Baby's on Fire
Brian Eno, 1974. Solo by Robert Fripp.
A needling scream from a guest in the studio.
Robert Fripp's guest solo takes over the middle of this Brian Eno song, and it sounds nothing like a conventional rock break. His tone is rasping and heavily fuzzed, and his lines are long, angular and relentless, circling around a few notes as if trying to drill through the track. It's abrasive, but it's also thrilling, and it became one of Fripp's most admired moments outside King Crimson. The contrast with Eno's playful, sneering vocal makes the solo feel even more alien. Listen for how Fripp keeps adding tension without resolving it, stretching the solo well beyond the point where most guitarists would stop.
Baby's on Fire by Brian Eno is ranked #133 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Robert Fripp and the song was released in 1974. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #41 (uDiscover Music).
In our lists
- One and Only — #18
- The 25 Greatest Glam Guitar Solos — #3
- Guest Solos — #4
- Whammy, Fuzz & Feedback — #11
Sources
- uDiscover Music: The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments — #41
- Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #57
- Paste Magazine: Paste Panel: Our writers' favorite guitar solos ever
Who played the guitar solo on Baby's on Fire?
Robert Fripp played the solo on Brian Eno's Baby's on Fire (1974).
What guitar was used on the Baby's on Fire solo?
A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Baby's on Fire rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#133 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 3 of them.