Released the same year as debuts by R.E.M. and Marillion, Zebra’s 1983 eponymous first album was one of Atlantic Records’ fastest-selling debut albums.
But somehow its brilliance–like the stellar skills, on electric and 12-string acoustic guitar, of lead slinger and singer Randy Jackson– remained somewhat overlooked in a decade dominated by New Wave and synths.
If you’re not familiar with the trio, Canadian threesome Triumph is a fair point of reference. Jackson’s vocals reach stratospheric heights that evoke Geddy Lee, Robert Plant or Nektar’s Roye Albrighton.
This encore from an October, 1983 performance at the Summit in Houston features a frantic Jackson guitar solo that leads into set closer “Don’t Walk Away”.
The more I hear this guitar solo (the one midway through the song, not the one that precedes it) the more convinced I am that compositionally it’s one of the greatest I’ve ever heard–a scintillating blend of long, emotive notes and rapid-fire shards of shred. This mixture was Eddie Van Halen’s calling card, and is the very thing that separates the true Guitar Hero from the all-speed-no-soul hack.
THIS is how a guitar solo is properly, expertly done.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2023/12/22/recommended-albums-88/
Every Moment Has A Song 