“Is there soul in it? Is there a purpose to it other than just being flashy?”: Alex Lifeson on social media guitarists and solos
When it comes to guitar solos, Alex Lifeson feels less is more.
Lifeson released a new album with his supergroup Envy Of None back in March. The record, titled Stygian Wavz, marks the second release from the band. Within it, he says he ended up recording far more solos than he thought he would, but feels that crucially, they all serve a purpose.
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Speaking to The Prog Report, he says [via Ultimate Guitar]: “Even towards the end with Rush, I soloed a lot less. I love doing them, but if I don’t feel that they have a real intended position in a song – unless you’re doing something for the song – it’s just a little ‘faffy.’ It’s just kind of showing off. And that’s okay, but you can go on Instagram and see a thousand amazing guitar players who can play like crazy. But is there soul in it? Is there a purpose to it other than just being flashy?”
Lifeson outlines track The Story as an example of where a solo feels purposeful: “It became the most important part of the song for me… The solo is just doing this little job of setting Maiah [Wynne, vocalist] up to deliver that last line and that signature little riff that comes in, in that part. That’s the high point of the song for me. So it’s just getting to it and how to achieve it. And I treat all the solos on the record like that, and there are actually more.”
He adds, “I was surprised to hear more solos than I thought I put on the record. But I really enjoyed it, and it got me thinking about really doing that again. I think I’m distinctive in how I create solos, how I compose them. So why not? I think that’s a strength that I should be more aware of.”
Envy Of None’s Stygian Wavz is available now to stream or buy.
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