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Topic: Mike's wickedest solos< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
Holger Offline




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Posted: Oct. 27 2009, 23:22

You know the ones I'm talking about; the really ferocious, wicked ones he was capable of doing when he was "young and angry". Like in "First Excursion", in David Bedford's "Star's End" and "Instructions for Angels", and of course the best-known example, Ommadawn part 1 finale.

Any other examples? Of course there are quite a few pretty wild ones, particularly from the early days (the one from Robert Wyatt's "Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road" comes to mind, and also "The Phaeacian Games" - interestingly, it seems to have been this particular quality of his that many of the people he guested for appreciated), but none I can think of right now have quite that same level of intensity, though I'd love to think there are more.

(Far Above The Clouds would probably be the closest example from more recent times, but still, it's just not quite the same...)

PS: Just remembered The Trap... though not really a solo, I guess in a way it fits the bill.
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Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: Oct. 28 2009, 02:18

Incantations pt 3.

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We raise our voices in the night
Crying to heaven
And will our voices be heard
Or will they break Like the wind
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Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: Oct. 28 2009, 02:19

Taurus 2.

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We raise our voices in the night
Crying to heaven
And will our voices be heard
Or will they break Like the wind
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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Oct. 28 2009, 04:13

I watched the making of Blue Peter clip yesterday.And right where it got to the part where Mike added the electric I thought to myself "God there it is that dirty guitar sound,what the hell happened to that" ? It just seemed to get cleaner and cleaner over the years did`nt it.Plus there were less notes as well I guess.Hard to say when Mike started phasing it out.It`s still kind of there on things like Taurus 1 & 2 and Celt.And Mirage gets pretty heated particularly towards the end there.There`s not much evidence of it on Crises though,apart from towards the end of side one maybe? I`ll go with Jim here Incantations pt 3 gets my vote,it`s probably my favourite solo of Mike`s as well never get tired of it.First Excursion maybe runs it a close second.
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3Wheeler Offline




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Posted: Oct. 28 2009, 05:28

Most of "Guitars"  ....

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We're Flying Aeroflot, We've Got Reservations.
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Oct. 28 2009, 05:41

The solo at the end of the live version of Punkadiddle is pretty special.Gives me goosebumps everytime!Really sounds like he means every single note (well he is quoted as meaning and feeling every note)and coming at the end of such a fun peice is quite a shock and any live version of TB pt2 does it for me as well.Either the version over the Em,Dmaj,Bmaj,Em,Dmaj,Em sequence or the Montreux version over the bagpipe section.
 Then there's the solo at end of the live version of Incantations pt4.
 Hell any of the live versions have that 'thing' in places where you can really feel it (man)! :laugh:


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THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: Oct. 28 2009, 08:46

Tarurus I. A sparse and wicked solo of the kind you hear more and more seldom on the later albums.
I must add that Mike's 80s albums are full of good solos too (sometimes they're the high point, like on Earth Moving) but those solos are more conventional. Discovery (the song) has one of my favorite MO solos ever, but it's more like a heavy metal/hard rock solo.


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"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
Mark E Smith
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Oct. 28 2009, 10:06

Forgot to mention his guest spot on the title track from Downwind by Pierre Moerlin's Gong.Really pretty angry sounding and that wonderful dirty tone he used to use that Dirk mentioned is there too.The really odd thing about this one is that the peice as a whole (or at least the middle section which Mike's on)sounds for all the world like one of his own peices from that era.Mike does play the bass and bodran as well as the guitar solo and both Pierre and Benoit and (briefly)Hansfod Rowe played in Mike's touring bands so that may go someway to explaining it.
 I think if we're talking pure anger then it has to be the solo from part 1 of Star's End though.He sounds really pissed off on that. :laugh:


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THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
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Holger Offline




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Posted: Oct. 28 2009, 19:11

Quote (The Caveman @ Oct. 28 2009, 16:06)
Forgot to mention his guest spot on the title track from Downwind by Pierre Moerlin's Gong.Really pretty angry sounding and that wonderful dirty tone he used to use that Dirk mentioned is there too.The really odd thing about this one is that the peice as a whole (or at least the middle section which Mike's on)sounds for all the world like one of his own peices from that era.

I've always thought the same thing, in fact I could swear Mike wrote that section. You have the jazz-rockish introduction, and then when Mike joins in, it really starts sounding quite different and very Mike-ish. Hmm... I really need to listen to that again! Gets shamefully neglected as I've only got it on vinyl and the turntable is not hooked up...
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Oct. 29 2009, 09:01

I've only got it on vinyl too....but my turnatable is hooked up.To be honest the rest of the album isn't that great.What i need now is the Live album which contains a live version of Downwind which i believe Mike's on as well.Does anyone know if these were re-released on cd?
 Back on topic Mike's solo on Shine is really good (and is still with the good old dirty Gibson SG Jnr tone.For a guitar with a single P90 pick up (here comes the science bit)it really is a big tone that he got from it.The P90 is actually a single coil pick up.Fatter than a Fender single coil but not as fat as a humbucker.How Mike got such a big tone from it i'll never know.Suffice to say i want an SG Junior!


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THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
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manintherain Offline




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Posted: Oct. 30 2009, 08:14

Excerpt From Incantations Part IV
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Oct. 30 2009, 09:02

I forgot to mention the live version of Why Are We Sleeping.The lead at the start of each chorus has Mike wigging out using fuzz and a wah as well as the long solo part at the end.And Lunatics Lament from Shooting At The Moon is a manic fuzz driven thing as well.

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THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
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Ugo Offline




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Posted: Oct. 30 2009, 18:00

Well, there's the diddlydiddly solo from Ommadawn part I, and of course the screaming solo at the very end of the same piece. And then there are the ones that you all out there already mentioned... Taurus 2 and 3, FAtC, Inc. 3... However, I'd like to add two bits that no-one mentioned: "Lion Reprise" from Amarok (very similar to Ommadawn, obviously) and the extremely short, but also extremely "evil" (in a positive sense) solo of "Heaven's Open".

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Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
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ex member 419 Offline




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Posted: Oct. 30 2009, 23:14

For me Celt, Guitars and that sublime solo after punkadiddle live...simply the best, Cheers, Deb
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shaynw Offline




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Posted: Feb. 19 2010, 21:12

the 5 second guitar solo In Heaven's Open just blows my head off everytime I hear it !
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ex member 419 Offline




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Posted: Feb. 20 2010, 03:07

The encore of FATC at Horse Guards Parade, really angry guitar. Loved the look on Mike's face. Really in control, the audience on their feet clapping and cheering! The wild playing in TB 2 when Viv Stanshall grunted out the vocals and then Mike totally thrashed that guitar! There is the solo in Heaven's Open, really gives me goose bumps. He is king of guitar, just incredible. Deb
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Feb. 22 2010, 12:34

Not really a solo as such but there's a little bit on Star's End towards the end of part 2 where he plays a scale and the last note he holds and repeats.Really searing sound like he was letting every last ounce of his feelings (which for the time,1974. would have been one hell of a lot)out through that one note.

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THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
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hergestridge Offline




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Posted: Feb. 25 2010, 07:16

'Afghan' is pretty good too.
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Feb. 25 2010, 10:43

My favourite album by anyone at all right now is Mathematicians Air Display by Pekka Pohjola.Bloody adore this album and Mike plays some brilliant guitar.The biggest surprise is on The Consequences Of Head Bending part 2 (The Plot Thickens).He plays a really fast solo.Very short but it's full of all the bits that make his mid-70's playing so good.Angry and joyful at the same time,fluid in touch and with one mother of a dirty searing tone.Definately that SG again!
What's not to like?


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THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
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ex member 419 Offline




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Posted: Feb. 25 2010, 19:10

What still leaves me gobsmacked? How Mike teases out and holds that note in some of his solos. I know effects are done easily with compression, whah and fuzz etc. Mike actually has made an art of holding a note and maintaining it. That is something that can't be taught! Deb
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22 replies since Oct. 27 2009, 23:22 < Next Oldest | Next Newest >

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