Why Is The MR CROWLEY Solo So F*cking Good?

Added: 2026-05-06

[00:00:00]I remember the very first time I heard the Mr. Crowley solos back when I was a teenager [music] in 1865. There was just something so cool about that like dark primitive neoclassical style of Randy Rhoads. It was really unlike anything I'd ever heard before on guitar, and I knew immediately I had to learn how to play it. So, I've already taught and covered this solo on numerous occasions, but I've never really analyzed it properly before and talked about all of the amazing compositional and harmonic details that go on in it. And I'm super stoked to be able to finally do that.

[00:00:32]I'm Bradley Hall, and in this series we take a look at the most legendary guitar solos of all time and find out exactly what makes them so good. Be warned, things are about to get really nerdy. Let's do this.

[00:00:47]>> [music] [music] [music] >> The first solo kicks off with some furious high-energy pentatonic wankery.

[00:01:09]It doesn't need to be surgically precise. The goal here is raw momentum over clinical accuracy.

[00:01:15]>> [music] >> While the note choices themselves aren't anything groundbreaking, it works perfectly within the context of the song. This opening bit is built from pretty conventional licks within the D minor pentatonic box.

[00:01:33]>> [music] >> After these first two bars, it shifts gears into this chromatic-y ascending run. These chromatics probably aren't a deliberate choice, but rather the result of just ripping through a run without caring too much about the correct notes.

[00:01:48]This adds a bit of edge to the phrase leaning further into that raw aggressive feel, followed up by a big nasty bend to end the phrase nicely.

[00:01:57]>> [music] >> For this section, we drop the pentatonic slop and the chromatics to go into this fully diatonic legato lick.

[00:02:09]Even though it is playing all within the scale, you'll notice most of this solo doesn't really pay a lot of attention to the chord tones and instead uses the harmony to give some movement while the lead rips over the scale. As we saw in the Painkiller solo analysis, this is a super common move in more boomer-y classic metal. What's interesting about this lick though is how well it sets up the call and response phrase within such a short time. While the start of the solo was pure energy, it's now using more structured phrases to try and create a bit more movement.

[00:02:41]>> [music] >> Unlike the previous bars, this lick focuses exclusively on hitting the chord tones. It's sitting right over the five chord, the dominant of the scale, which functions as a high tension point that demands a resolution back to the tonic.

[00:03:00]The way this chord is used in the solo triggers a callback to that iconic start to the verse following that same functional logic, building up tension to launch us right into the next section.

[00:03:12]>> [music] [music] >> Structurally, this section is a mirror image of the solo's opening. Since we're back at the start of the eight-bar chord loop, it immediately feels like home, and it leans into that familiarity by kicking off with the same high-energy pentatonic wankery instead of a more structured melody. It even recycles that earlier chromatic trick, only this time it's a descending run instead.

[00:03:50]>> [music] >> This is a genius way to give unity and keep the solo evolving. It's functionally doing the same things while using entirely different melodies.

[00:04:14]>> [music] >> It finally leans into that greasy slop by injecting the blue note into this last pentatonic run. While it might sound random at first, it's actually a genius bit of phrasing. It takes this specific two-beat motif and repeats it across different parts of the scale. To wrap up, the final two bars mirror the resource used in the previous eight-bar loop, strictly targeting the chord tones of the five chord to nail that final resolution. In terms of harmony, although this section does use its own chords, they aren't too different from the rest of the song, simply using the same chords in a different order and following the same resolutions. This gives the solo its own distinct identity while staying grounded enough to feel like a natural continuation of the song.

[00:05:01]At the same time, this approach makes the solo lack a bit of correlation. It doesn't pull any melodies from the rest of the song or develop a consistent motif. To fix that, Randy hits the genius move of having the entire second half of the solo mirror the first. By repeating the exact same resources, it creates the unity the solo was missing, turning a series of isolated licks into something much more coherent.

[00:05:26]Solo starts with this simple high-energy pentatonic shredding that transitions into a chromatic run, which is then nicely capped off with a full bend to close the first four bars. The next section shifts into much more controlled phrasing, starting off with a shreddy lick again, but using a more conventional call and response before finishing with a slow bendy melody with heavy focus on chord tones. The last bars of each section are actually quite similar melodically as well, keeping the resolution tight and with the same intention.

[00:05:57]>> [music] >> The second solo kicks off with the legendary two-string sweeps, shifting away from the rock energy of the first solo into a more strictly neoclassical sound.

[00:06:24]This means we stop ripping through scales at random and focus more on properly hitting chord tones and adapting the arpeggio shapes to their nearest position. This keeps the movement simple and ergonomic, too, allowing for a high-speed run that sounds much more difficult to play than it really is.

[00:06:40]>> [music] >> The arpeggios themselves follow a circle of fifths progression, a staple of classical music that provides that instant baroque flavor neoclassical players love.

[00:06:55]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Since this specific harmony hasn't appeared anywhere else in the track, it gives the solo its own distinct structural identity. It's the perfect tool for a big over-the-top finale.

[00:07:24]>> [music] >> These bars follow the same logic as the first four, but instead of two-string sweeps, we get this odd legato double-stop phrase followed by some tremolo picking. Even though the techniques are new, the purpose is the same, using a constant flow of fast arpeggios to keep the energy where it started while giving it some variation.

[00:07:49]For that reason, we find this phrase in an odd place structurally. We're still prioritizing sustained high energy over a conventional melodic structure.

[00:07:57]Another interesting point about the structure is how this section closes.

[00:08:00]Usually, when you end on the five chord, you want to ramp up the tension to resolve strongly into the one. Here, it does the opposite.

[00:08:08]By finishing the phrase on the last bar, it creates a clean separation between sections instead of tying them together.

[00:08:16]This is the exact same resource used earlier. Since the solo starts at such a high intensity, it would be exhausting to sustain that energy indefinitely.

[00:08:26]>> [music] >> Now it's time to step up the neoclassical game. To get that Mozart-y sound, this lick uses a resource called chromatic approaches.

[00:08:37]Randy is hitting a fret below each chord tone and resolving up, basically arpeggiating the chord, but with a little extra spice. This kind of chromatics are basically a cheat code to get that kind of circus-y classical vibe instantly.

[00:08:56]To push that Mozart-ian aesthetic even further, the solo adopts a strict call and response structure.

[00:09:02]Instead of the typical rock approach where you take one motif and develop it throughout the entire solo, this section treats every melody as a stand-alone phrase that is then followed by an immediate answer. It's a conversational style of composing where each phrase exists to set up the next one consecutively. To hear this, pay close attention to the end of each line.

[00:09:22]You'll see how every resolution acts as a question that the following lick has to answer.

[00:09:34]>> [music] >> If we analyze it in detail, bar one descends and bar two provides the ascending answer. Bar three descends again leading into the resolution in bar four. But in the fifth bar, it flips the script by starting with an ascending lick before using that same resolution from bar four.

[00:09:58]>> [music] >> It's a great example of this Mozartian use of call and response melodies. What makes it even smarter is that the resolving lick isn't really new.

[00:10:16]By doing this, it ensures the solo feels better related to the rest of the song and more like a proper evolution of it.

[00:10:29]While the previous section used the five chord to create a clean break, this final phrase does the exact opposite. It leans into that dominant tension, making a huge build-up to bridge the gap into the next part of the song. It returns to the chromatic approach, but this time it's ascending, chaotic, and deliberately nonsensical to maximize tension. Instead of resolving within the bar, the line keeps climbing, using that lack of resolution to launch the listener right into the next section.

[00:11:01]>> [music] >> Following all that shred, the solo introduces a catchy, singable melody that gives the ear something to latch onto. It's a necessary contrast that uses solid call and response to reset the dynamics. From there, it pivots back into a variation of the neoclassical lick we saw earlier.

[00:11:25]>> [music] >> The tail end of this phrase acts as the perfect answer to the previous one, locking both parts together into a much larger cohesive unit.

[00:11:36]>> [music] [music] >> We bring back the random chromatics for one last push. This descending line isn't supposed to make much sense in terms of note choice. It's entirely based on guitar shape thinking, focusing on outlining a general melodic contour rather than a specific scale. It then keeps descending until it locks back into a heavy, slow minor scale, dropping all the way down to the tonic for a massive, grounded finale.

[00:12:09]>> [music] [music] >> Looking at both of the solos in this song, it's clear the brilliance relies in their balance. The first solo is a master class in high energy rock phrasing, relying on pentatonic grit, raw momentum, and clever structural repetition to stay cohesive. The second solo pivots entirely, introducing a new neoclassical identity that uses the circle of fifths and very proper Mozartian licks set up nicely with a meticulous call and response system.

[00:12:41]It's a perfect transition from chaotic energy to calculated technicality, still keeping that furious edge proper of Randy Rhoads.