Uli Jon Roth is my favorite guitarist of all time. Every time I hear him play, whether it be live or on record, I can’t help but imagine him slightly levitating off the ground; a golden aura shining around his body. His otherworldly abilities influenced an entire generation of guitarists, from Yngwie Malmsteen and Kirk Hammett, to Hank Shermann and Marty Friedman. So when Molder bassist and good friend Dom Vaia put me up to the challenge of coming up with my Top 10 Uli Jon Roth Guitar Solos, I figured I’d give it my best shot. I’m well aware there are plenty of other noteworthy solos throughout Roth’s catalog. These 10 are the ones that had the biggest impact on me as a listener, as well as the evolution of heavy metal. For simplicity’s sake, timestamps indicating where each solo begins and ends will be attached to each entry. Now, without further ado, prepare to be Taken by Force as we present our Top 10 Uli Jon Roth Guitar Solos.
10. Scorpions – “He’s a Woman – She’s a Man” (2:12-2:48)
Roth has reportedly dismissed this genderbending headbanger as a throwaway track. I haven’t. Tongue in cheek lyrics aside, “He’s a Woman – She’s a Man” is very ahead of its time. The riffs and rhythms have more in common with the material heard on Mercyful Fate’s 1982 debut EP than anything else released in 1977, aside from maybe Judas Priest. So does the guitar solo. This melodic shredfest is a direct ancestor to the types of solos that’d become synonymous with Denner and Shermann. If this solo was Roth’s only contribution to the development of metal guitar, it’d be enough to earn him a spot among the ranks of Michael Schenker and Ritchie Blackmore. But as you’ll soon see and hear, there’s so much more.
9. Scorpions – “Speedy’s Coming” (1:48-2:15)
We couldn’t have this list without the one that started it all. As the opening track on Scorpions’ second album, Fly to the Rainbow (1974), “Speedy’s Coming” served as the world’s introduction to Uli Jon Roth. Chock full of lead guitar heroics, there’s multiple sections of the song I could’ve chosen for this list. I decided to go with the solo smack dab in the middle, right after the second chorus. If whammy bar abuse was a criminal offense, Roth would be facing life in prison for this solo. No guitarist since Hendrix had used the device so effectively to their creative advantage. As Roth’s career went along, it’d become more and more handy.
8. Scorpions – “In Trance” (2:26-2:54)
Years before I dreamt of making this website, let alone making this list, I was discussing my favorite UJR guitar solos with Armored Saint guitarist Jeff Duncan. He happened to be opening for Roth as part of Angel singer Frank DiMino’s solo band. I mentioned how underrated the “In Trance” solo was and he wholeheartedly agreed. When it comes to prolific UJR guitar solos, this usually isn’t the first song that comes to mind. Yet its twin lead guitar melody and accompanying descending trills are a match made in musical heaven. It’s only 28 seconds long, but for those 28 seconds, it’s just you and Roth.
7. Electric Sun – “Electric Sun” (3:09-3:44)
Many ask, myself included, “What would Scorpions have sounded like had Roth stayed?” Check out Electric Sun’s debut album, Electric Sun (1979), and you’ll have a pretty good idea. Roth’s post-Scorpions outfit saw him tone down the metallic tendencies and double down on the prog and psych side of things. The Hendrix-isms are at an all time high and Roth’s solos take centerstage. What better away to announce the arrival of a new creative chapter than with a solo as scorching hot as the one on “Electric Sun”? Move over Trower and Marino! Roth’s in town and he’s taking no prisoners!
6. Scorpions – “Life’s Like a River” (2:45-3:17)
Roth is regularly praised for his contributions to neoclassical and shred guitar, and rightfully so. He, Blackmore, and Van Halen walked so every guitarist afterwards could run. But not enough mention Roth’s ability to craft deep, emotive guitar solos. Take “Life’s Like a River” for example. The lyrics and melodies within this track are enough to make any aspiring singer/songwriter green with envy. The level of depth and introspection is enough to move the listener to tears. And then to top it all off, Roth delivers a solo that stands toe to toe with the finest work of David Gilmour and Gary Moore. Scorpions may not had known it then, but they had written a masterpiece that stood as a middle finger to the music press who dismissed them as simpleton headbangers; singularly capable of producing ear rattling noise.
5. Scorpions – “Evening Wind” (2:41-5:04)
In Trance is getting a lot of love on this list. Bias perhaps? Maybe. That said, it’s 10/10 and I’m sure nobody’s complaining over my inclusion of 3 cuts off such a classic album. “Evening Wind” is one such track full of atmosphere and bombast. If you close your eyes and crank the volume on your headphones loud enough, you’ll envision yourself in a desolate wasteland as the very “Evening Wind” Klaus Meine sings about breezes through your hair. Roth’s haunting guitar solo takes control around the halfway mark and plays us out. Whereas the “Life’s Like a River” solo’s purpose is to evoke emotion from the listener, the “Evening Wind” solo’s purpose is to evoke a landscape within the listener’s mind. In the words of many a 70s burnout, “Heavy, man.”
4. Scorpions – “Catch Your Train” (2:09-2:44)
There must’ve been fire blazing from Roth’s fingertips as he recorded this rocker off the controversial Virgin Killer (1976). Just as the “He’s a Woman – She’s a Man” solo demonstrates traits that’d become synonymous with Mercyful Fate come the following decade, the “Catch Your Train” solo showcases the same scale runs that Yngwie Malmsteen would laugh all the way to the bank with. It would be another 8 years before Malmsteen released his debut solo full length, Rising Force. I imagine the young Swedish maestro sitting attentively with his guitar, trying his best to replicate this solo. Grand ambitions for a 13 year old!
3. Electric Sun – “Enola Gay (Hiroshima Today?)” (7:26-10:36)
While I’ve always enjoyed the music of Electric Sun, I don’t think the band’s impact really hit me until I saw Roth perform a predominantly ES set a few years ago. It was his first time playing these songs in years. This was one of them. “Enola Gay (Hiroshima Today?)” chronicles the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima better than any WW2 history class ever could. The song begins as a standard hard rocker, but as it goes on, music speaks louder than words. A calm, oriental passage represents the sense of calm among the Japanese people prior to the bombing. Then the bomb drops. Literally. Roth uses his whammy bar to maximum effect. When he played this live, I held on to my ears in legitimate fear I’d go deaf. Finally, there’s the last 3 minutes that land this song on the list. If there was a “Top 10 Most Emotional Guitar Solos Ever Recorded”, this would have to make the cut. Well over 100,000 civilians perished in the bombing. The few who survived experienced indelible grief and pain: grief and pain that could only be expressed in this solo. The grief and pain within Roth’s soul bleeds out, fully naked and exposed for the listening public.
2. Scorpions – “The Sails of Charon” (1:32-2:16)
How many of you can name a song that nearly kicks off with a guitar solo? Anyone? Exactly. You can’t. Because when Roth laid down the opening solo to “The Sails of Charon”, every guitarist afterwards knew there was nothing they could play that’d top it. Sure, they could try, but those attempts would only be in vain. Taken by Force (1977) was largely instrumental in the development of power metal and epic metal. In particular, tracks like “The Riot of Your Time”, “We’ll Burn the Sky” (Spoiler: More on that in a bit), and this here, “The Sails of Charon”, were absolutely groundbreaking. The opening solo to “Charon” is as memorable as it is mindbending. It’s as if Roth’s signature neoclassical prowess collided head first with the zany prog undertones of Allan Holdsworth. I wonder if the two trailblazers ever crossed paths.
- Scorpions – “We’ll Burn the Sky (Live)” (5:40-8:11)
With all due respect to the original version which appeared on Taken by Force, it’s the live rendition of “We’ll Burn the Sky” that takes the cake for the greatest Uli Jon Roth solo of all time. This musical and lyrical tribute to Roth’s hero, Jimi Hendrix, showcases both sides of his playing ever so perfectly. We’re treated to his emotive side, as well as his shred side. The result is pure genius. If you’ve had the pleasure of hearing this epic performed live, you know as well as I that all one can do is stand back with jaw hanging open. It’s the body’s natural response to such virtuosity.
Roth’s virtuosity is such that only occurs once in lifetime. I’m truly blessed to have experienced such virtuosity, both on record and in the flesh. If you’ve taken the time to listen to any of these songs, so are you.