Batman had posted a thread on the greatest rock lyricists. Don't know how many people are aware of this - but that same site has all kinds of lists: Greatest rock guitarists Greatest rock drummers Greatest rock bassists Greatest rock keyboardists Etc They even have lists for blues, jazz, and many more. I probably could have done this in Batman's thread, but I started a new one due to: 1) This post would be buried in his thread and may not be noticed as much as a new thread 2) And because we all know how much Fatty loves music threads l Hendrix is #1 on this list - notice at the bottom is the links for the other lists.
Started two days ago: http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=92319&highlight=guitarist Started by yourself 4 months ago: http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86814&highlight=guitarist Started by yourself in April: http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=77004&highlight=guitarist Search is a good thing.
If you can't understand the difference between a website that lists all kinds of greatest rock guitarists, greatest rock drummers, greatest rock bassists, greatest jazz vocalists, etc to a thread where people just list their favorites or WHO they think are the greatest guitarists, there is no point of interacting with you.
Good stuff Manny. I just have a hard time with all of this stuff because it's so subjective. Great bar topic though. And I'm happy because Buddy Rich is #1 on the jazz drumming list -- where he belongs.
Well, I missed the other threads and havn't seen the link to the ranking Manny mentions, but... I've never cared much for the superfast scale players, but instead have preferred the crafty guitar players. A good example is Paul Kossof of Free and his lead in 'Allright Now'. If you play guitar it may seem rather simple, but just try and get that heavy vibrato on the long notes and that particular blending of ambient strings has he slides into another sustained note. It's DAMN hard to get just right and anything less comes off lame rather you know it or not. Other crafty or tricky guitarist I like are: Jeff Beck Mick Ronson Mick Ralphs Ariel Bender Johnny Marr David Gregory (XTC) George Harrison
Is Chick Webb on that list? I love that guy. I think he's amazing. To think of his band battling Count Basie's in a battle of the bands would be one of the greatest sights a person could see.
Hey Manny I looked at some of the lists I had a problem with the rock guitar list because they put Zappa at #35 behind Carlos freakin santana that is just wrong. zappa could play circles around santana he should be in the top 10 if not the top 5 I looked at the jazz list: greatest jazz bassist - charles mingus of course and greatest jazz albums - Mingus Ah Um was # 3 behind kind of blue and a love supreme thats pretty good. of course Ah Um is my #1 pick I know I have talked about this album before, it is a true masterpiece
Agreed. Exhibit A would be Zappa's "Variations on the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression" in which he shows Carlos what to do with it.
Allen, I have lots of problems with this list as well. Frank Zappa should be much higher up, but I disagree with your implied criticism of Santana. He's too low himself. Comparing those two really isn't fair to either, imo. They have such different styles. I can't believe how far down some others are, like Keith Richards, Pete Townsend, Johnny Winter, Robert Fripp, Mick Ronson (who win mentioned... a travesty!), Neil Young, Billy Gibbons. (excellent, until he started dialing it in) I wouldn't have made a list like this at all. Heck, you've got folks like Tommy Bolin (James Gang, Deep Purple), Joe Walsh (James Gang... what a great group, Eagles, and his own stuff), John Fogerty (CCR), Randy California of Spirit... just a great guitarist, Lowell George of Little Feat, Martin Barre of Jethro Tull, Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues who didn't make the top one hundred. Steve Hunter, Mike Bloomfield, Steve Stills and Dave Mason are in the basement somewhere below this group. I saw everyone I mentioned play, by the way, some in more than one group and multiple times. And I know I'm forgetting people. Some of those in this Rock listing were great blues guitarists. John Mayall helped a slew of them on their way up. Amazing how many played with him.
I agree with you 100%, Deckard, on Tommy Bolin. Anyone who has never heard of him needs to pick up "Mind Transplant" by Alphonze Mouzon - my all-time favorite fusion album. Dude absolutely shreds on that album.
Anybody who's seen Incubus's Red Rocks DVD knows that Mike Einzinger should be high on that list. And yes, I know Incubus is teenybopper music.
I like Kossof a lot also. I have Free's 'Fire and Water' album and that whole thing is full of tasty soulful licks and he has an amazing tone, really milking each note. Very subtle and restrained, but excellent nonetheless.
I just noticed that Nick Mason is #46 on the greatest rock drummers list. That's just freakin' hilarious! I guess he deserves credit for not getting in the way.
To get a voe from me for "best rock guitarist", the guitartis must not only have mastered the ability to play the instrument, but he must also be a master of knowing when NOT to play, a master of being able to feel a melody in his heart/mind/soul and personify that melody through the guitar. This narrows the selection down quite a bit. There are many guitarists who are very good, but still do not meet those qualifications. Three that stand out are: David Gilmour Eric Clapton Jimmy Page (note: I think Clapton's talent lies foremost as a guitarist, followed somewhat as a songwriter, and followed distantly as a vocalist). -- droxford
