Rocking out is universal because it\u2019s all about unleashing the inner beast. Volume is critical; it\u2019s more satisfying to yell \u2018fuck you\u2019 then mutter it under your breath. As such, we ought to thank the dude who invented the guitar amp for giving the world the gift of rocking out. It’s easy, all you gotta do is grab your guitar and crank up the volume. That said, the best rockers combine the power of the amp with an sensuous, artistic temperament. Here are a few such examples:<\/p>\n
John Mayer – Gravity<\/strong><\/p>\n [youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ys629ROKYtI]<\/p>\n For the longest time, John Mayer was content to sit back and put out cotton candy bullshit like \u2018Your Body is a Wonderland\u2019. Then out of nowhere he released \u2018Try\u2019 in 2005 and showed the world that he could rock hard, and more importantly, play blues guitar like no one since Stevie Ray Vaughan. Seriously — each solo sounds like a catalogue of Stevie Ray Vaughan licks. It sounds great, but its not authentic Mayer. Gravity is the exception. It embodies the best aspects of his two styles — his blues shreddage side and his corny sensitive chick magnet side. Here he keeps the corny lyrics to a minimum and lets his guitar do the talking for his soft side. Only then does he unleash the full wrath of the gods of rock. This solo doesn\u2019t sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan — it sounds like John Mayer.<\/p>\n Bruce Springsteen – Because the Night<\/strong><\/p>\n [youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9DDrO6ij5Zs&feature=related]<\/p>\n Bruce Springsteen isn\u2019t the best guitarist in his own band (Nils Lofgren is), and it doesn\u2019t matter because the man is simply raw. He pours his complete soul into every syllable and every note. I have a DVD of a 2005 concert in Barcelona — within 15 minutes he is drenched in sweat. He shows you that you don\u2019t need great technique to rock hard. He doesn\u2019t just champion the everyman in his lyrics — he plays guitar like the everyman. He makes me wish I was from Jersey. Bruce is a fucking force of nature, and that\u2019s the only thing that can explain how 40 years later, he is rocking harder than ever.<\/p>\n Guthrie Govan – Waves<\/strong><\/p>\n [youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tEpst3W6KD8]<\/p>\n Props to Samson Koelle for showing me the light that is GOVAN. For the record this solo is improvised. At first, Waves sounds a lot like that Guitar Hero song Through the Fire and Flames, but I\u2019ve heard that that solo is actually performed on keyboard. And even if it were played on guitar, it wouldn\u2019t hold a candle to Waves. Govan doesn\u2019t even need a snazzy song name to do the talking for him. And as evident at the beginning of this video, you don\u2019t want him to do the talking either. He has no stage presence. He\u2019s the opposite of Springsteen. He isn\u2019t a performer — he is pure, uncut guitar cocaine.<\/p>\n Stanley Jordan – Stairway to Heaven<\/strong><\/p>\n [youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Q8A_IP5YB2g]<\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure what Stanley Jordan is wearing, but he is playing two guitars at once. In the original Stairway to Heaven, Jimmy Page\u2019s solo is the culmination of a 6-minute buildup, thus making the payoff that much greater. Jordan starts soloing after less than 4 minutes, and he doesn\u2019t have the benefit of Robert Plant\u2019s backup vocals, and he pretty much just plays the Page solo verbatim, in a jazzier, less exciting manner. But — he is playing two guitars at once.<\/p>\n John Legend and The Roots – I Can’t Write Left Handed<\/strong><\/p>\n [youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QnlgRQdfONs]<\/p>\n First of all, fuck Vevo. Second of all, this is probably one of the better songs ever written, and Kirk Douglas\u2019 solo derives its dopeness from its context as much as its own merit. John Legend + The Roots + a BIll Withers song = automatic. They kill it. Literally. I doubt anyone could ever top this rendition of the song. by the time John Legend hands it off to Kirk, the song is gasping for air on the ground, all Kirk has to do is bring the hammer down to finish the job. And he brings the Hammer of Thor.<\/p>\n Hopefully this post has deepened your love of rocking out. If you want to share an epic solo, feel free to post it in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rocking out is universal because it\u2019s all about unleashing the inner beast. Volume is critical; it\u2019s more satisfying to yell \u2018fuck you\u2019 then mutter it under your breath. As such, we ought to thank the dude who invented the guitar amp for giving the world the gift of rocking out. It’s easy, all you gotta […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":164,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[57,72,188,219,404,438,440],"contributors":[536],"seasons":[479],"class_list":["post-75","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-bill-withers","tag-bruce-springsteen-john-legend","tag-guthrie-govan","tag-john-mayer","tag-shred","tag-the-boss","tag-the-roots","contributors-danny-schwartz","seasons-479"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n