THE "MY SHARONA" GUITAR SOLO - Am I crazy, or is the big guitar solo on "My Sharona" one of the best solos ever recorded? There was a time in my life (not long ago, actually) where I'd watch this video 20 times a day. It's the best live performance of this song I've seen, check it out!
The Knack - My Sharona
RANDOM THOUGHTS... Of course, the main guitar riff in this song is classic. The octave-jumping bass riff heard in the intro is also doubled by the guitar, and it was written by guitarist Berton Averre. I also think the first guitar break (you could probably call it a solo, Mr. Technically) at the 1:17 mark is really good. Today, however, I want to focus mainly on the full-blown celebration of life that is the big guitar solo...
THE GUITAR SOLO (2:35 to 4:06) ...
... I'm almost appalled that this song is not mentioned in Guitar World's Top 100 Guitar Solos list. I mean, what the hell?! I'm sorry, but the "My Sharona" guitar solo is better than the solo in "Honky Tonk Woman", ranked #96. It just is. You know what? It's better than the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" guitar solo that they ranked #26. The solos in those two songs simply reprise the melody sung during the verses. I think a great solo should take the song to another level, and you can't do that if you're just regurgitating a vocal hook, no matter how good the hook is. But then again, this list also ranked Tom Morello's palm-scraping-toggle-switch-nightmare (#23) in "Bulls on Parade" over Eddie Van Halen's wizardry on Michael Jackson's "Beat It" (#67), so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised...
... There's plenty of info on the Web that describes how "My Sharona" was written, about how guitarist Berton Averre had the main riff laying around and eventually singer Doug Fieger penned the lyrics about a girl named Sharona. That's the familiar riff heard during the intro and verses to this song. But I can't find much (if any) info about the fantastic guitar break in the middle of the song. To me, that's the most interesting part. The song switches keys from G to C (or G minor to C major? I don't know, I'm not a music major) and I want to know whose idea that was. Who suggested taking the song in this different direction? Did Averre have the solo in C worked out ahead of time, so he suggested the key change? Or did the idea just happen organically during band practice one day? Maybe someone just started playing the C-G-F-G chord progression, which in turn, inspired Averre to create the solo at that point? The solo is very well structured; it seems to have an intro, a middle, and a conclusion. It's kind of like a short story, this solo. I wonder how long it took Averre to work it all out? Did it take a while, or did it come together almost instantly, the way a lot of great songs and riffs often do? And when he did figure it out, did he know he was onto something great? He must have been incredibly excited with the way it turned out and how it all fit into the song, which already had this other great memorable riff. What was it like the first time they played this song as a band, from beginning to end? I would love to hear Mr. Averre talk extensively about this subject. Here's hoping The RATASS Gazette gets a chance to interview him and pick his brain on this matter!
THE RADIO EDIT SUCKS... Every time I hear this song on the radio, I cringe violently when they get into the guitar solo. See, a lot of stations will play the radio-edit version of this song, which means they cut out almost a full minute of the guitar solo. About 30 seconds into the solo, you'll find out if they've left the original solo in or if they've chopped it short. The radio edit will chop out everything from 3:05 to 3:55, and just between you and me, that's my favorite part of the guitar solo! How come all these great solos get cut short, but I always have to listen to "Freebird" in it's entirety? I mean, seriously! I've heard them chop the solos out of great songs like "Paradise City" and "November Rain" (true, there were three solos in that one...) and many others, but I've never heard them chop a second out of "Freebird". The entire second half of the song is a guitar solo! It's four fucking minutes of nothing but wee-de-dee-dee wee-de-wee-dee-de-wee wee-de-wee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee... Every. Single. Time. What gives? If you want to chop something out, get rid of the first three minutes of Rush's "Tom Sawyer". Better yet, don't play "Tom Sawyer" at all that day. (Or ever again. Shit, I wouldn't miss it.) And don't play "Freebird", either. That will save more airtime for other great guitar solos like the one in "My Sharona".
i couldnt have said it better!
ReplyDeleteYou are NOT crazy.
ReplyDeleteI have long discussed this solo with performers and rock music fans. For many of us this is a classic guitar solo that has not been given the recognition it deserves. Definitely in my top 10 of all time solos. The raw edge and technical construction of the riff begs to set a standard that few other solo's can even come close to. Kudo's to those of you who recognize this piece of music for what it is. Pure rock art at it's finest.
ReplyDeleteGibson.com lists this as the 42 of all time.
ReplyDeletehttp://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/top-50-guitar-solos-0921.aspx
Love, love LOVE this solo. What a shame that the videographer for this particular video total sucked, filming everything BUT the amazing finger/fretwork during the solo.
ReplyDeleteI am obsessed with the solo. I probably put the song on once a day just to hear it. Hands down my favorite solo. I read that it's dual layered, which cheapens it a bit for me. But in terms of pure guitar enjoyment, it doesn't get better than My Sharona or Eric Johnson's Cliffs of Dover.
ReplyDeletei always thought this was was an underrated guitar solo. definitely should be in the top 10 list.
ReplyDeleteThe engineering is fucked...that solo is buried in the mix..it should have been brought up bright..front and center..instead..they fudges it down..total fuckuppery.
DeleteNot crazy indeed. The solo is so freaking awesome.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that in 2016, I'm making a comment on the discussion of a 1979 solo means there must be some significance to this riff. I was listening to it today and searching for other opinions...this is a Top 10 solo! It is so thoughtful, clear and awesome...not a crazy lame attempt to rock! Some great songs come from short lived groups...this is one.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely a top 10 of all time solo for me. I'd even say Top 5 most days. It's even structured a lot like my unequivocal #1, Slash's "Sweet Child O' Mine", where it starts off bluesy and then builds up to a technical-but-emotive showcase. And both solos were (and are) routinely castrated by the radio.
ReplyDeleteBut MFer, say something about Tom Sawyer again and Liam Neeson will *find* you.
Absolutely one of the top solos ever conceived and performed. Plus you try even copying it well
ReplyDeleteDavid Jackson in London
"singer Doug Krieger"
ReplyDeletePlease edit your otherwise great article to show the correct name for the late, great lead singer of The Knack....Mr Doug Fieger, may he (and Bruce Gary) RIP.
one of the best solos ever...maybe the best...the story behind it is awesome too
ReplyDeleteNot crazy... I have the song 2 times this week and thought the same thing and found your post.
ReplyDeleteNow I am trying to remember any of their other songs. Local station, WFUV, just had a TBT to 1970; great year for all “kinds” of music.
Fantastic solo. Totally justified comments Nate
ReplyDeleteGreatest guitar solo in rock history in my opinion. And I hate the radio cut. Makes me cringe every time.
ReplyDeleteindeed. this still kicks ass. everytime.
ReplyDeleteI had all but forgotten what a great solo this was until it came in the radio one day and I was was transfixed on it. I got home and went through it several times realizing I had to learn it, and the more I played, the more I came to realize that to me, it was a perfect rock guitar solo (not meaning, “The Best”, that’s a personal call — But one of The Best for sure). It begins with a phase shift in the song structure, from as hard as rock can be major key progression to a key/mood change of a lilting, almost minor chord feeling. Berton starts of with a slow, bluesy intro that picks up as he slowly and progressively bumps up the feel in both pitch and picking speed, with those bend-to-double stops, but not just repeating each lick, he slightly modified each bar (it’s a bitch to play this truly not for note, not only is it technically challenging, but his picking is rhythmically complex). Then he slides up the neck just a bit slowly adding tension again. During this second set of bend and double stops/pedal point picking (f——ing seriously, Dude?) he shifts the bass note down (a 3rd?) half way thru, that gives it more depth (just genius), then another quick climbing blues lick at a rocknroll pace, and we’re now up an octave (continuing to build the tension) and into some semi-random bend and double stops, as the higher pitch makes it ‘feel’ faster and then up to The Crescendos — here’s the tension at its peak — and then he just holds it there ..... for four f——ing measures! Just Awesome! (Critics will say it was too long and overstated — F—- them, it’s genius). Then he lets us take a breath ... and heads back down the scale and the fretboard with a descending slide down the mixolydian scale that he terminated with a tasty lick, rolls back into B2DS riffing (repetitive you say? Nope, keeps the continuity of the solos’ theme and feel). The repetition now adds some tension back in here, then he throws in a great terminating descending run (we assume) with both bass and drums punctuating each descending note (hats of to the rhythm section- well done Lads!) — but Nope! Just when you think it’s over, he presses on one more time with a Run of unison bends, then drops down and over to close it out with a power chord “response” to the “call” of those unison bends, and then— Voila! He closes all of that out with two measures of just eighth-note C power chord blasts for two measures. Pure F—-ing Genius! Thank you All for posting to this site! Ive honestly been looking for SomeOne to feel the same about this sinfully unheralded solo, and it warms my soul to have found this group of insightful folks. I rate it well within the top 25 rock solos, can’t believe that’s not just every rock music lovers opinion to. God Bless The Knack!!
ReplyDelete