Great solo by Prince

[mikefred]

Again, I think you're getting the technique/musician thing mixed up. Sure, I've seen alot of young kids on youtube that can shred and have the technique thing down, but they aren't very good musicians. No originality or expressive qualities to their playing and most are just playing copies of someone else's music.


Ahhh Now I am seeing the light here! I agree 110% with you there too. A chap I work with is on the same plane here. Yea, there are guys that can copy chops note for note but cannot come up with original material.

Just as in typical pop music, "shred" players are way too cookie cutter these days... IMO of course.

I am not into shred. Much. A little Malmsteen is about all I can handle but the guy is just so good..... I would rather listen to someone speaking in a musical language I can relate to! This fastest sweeper on the block is just not my cup of starbucks.


Maybe not extraordinary in a virtuosic/musicianship sense on their chosen instrument. Their musical talent comes out in their sense of rhythm, timing, melody, and lyricism... which are all pretty important to being a good musician as it turns out. You can play scales and arpeggios cleanly at 20000bpm but that doesn't necessarily make you a good musician. Some guys do have that of course, but it is few and far between.

Yea I agree with you there.

[jgcable]

Hey- it's all good. Check out the Prince Live in Las Vegas dvd. It is a textbook in how to lead a band.

Prince is almost as good as John Mayer.
I guess thats impressive to some players.

[sully]

don't care about the comments and bashing, but i really enjoyed the video, thanks for posting it. prince is cool as hell.

sully

[Jacksons Shred]

Princes music never struck a chord with me, and truthfully, this solo is nothing to write home about. There were some cool moments but it just sounded like pointless noodling with very bad vibrato and his pitch is a bit off whenever he bends.

[Strat God]

I started noticing Prince after I saw the Purple Rain solo he did. Pretty deep stuff.
Songwriting and playing are two different things. Bob Dylan writes tremendous hits but I can do a solo farting into a harmonica better than he can play guitar. Stay tuned for my youtube vid

[MartinBarre]

In case you do not know some of the players I listed, they are fingerstyle players, which is what I prefer to listen to these days being the grumpy old man that I am.

You're not a grumpy old man.
You're a troll.
I agree with whoever said it was easy to sound like a guitar god playing a solo to that song. It was a boring solo, and the first time I've ever seen someone dwarfed by a telecaster. He looks fucking stupid playing that.

[Endrik]

Princes music never struck a chord with me, and truthfully, this solo is nothing to write home about. There were some cool moments but it just sounded like pointless noodling with very bad vibrato and his pitch is a bit off whenever he bends.

I kinda agree.
I really like Prince as a talented overall musician/multi-instrumentalist (mostly as a bass player) songwriter, performer/band-leader, he has a lot of attitude and hell of a taste in women and on the guitar he has a great rhythmic feel and plays some cool licks and riffs with plenty of balls but he will never be a true great lead guitarists because his vibrato is totally out of pitch.

[Endrik]

I think George Harrison and even Paul McCartney had more potential in the lead department. Neither one were never a real lead guitarist. Paul played bass and George played all kinds of passages and licks to accompany John's more basic playing. At first their solos didn't sound really good because they weren't used to play them, they simply didn't have the feel and tone in their hands. But as time progressed they got better, specially George. Some of the George's lead work is actually very descent and he didn't go out of pitch like Prince. But he never got to be guitar-god either because he was never focused on becoming that. Instead he was doing all kinds of other things, played many different instruments and became pretty good on sitar, he's definitely one of the most underrated songwriters in the history (too overshadowed by John and Paul) and overall he was a very cool cat, certainly my favorite Beatle after John.
But he was a big fan of great guitar playing, often brought all kinds of amazing players to play with him... I once saw a bootleg of him playing with Gary Moore and it was absolutely jaw dropping.

[micha]

I like to get PG's DVD's and lessons because he seems like a genuine, down to earth guy. I've never bought one of his CD's (except Mr. Big back in the day).

yes his DVDs are great entertainment!! I could watch this guy play for hours...

but I hope you did listen to some of his solo work?
especially his latest instrumental album "silence followed by a deafening roar" contains some of the most creative and surprising guitar playing I've ever heard. a very colorful CD you should really try out some day!



the prince-solo was alright IMO. didn't listen for the whole song, I just skipped to the solo section (I've heard that song sometime before anyway), but I kind of liked it.
it's not that jaw-dropping solo stuff for me as well, but he does have feel, that's for sure.
although gilberts solo was great, this song doesn't necessarily "scream" for shredding, fast runs and all that stuff...

[mikefred]

You're not a grumpy old man.
You're a troll.
I agree with whoever said it was easy to sound like a guitar god playing a solo to that song. It was a boring solo, and the first time I've ever seen someone dwarfed by a telecaster. He looks fucking stupid playing that.

Troll? Why because I said Prince's precious solo was not exciting or wonderful, or better than sliced bread? I am a grumpy old man. Let me see... Prince solo. Play 3 notes, slide hand up and down neck for effect, 3 more notes, POSE, slide hand again.... <yawn>

Troll?? I do not look like Mick Box or Ronnie Dio! Harumph!

[MartinBarre]

Who the hell's Mike Box?

[Grandturk]

Play 3 notes, slide hand up and down neck for effect, 3 more notes, POSE, slide hand again....

Man that's BB King to a T. All you need is one of those "holy shit" faces that makes it look like he can't believe he just hit THAT note (or he just shit himself).



... sorry BB.

[mikefred]

Who the hell's Mike Box?

I have no idea who Mike Box is.... I think/hope I typed MICK. Mick plays for Uriah Heep. Great showman, but not a real great guitar player although he has mastered D,G, and A chords with the ocassional B-minor thrown in for good measure.. Oh yea, and the wha-wha pedal.

BTW.... Martin Barre. One of the most underrated guitarists on the planet! Awesome player!

[mikefred]

Man that's BB King to a T. All you need is one of those "holy shit" faces that makes it look like he can't believe he just hit THAT note (or he just shit himself).



... sorry BB.

ROTFLOL! Saw old BB back in 78 and enjoyed him for some strange reason. I was more of a Freddie King fan back then when I went thru this very short blues faze. I heard some Freddie King stuff a few months ago and just scratched my balding head wondering what was I thinking? I am just not much for blues I guess. I was given this link recently and love this guy!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDAQm2qWnYw&feature=related

Then there is this jazz guy from Ohio and I am not much for jazz either but this guy is amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRJbg1XyEbo

Mike