Saying So Much Without Words

It’s the emotional climax that has defined so many classic songs.  The guitar solo has been responsible for turning many a musician into a legend.  In the 60’s Clapton was God, until Hendrix showed why he was the greatest of all time.   Jimi Hendrix playing guitar is a mesmerising experience.  Perhaps not as technically accomplished as others who followed, Hendrix free spirited creativity made up for that two fold, his hands seamlessly flowing across the neck.  It’s like he hadn’t learnt how to play; he was just born to play.

Jimi Hendrix was like so many others performers of the twentieth century; talented beyond comprehension and full of passion and soul that poured out through their music.  The versatility of the guitar itself had afforded so many musicians throughout history, the ability to carve their own unique sound to the point where a style of playing is as individual as the sound of a singer’s voice.

 But it’s fair to say that today; the popular performers are rarely seen with a guitar.  Actually, they probably can’t even play one or any instrument for that matter.  Today it’s more about dance moves or how raunchy a film clip can be.

 But the one thing that saddens me more than anything is the demise of the guitar solo (and saxophone solo for that matter).  It’s been replaced in most pop songs by a rapper with poor grammar speaking  mundane lyrics most probably with a choice of profanities thrown in for good measure.   But then again, even for the rock bands I’ve heard on commercial radio, there seems to be a lack of soulful guitar playing.  It’s as if a guitar solo is seen as excessive or something. Perhaps even uncool, or too 1980’s.

 It’s not like people aren’t playing instruments anymore.  There is undeniably loads of talented musicians out there, but for some reason, the music industry for the most part is favouring watered down trash.  It’s not just guitars; all instruments are being oppressed in the face of what I call digitised music.  Saxophone solos of passion are long gone, the dreamscapes Pink Floyd painted with a lap steal are reserved for the past and the mesmerising drums of Soul Sacrifice seem a distant memory of Woodstock.

 It’s the beauty of music that allows a song without words to somehow find a way to say the things words can’t say at all.  Music would be all the more powerful in today’s world if people would only look beyond the words and image to appreciate the most important part; the music.