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Solos: yes or no? |
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frippism 
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: July 27 2010 Location: Tel Aviv Online Status: Offline Posts: 3679 |
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 Topic: Solos: yes or no?Posted: March 09 2012 at 02:29 |
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Let's get things clear first: the answer doesn't have to be a full on "yes" or "no", I understand that sometimes solos work and sometimes not. Sometimes they're good and sometimes they aren't, but let's try to think of it as a composition-related question.
Personally, for the most part (NOT always), I find solos to be a bit of a lazy way to make a piece longer, to add variety to the piece, or whatever. Also, I find that a lot of times, because usually the rhythm section stays rather repetitive, I find solos to be boring to listen to (particularly because I'm a bassist and am usually looking for interesting bass playing, not necessarily "groovy" bass playing). What do you think?
Edited by frippism - March 09 2012 at 03:33 |
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Hercules
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Joined: June 14 2007 Location: Yorkshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 2005 |
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 02:53 |
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Can't answer this - the wording doesn't make sense.
Do solos ADD to the music - yes or no is fine.
Do solos DETRACT from the music - yes or no is fine.
But you can't answer yes or no when two diammmetrically opposite options are offered. |
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Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you have to eat.
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Man With Hat
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Jazz-Rock/Fusion Team Joined: March 12 2005 Location: Neurotica Online Status: Offline Posts: 37142 |
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 03:05 |
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Yes I find solos a viable tool to use.
If that was the question.
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Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
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Vompatti
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 03:23 |
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Yes, sometimes they do add or detract.
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frippism
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Joined: July 27 2010 Location: Tel Aviv Online Status: Offline Posts: 3679 |
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 03:32 |
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Forgive me, I'm stupid. The question is do they detract from the music.
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rogerthat
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 03:40 |
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Since this is a prog forum, in the context of prog rock I don't consider solos very important and yes, they can detract from the music. But solos are vital in many other rock genres, especially hard rock. Strangely enough, I can think of a few excellent solos in pop music...Carpenters' Goodbye to Love, ABBA's I am a Marionette, Prince's Computer Blue so I think I find solos irritating when they only serve to give the guitarist (or other lead instrumentalist, if that is the case) some space to indulge in exhibitionism. As a compositional device, solos can be excellent when used judiciously and can lend a cathartic quality to the music. To give the cliched example: Firth of the Fifth.
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rogerthat
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 03:45 |
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Larry Carlton is imo the ideal soloist because he really complements Steely Dan's music with his style. His solos are interesting because they explore the unusual chord progressions that Steely Dan are known for, very well. I don't know that many guitarists can craft such wonderful solos...part of the problem being solos are considered an outlet to demonstrate or perform and not as a compositional device.
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Snow Dog
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Errors & Omissions Team Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Online Status: Online Posts: 32939 |
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 04:01 |
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A huge resounding NO from me. But it doesn't mean a piece of music has to have one for me to enjoy it. I like all sorts basically.
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Coldness doth get away with the badness.
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CPicard
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 04:21 |
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It would depend on the genre: I always had hard times with guitar solos in blues-rock or hard-rock, because you have to bear a guitarist soloing on and on and on and... for 15 minutes, even if the song is a standard blues in 12 measures with a 4/4 rhythm, and the usual AABA structure.
On the other way, I don't mind listening to pure improvisation solos, would it be for a 1-hour long concert. A nice saxophone solo on a ska track doesn't bother me either. The solos on Deep Purple's Made In Japan are okay to me. It's all a matter of musical context: who in his right mind would have asked to John Coltrane, McTyner or Thelonious Monk to "shut up and going to the coda"??? |
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ExittheLemming
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Joined: October 19 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 6024 |
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 04:21 |
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I tired long ago of plain vanilla rock bands who merely play the same music under the chorus or verse and let the guitarist go apesh*t over the top merely to appease his or her ego. Prog and other more erm.. progressive genres are refreshing in that respect i.e. they (usually) compose separate or complementary music under which to accompany and enhance the ego of the 'soloist' (Disclaimer:irony afoot)
Edited by ExittheLemming - March 09 2012 at 04:23 |
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frippism
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Joined: July 27 2010 Location: Tel Aviv Online Status: Offline Posts: 3679 |
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 04:25 |
Well you know, not always, but this is the main reason why I'm not too much into traditional jazz, minimal melody, constant noodling. Again, not always.
Edited by frippism - March 09 2012 at 04:25 |
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Slartibartfast
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 04:43 |
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As long as it isn't just noodling. For one of my old favorites, The Dixie Dregs, it's a totally integral part of the music when they play live.
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ExittheLemming
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 04:52 |
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Isn't the word solo here indicative of a rather lazy association of ideas? i.e. one instrument or player may feature predominantly from a melodic perspective in any given piece of music but the solo will rest or fall to a large degree on the sensitivity or empathy of the accompaniment surely? e.g a a diamond ring attached to a finger by a rubber band kinda looks tacky innit?
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Moogtron III
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 05:01 |
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As long as it isn't self-indulgent noodling (as Dave Stewart once used to say), and the solos serve the song, I like solos.
I'm not too crazy about long solos on live albums, that stretch a song for no other reason that give the soloist some moments of glory and the other musicians the opportunity to go to the toilet. |
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sleeper
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Joined: October 09 2005 Location: Entropia Online Status: Offline Posts: 14511 |
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 05:23 |
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I voted no, but really it's entirely dependent on the people involved. I've heard plenty of songs where the solo is an integral piece, and I've heard plenty where it gets in the way.
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NickHall
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 05:51 |
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it depends totally on whether the solo makes sense of what it does or not; but a solo can and should be a valuable addition to an arrangement
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irrelevant
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Joined: March 07 2010 Location: Australia Online Status: Online Posts: 7383 |
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 05:59 |
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Overall, I'm for solos rather than against. Though generic blues solos over a boring backing for 10+ minutes piss me off a bit.
Edited by irrelevant - March 09 2012 at 06:00 |
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sagichim
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 06:10 |
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Don't take the extreme case where solos tend to drag for 10 minutes, a solo can be 30 seconds add so much variation and lift the song up. I personally like the long solos too like hendrix in a concert.
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frippism
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Joined: July 27 2010 Location: Tel Aviv Online Status: Offline Posts: 3679 |
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 06:44 |
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Yes there are very few soloists which I can listen to more than 10-15 seconds. Like Zappa, for example, or Jon Poole. Can't think of anyone else...
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Snow Dog
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Posted: March 09 2012 at 06:46 |
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^Did you just accidently post this in another thread?
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Coldness doth get away with the badness.
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