# Slave to the Traffic Light guitar solo

> Trey Anastasio's guitar solo on Slave to the Traffic Light by Phish (1995) starts at about 4:40. From the album A Live One. Played on a Languedoc.

Canonical URL: <https://greatestsolos.com/song/phish-slave-to-the-traffic-light/>

Phish, 1995, from *A Live One*. Solo by *Trey Anastasio*.

A slow-building release jam where Anastasio's sustained notes rise to a climactic close.

Slave to the Traffic Light is built almost entirely around one long release, and the A Live One version shows why fans wait for it. The jam starts soft and spacious, with Trey Anastasio playing sustained notes and gentle figures over a slow, circling progression. As the band gradually lifts the volume and density, his notes stretch longer and climb higher, relying on sustain and feedback-edged tone rather than fast runs. The peak arrives as a wash of held, soaring lines before the song settles back down. It is a clear example of Phish's instinct for the long build. Listen for how Anastasio lets single notes ring across chord changes, so the harmony shifts beneath a line that stays suspended in place.

Slave to the Traffic Light by Phish is featured in our Jam (#16) list. The solo is played by Trey Anastasio and the song was released in 1995.

## In our lists

- [The 25 Greatest Jam Band Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/jam/) — #16
- [Greatest Live Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/live/) — #25
- [The Best Phish Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/phish-guitar-solos/) — #2
- [Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1995](https://greatestsolos.com/list/best-guitar-solos-1995/) — #13

## Sources

### Who played the guitar solo on Slave to the Traffic Light?

Trey Anastasio played the solo on Phish's Slave to the Traffic Light (1995).

### What guitar was used on the Slave to the Traffic Light solo?

A languedoc, according to widely reported accounts.

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