spectral mornings

Collage - Moonshine

I like Mike Holmes guitar work on IQ albums generally but Dark Matter is one of his best IMO.His solos are always grounded in melody.

I'll also go along with anything by Rush who are my favourite 'guitar driven' prog band.Ok if I choose one album then Counterparts would be it.

Not necesarily prog and not in order:

Midsummer Night Dream........Steve Hackett

Friday Night in San Francisco.......Al DiMeola, John Mc'Laughlin & Paco de Lucía (I burned my guitar with frustration after listening this album.)

Revolutions.........Magenta (Listen Opus 1 and Opus 2)

Caravanserai.........Santana (Carlos did magic there)

Love, Devotion, Surrender......John Mc'Laughlin & Carlos Santana

Wish you Were Here........Pink Floyd (Different style than the previous but equaly brilliant)

Iván

asuma wrote: hair metal. period.

Hehe, you're so easily amused when it comes to guitar solos.

Pick a Zappa album (well, except for the few where there's no guitar). The man deserves to be mentioned more often with the top classic rock guitarists- I'm convinced he could hold his own with Hendrix, Page, Beck, etc. One pick? Well...Shut up and play yer Guitar, of course

Fripp and Belew, together or not. Discipline for the pair, Lone Rhino for just Adrian, and Starless and Bible Black for Fripp's most powerful

Fragile has Howe's "Mood for a Day"...enough said.

Hackett's "Horizons" on it's own is reason enough to get Foxtrot.

Gilmour made very cool expressive sounds. Meddle. Martin Barre often surprised me (Ian as well). Songs from the Wood.

Non-prog choices: Carlos Montoya My Best, Michael Hedges Aerial Boundaries, Leo Kottke 6 and 12 string Guitar, Ry Cooder Paris, Texas OST, Segovia The Segovia Collection, SRV Texas Flood, Thurston Moore Daydream Nation, Larry LaLonde (Primus) Sailing the Seas of Cheese, Jerry Garcia (Jerry Garcia Band) That High Lonesome Sound, Brian May Queen II, John Williams The Seville Concert, Johnny Marr (Smiths) Louder than Bombs, Ricky Scaggs Kentucky Thunder, Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) Treasure, Eric Johnson A Via Musicom, J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) Where You Been, Andy Gill (Gang of Four) Songs of the Free, Django Reinhardt Best of Blue Note, Chet Atkins Me and My Guitar

plus out of nostalgia I have to give an honorary award for Yngwie's Trilogy album that I loved so much in high school. Like the man said, "hair metal. period."

My favorite guitar albums...mostly contain David Gilmour

Animals - David does a hell of a job on Dogs.. and the rest of that album.

Delicate Sound of Thunder... live David... can't get any better than that guitar solo he does for SOYCD.. or Sorrow... or Comfortably Numb on that cd... just incredible.  The version of CN on Pulse is pretty incredible also...as well as the guitar opening to "Coming Back to Life"..

Otherwise I prefer Jeff Beck's "Who Else"

Andy Latimer on 'Mirage' 'Snowgoose' and 'Moonmadness'

I'd agree with threefates regarding Gilmour on the 'Animals' album, especially 'Dogs

Anything by Alex Lifeson on any Rush album from Hemispheres onward

Hew Lloyd Langton on 'Levitation' (Hawkwind) and his solo album 'Night air'

Most Zappa

So many...

 GENESIS - The lamb lies down on Broadway.

STEVE VAY - Fire garden.

TOTO - Toto IV.

LED ZEPPELIN - The house of the holy.

IRON MAIDEN - Caught somewhere in time.

Useful_Idiot wrote: Heh, I heard one Malmsteem album (can't remember which).  I thought it wasn't so bad for about 4 minutes, and saw it as something that could be a guilty pleasure.  Then he kept playing the same lick over and over again, and I completely lost interest.

The only Yngwie Malmsteen album I can live with is Inspiration - covers of heavy rock and prog rock tracks - probably because he's playing other peoples' compositions not his own.  Brave enough to do a cover of a Holdsworth solo on In The Dead Of Night, which I'll give him 6 out of ten for. However, elsewhere his obvious love for Richie Blackmore's Rainbow, seems to colour non-Rainbow tunes red orange yellow green blue indigo and violet, if you get my drift?

Animals- Pink Floyd

Dance Of The Flames- Guru Guru

The Inner Mounting Flame- Mahavishnu Orchestra

Surfing With The Alien- Joe Satriani

See The Light Jeff- Healey Band

Solar Music live- Grobshnitt

Back Together Again- Larry Coryell & A^phonse Mouzon

Heck there`s so many.

Vibrationbaby wrote: Solar Music live- Grobshnitt

Mr. Vibe, you couldn't be more right!

I also like Jeff Beck's work on "Amused to Death" and my all time favorite guitar player David Gilmour on "Wish you were here" and "The Wall" (specially on "Comfortably Numb")

ALDI MEOLA -Elegant Gipsy- 

ULI JOHN ROTH -transcendental sky guitar-

RORY GALLAGHER -Irish tour-

I am surprised no one mentioned Steve Morse or Eric Johnson, their solos are the most gorgeous I know.

Gamalon's self-titled album features also great guitar solos.

Anthony Phillip's guitar playing in his PP&Ps are also worth checking out.

Spastic Ink's 'Ink complete' is full of fun guitar solos.

U.K. - U.K. (Holdsworth lights it up here.)

Eric Johnson - Ah Via Musicom (Eric is a monster and Cliffs of Dover is spetacular!)

Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Nightengales and Bombers (Mick Rogers played some memorable leads on this one.)

King Crimson - (Nearly every album was a guitar feast.)

Steve Morse - High Tension Wires (Steve can play it all.)

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Near perfect tone from Gilmour.)

Yes - The Yes Album (Steve Howe hits it from many angles.)

Rush - Permanent Waves (Alex shreds it up.)

Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries (No one, repeat, no one tortures a Martin like Hedges "RIP" ) 

Steve Hillage - Fish Rising (crappy mastering, but solos galore)

Ozric Tentacles - Jurassic Shift (Any questions?)

Too many more to mention.

Got to agree re Dave Gilmour, especially on "Shine on you crazy diamond" from "Wish you were here". Also on "High hopes" from "Division Bell".

John Mitchell of Arena's guitar sound sends shivers up my spine, the ending of "The visitor" is sublime.

Others worthy of mention: Andy Latimer of Camel -  "Long goodbyes" from "Stationery traveller" has a great solo to finish.

Steve Hackett on "Firth of fiftth".

Not prog really, but Gary Moore makes his guitar sing on tracks like "The loner" and "Empty rooms".

Conversely, while I love the music of Yes and Uriah Heep, Steve Howe's guitar sound is not one of my favourites, neither is Mick Box's. In fact with the latter, I prefer Ken Hensley's guitar sound. With Yes, the best guitar sound I've heard from them was Rabin's on "Talk".

(I'm talking purely sound here, I still love what Howe and Box do!)

lucas wrote: Oh, and talking about PF, Gilmour's first album is pretty good in term of guitar playing.

Sorry, I don't appreciate it that much

  any of Hackett's work- most recently his solos on the song "Muttersprache" from the Gordian Knot "Emergent"  cd. Simply perfect. Andrew Latimer "Ice", Bill Nelson's solo in the Bebop Deluxe "Live In the Air Age" song "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" and on "Sunburst Finish" the song "Crying to the Sky"

 Rothery, the solo near the end of "This Strange Engine" and so many more nice bits from Fish era and through the Hogarth times

 that wild solo on Dream Theater's "Under a Glass Moon"

  and of course Fripp on "Starless"... gorgeous..

landberkdoten wrote: lucas wrote: Oh, and talking about PF, Gilmour's first album is pretty good in term of guitar playing. Sorry, I don't appreciate it that much

Actually I loved both of David G.'s solo albums... They are great driving cds... About Face has "Lets Get Metaphysical", "All Lovers Are Deranged" and "Murder"... just wonderful.. and the first album has "Mihalis" and "Raise My Rent".. lovely guitar work...!!

I don't think there are so many PROG albums with an outstanding GUITAR SOLO SOUND.

you can count them on your fingers!

I agree with Eric Johnson's Ah Via Musicum, but it is not prog rock.

Andy Latimer's guitar solos are very melodic and moving, but the sound is very ordinary. It is the case for most of the prog guitarists: Steve Howe is technically outstanding, but his sound is really gross: he has never been able to "SOUND", E.G. like Steve Hackett on Spectral Mornings. Definitely the guitar sound on 90125 is BETTER by far, but fer sure technically it is inferior to Howe! IQ's guitarist sounds better, thanks god, but he could have a better sound. Pallas' guitarist is very moving and melodic, but he lack sound quality. Nektar's guitarist had a better sound! He was able to produce great guitar sounds. David Gilmour is another one with a great sound! Manfred Mann's guitarist has a very bland sound, despite, I like what he plays: his best solos are on Watch. Eloy's guitarist has a good sound, especially on the 80's albums. Graeme Taylor's guitar sound (Gryphon) has nothing extraordinary: but he sounds dangerously better on the Heldenleben track (Raindance), from 14:14 to 14:35.

Anyway, the best guitar sound IMO was made by Headpins' guitarist Brian "Too loud Macleod", but you have to like hard rock.

greenback wrote: I don't think there are so many PROG albums with an outstanding GUITAR SOLO SOUND. you can count them on your fingers! I agree with Eric Johnson's Ah Via Musicum, but it is not prog rock. Andy Latimer's guitar solos are very melodic and moving, but the sound is very ordinary. It is the case for most of the prog guitarists: Steve Howe is technically outstanding, but his sound is really gross: he has never been able to "SOUND", E.G. like Steve Hackett on Spectral Mornings. is Definitely the guitar sound on 90125 is BETTER by far, but fer sure technically it is inferior to Howe! IQ's guitarist sounds better, thanks god, but he could have a better sound. Pallas' guitarist is very moving and melodic, but he lack sound quality. Nektar's guitarist had a better sound! He was able to produce great guitar sounds. David Gilmour is another one with a great sound! Manfred Mann's guitarist has a very bland sound, despite, I like what he plays: his best solos are on Watch. Eloy's guitarist has a good sound, especially on the 80's albums. Graeme Taylor's guitar sound (Gryphon) has nothing extraordinary: but he sounds dangerously better on the Heldenleben track (Raindance), from 14:14 to 14:35. Anyway, the best guitar sound IMO was made by Headpins' guitarist Brian "Too loud Macleod", but you have to like hard rock.

It all depends on what we class as a good guitar sound. In the world of Heavy Metal things are more clear cut; thrash/death metal (whatever kids call that crap these days) can be judged on how 'heavy' the gitar sound is. Does it crunch and grind, but at the same time well produced enough to not lose definition at the bottom end etc etc..

In prog, (as with most other forms of rock/pop music) the guitar sound has to be appropriate to the music. Trevor Rabins guitar sound was good..for 90125. Mr Rabin doesn't have many fans around here, but I think he's ok  I dont believe his guitar sound would have improved or added anything to earlier Yes albums, with Howe playing on them. He had a modern, processed sound that gelled well with the Trevor Horn production on 90125.

But, its all about taste. I love Alex Lifesons guitar sound, it's unique as is his technique, but at the same time I can appreciate that some may not like him for the same reasons. Thats where I stand with Steve Howe. I dont like his guitar sound, to me it sounds whiney and weak. Many of his solos sound hurried and scrappy, like he's trying to improvise when improvisation may not be his strength. Steve Hackett is another with a sound which was unique, but open to criticism for being 'weak' The politics in Genesis may have kept Hackett down in the mix, especially after PG left the band, but nevertheless his sound blended with the music well, for this reason I prefer him to Howe, and lets face it Genesis were not a guitar driven prog band.

Blacksword wrote: Steve Hackett is another with a sound which was unique, but open to criticism for being 'weak' The politics in Genesis may have kept Hackett down in the mix, especially after PG left the band, but nevertheless his sound blended with the music well, for this reason I prefer him to Howe, and lets face it Genesis were not a guitar driven prog band.

I think you have to devide Steve Hackett's sound into older and newer stuff. During Genesis (and a while after) his sound wasn't that, well, intersting (?) but surely fit well into the music. His recent sound with a lot of highs is something you need to get used to. When I heared it first I was not very impressed (this was last year - and live). But you can always hear him through the other instruments, what is not too bad, for he plays great. I started listening to his recent stuff after that concert, and I must confess, I realy like his sound, now.

Sound is always a question of taste. I guess, it depends on the guitarist. My guitarist doesn't like Steve Hackett's sound at all and I'm not too happy with his sound, as well, though he absolutly likes his sound.

And don't forget: you can recognize Steve Howe by his sound - and that is something you can not say about every guitarist.

artbass:

Howe certainly is distinctive, and someone mentioned 'Starship Trooper' in which he does play with great passion, I concede.. But there have been very few moments when his playing has made my ears prick up in interest or his sound hasn't got on my nerves after a while.

I've always felt you could recognize Alex Lifeson by his sound, especially from 'Farewell to Kings' onward.

Allan Holdsworth: Gong-Gazeuse, Tony Williams Lifetime-Believe It, UK, Jean Luc Ponty -  Enigmatic Ocean

Steve Hackett: all the Genesis stuff he played on, Voyage of the Acolyte, Spectral Mornings

Robert Fripp: King Crimson USA

David Torn: Cloud About Mercury, first Everyman Band album

Scott Henderson: Tribal Tech, Illicit, Rocket Science, Face First

Bill Connors: RTF-Hymn of The 7th Galaxy, Stanley Clarke

Phil Miller: National Health, NH-Of Queues and Cures, Hatfield & The North, HaTN-Rotters Club

Gary Boyle: Isotope-Illusion

Peter Banks: Flash, Flash-In The Can

Stanley Whittaker: Happy The Man, HTM-Crafty Hands

I'll think of more later

Good reply, Blacksword!

Actually Alex Lifeson never had a bland sound until Power Windows included.

Rare are the prog bands with such quality guitar sound! His sound is never the same and he always pushes it to the limit! I think anybody who likes electric guitar will be able to find something to like in Lifeson's work. Knowing all the Rush albums until hold your fire, I consider Power Windows as one of his best guitar solos sound ever produced! In the prog history, only Marillion - Fugazi is comparable, which is IMO slightly superior! Check the list I made above for other prog albums with outstanding guitar solos sound.

I've understood that albums like Power Windows do not need to be very prog to be good: the guitar sound is the goal, although we do not have to neglect the infernal bass and drums. It is also the case for Jadis - More than meets the eye. Thanks God I have the faculty to recognize quality guitar, and this helps me to appreciate neo prog.

Finally, the best guitar solo in the prog history (for the sound) is without a doubt Marillion - Fugazi -Jigsaw; if you do not remember, then just have another listening: do not listen it too much: you may find everything else bland!

Hi greenback

I have to be honest, I'm not keen on Power Windows. I think PW and 'Hold your fire' are the two albums Rush made during their creative lull. They are stylish, brash and very 80's, but the songs IMO are not very memorable with the exception of a few. I think the albums that followed them; 'Presto' 'Roll the bones' and 'Counterparts' are three of their best guitar albums ever!! ..and thats coming from an old school Rush fan  

I like Marillion too, and recognise Steve Rothery as a great musician, certainly a very melodic guitarist, but to be honest I dont think he's much of an inovator, or that original. I have not heard him play anything that has not been done before by the likes of Andy Latimer (Camel) or Dave Gilmour. (awaits the flying bottles and bricks)

Jan Ackerman of Focus is another little taked about prog guitar hero!!

landberkdoten wrote: lucas wrote: Oh, and talking about PF, Gilmour's first album is pretty good in term of guitar playing. Sorry, I don't appreciate it that much

Never appreciated Dave Gilmour (not to be confused with guitarist Dave Gilmore - e.g. plays with jazzer Steve Coleman!!!) until I heard former Free and Bad Company vocalist, Paul Rodger's tribute album to Muddy Waters. Gilmour's contribution on one  track stands out  from the others with the likes of Jeff Beck, Trevor Raeburn, Slash, etc. there too.

Man Erg wrote: Pink Fairies - Never Never Land

Privileged to see Pink Fairies perform this album live at Royal Holloway College but I can't remember which Summer Ball it was  - 69, 70 or 71? Even in a small hall in a lareg Victorian building, the acoustics sounded good and we had two drummers for our money (and possibly  two bass guitarists that night?????????????????). I think folk proggies Magna Carta were on the same bill as were the great Brett Marvin & The Thunderbolts. However, saw a stripped down  PF 6 months later at Kingston Swimming Baths, when they had become much more popular, and they became one of the few bands I walked out on before the end of the gig - unlistenable being too loud combined with diabolical acoustics  because the floor was suspended over the swimming pool! Bought Never Never Land soon after its release, with the transparent PVC cover - but then played exclusively the long track with the drum duet formed from Teenage Rebel/Uncle Harry's Last Freakout, until that part of the album wore out. One of those drummers was Twink - best known for playing in Tomorrow with Steve Howe .

Vibrationbaby wrote: [QUOTE=philippe]  Elegant Gypsy for sure, Race with Devil On Spanish Highway is killer.

Have you hear the remake of that track, Race with Devil on Turkish Highway, which has more of a Middle Eastern feel about it? Steve Vai mostly plays the old DiMeola lines while DiMeola himself plays acoustic..... According to Dimeola's liner notes, Steve Vai had remember perfectly what DiMeola had played original on Spanish Highway and  had to remind DiMeola how it went!

Dick Heath wrote: The Owl wrote: Peter Banks: Flash, Flash-In The Can (nice sexist LP covers!!!!) yes -but what was the third album about and avoid the live Flash album because of crap recording quality

That third Flash disc, "Out of Our Hands" had a story line about someone from another planet who comes to Earth and then gets locked up in a psychiatric hospital but manages to escape. Musically, it was OK, had some good moments but not a real memorable package as a whole. You could tell they'd run out of steam by that point.