The Fly
U2, 1991, from Achtung Baby. Solo by The Edge.
The Edge dropped his chiming delay for a harsh, distorted solo that announced U2's early-1990s reinvention.
The Fly marked a dramatic shift in U2's sound, and The Edge's solo is a clear statement of that reinvention. Abandoning his trademark chiming delay, he plays a harsh, distorted solo that sounds aggressive and gritty. The tone is thick and fuzzy, with an industrial edge that matches the song's dark, ironic mood. The solo is short but intense, driven by aggressive bends and noisy textures. It showed that The Edge could reinvent himself as a guitarist, embracing distortion and noise. Listen for the grinding, fuzzy tone that dominates the solo, and compare it to his earlier, cleaner playing to hear just how drastically U2 changed direction.
The Fly by U2 is ranked #316 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by The Edge and the song was released in 1991. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #81 (Classic Rock (Louder)).
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Alternative Rock Guitar Solos — #23
- The 25 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #16
- The Best U2 Guitar Solos — #2
- The Best The Edge Guitar Solos — #3
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on The Fly?
The Edge played the solo on U2's The Fly (1991).
Where does The Fly rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#316 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.