Favourite clean sounds on record

Kebabkid

Quite a few mentioned already by Nile Rodgers, Paul Jackson Jr, Andy Summers and generally, I like clean sounds by LA sessioners like Michael Thompson, Dan Huff, Michael Landau and Lukather which have that compressed chorus/delay thing, Dominic Miller with Sting, various Doobies, Eagles and Steely Dan stuff (Josie by Steely Dan)

Specific songs -
the quacky auto-wah/envelope filter solo on Edie Brickell's 'What I want'
Clean parts and solo on Suzanne Vega's 'Luka'
John Mayer's 'Slow dancing in a burning room'
Alan Murphy on all of the first Go West album
Crowded House/Neil Finn on 'Don't dream its over'

If you're not familiar with Michael Thompson, he's like Tim Pierce and picked up a lot of Lukather's session work and is all over a lot of pop and R&B stuff. He's a great example of his soloing using a clean sound on the Animal Logic track 'Someday we'll understand' (go to 2'14" for the solo). The band was made up of Stewart Copeland on drums, Stanley Clarke on bass, MT on guitars and an unknown singer-songwriter called Deborah Holland.

GavRichList

https://youtu.be/yLUw7DsTEJs

This. Always this. What a guitar tone that is. 

Gassage

Alex Lifeson on 'A Lerxst in Wonderland' part IV of La Villa Strangiato.

Still one of the greatest pieces of guitar playing of all time and the version below is mind blowing.

Rush - La Villa Strangiato at Pinkpop 1979 - YouTube

RocknRollDave

Gassage said:

Alex Lifeson on 'A Lerxst in Wonderland' part IV of La Villa Strangiato.

Still one of the greatest pieces of guitar playing of all time and the version below is mind blowing.

Rush - La Villa Strangiato at Pinkpop 1979 - YouTube

The way that guitar part builds back up from that quiet section is a case study in how to use dynamics.

Gassage

RocknRollDave said:

Gassage said:

Alex Lifeson on 'A Lerxst in Wonderland' part IV of La Villa Strangiato.

Still one of the greatest pieces of guitar playing of all time and the version below is mind blowing.

Rush - La Villa Strangiato at Pinkpop 1979 - YouTube

The way that guitar part builds back up from that quiet section is a case study in how to use dynamics.

It is Lerxst's greatest moment. Once you understand the meaning of the song, it is all so crystal clear. I can't think of many guitarists that have the broadness of his skillset.

And, his playing then, before arthritis set is, is exquisite- a lesson in dynamics, taste, sweep picking and shredding all in 2 minutes!. I remember him saying it took them 950 shows before they thought they'd managed  to nail it live!

HerrMetal

Bird of Paradise by Snowy White would be my choice. Not sure if truly clean enough compared to some very clean sounds but for this old cloth ears it counts.

Bebopper

Paul Jackson Jr always has a great clean sound.

stickyfiddle

Big +1 for Cropper on Soul Man. Just the absolute benchmark soul guitar sound imo.

Edge is where it's at for me - Bad, Still Haven't Found and Streets, especially live. Bags of delay but still basically clean guitar. Just lovely. 





Bad maybe just past clean but utterly gorgeous throughout:

Gassage

HerrMetal said:

Bird of Paradise by Snowy White would be my choice. Not sure if truly clean enough compared to some very clean sounds but for this old cloth ears it counts.

Goldtop, Roland RE201 and an AC30.

Winny_Pooh

Shine on you crazy diamond & another brick in the wall pt2 solo
Vultures - John Mayer
Perfect - Fairground attraction
Wicked Game - Chris Isaac
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley

Just a bit on edge of dirty:

Boys of summer - ft Mike Campbell
Heaven is creepy - Jim Campilongo 
SRV - Little Wing (amazing natural tone)

Seems the trick is just lots of reverb

bloodandtears

The Outfield could chime out some nice clean tones..

then Mr Lifeson

and by contrast, Metallica...

uksaint7

https://youtu.be/uK1Fq9354_A

ICBM

Jonathangus said:

This pair:

One of my favourite sounds (and songs) ever, regardless of clean or dirty.

(Edit: not that one! I hate Guns 'n' Roses... )

DrCornelius said:

The bit in Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes when they come out of the cranked solo into the clean arpeggiated bit. I know its clean with a touch of chorus/delay/compression but its such a nice shift that it always makes me grin

Even better is the bit in It Can Happen at about 3'17" (which may not be entirely clean in isolation).



But this one takes the absolute top spot...



It's not what most people would choose as a clean guitar sound, I know - but it's such an incredible, magically musical sound. I've really tried to use compression and filtering like this, but (at least live) it just never works for me, I don't know why!

ToneControl

Scott Henderson - Tore Down house

Grunfeld

Vini Reilly's sound here.  Layers of non-distorted guitars which I still love listening to.  It's got the ubiquitous chorus thing going on so is that clean? 

The Durutti Column -- Sketch for Summer

ToneControl

For consistently clean and crisp, Robert Cray is my favourite I think

Jimbro66

Way back in time Amos Garrett’s solo was really nice.

https://youtu.be/3gKnnb24Eso

RocknRollDave

Yeah, maybe this wasn’t the right thread to start as someone who can’t stand chorus…! 

ewal

Probably the collective works of the Kadane brothers and their friends - Bedhead, The New Year, Overseas and others...

MagicPigDetective

The Smiths - Meat is Murder LP. Johnny's clean tone all over this record, sometimes with tasteful chorus,  whether as the main component is Headmaster Ritual, or as arpeggio's and embellishments over acoustics such as in I want the one I can't have, rockabilly style on Nowhere Fast, Nile Rogers style funk of Barbarism Begins at Home.