Dave Mustaine was asked about how he decides which guitarist plays which solos on a record, and the explanation led to Marty Friedman‘s departure from MEGADETH, telling AXS:
“One of the main reasons Marty Friedman left MEGADETH was because of the solo in “Breadline” [off 1999’s “Risk“]. That was a song where Marty wanted to do the solo so badly.
“And he did, but when we got the song back our management said, ‘We don’t like the solo.’ Marty was already gone, so I agreed to redo it.
“But I told them they’d have to tell Marty they didn’t like his solo and wanted it redone, because I knew it was gonna cause problems!
“So then we’re sitting in the control room and the song comes on. Everyone’s there, we’re all excited. I’m fat, dumb, and happy because I think they told Marty it would be my solo, not his.
“So the song comes up and there’s my solo. Dave Ellefson and I look over at Marty, and he’s got tears coming down his face. I was like, ‘Oh my God! You didn’t tell him!’
“I felt terrible. Those are the little things that just f**k everything up. People don’t see that part of it.
“They think it’s my fault. I mean sure, I had a part in it, yeah. But who forgot to tell him?”
