The Messiah Will Come Again
Roy Buchanan, 1972, from Roy Buchanan. Solo by Roy Buchanan.
Buchanan's volume swells, pinch harmonics and spoken intro make this Telecaster slow burn a study in dynamics.
Roy Buchanan opens this instrumental with a spoken introduction, then lets his Telecaster do the rest. The piece is a slow, hymn-like build, and Buchanan treats it as a study in dynamics, using volume swells so notes seem to rise out of nowhere and pinch harmonics that squeal above the melody. He moves from near-whispers to ferocious runs without ever losing the mournful theme. Buchanan was a player other guitarists revered for exactly this kind of control, and the track is still a go-to example of how expressive a Telecaster can be. Listen for the swells in the opening minutes, where the attack of each note disappears and the guitar sounds almost like a violin.
The Messiah Will Come Again by Roy Buchanan is ranked #282 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Roy Buchanan and the song was released in 1972. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #49 (Gibson.com (via Georgia Straight)).
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Who played the guitar solo on The Messiah Will Come Again?
Roy Buchanan played the solo on Roy Buchanan's The Messiah Will Come Again (1972).
What guitar was used on the The Messiah Will Come Again solo?
A fender telecaster, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does The Messiah Will Come Again rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#282 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.