Country isn't usually the place I would go to when it comes to a guitar solo. Typically, I adore the peddle steel and the general twang in how someone plays the instrument on a song. But an outright solo is something I associate with rock music. I think Guns N' Roses or Prince's take on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" or "Purple Rain" as shining examples. However, I'm pleased to learn that there's more examples of country artists shredding on a solo than I realized.
Videos by Wide Open Country
In fairness, there are quite a few that don't warrant the excess and indulgence that comes with a good guitar solo. Sometimes, they end up sounding like an episode of Friday Night Lights, cheap and vaguely inspirational. Moreover, a lot of times, artist dip into the territories of southern rock versus the true essence of country. Then, you end up with a lot of guys sounding like just another offshoot of Hootie & The Blowfish. However, when it's good, it's truly great. Here's a few of the best country guitar solos that truly opened up my imagination.
Three of My Favorite Guitar Solos in Country Music
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit- "Overseas"
Indie country plays by a different set of rules. They have the liberty and courage to exercise their lyrical and musical creativity in a way that mainstream Nashville doesn't. The drums, the guitar, it doesn't have certain mixing choices that give country radio its sheen. I'd argue Jason Isbell is the face of the indie country and he hasn't missed on an album yet. A lot of my favorites are devastating but they're quieter in nature. However, his ability to channel that devastation into something huge with his band The 400 Unit, it's unparalleled.
On "Overseas," Sadler Vaden absolutely crushes on his solo. The record builds alongside Jason Isbell's crushing lyrics about the distance, literally and figuratively, between him and his partner. Between each verse and hook, Vaden shreds, accentuating the distance further and further. His guitar howls as the weary restlessness increases with Isbell. It's one thing to rip a solo for the sake of showing off. It's another thing entirely to coincide the way you play a song with its devastating themes.
Brad Paisley- "Nervous Breakdown"
This goes down as a hall of fame caliber solo solely on the merits of the technical proficiency. There's an argument to be made that Brad Paisley is the greatest country star to touch the guitar. "Nervous Breakdown" plays exactly as you might imagine, a dizzying display where the instrument mirrors a full blown panic attack of sorts. It sounds like a montage where the footage is sped up and someone is doing a thousand different things at once. It looks like Paisley's doing the same as he's playing. His fingers are moving all over the strings at an insane pace, every note launching like a firecracker.
Dwight Yoakam- "Fast as You"
This feels like the quintessential guitar solo without digging into the Highwaymen or Merle Haggard territory. Dwight Yoakam really knows how to split the difference between showing off the skillset with assuring it doesn't distract from the song. What goes pretty underrated here is how difficult it is to dance and gyrate while playing. He's trying not to look like a complete dork and get the ladies fawning for him. Meanwhile, he's paying attention to how he works the strings and ensuring he doesn't harsh the vibe by missing a note. It's real guitar wizardry during his solo.
