Bridge of Sighs guitar solo
Robin Trower, 1974, from Bridge of Sighs. Solo by Robin Trower.
Trower's slow, heavily modulated Strat lines turn a simple minor riff into something vast and mournful.
Bridge of Sighs is built on a slow, heavy minor riff, and Robin Trower turns it into something vast and mournful with his Stratocaster and Uni-Vibe. His lead lines are slow and deliberate, full of wide bends and swirling modulation that give the song a dreamlike quality. The Uni-Vibe's throbbing pulse makes each note shimmer and undulate. Trower's playing clearly draws on Jimi Hendrix, but his emphasis on space and atmosphere makes the style his own. The song remains his best-known work. Listen for the way the Uni-Vibe makes held notes throb and pulse, and for the long, slow bends that give the melody its sense of sorrow.
Bridge of Sighs by Robin Trower is ranked #536 in our consensus of 80 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Robin Trower and the song was released in 1974. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #8 (Guitar World (Joe Bonamassa)).
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Blues Rock Guitar Solos — #10
- The Best Robin Trower Guitar Solos — #1
- Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1974 — #13
- The Most Emotional Guitar Solos of All Time — #14
- The Greatest British Blues-Rock Guitar Solos — #8
Sources
- Guitar World (Joe Bonamassa): Joe Bonamassa's guide to 10 of the best blues-rock guitar solos of all time — #8
- Top 40 Weekly: Best 70s Guitar Solos: Top 40 Greatest of the Decade — #12
- Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #155
Who played the guitar solo on Bridge of Sighs?
Robin Trower played the solo on Robin Trower's Bridge of Sighs (1974).
What guitar was used on the Bridge of Sighs solo?
A fender stratocaster, with Uni-Vibe, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Bridge of Sighs rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#536 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 80 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.