Video: Why Elliot Easton of The Cars is an Amazing Guitar Player

Posted 06/13/2012 at 2:24pm | by Paul Riario

Related Content

Why?

Because I was listening to The Cars the other day, and I realized that once you figure out these three quintessential Elliot Easton guitar solos, you're basically viewing a roadmap to tasteful guitar playing.

'Nuff said!

I try very hard to remain under the radar despite being on camera as gear editor, but in this age of social media it was only a matter of time before it had to come to this. So with that, I will make my blog painless and a quick and easy read so you can get on to more important things like practicing guitar and sweep picking, or if you’re like me, getting tiger blood transfusions and figuring out how to be Olivia Wilde’s boy toy. I will use this blog to inform you of things I find cool; like new gear I’m playing through and what I’m watching, reading or listening to at any given moment. So feel free to ask me anything that’s gear related—or if you have a problem with your girlfriend, ya know, life lesson stuff, I’m pretty good at that too—and I’ll do my best to answer or address it here.

Topics:

Comments

+ Add a Comment

joetdc

September 15, 2012 at 10:26am

I have been saying this for years and people laugh at me. I don't think anybody really stops and listen. He has some tasty licks on almost every song. I wish Guitar World would have featured him more. Way underrated. I put him up there with the best of them.

lesmesa

July 14, 2012 at 3:50pm

thanks Paul very cool .......... appreciate the very informative post...

metalriffs

June 14, 2012 at 9:32am

I was a HUGE Cars fan growing up, mainly because of Easton's guitar work. He's WAY under-appreciated! For me, the Cars pop catalog has a very strong rock sensiblity due to Easton's awesome guitar playing. The first two records, The Cars and Candy-O, are on my Can't Live Without guitar albums list and I always listen to the entire records because I can't hear just a few or a couple of songs, I need to hear both records in one sitting. I love how Easton's solos are singable little songs within the songs; he's always tasteful, clever and memorable.

RonZabrocki

June 13, 2012 at 6:17pm

Met him once. Totally nice guy. As far as his playing...I love it! His solo's are like mini compositions and always memorable.