La Tristesse Durera
Manic Street Preachers, 1993, from Gold Against the Soul. Solo by James Dean Bradfield.
La Tristesse Durera shows James Dean Bradfield's gift for melodic hard-rock soloing within a tightly written song. His lead is concise and singable, built from clear phrases that follow the song's melancholy mood rather than breaking away from it. The Les Paul tone is warm and thick, with a hint of 1980s hard rock in the sustain and vibrato. At a time when British guitar music was often suspicious of solos, Bradfield made them part of the band's identity. The solo feels like a second vocal line, carrying emotion the lyrics only suggest. Listen for how the solo's final phrase resolves straight back into the chorus, as though the whole thing were written for that transition.
La Tristesse Durera by Manic Street Preachers is ranked #217 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by James Dean Bradfield and the song was released in 1993. It appears on 2 lists, placing as high as #44 (NME).
In our lists
Sources
- NME: 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #44
- Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #119
Who played the guitar solo on La Tristesse Durera?
James Dean Bradfield played the solo on Manic Street Preachers's La Tristesse Durera (1993).
What guitar was used on the La Tristesse Durera solo?
A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does La Tristesse Durera rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#217 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 2 of them.