Neil Young's lead guitar playing...

Understood.

 

Well, it’s a matter of taste. Neil is raw, emotional and has a feel for a song, and he is not very technically proficient.

If you are Duane and care about players mastering their instrument, or if you are George and you like polish, well, you aren’t going to like him. I have musician friends who love him, and musician friends who honestly can’t understand why a musician would listen to him.

It works for you if it works for you, and it doesn’t if it doesn’t. Me, I love Neil, but I totally get people who don’t.

 

more detours... the fire returned to Clapton's playing briefly in the mid 80's on Roger Waters "Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking" album... check it out. Alright then, back to Neil!

 

It depends on which record or tour you listen to. His lead playing in the late eighties and early nineties was extremely proficient (whilst also being raw and emotional).

No, he didn't play 5000 notes-a-minute or have an encyclopaedic knowledge of scales, but fortunately this has little to do with being a great guitarist.

A great soloist takes the listener on a journey. He instinctively knows what notes to play and what not to play: its how the notes combine that matters, and what the listener's imagination does with them during the spaces between them. And in this respect, Neil (at his best) is up there with the best of them.

 

It seems that Crazy Horse kicks Neil into a different zone. Poncho and Neil are a good team to play off each other.
As good as Neil is on lead, he always had support to help him thru. Only in certain configurations would he be the
only lead guitarist. This is worth noting. At times he’s really good...but he could never, ever be as solid as someone
like a Duane Allman.

 

I love his lead playing, but it really only works for his own songs, preferably with the Horse. Put him with a band of musos and he sounds quite a bit like an amateur. That's of course part of the reason why he always avoided bands with technical musicians, and it worked a charm with the primitive but intuitive Horse.

Weld is his ultimate guitar statement for me. That was his playing at its peak. Nowadays I don't get much kicks from his playing, I've heard it too many times and it becomes samey, it really is samey.

 

Absolutely. The chemistry he has with the band is crucial, and Poncho always inspires Neil to raise his game.

 

There couldn't be two more different guitar players. George was methodical, precise. Neil is emotional and unstructured. Easy to see how one can't understand the other.

 

Neil's playing conjures vivid images of soaring birds of prey. Eagles, Hawks, Vultures, barely flapping their' wings, yet powerful when they swoop. Literally, if I am driving my car, I always see a hawk or falcon and the music goes so well with the motion of the birds: it's mesmerizing and the synchronicity of it baffles me.

 

As much as I love Poncho, and I do, I happen to think Danny Whitten was an absolutely transcendent talent: one of the great rhythm guitarists I have ever heard in my life, and a great singer as well. Shame his act overlapped with Neil's so much and Neil isn't one to really share the spotlight. Not Neil's fault, but just a shame anyway.

 

I remember reading in one of those interviews Lester Bangs had with Lou Reed where Lou kind of out of the blue says that he really, really likes Neil Young's guitar playing.

As a non-musician, it was interesting for me to discover that Neil isn't considered to be much good technically. I always thought he seemed like he had total control of his instrument.

 

T-Bone?

 

Yeah. Me too. Clapton may have become a bit boring but he has many fine moments from the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Dominos and some great bluesy solo stuff. Love Neil though and it was wonderful to see him ant POTR having so much fun in Hyde Park last month....

 

What I love about Neil Young's lead playing is that, during his solo he becomes the conductor of the band. Almost more than any other guitarist, Neil is controlling ensemble tempo and dynamics with his solo. It's an amazing feat, and when it works it is more thrilling than anyone else's abilities.

 

You can tell Neil is playing guitar within about 3 seconds. If he is soloing -- it is almost instantaneous.

That is impressive. 100% distinctive.

 

He does have total control of his instrument. Someone mentioned mastery either, well, Neil Young is a master at playing electric guitar like Neil Young - I can't think of anyone else who's managed it yet.

 

I think he's an amazing acoustic player but his lead playing doesn't do all that much for me.

 

Nothing can save that mess!!

 

Love T-Bone.

 

check this tribute out...blistering solo starts at 6:00

 

I think he is one of the all-time great lead guitarists. I love Nuno Bettencourt and Buckethead and Dimebag, etc...but Neil's extended solos are just something else. I'd hate to see someone try and emulate them - it just wouldn't work. Plus, he's 73 and can still play his solos in exactly the same way he could back in '71...which is mighty impressive...and something I doubt any of the aforementioned widdlers will be able to manage...

 

the magic box is still on the road on current tour!

 

Apologies, I just realised that, of course, Dimebag won't be able to play the way he used to aged 73...alas...