Who Needs You

I agree with Niek, you don't have to be an Yngwie Malmsteen to play a solo, it depends on the solo too. The one in 'Misfire' is another one John could do, or 'Another One Bites', and in fact he did the last one (although it isn't actually a solo, it's more a funky lead fill). I'm almost sure (although that's almost impossible to prove) that John is better guitarist than a lot of lead guitar players of modern bands (e.g. Tom Delonge), as well as Brian's better pianist than 80% of rock pianists (not that he's that good, is that a hguge bunch of rock keyboard players are crap, obviously Keith, Freddie, Rick and some others are part of the other 20%)

John was very good guitar player, he wasn't Steve Howe but he did have enough fingerpicking technique to play the solos of 'Who Needs You'.

well it's not roger style and freddie has lots of styles as for brian he is more rockish type and john is a love song and career sort of persondont ya think?

I dunno, honestly - I agree with all those who said John had to have been technically good enough to play it. But in the end my vote lies with Brian: Compare that solo with the one he does in Too Much Love Will Kill You. It sounds like the same guitar. Not saying that John couldn't have borrowed Brian's guitar or something, but... it seems most likely that the solo, the guitar choir (obviously) and the little fills are to be blamed on the Curly One. And after all, the song wouldn't go anywhere without that rhythm guitar line - it's far more important than the solo when you get right down to it. Seems to me like Deaks would have been quite happy doing that. *shrugs* But that's just me talking.

The main solo is not John. The characteristics of Brian's playing are clearly on display. Listen to any acoustic track by Brian and you'll hear inklings of the same stuff.

As for the rest of the song, who cares if John did or didn't play it all? I just think the solo doesn't belong to John. It's Brian.

Peace,
Adam.

Hank, I'm afraid I can't give a source for the WNY as a reggae version comment.

It's just something I've seen mentioned on here and other sites a few times by people that know more about this stuff than me.

It could be apocryphal, but hopefully somebody else will be able to provide more info about this.

Reggae!!!! one love to Queen they really do flex I have to say!!

All I have to say is that this particular song,apart from its light mood,has some really weird and "advanced" harmonies&chords and gets musically complex at some points.I'm not sure if John(great songwriter imo but his songs were plain relatively to Freddie and Brian's)wrote it all alone.I believe Freddie contributed to the song.

I disagree, the guitar and vocal harmonies are not so complex, and they follow the same style as John's previous tracks (Misfire, Best Friend, You And I)

visit PD's wonderful analysis: http://queen.musichall.cz/index_en.php?s=sa&d=whoneeds