Easy
Commodores, 1977. Solo by Thomas McClary.
A soft soul ballad that suddenly breaks into a distorted, rock-style guitar solo.
For most of its length, Easy is as relaxed as its title, a soft piano-led soul ballad with Lionel Richie's warm vocal. Then Thomas McClary steps in with a distorted, rock-style solo that seems to arrive from another record entirely. He does not overplay it, though; the lines are melodic and unhurried, bent with feeling and sitting comfortably over the gentle changes. That jolt of overdrive in a smooth soul ballad helped blur the line between R&B and rock radio in the late 1970s. Listen for the moment the tone first cuts through, and notice how quickly the ear accepts it because McClary keeps the melody so singable.
Easy by Commodores is ranked #328 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Thomas McClary and the song was released in 1977. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #93 (Rolling Stone).
In our lists
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on Easy?
Thomas McClary played the solo on Commodores's Easy (1977).
Where does Easy rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#328 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.