Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy

Mr. Big, 1991, from Lean into It. Solo by Paul Gilbert.

Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy is where Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheehan famously brought power drills into the solo section, fitting picks to the bits to produce a blur of rapid notes. It is a gimmick, but it is backed by genuine chops: the surrounding solo passages include blistering tapping, alternate picking and tight unison lines between guitar and bass. The song captures the playful, competitive spirit of early-1990s shred, when players delighted in outdoing one another. Gilbert's tone is tight and articulate, perfect for fast passages. It remains a favorite demonstration piece for guitar and bass duos. Listen for the unison run between Gilbert and Sheehan, where the two instruments move so precisely they sound like one.

Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy by Mr. Big is ranked #163 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Paul Gilbert and the song was released in 1991. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #5 (Nomad Diary).

In our lists

• One and Only — #24
• The Modern Canon: Best Since 1990 — #43
• The 25 Greatest Shred Guitar Solos — #11
• Tapping — #8
• The Best Mr. Big Guitar Solos — #2
• The Best Paul Gilbert Guitar Solos — #3

Sources

• Nomad Diary: ギター歴17年の僕がおすすめする、ギターソロが最高にかっこいい17曲 — #5
• guitarguitar: Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time — #21
• Magazyn Gitarzysta: 100 solówek wszech czasów [100 solos of all time] — #92