Your Top 10 John Petrucci Guitar Solos (DT only)

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I am sure this has been done before but perhaps not in a while. My top 10 changes once a year probably but I tend to skew towards the ones that have a long build up to a climax.

1. Best of Times
2. Breaking All Illusions
3. Spirit Carries On
4. Lines in the Sand
5. Learning to Live
6. Another Day
7. Behind the Veil
8. Wit's End (finale)
9. Barstool Warrior
10. Under a Glass Moon

Honorable mentions: Pull Me Under, Goodnight Kiss

[WilliamMunny]

Fun thread idea!

I don't have time to sift through them all now, but I've literally spent months leaning some of JP's parts over the years, and in general, his technique has always been off the charts.

That all said, as a listener, I really gravitate toward his early playing, where it felt like he left a little room for improv here and there. "Lines in the Sand," "Voices," and especially "Take Away my Pain" immediately come to mind.

Obviously, he has continued to progress, but his playing post 8VM has largely failed to connect with mr. Call it 'sports guitar' or what have you, but he is clearly in a league of his own. I just wish he dialed back a bit every now and then. In fact, if I had to describe his general lead playing the days, I'd use words like 'cold,' 'calculated,' and 'sterile.'

He's still one of my faves, but my top 10 would likely only come from Scenes and earlier.

[gzarruk]

I think I'd need a separate top 10 list for his faster solos and another for his top 10 melodic/slower stuff That's how awesome this guy is.

[gborland]

Octavarium/Razor's Edge
Voices

[Architeuthis]

Awesome, this will be fun!  I need to put some thought into this for a while before I post. I appreciate that you did not make this thread a poll.. JP has too many great solos. This will give me something to ponder at work today since I'll be on a mower most of the time.. 

[krands85]

It's amazing how many incredible solos he has. A good few immediately come to mind as among my favourites, but I'll have a proper think about it tomorrow.

[Lonk]

First 10 that came to mind, in no particular order.

Lines in the Sand
Goodnight Kiss
This Dying Soul (Ending)
In The Presence of Enemies, Pt. 1 (Slow solo during the intro)
This is the Life
At Wits End (Ending)
A Change of Seasons (Another World)
Voices
A New Beginning (Ending)
Barstool Warrior

[dualpalmpilots]

Top 10 is tough to answer, but I think about the Budokan Hollow Years solo a lot.

[Dream Team]

I may modify this in the future but . . .

Under a Glass Moon
A Change of Seasons (last solo)
Home
The Great Debate
Octavarium (outro)
The Best of Times
Breaking all Illusions
Illumination Theory (outro)
A New Beginning
S2N

[nobloodyname]

Top 10 is tough to answer, but I think about the Budokan Hollow Years solo a lot.

So do I... in terms of how much of a tasteless shredfest it becomes

Too many good solos for me although I've noticed them getting quite samey on the newer material.

[Stadler]

There is no doubt that Petrucci is a world-class soloist and there are a lot of moments where I'm like "wow, is that just delicious".  But I don't think he has a "Comfortably Numb" or a "Stairway To Heaven" where you hear three notes and go  "Yup, that's it!" unless you're a die hard DT fan.

[sfam2112]

Scarred
Voices
Under A Glass Moon
Lines in The Sand
The Glass Prison arpeggio
Erotomania
Trial of Tears
A New Beginning
Bridges in The Sky
Learning To Live (after F#)

Honorable Mentions: Take The Time outro, Caught in A Web unison (because I'm learning it)

I'm sure this will change. Just what I thought of off the top of my head.

[WilliamMunny]

There is no doubt that Petrucci is a world-class soloist and there are a lot of moments where I'm like "wow, is that just delicious".  But I don't think he has a "Comfortably Numb" or a "Stairway To Heaven" where you hear three notes and go  "Yup, that's it!" unless you're a die hard DT fan.

Not that I totally disagree, but that might have more to do with Classic Rock radio than anything–I've probably heard "Comfortably Numb" seven trillion times at this point in my life.

That all said, I think "Lines in the Sand" might be in the same league as what you described above. That solo is a masterclass in taste, and might be JP's "Comfortably Numb"

[Lonk]

There is no doubt that Petrucci is a world-class soloist and there are a lot of moments where I'm like "wow, is that just delicious".  But I don't think he has a "Comfortably Numb" or a "Stairway To Heaven" where you hear three notes and go  "Yup, that's it!" unless you're a die hard DT fan.

Not that I totally disagree, but that might have more to do with Classic Rock radio than anything–I've probably heard "Comfortably Numb" seven trillion times at this point in my life.

That all said, I think "Lines in the Sand" might be in the same league as what you described above. That solo is a masterclass in taste, and might be JP's "Comfortably Numb"

Agree, all those iconic solos came from the same era for a reason.

[Architeuthis]

JP has many solos that are right up there with Comfortably Numb.  Razors Edge, Best of Times, Goodnight Kiss, AVFTTOTW,  Breaking All illusions, come to mind immediately..

My favorite solos,
Under a Glass Moon
Scarred
Beyond This Life
Stream of Consciousness
Razors Edge
The Dark Eternal Night
The Count of Tuscany (volume swell section)
Moment of Betrayal
Our New World
The Alien
These ten solos that I listed could easily be swapped three or four times by other solos in the DT catalog.   

[jingle.boy]

Before the release of BCSL (and pre-DTF crash - so the threads are lost), I did a "Favorite DTF Moments" Survivor.  I tried to re-do it in 2012, but flamed out.  Anywho, 15 years ago, here's what DTF voted as JP's fave guitar solos

Studio:
Images & Words / Under A Glass Moon / 4:37-5:35
Octavarium / Octavarium / 21:25-23:05
Awake / Voices / 7:24-8:19
6DOIT / 6DOIT: Goodnight Kiss / 3:14-6:17
Falling to Infinity / Hells Kitchen / 0:57-2:18
Scenes From A Memory / The Spirit Carries On / 2:51-4:22
Falling to Infinity / Lines in the Sand / 5:40-7:26
A Change of Seasons   / 17:00-18:40
A Change of Seasons   / 15:38-16:29
Systematic Chaos / Repentance / 4:38-5:44

[TheCountOfNYC]

01: The Best of Times
02: The Spirit Carries On
03: Octavarium (Razor's Edge)
04: Goodnight Kiss
05: Breaking All Illusions
06: The Shattered Fortress
07: Innocence Faded
08: A Change of Seasons (Another World)
09: Lines in the Sand
10: Repentance

[Dream Team]

^ Amazing list

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Great minds think alike!

[Trav]

01: The Best of Times
02: The Spirit Carries On
03: Octavarium (Razor's Edge)
04: Goodnight Kiss
05: Breaking All Illusions
06: The Shattered Fortress
07: Innocence Faded
08: A Change of Seasons (Another World)
09: Lines in the Sand
10: Repentance

I won't even bother making a list. I'm just gonna use yours. Perfect.

[Wim Kruithof]

Not mentioned this far but the only one solo, best of all, The Bigger Picture.

Not that complex or fast, but the lazyness and sheer perfection gives me Gilmour-vibes each time I hear it. And that's a remarkeble accomplishment.

[Trav]

Not mentioned this far but the only one solo, best of all, The Bigger Picture.

Not that complex or fast, but the lazyness and sheer perfection gives me Gilmour-vibes each time I hear it. And that's a remarkeble accomplishment.

That is a great one. Comes across well live too.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Not mentioned this far but the only one solo, best of all, The Bigger Picture.

Not that complex or fast, but the lazyness and sheer perfection gives me Gilmour-vibes each time I hear it. And that's a remarkeble accomplishment.

That is a great one. Comes across well live too.

Agree! It is a great solo and a great song. Very underrated on both fronts.

[Dave_Manchester]

1. The Best of Times
2. Octavarium (Razor's Edge)
3. Voices
4. Home
5. Blind Faith
6. Erotomania
7. The Count of Tuscany (end solo)
8. Lines in the Sand
9. Stream of Consciousness (end solo)
10. The Shattered Fortress

Bonus tracks! Top 5 live solos:

1. In The Name of God (live at Budokan, outro solo)
2. Hollow Years (live at Budokan)
3. John and Theresa solo spot (Live Scenes from New York)
4. (Intro to) The Spirit Carries On (Score)
5. Surrounded (Chaos in Motion)

[Dream Team]

Regarding those live solos, the first 2 you listed, I love the way they start out but then they get a little too shreddy. I like some of the extra solos he did on Metropolis with Charlie and Derek.