Tales of Brave Ulysses

Cream, 1967, from Disraeli Gears. Solo by Eric Clapton.

One of the first rock recordings to feature wah-wah pedal, which Clapton uses to shape the song's sound.

Tales of Brave Ulysses is one of the earliest rock recordings to feature a wah-wah pedal, and Eric Clapton uses it to shape the whole song's atmosphere. His lines sweep and swell, the pedal giving them a vocal, almost talking quality that matches the song's mythological, dreamlike lyrics. Rather than using wah as a gimmick, Clapton integrates it into the song's structure, adding colour and movement. Its influence on psychedelic and hard rock guitar was enormous. Listen for how the wah shapes each phrase, opening and closing like a mouth, and for the way the guitar interacts with the heavy bass and drums, creating a swirling, hypnotic groove.

Tales of Brave Ulysses by Cream is ranked #336 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Eric Clapton and the song was released in 1967. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #73 (Digital Dream Door).

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Psychedelic Guitar Solos — #19
• Wah & Talk Box Solos — #13
• Best of Eric Clapton — #7
• The Best Cream Guitar Solos — #7
• The Best Eric Clapton Guitar Solos — #15

Sources

• Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #73