Neil Taylor

Guitar Rock/Pop/Contemporary

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63 Reviews (59 Verified)
Neil Taylor on SoundBetter

I have been a session guitarist for the past 30 years and have played guitars for Tears For Fears on ’Songs From The Big Chair’ & ‘Sowing The Seeds Of Love’; Tina Turner ’Steamy Windows’; Morrissey ’The Last Of The Famous International Playboys’ & was in Robbie Williams band for 10 years playing guitars on ‘Sing While Your Winning’ & Escapology’

I would call myself a creative Rock/Pop/Contemporary Guitarist. I have my own style of playing I enjoy composing guitar parts & melodic solos.
I also mix, play Bass & sing. More recently I have branched out on my own & have released five solo albums to date & now working on number 6 for release in the USA..

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Endorse Neil Taylor63 Reviews - 14 Repeat Clients

  1. Review by gordon r webb
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    Another great performance by Neil. You are really missing out by not booking him. Requires no direction, no chord charts, has an intuitive feel for what the songs need. Great complimentary tones. Knows which tracks should be stereo and which mono. Do you KNOW how much time that saves me? Do you? Then why aren't you booking him? He should be the busiest guy on Sound Better. I'm trying my best to keep him busy. Great guy, too

  2. Review by gordon r webb
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    At the risk of sounding redundant, another 10 star performance from Neil on a track I had previously shelved in frustration. Turns out the solution was just letting Neil do his thing on various guitars. He gave it the energy it was missing and tied it all together. Perfect

  3. Review by gordon w.
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    Every performance is different with Neil. He doesn't fall back on stock licks, stock sounds, little favorites to make things easy for him. Every performance is unique and tailored specifically to serve the song of the moment. NEVER gets in the way of the vocal and melody. Years of top level session experience cannot be under estimated. Thank you Neil

  4. Review by gordon r webb
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    Another great experience with a top level guitar player and an outstanding guy who puts in the effort to take the song from good to great every time. Couldn't be happier.

  5. Review by gordon w.
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    Maestro Neil did it again. Not only came up with the right guitar parts, but the perfect tones to glue the song together. What can i say? 10 starts if they'd let me.

  6. Review by gordon w.
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    Another stellar performance from Neil: What a luxury it is to work with a guitar player who doesn't need any instructing or explanations. He hears the song and knows what it needs - not just parts, put tone, stereo v mono, etc. Hard to teach this...comes with high level experience. I'm so lucky to be working with Neil.

  7. Review by gordon w.
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    What a pleasure it is working with Neil. Branford Marsalis has a saying he uses with his jazz students. "Congratulations, you learned to play a musical instrument...so now what?" And that's the hard part, what to do with your instrument once you've mastered. Well, Neil not only knows how to play, but find the perfect sounds and come up with just the right parts. I'm so happy with the results.

  8. Review by gordon w.
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    What an honor it was to work with Neil. He understood exactly what the song needed and delivered beyond expectations. Great guitar player and cool dude.

  9. Review by James K.
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    Neil completed another track for me and, like so many others, he pushed all the right buttons. I give Neil some conceptual guidance, which he follows, but his realized vision of the song always makes the track better. We all know he can play guitar...you should know that he's also a tremendous arranger and mixer. I look forward to the next one.

  10. Review by Thomas
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    by Thomas
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    I’m really grateful to Neil. His guitar playing is absolutely brilliant. He’s taken the track in a fantastic new direction. He has a unique knack for placing the guitar in such a way that the vocals are fully integrated and enhanced. A true virtuoso. Thank you so much!

  11. Review by James K.
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    I'd been struggling with a track for awhile, I was too close to it. I asked Neil to add some guitar, and to evaluate the arrangement. I was astonished when he sent back a revised version a day later. He makes every track better by adding tasteful and musical layers. And his playing is always completely on point. Highly recommended.

  12. Review by Grant
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    by Grant
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    Neil always does a professional job on my songs. Does everything I ask plus adds things that make the song better.

  13. Review by Michael B.
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    Amazing work, great communication and a fast turnaround. I can't recommend Neil enough if you are looking for guitars! The solo he did for us exceeded our already high expectations as fans of his work.

  14. Review by James K.
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    Neil has an ability to bring a song from "pretty good" to "killer". As a guitarist, sonic stylist, and mixer he offers consistently outstanding service. I could not be happier with his work.

  15. Review by James K.
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    Neil has a terrific ability to find the song within the song. I was locked into my demo and couldn't get the arrangement right. Neil threw the puzzle pieces onto the table and re-assembled them brilliantly. The song now has more bite and spark. Neil also added some fiery guitar. Tremendous work from Neil, again.

  16. Review by Michael J.
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    Neil is an exceptionally gifted guitarist who is super easy to work with. He turned around his parts very quickly, was communicative throughout the process, and really took my song to the next level. Book with confidence.

  17. Review by Richard R.
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    Neil is a solid and experienced musician with a very deep understanding of what works best for the song.
    He knows exactly how to play on every track to get the perfect style and sound.
    Neil's guitars & bass take the song to a whole new level.
    Very inspiring!

  18. Review by James K.
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    Neil's creative choices made my song better. He makes numerous small changes and additions with exceptional musicianship and guidance. Neil is an outstanding and distinctive guitar player, "song thinker", and mixer. I look forward to working with him again.

  19. Review by James K.
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    Neil immediately understood what the song needed, and provided incredible performances and terrific advice. His note choices and sonics are brilliant. I couldn't be happier, and I look forward to working with him again.

  20. Review by Avrom G.
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    Neil always delivers an amazing track. Very creative! Always a pleasure working with him. Highly recommended!!

Interview with Neil Taylor

  1. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  2. A: Recording & mixing my fifth solo album. I'm loving the whole process from start to finish.

  3. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  4. A: This is a hard question..Digital has made life so much easier & quicker but with analog you had to get parts & sounds right while recording. If i had to choose though it would be digital!

  5. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  6. A: I will always strive do the best of my ability & making sure my clients get what they want.

  7. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  8. A: Being Creative gives me a sense of purpose.

  9. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  10. A: Can you play a solo like the one you did on Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears? Answer ..Yes.

  11. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  12. A: Composing guitar parts that fit perfectly with the song & vocals..Also my unique guitar solos. This is where i shine the most.

  13. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  14. A: My own style with great melodic guitar parts & unique sounding solos. I will sometimes do more than required as i like to cover all angles.

  15. Q: What's your typical work process?

  16. A: Listen to the song, get the first guitar part down then everything else comes easier. When i work for a client i listen over & over to make sure what i have done is right for the track.

  17. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  18. A: Don't ever overdue production. Keep it simple with great sounds.

  19. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  20. A: Contemporary Rock/Pop..Indie..Grunge..Funk & Dance.

  21. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  22. A: Chuck Sabo [Drums] Martin Page [Producer/Performer] Chris Hughes [Producer] Gwenael Damman [Bassist/Producer] Steve Power [Producer]

  23. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  24. A: Mainly Contemporary Rock/Pop.I enjoy creating guitar parts that fit with the lead vocal. I also love to do more left field music..I like to push the boundaries a little.

  25. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  26. A: It's an easy job but it can be very hard sometimes to please clients.

  27. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  28. A: What kind of guitar parts they would like from me.

  29. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  30. A: I started with Tears For Fears playing live with them & recording guitar on 'Songs From The Big Chair'..I then went on to work with many artists & have for the last 28 years.

  31. Q: How would you describe your style?

  32. A: It's hard to say..I like to think i have my own sound,that i have created over the years of being a session guitarist. I would say it's exciting,melodic & a little different.

  33. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  34. A: Sing While Your Winning by Robbie Williams. This album was right up my street guitar wise & to work with Guy Chambers & Steve Power.

  35. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  36. A: Drummer Chuck Sabo

  37. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  38. A: Laptop, Marshall Amp, Taylor GS Mini Acoustic, Les Paul & Strat.

  39. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  40. A: David Bowie. I like creative artists that would give me a free hand.

  41. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  42. A: MacBook Pro ..Studio One 3 ..Apollo Twin Duo Interface..Marshall Amp..Les Paul..Strat.. Various Mics

  43. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  44. A: I always give 100% Attention to detail & always excited to record guitars for new clients. It's always a challenge which is what keeps me going.

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So Handsome I Could Die by Neil Taylor

I was the Composer/Guitarist/Singer/Engineer/producer in this production

GenresSounds Like
  • Tears For Fears
  • Morrissey
  • Neil Taylor
Gear Highlights
  • Marshall amp
  • Blackstar amp Les Paul
  • Strat
  • Tele
  • Dobro
  • Taylor 614E & GS Mini Studio One 3
  • Logic 10
  • Apollo Twin interface
More Photos