Yea I guess I kind of forgot to answer that. If I had to chosoe I'd go Clapton, he can just play any style and do it really well.
I couldn't get into it, but admittedly didn't give it more than two listens (it's at my parents' house, my Dad's a huge Clapton freak who continually gives him "one last chance" with each new album since 1972, only to get burned). "The Circus Left Town" is a heartbreaker, but I wished he'd released the Unplugged version of that instead. "From the Cradle" is an album that, actually, I've soured on in the years since it came out. I was so damn anxious to a rip-roaring blues-fest that I looked past the staleness of it all. I was so happy to see him playing something with humbuckers that I kind of got lost in the hype. Appreciate his attitude, though.
i heard or read this joke somewhere recently... q: what do coffee and eric clapton have in common? a: they both suck without cream. i vote for page. never been an eric clapton fan. except for when he was in cream, who are AWESOME! one of the greatest power-trios. i love ginger baker's playing (imo, his song toad is just as kick-ass as moby dick). i love the songs. i love claptons playing. its great! as someone mentioned, page was the better songwriter and i think he was more creative as a player. he was sloppier than clapton, but that might be more due to the fact that zep was a "jam band" in the true sense. they didnt play their songs the same way every night. in that environment you can definatley get more creative, but you are also going to have more sloppiness and sour notes.
You mean...Alex Lifeson was there to pick up the slack. And, he's still here! New Rush album in January likely.
I tend not to like a lot of music from their era, but as far as that goes, they were contemporaries of the most accomplished guitarist of the period - Frank Zappa. Zappa had imagination and skill that these two can't approximate.
I would choose Jeff Beck as a better overall guitarist compared to Page and Clapton. Of course, the only reason I draw the comparison is that all three were in the Yardbirds and are contemporaries (sp?). Beck has always struck me as a more clever/tricky guitarist. I would take weenie fingers (Page) over God (anyday). For sure, weenie fingers could get really sloppy live, but his recorded and compositional output is far superior to Claptons, IMHO. In fact, I've always thought Clapton rather boring, but must give him props for how he played in the recent Cream reunion at RAH. I thought his chops were quite tasty; and the couple times he finally pulled his pickup selector out of that (good for some but not fing everything) out of phase position between rhythm and bass he almost soared.
Where? What album? Compared to what Clapton or Page? I've tried to find the awesome Beck that everyone talks about it found nothing especially revolutionary. Oh, and as stated, I too find Clapton to be very boring. He's a "blues man" but plays so dry and white and boring. I'm really re-re-rediscovering/ into again Hendrix and SRV and want more...but none compare. That's why I'm asking.
cson, the place to start is with the album 'Truth'. It's pretty much the precurser to Led Zepplin and his most even work. Beck's craftiness really shines thru on Truth. Next stop would be Beckola. No doubt, Becks catalogue, not only from album to album but song to song is uneven; but when he shines..... If you can get past Jan Hammers contribution, Blow by Blow is an example of Beck in top form. I saw him at the Summit duiring this period and was only a casual fan at the time. I came away thinking that was the best guitarist I've ever seen.
Thanks Win, I'll check 'em out. UPDATE: "the place to start is with the album 'Truth'" Yes what a nice sound, just listened to the samples off Amazon, then bought it! This is the Jeff Beck I've been missing. I'd only really heard just random stuff w/ other artist and all his imo lackluster 80's afficianado stuff, that ain't my bag, but this album!?! Sounds like the blueprint for Zep indeed! And the vocals? Chris Robinson has never sounded better . the Elvis stuff & Beck-ola sounds a bit messy for my taste though.
From Jeff Beck.com Jeff Beck isn’t your typical guitar legend. His goal, in fact, is to make you forget that he plays guitar. “I don’t understand why some people will only accept a guitar if it has an instantly recognizable guitar sound,” says Beck. “Finding ways to use the same guitar people have been using for 50 years to make sounds that no one has heard before is truly what gets me off. I love it when people hear my music but can’t figure out what instrument I’m playing. What a cool compliment.” Jeff Beck 2006 North Sea Jazz Festival (Playing Scatterbrain) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCzdKdajEIc Jeff Beck and SRV- "I'm Going Down" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEiMIMH0HRg Jeff Beck- "Freeway Jam" Live http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etzBXz30LQU
Hearing Jeff Beck's "Scatterbrain" and "Freeway Jam", he sounds like the grandfather of the type of thing Vai and Satriani play. Is that accurate? (not really my thing, I like more soul , less electro-shreding)
If it wasn't for "Truth," I wouldn't have made it out of junior high without stabbing someone. Awesome, awesome album.
I need to get "Truth" someday - maybe I can get it for Christmas. Right now, I am listening to Cream's version of "Sitting on Top of the World" - this was the song that made me realize how truly great Clapton is or was.
Jeff Beck and SRV- "I'm Going Down" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEiMIMH0HRg Why is Beck even on the stage with SRV? He is superfluous. He just gets blown away on his own song. sigh, I'll never get over Stevie. Hell Manny that old stuff is just public domain by now, if you want to hear a copy of it, just download it off Soulseek or Shareaza or something. I think the best Jeff Beck album is the Rough and Ready Band.
Clapton is still great. Most people seem to dislike him for whatever reason. The guy has been through hell and is still with us. Can you imagine seeing your 5 year old son fall from a 53rd floor balcony to his death? The tribute concert that EC put together for George Harrison is second to none.
"Truth" is easily my favorite Beck album. I'm not a Rod Stewart fan per se, but he was great on this album, as well. Their cover of Ain't Superstitious and Rock My Plimsoul are awesome, IMHO. I'm getting a little self-conscious talking about all the concerts I went to in the old days, but I saw Beck and Stewart in the old Catacombs two nights in a row. It was right after "Truth" was released. The first night, Beck did not miss a single note. I went back the next night with some different people. He wasn't perfect that night. Missed two or three licks just a little. It was still a great performance. Stewart had no stage presence at all, then. He kind of wandered around on stage a little and did a few deep knee bends. His voice was in fine form, though, which is all that mattered.
As long as we are veering into Jeff Beck, I 've got to throw Robiin Trower in there. He has a 10 or 15 disc history of some of the smoothest, most creative blues rock guitar out there. He is one of those guys that is instantly recognizable but really quite varied. His earlier days, after Procol Harum, were pure power rock trio sound with the late Jum Dewar on vocals. They produce 2 or 3 of the best albuns of the day, including the masterpiece Bridge Of Sighs and culminating in the stunning Robin Trower Live! in 1976. Live! was so wildly popular he got sort of over exposed. The last 10 or 12 years Robin has been more focused on a bluesier sound and low key presence. He constantly tours smaller venues and cranks out a self produced album every year or two, any one of which is remarkable. 2004's Going My Way is very psychedelic and 1998 Someday Blues is all blues. Here's a good place to catch up on Robin (looking a little road weary): http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/001649.html But if you are going to talk Hendrix and Clapton , you can't leave him out. The man has skilz. (and he usually finds a great vocalist to play with him too! Dewar was maybe one of the top 3 rock vocalist of all time, but he dead )
I remember the first time I heard Robin Trower. I thought it was unreleased Hendrix playing with some British guy singing. Blew me away. Trower took the Hendrix sound and style and did his own thing with it. This is Trower in 2005 at the Rockplast-Crossroads concert: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8299003884391733932&q=robin+trower&hl=en
