Spoonman
Soundgarden, 1994, from Superunknown. Solo by Kim Thayil.
Thayil sprays chaotic, bluesy lines across a 7/4 riff, making disorder sound deliberate.
Spoonman is built on a 7/4 riff, and Kim Thayil's lead playing on his Guild S-100 makes disorder sound deliberate. He sprays chaotic, bluesy lines across the odd meter, bending and scraping notes in a way that sounds both wild and precise. The song's unusual rhythm and Artis the Spoonman's percussion give Thayil space to experiment, and his solo feels like a controlled explosion. It shows Soundgarden's knack for combining heavy riffs with unorthodox structure. Listen for how Thayil's lines seem to wander, then snap back to the riff exactly on time, keeping the chaos anchored.
Spoonman by Soundgarden is featured in our Grunge (#8) list. The solo is played by Kim Thayil and the song was released in 1994.
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Grunge Guitar Solos — #8
- The Best Chris Cornell Guitar Solos — #10
- The Best Soundgarden Guitar Solos — #6
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on Spoonman?
Kim Thayil played the solo on Soundgarden's Spoonman (1994).
What guitar was used on the Spoonman solo?
A guild s-100, according to widely reported accounts.