Watermelon in Easter Hay

Frank Zappa, 1979, from Joe's Garage Act III. Solo by Frank Zappa.

A tender solo in 9/4.

This is Zappa at his most lyrical. Over a hypnotic, repeating vamp in 9/4, he plays a long solo built from sustained notes, gentle bends and melodic ideas that unfold slowly, with none of the sardonic humor his records are known for. The tone is warm and singing, and he lets phrases stretch across the unusual meter so it never sounds like counting. Many fans consider it his most emotional guitar statement, and it shows how natural odd time can feel in the right hands. Listen for how he lets certain notes sustain across the bar line, blurring where the nine-beat cycle begins and ends, so the whole piece seems to float.

Watermelon in Easter Hay by Frank Zappa is ranked #131 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Frank Zappa and the song was released in 1979. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #33 (uDiscover Music).

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Fusion Guitar Solos — #12
• The 25 Greatest Guitar Instrumentals — #16
• The 25 Greatest Prog Guitar Solos — #15
• Instrumentals — #16
• Ballad Solos — #18
• SGs & Telecasters — #19
• The Best Frank Zappa Guitar Solos — #1

Sources

• uDiscover Music: The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments — #33
• Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #69
• Classic Rock (Louder): The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock — #74