# Race with Devil on Spanish Highway guitar solo

> The guitar solo on Race with Devil on Spanish Highway by Al Di Meola (1977). From the album Elegant Gypsy. Ranked #363 of all time across 80 lists.

Canonical URL: <https://greatestsolos.com/song/al-di-meola-race-with-devil-on-spanish-highway/>

Al Di Meola, 1977, from *Elegant Gypsy*. Solo by *Al Di Meola*.

The Elegant Gypsy centerpiece; fast, precise alternate picking in unison with the band.

Race with Devil on Spanish Highway is the centerpiece of Elegant Gypsy, and it shows Al Di Meola's precise alternate picking at full speed. Playing a Gibson Les Paul, he races through intricate lines in unison with the band, the tempo and meter shifting constantly. Between the ensemble passages, his solos combine rock force with flamenco-influenced phrasing and sharp palm-muted runs. It became a benchmark for technical guitar in the late 1970s and a proving ground for a generation of pickers. Listen for the muted, percussive attack he uses on fast passages, which gives each note a clipped, staccato clarity.

Race with Devil on Spanish Highway by Al Di Meola is ranked #363 in our consensus of 80 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Al Di Meola and the song was released in 1977.

## In our lists

- [The 25 Greatest Fusion Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/fusion/) — #11
- [The Best Al Di Meola Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/al-di-meola-guitar-solos/) — #1
- [Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1977](https://greatestsolos.com/list/best-guitar-solos-1977/) — #18

## Sources

- [Guitar Player: The 40 Most Important Guitar Solos of the 20th Century](https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/the-40-most-important-guitar-solos-of-the-20th-century)

### Who played the guitar solo on Race with Devil on Spanish Highway?

Al Di Meola played the solo on Al Di Meola's Race with Devil on Spanish Highway (1977).

### What guitar was used on the Race with Devil on Spanish Highway solo?

A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.

### Where does Race with Devil on Spanish Highway rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#363 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 80 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.

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