In high school, my younger brother’s musical tastes expanded to include the guitar rock masters: Vai, Satriani, Eric Johnson and others. Even though he knew I wasn’t a guitar rock fanatic, this was the one song he introduced me to. I thought it was incredible from the first listen. The guitar playing is, of course, exceptional. But the difference maker for “Cliffs of Dover” is this: the guitar solo is more than a solo, it has the strength and presence to play a role normally only reserved for lead vocals.
