Can't You Hear Me Knocking
The Rolling Stones, 1971, from Sticky Fingers. Solo by Mick Taylor.
A jam they didn't know was being recorded.
After a tight, riff-driven first half, the song opens into a long Latin-flavored jam, and that's where Mick Taylor comes forward. His solo is fluid and melodic, gliding over congas and Bobby Keys's saxophone with smooth legato runs and tasteful bends. The playing has more in common with jazz and Santana than with typical Stones swagger, and it showed how much range Taylor brought to the band. It remains one of his most admired moments on record. Listen for how he builds from quiet, sparse phrases into longer, more confident lines as the jam gathers momentum, then eases off as the groove finally drifts toward its fade.
Can't You Hear Me Knocking by The Rolling Stones is ranked #137 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Mick Taylor and the song was released in 1971. It appears on 2 lists, placing as high as #22 (Classic Rock (Louder)).
In our lists
- Hidden Gems — #11
- Rolling Stone vs. Everyone — #23
- The Best The Rolling Stones Guitar Solos — #2
- The Best Mick Taylor Guitar Solos — #1
Sources
- Classic Rock (Louder): The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock — #22
- Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #29
Who played the guitar solo on Can't You Hear Me Knocking?
Mick Taylor played the solo on The Rolling Stones's Can't You Hear Me Knocking (1971).
What guitar was used on the Can't You Hear Me Knocking solo?
A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Can't You Hear Me Knocking rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#137 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 2 of them.