Better...maybe. More influential - no. Because if anyone is still listening to Metallica in 100 years (your guess is as good as mine), it will be because of Hetfield's riffs. His guitar tone and rhythm technique have become the staple sound of hard rock and metal (for better or worse) for the past 25 years. Listen to 'Battery' on Master of Puppets; the main riff is played with all downstrokes. That's just amazing - much more so than one of Kirk's mediocre solos. Again, I don't really agree that Page is that much greater than the Edge in terms of influence. In the past 10 years or so, I've heard more bands that sound like U2 than I have Zeppelin, and I expect this trend will continue. But ultimately, they're both hugely influential, so to say one is more so than the other is splitting hairs. Both players marked a major change in the way guitar was used in the studio and both were the musical sparkplugs to huge bands. I doubt either one is looking over his shoulder for the other.
I just got back from seeing this and I loved it. Definitely an engaging film, nobody left until the absolute end of the credits. I'm a HUGE Page fan but I left impressed by the dedication and skill of all three guys. Hopefully the DVD has a good chunk of extra interview footage. Pretty random but during the movie there's a number of close-ups of their hands while they play and I saw The Edge's wedding ring, and I kept wondering if his wife calls him "The Edge" or "Edge" or does she use his real name? What about Sting?
This is my favorite photo of the Edge: Dude could take a beer break during most of his solos, and nobody would notice a change in the sound.
Yeah than multiply that pedal by about 40. Even though he hides behind a floor and wall of effects, he can actually play the instrument very well. I'm not a big U2 guy but the music he's been able to create just tinkering with this stuff is impressive.
what was it Edge's guitar tech said?? he's got a setting for each individual song and no two settings are the same? the best part for me was hearing new ideas form on the spot, seeing Jack and Edge's eyes light up during the riff for Whole Lotta Love, and of course when they played each other's works together...
If it was that simple, someone would have thought of using delay the way the Edge does before he did.
Yeah he said something like he never uses the same effect twice over an entire gig which is over 20 songs. Each guitar is preset at a specific volume to be plugged into a specific effects board which is then plugged into the amp which is also preset at levels dependent on the guitar. Insane amount of setup. The whole lotta love scene was awesome as was the in my time of dying jam session.
I can't wait to see this. And all arguments about influence and skill aside, simply put, no one will ever be as cool as Jimmy Page.
no they are not. When Page started playing there was nothing in the way of recording for rock and roll. Anytime the normal guys recorded him it sounded like a jazz record. So he was a studio musician and learned how to get the sound right. He also was a master of mic location and recording room. He can play multiple instruments and in many different styles. The Edge sounds quite similar across songs compared to Page who can go from country to bluegrass to heavy metal.
