Time for Heroes

The Libertines, 2002, from Up the Bracket. Solo by Carl Barât.

A loose, ragged break that captures the band's charm more than any technical ambition.

Time for Heroes, from Up the Bracket, features a loose, ragged guitar break from Carl Barât that captures the band's charm more than any technical ambition. The solo is short and scrappy, played with a punk sense of urgency, and it fits the song's rough, romantic spirit. The notes seem to fall out rather than being carefully placed, giving the break a thrilling, off-the-cuff feel. It shows how the Libertines revived a raw, British punk energy in the early 2000s. Listen for how the solo slips slightly in and out of time, giving it a lively, human quality.

Time for Heroes by The Libertines is ranked #244 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Carl Barât and the song was released in 2002. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #31 (NME).

In our lists

• One and Only — #45
• The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #59
• The 25 Greatest Indie Rock Guitar Solos — #19
• The 2000s — #16
• The Best The Libertines Guitar Solos — #2

Sources

• NME: 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #31