that's true. Now if I said "I'm the only guitar player better than Eric Clapton" that would be a different statement. I understand how a non guitar player can construe this as being an exaggeration or just an *******. The fact is that I have heard (and recorded) many, many guitar players who can play the instrument technically better than Eric Clapton. Technically, there is always someone better than you are. Feeling and emotion are different things - but this happens to be my strong point as a musician. At this time in life I have a fairly realistic view of my musical abilities. I know that I am not a great musician - but I'm pretty good. So is Eric Clapton. I can do things on a guitar that he cannot. There isn't anything he can do on a guitar that I cannot do. I'm sorry if this seems egotistical as it isn't meant to be. Some of the people I have heard play, or worked with, are amazing players and they are very, very poor people. Les Paul is a fairly prime example. The man is an amazing guitar player to this day. His money was made through invention and innovation and not through his music. If you listen to the stuff he was recording in the 30's it will blow you away. The trio stuff. He made his name through other endeavours, however, and this doesn't make him any less of a musician. He's much, much better than Clapton or me...
set it up man! it would be fun! The style Clapton plays just happens to be my strong genre. I can rock on blues and blues-based rock stuff. I like his stuff, and out of the Limeys who were scarfing the blues during the 60's he was better at playing closer to the delta than Paul or John or George. This was really what created the guitar god thing as it ain't easy for a pasty white boy from England to play the blues. Jeff Beck is a way better player, however, as are probably a million people on the planet.
dunno if this has been stated but Jeff Beck was also in the Yardbirds before Clapton or was it before Page.
They were all rotating and at one point I think Jimmy and Jeff were both in the band at the same time. John Mayall's band was also a place where all the British blues based guitar players cruised through on their way to their destinations.
They are quite simply the most talented but, Pete Townsend has the complete package for a rock guitarist (technical skills, stage presence, good song writing, etc.)
This is kind of off topic, but if you want 'second best guitarist' Houston edition, or best guitarist who doesn't own a guitar and has to borrow yours, see Houston legend: Little Joe Washington <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HQsX84PlK10&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HQsX84PlK10&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> My girlfriend stopped loaning him her guitar, because part of his act is he uses his tongue as a pick and afterwards he would hand the guitar back to her covered in slobber. Washington is the ultimate cliche of a southern blues guy. I think he has like 1 tooth left in his mouth.
When you said "rock' I said Page no doubt, even though SRV is my favorite player. But they are both blues rockers. Paradox?
You can see him riding his bike around midtown. Does anyone know if he still lives above the continental club?
I like Al Di Meola a lot. Also, not fast or loud, but something about Jerry Garcia's guitar playing was pure bliss.
thats a pretty strong pick. i always know someone has staying power if both me and my grandpa like them. my grandpa was a jazz/latin/country guitarist in his earlier days and always cites him as a big influence. as far as the listed picks, i would have to go with page. as great as he was, it helps to have what is probably the greatest rhythm section playing behind you. since he hasnt been mentioned yet, ill throw robert fripp into the mix. prince would have to be up there too - i think his guitar playing is often overshadowed by the fact that he does so much. alot of people out there dont even know he plays guitar. as a guitarist my 3 biggest influences have been the edge, keith richards and bernard sumner. im not a big clapton fan - imo he always played a little too safe...to generic sounding. i guess he is the anti-page in that respect - im a big cream fan, but i feel that he was the weak link in that band. i know its blasphemy to some, but thats my opinion and im sticking to it.
I might not know as much as you do about guitars, but all I know is that people that I respect as musicians seem to count clapton as a major influence. Not to mention that he and BB play together and I know BB King could be the greatest player ever.
Look, I'm not usually that forward with criticizing people or flaming on this board, but anyone who doesn't say Clapton is an idiot. Go do some freaking homework, people. Not Page, not Satriani, not Petrucci, not Beck, Van Halen, Gilmour, White, SRV, McLaughlin, Vai. You MIGHT have an agrument with Duane Allman. But that is IT. PERIOD. No one holds a candle. And this is not opinion. This is FACT. It's SCIENCE.
Technical virtuoso is one thing, but the ability to create music for the ages is another. My vote still goes to this guy: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/z5ORGWfJiTI&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z5ORGWfJiTI&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> ...with a tip of the hat to Duane Allman in this one... <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cdzV2vrNxNQ&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cdzV2vrNxNQ&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Manny, you know how bad I am about remembering to get back to some of these threads, but I meant to reply to a question you asked me the other day about some concerts I'd seen. This thread reminds me of one. I think it is very easy to place Clapton at a lower level than some of the other greats today, due to his long period of being rather "laid back" in his playing, with his equally long period of being too loaded to quite know what he was doing, but he was, and I assume still can be, altogether amazing. I saw Cream at the Music Hall (about 3500 seat capacity and great acoustics) in Houston in March of 1968, with Vanilla Fudge (who were very good, believe it or not, at least doing a 20 minute version of their one hit), and he was unbelievable. Really, really outstanding. Maybe it was just a good night, but I walked out of there with my mind blown. I saw Jeff Beck a few times, and I agree with you that he is highly underrated and one of the all-time greats. I have his work on Morning Dew from Truth (one of my favorite records) running through my head right now. Peter Green and Alvin Lee are two others that I remember very well and saw in the Music Hall, which was the premiere rock venue back in the day in Houston.
Great film of Zappa, who could blow the doors off of just about anyone, including Vai (who showed bad form moving over to stick his mug in front of the camera during Frank's solo, IMO), but rarely showed what he could really do on his albums. Is that concert on DVD somewhere? I'd love to get that.
page and van halen are my two favorite guitarists. technically being the best guitarist doesn't mean much. there's millions of people who could play a perfect van halen cover but there's only one son of a b**** who put together an album like fair warning. listening to that through some headphones is just amazing.
