I got to chip in, with my less than 2 cents, and ask:
"When was the last time you heard a guitar solo that made you sit up and think, 'Wow, that was awesome'?"
In my case, it hasn't been for a while. In fact, I think - based off Youtube and Instagram videos I see - the soloing became the sole point of a song.
There's very little meat in it for anyone else.
And, like I said, just look at those Youtube solo videos. After a while, they become a blur to me and I can't even think of which song had which solo, because they start to sound alike.
As someone (I forget who) said, and I'm paraphrasing, "They sold the music to a bunch of soulless corporates and musicians, who are more about technique than feel, who all learnt to shred better than their predecessors"
Except their predecessors had heart, feel. I feel that there's less exciting about guitar-driven music nowadays than traditionally. And I love Marty Friedman on the Megadeth records.
It's just when you see some guy shredding better than Friedman on a Youtube channel that I wonder, "Where's it all going to end."
And it probably ends where Friedman (and Tim Henson btw) said. "A slow and painful death".
Whatever happened to good songwriting? I want another Master of Puppets, another Reign in Blood.
Instead, I'm resigned to TAYLOR SWIFT (what a strange autocorrect to all caps, I have just left it as it is) being one of the true champions of guitar playing left.
And she doesn't solo.