Breaking Into Heaven
The Stone Roses, 1994, from Second Coming. Solo by John Squire.
Squire's long, wah-heavy lines dominate the eleven-minute Second Coming opener.
Breaking Into Heaven opens Second Coming with a long, slowly assembled introduction, and once the band kicks in John Squire dominates the eleven minutes that follow. His lead guitar is soaked in wah and distortion, spinning out long, bluesy lines over a heavy, rolling groove. Squire had moved from the chiming sound of the debut to something closer to 1970s hard rock, and this track is the fullest statement of that shift. It divided fans at the time, but guitarists found plenty to study in its extended playing. Listen for how Squire sweeps the wah slowly rather than rhythmically, which gives his lines a vocal, almost talking quality.
Breaking Into Heaven by The Stone Roses is ranked #357 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by John Squire and the song was released in 1994. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #171 (Digital Dream Door).
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Britpop Guitar Solos — #13
- Wah & Talk Box Solos — #14
- The Best The Stone Roses Guitar Solos — #6
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on Breaking Into Heaven?
John Squire played the solo on The Stone Roses's Breaking Into Heaven (1994).
Where does Breaking Into Heaven rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#357 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.