L'Via L'Viaquez
The Mars Volta, 2005, from Frances the Mute. Solo by Omar Rodríguez-López, John Frusciante.
Heavy rock shifts into salsa sections sung in Spanish, with dense, dissonant guitar work throughout.
L'Via L'Viaquez, from Frances the Mute, lurches between crushing prog-rock riffs and bright salsa sections sung in Spanish, and the guitars are central to both worlds. Omar Rodríguez-López's playing is dense, dissonant and full of sudden stabs and swoops, while John Frusciante, appearing as a guest, adds a solo that pushes the chaos even further with wild, expressive phrasing. The contrast between the Latin passages and the heavy sections makes each shift feel like a jolt. It is a vivid example of the band's refusal to stay in one lane. Listen for how the guitar tone changes from clean, rhythmic chops in the salsa parts to thick, overdriven squalls when the rock sections crash back in.
L'Via L'Viaquez by The Mars Volta is ranked #363 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Omar Rodríguez-López, John Frusciante and the song was released in 2005. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #194 (Digital Dream Door).
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Latin Rock Guitar Solos — #24
- Guest Solos — #9
- The Best The Mars Volta Guitar Solos — #2
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on L'Via L'Viaquez?
Omar Rodríguez-López, John Frusciante played the solo on The Mars Volta's L'Via L'Viaquez (2005).
Where does L'Via L'Viaquez rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#363 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.