Ruined things? SRV came from a great tradition of blues players. If you are going to say SRV ruined things you might as well say that Albert Collins and Freddy King ruined things.
Prince is a better songwriter and that is more important than "shredding." Another guy that surprised me as a guitarist when I saw him live was Robert Smith of The Cure.
Scores of modern guitar players don't play like Albert Collins and Freddie King, though. I wish there were dozens of King and Collins -- clear, single-note players -- acolytes running around. Scores of modern guitar players do crank up Tube Screamers and wah-wahs and swear they're playing "blues" when the peel off yet another tired Stevie Ray Vaughn lick.
And he did so not to be cool, but to give it to the man/big music industry who were trying to control all his music rights. Poor fools didn't realize that their contracts were only about controlling his name and not the man Blouses .
he plays every instrument very well. one time i saw him he started taunting the audience going "yall dont think i can play these drums...you dont think i can play these drums?" - and he proceeded to rock out the drums like not many can. then he did the same for bass and also keys. "yall dont think i can play that bass?" there was also a basketball goal onstage and he was nailing jumpers from all over the place. and this was long before the chapelle show thing so when charlie murphy was telling that story i knew it was probably true. i think prince is an amazing guitarist...one of the best ever. maybe he wasnt doing anything that hadnt already been done before, but he is the perfect mix of hendrix, jimmy nolan (james brown), nile rodgers and robert smith (the cure). and i love his solos (i just wish there was more on his albums). you want your soloist/shredder to be exciting and flashy...prince is certainly that.
here's one: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3d_JMhvqi_g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Maybe Prince is an alien. This is why people say Trey is "technical," because he isn't flashy on stage (he knows he can't do that), yet is more perfect than Jerry ever was. But Trey plays things that no one else has. And what I mean by that is not difficulty-level only, but that his songs are all unique. No one ever says, "Trey sounds like so and so." Rather, you hear his music in many other guitarists. As someone else in this thread said, "Oh, he's got some Trey in him." Trey plays his guitar to make unique songs. They are all different. Most unique guitarist in the world. The best current one, imso. Many people say, "Sorry, I don't get Phish." Phish is all about Trey's freaking guitar, and we all just want to watch him play it. Nothing flashy...just play the guitar, Trey. ^ Great guitarist. But not that unique of a song. I leave you with Free <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/l2Jg7K6JqUc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
or he is just super musical. stevie wonder is the same way - bad-ass on several instruments. perfect does not = better. clapton played "perfect" too, but its got no soul or feel. ill take hendrix or jimmy page, mistakes and all, any day. when im listening to rock music i dont want perfection - i want musicians going for it. and i think jerry was incredibly technical. he obviously knew his theory inside and out - he would often switch modes mid solo, for example. he knew how to play lots of different styles too. so does prince. i think has always held back on his shreddery for the sake of the song. and ill put prince's best 10/20/30 songs up against phish's best anyday. ill put the greatful dead's best songs up against phish too. im not into "jam" bands at all, but i like the dead...they actually wrote cool tunes.
