The first technically proficient shredding on a rock record?

YellowSnow

YellowSnow

Moderator
Staff member
Swaye's Wigwam
I was thinking about this the other day, and the first example of "shredding" I could think of, was the 2:15 mark of Heartbreaker on Zep II.

A quick search on Wikipedia confirmed my hunch:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shred_guitar

Zep II has never really been surpassed as "heavy" guitars record BTW.
 
Last edited:
I think Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) has some shredding
 
I think Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) has some shredding
Click to expand...

I could see an argument for made for this. At about 2:10, there's some "proto" shredding licks. Still a little too greasy and blues based to be REAL shredding.
 
I'd also put Jeff Beck's outro soloing at about 2:00 min mark on I'm a Man as some proto shredding @JoeEDangerously .
 
Great subject… love this question. Kinda does depend on what you consider to be shredding in that are you saying rapid and precise guitar? Or are you also including distortion as part of the total sound [most people consider that shredding needs to incorporate fuzz busting to be Bonafide]

Early adopters and wave shapers absolutely include the obvious candidates of early career Jimmi Page and Eric Clapton as the precision players with the level and complexity + speed of execution which are at the heart of shredding… Page and LED ZEP add in the distortion later in a classic display of the new nation of cool.

One of the early examples of Shredding with Distortion as a defined sound was the Classic Innagodadavida 17 minute recording which largely amounts to a Shredding with distortion beginning at 3:30 of the video…


You also kind of have to include Blackmore as one of the leading early creators of the fuzz busting with taste and texture Shredding sound as he was rocking that sound prior to Deep Purple and continued on from there… a lot of people would say that he IS the true creator of Shredding…

The other amusing thing is the obvious origins of shredding without distortion that occurs in throughout the history of country music…check out glen campbell back in the day…
 
Larry Carlton at the 2 minute mark, through the outro. He said it was the only spontaneous solo he’s done on record. IIRC, he did two takes, and Donald and Walter mashed them together…
 
Larry Carlton at the 2 minute mark, through the outro. He said it was the only spontaneous solo he’s done on record. IIRC, he did two takes, and Donald and Walter mashed them together…
Click to expand...

Upvote since Kid Charlemagne is on my Mt Rushmore of favorite guitar solos. So is Peg off Aja.

But there's nothing "technically, proficient shredding" on any Steely Dan recording. Ever.

It's jazz based noodling and it's amazing, but does not "shred".
 
I'm in the same vein as @TheRoarOfTheCrowd for shredding definition. I'll add the solo should have multiple 16th notes and multiple scale runups and run downs.

I know this topic is about rock, but this classical piece is an excellent example of shredding. The run at 1:20 and the outro are infuckingcredible. You definitely hear this in Yngwie Malmsteen's solos....and it's esoteric enough that even @creepycoug has to approve
 
Larry Carlton at the 2 minute mark, through the outro. He said it was the only spontaneous solo he’s done on record. IIRC, he did two takes, and Donald and Walter mashed them together…
Click to expand...

Upvote since Kid Charlemagne is on my Mt Rushmore of favorite guitar solos. So is Peg off Aja.

But there's nothing "technically, proficient shredding" on any Steely Dan recording. Ever.

It's jazz based noodling and it's amazing, but does not "shred".
Click to expand...
 
Larry Carlton at the 2 minute mark, through the outro. He said it was the only spontaneous solo he’s done on record. IIRC, he did two takes, and Donald and Walter mashed them together…
Click to expand...

Upvote since Kid Charlemagne is on my Mt Rushmore of favorite guitar solos. So is Peg off Aja.

But there's nothing "technically, proficient shredding" on any Steely Dan recording. Ever.

It's jazz based noodling and it's amazing, but does not "shred".
Click to expand...

I actually listened, rather than roll my eyes at the thought of a Steely Dan shredding solo, and it definitely sounds like jazz rock you'd hear at the mall in the 90's while trying on your soon-to-be favorite pair of Dockers pants.
 
I was thinking about this the other day, and the first example of "shredding" I could think of, was the 2:15 mark of Heartbreaker on Zep II.

A quick search on Wikipedia confirmed my hunch:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shred_guitar

Zep II has never really been surpassed as "heavy" guitars record BTW.
Click to expand...

Triple shit post incoming.

Kinda bluesy sounding, still. Shredding as an actual, intentional thing probably came around, what, 7-8 years after this album? Too revisionist to then run back and find the first precursor to actual shredding, IMO. If everything was invented and perfected by Zeppelin, rock was born and died in the 60's.
 
I'm in the same vein as @TheRoarOfTheCrowd for shredding definition. I'll add the solo should have multiple 16th notes and multiple scale runups and run downs.

I know this topic is about rock, but this classical piece is an excellent example of shredding. The run at 1:20 and the outro are infuckingcredible. You definitely hear this in Yngwie Malmsteen's solos....and it's esoteric enough that even @creepycoug has to approve
Click to expand...

Quality post… @Bad_MotherDucker, i enjoyed the thought process behind your post
 
Last edited:
I was thinking about this the other day, and the first example of "shredding" I could think of, was the 2:15 mark of Heartbreaker on Zep II.

A quick search on Wikipedia confirmed my hunch:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shred_guitar

Zep II has never really been surpassed as "heavy" guitars record BTW.
Click to expand...

Triple shit post incoming.

Kinda bluesy sounding, still. Shredding as an actual, intentional thing probably came around, what, 7-8 years after this album? Too revisionist to then run back and find the first precursor to actual shredding, IMO. If everything was invented and perfected by Zeppelin, rock was born and died in the 60's.
Click to expand...

While I think Zep is certainly the greatest of the "heavy" bands of all time, plenty came after them- i.e., VH, Metallica, etc. They didn't everything. And you're right, Page hadn't fully left the blues behind here which I think you really need to do to be truly technically proficient shredding. But it's getting darn close right here. So maybe "proto shredding" is the better label, much like how "proto punk" laid the ground work for REAL "punk".

So is Eruption the birth of true shredding?
 
Larry Carlton at the 2 minute mark, through the outro. He said it was the only spontaneous solo he’s done on record. IIRC, he did two takes, and Donald and Walter mashed them together…
Click to expand...

Upvote since Kid Charlemagne is on my Mt Rushmore of favorite guitar solos. So is Peg off Aja.

But there's nothing "technically, proficient shredding" on any Steely Dan recording. Ever.

It's jazz based noodling and it's amazing, but does not "shred".
Click to expand...

I actually listened, rather than roll my eyes at the thought of a Steely Dan shredding solo, and it definitely sounds like jazz rock you'd hear at the mall in the 90's while trying on your soon-to-be favorite pair of Dockers pants.
Click to expand...

Steely Dan is way too outside your wheel house. It will never make sense.

If you buy a sail boat to moor on Lake Union, let me know and we'll you in the club.

1g1whg.jpg

 
Last edited:
Larry Carlton at the 2 minute mark, through the outro. He said it was the only spontaneous solo he’s done on record. IIRC, he did two takes, and Donald and Walter mashed them together…
Click to expand...

Upvote since Kid Charlemagne is on my Mt Rushmore of favorite guitar solos. So is Peg off Aja.

But there's nothing "technically, proficient shredding" on any Steely Dan recording. Ever.

It's jazz based noodling and it's amazing, but does not "shred".
Click to expand...

I actually listened, rather than roll my eyes at the thought of a Steely Dan shredding solo, and it definitely sounds like jazz rock you'd hear at the mall in the 90's while trying on your soon-to-be favorite pair of Dockers pants.
Click to expand...

Steely Dan is way too outside your wheel house. It will never make sense.

If you buy a sail boat to moor on Lake Union, let me know and we'll you in the club.

1g1whg.jpg
Click to expand...

These little yacht rock videos were so original and so fucking funny
 
Larry Carlton at the 2 minute mark, through the outro. He said it was the only spontaneous solo he’s done on record. IIRC, he did two takes, and Donald and Walter mashed them together…
Click to expand...

Upvote since Kid Charlemagne is on my Mt Rushmore of favorite guitar solos. So is Peg off Aja.

But there's nothing "technically, proficient shredding" on any Steely Dan recording. Ever.

It's jazz based noodling and it's amazing, but does not "shred".
Click to expand...

I actually listened, rather than roll my eyes at the thought of a Steely Dan shredding solo, and it definitely sounds like jazz rock you'd hear at the mall in the 90's while trying on your soon-to-be favorite pair of Dockers pants.
Click to expand...

Steely Dan is way too outside your wheel house. It will never make sense.

If you buy a sail boat to moor on Lake Union, let me know and we'll you in the club.

1g1whg.jpg
Click to expand...

These little yacht rock videos were so original and so fucking funny
Click to expand...

They were fucking amazing. Just perfect.

Michael McDonald with Dre Dre and Warren G takes the cake.
 
Somehow I started listening to Iron Maiden for this project. How did I not know Run to the Hills is a @Swaye anthem.

There's a reason we had @UW_Doog_Bot run the All Metal NIT.

8b8b376a-694a-4f3e-82c3-187e1fa05a62_text.gif

 
I was thinking about this the other day, and the first example of "shredding" I could think of, was the 2:15 mark of Heartbreaker on Zep II.

A quick search on Wikipedia confirmed my hunch:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shred_guitar

Zep II has never really been surpassed as "heavy" guitars record BTW.
Click to expand...

Triple shit post incoming.

Kinda bluesy sounding, still. Shredding as an actual, intentional thing probably came around, what, 7-8 years after this album? Too revisionist to then run back and find the first precursor to actual shredding, IMO. If everything was invented and perfected by Zeppelin, rock was born and died in the 60's.
Click to expand...

While I think Zep is certainly the greatest of the "heavy" bands of all time, plenty came after them- i.e., VH, Metallica, etc. They didn't everything. And you're right, Page hadn't fully left the blues behind here which I think you really need to do to be truly technically proficient shredding. But it's getting darn close right here. So maybe "proto shredding" is the better label, much like how "proto punk" laid the ground work for REAL "punk".

So is Eruption the birth of true shredding?[/b]
Click to expand...

IMO it is the birth. No one had combined tremolo picking, two hand tap, and dive bar action like that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top