The trouble with J Mascis' solos is that he forgets that they have to have an ending as well as a beginning, and they end up going on too long and becoming unfocussed.

The exception to that rule: "Maggot Brain" on Mike Watt's "Ballhog or Tugboat", but that's possibly because it's (a) a studio recording and (b) a cover version.

yeh but sometimes it works so well. Like the second show at ATP he soloed on forget the swan for like 5 minutes and it was insane. I always love the live solos on raisans and kracked, i could listen to him solo on those forever but your right on some songs it gets a little repetitive and tiring. Still if i could play like that then why the hell not

5 minutes forget the swan? fuck yes!!!

his live solos are way better, they're way different than on the record

No, it's when he plays live that he forgets how to stop.

yes they are different. i guess cause the solos on the records were probably impovised

I really like the end solo to Holy Wars by Megadeth. Thats probably my favorite right now.

Speaking of Dinosaur jr, Kracked (live) has a cool solo.

yeah, j's wah is fucking powerfull

its all about re-ac-tor

Dear god, my memory must have some problems....I wanted to open a thred for "your favourite guitar solo/freakout" and I wanted to put in exactly those two. Then, not to spam the board, I did a little search and this comes up. FU*k.

nicfit's neurons' expiration date : 6 months.

the live solo from school on the Wishkah album is one of the heaviest moments in distorted guitar history.......

Everyone knows the best guitar solos are in metal!! Angel of death by slayer springs to mind.

I love his awesome solo on the live version of 'what else is new' on the expanded and remastered dino album, 'where you been'.

nearly everything Mick Taylor ever played on with The Rolling Stones live and in the studio

nearly everything Mick Ronson ever played on with Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars

nearly everything Stevie Ray Vaughan ever played live

every song Jimi Hendrix ever played with a guitar solo (someone must have surely mentioned the studio "All Along the Watchtower") edit: ooh i see...my personal faves are also probably Voodoo Chile and Spanish Castle Magic...

Jimmy Page (songs too numerous to list also)

Elliot Easton - Bye Bye Love, Night Spots, Shake It Up, etc. by The Cars (as a curveball of sorts)

i'm choosing to end this here for now./.

Frank Zappa - The Muffin Man, on Bongo Fury (featuring Captain Beefheart)

Zappa - Willie The Pimp with Capt Beefheart

Gimme indie Rock - Sebadoh
Gold Soundz - Pavement

brick is red by the pixies is just some lovely lead playing throughout, not exactly a solo but lovely nonetheless, same with ana,

floyd the barber

take the veil cerpin taxt by the mars volta

I'd like to mention the solo on Tom Wait's hoist that rag. It just plain rules.

of course, Marc Ribot

Real Gone was okay...good

how 'bout Neil Young's extended explosions...on Like A Hurricane or Cortez the Killer say...

by no means the greatest but easily the funniest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSNLfa1VPwo

Julian Cope on "Safe Surfer". Or whoever it is that plays guitar on that.

Misirlou!!!!!!!!!

pretty much any necrophagist solo.

I agree with Maggot Brain, Eddie Hazel is amazing.
Every solo on Sleep's Dopesmoker, I can think of one in particular in my head but it's pretty hard to discribe.
Actually any Matt Pike solo, except on that Kalas album.
Rocket From the Tombs "30 seconds over Tokyo".

I completely agree... Mascis' style got too smooth as he got better at playing solos, and the later ones are just not as good. Solos off the first three dinosaur albums... My god. Amazing.

The start of that solo in Raisans is just the best ever.

Also, Paranoid Android by Radiohead. Big fan of radiohead solos. Bloc Party too, though the guitarist in Bloc Party basically rips off Jonny Greenwood...