ERIC Clapton was once asked a question...
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What exactly makes you scratch your head about my post? Watch a video of John Williams....the music might not be your cup of tea but technically he can play any of those guys under the table.
One of my favorite groups in the 60s, the New York rock 'n' roll and some were all classically trained at Juilliard. Check them out. At least two of the original band members during Ranowsky and I can review the guys name live in Jersey.
Mo
Skillet
I agree. And lived in Jersey for quite a while.
FYI les Paul mentored Steve Miller.
Also listen to him with Rick Derringer on rock 'n' roll Coochie coo
Mo
My dad has been playing for almost 40 years and enjoys just about every name mentioned in this thread. He says this guy is the best...
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That's true.
My recollection of the story was George Harrison was the guy he named when asked that question.
You're right.... it's definitely not my cup of tea.
:zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz:
I have zero interest in classical music, jazz, or country music.
This thread and the Rolling Stone list I posted is about ROCK guitarists.
Why you would feel the need to interject whoever John Williams is or Larry Carlton or Sonny Landreth into a conversation about Prince, Clapton, and Hendrix is kinda puzzling. Am I to assume that if we were having a conversation about vocalists you'd chime in with some opera singer or jazz singer or Ray Price ?
It's not really what we're talking about.
And I'm not about to attempt to explain Rock music to you.
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You used to go see this country dude at Maxwell's in Hoboken. Junior Brown. The audience was filled with metal guitar players who wanted to see this guy. Used to break out into Foxy Lady. Amazing
You did...
You did...
Great guitarists come in all stripes and play all kinds of music. Greatest? Fun to argue, but as can be seen by the posts here, it depends more on what you are looking for than any serious notion of an absolute greatest. I really like Clapton, Django Reinhardt, Les Paul, and Wes Montgomery. My favorites would also include Ry Cooder. Here is a great piece by Cooder called Jesus on the Mainline. Also on that url, Crossroads Blues Duel with Steve Vai is terrific.
Eddie has always been my favorite but agree he is not the best. I think he was, as you said, innovative. also, very f-ing fast.
A very underrated guy is Rik Emmitt
You're such an open minded gent. The thread was about best guitarists, so I made an offhand comment about the technical expertise of classical guitarists. Maybe you should expand your musical horizons a bit beyond Dad rock. It's a big world. If you think John Williams executing flawless counterpoint with four consecutive melodic lines is boring then you're probably yourself quite a boring fellow.
Actually, this thread was about something that Eric Clapton did or didn't say about Prince. Why you would make a comment....."offhanded" or "onhanded" makes no difference.....interjecting your technically-savvy perspective as to why some classical guitar players are capable of playing the best rock guitarists "under the table" was kinda puzzling to me. If you've got a version of one of them playing Cream's "Crossroads" I'd actually be interested in hearing it. Or better yet creating something with as much sizzle.
Listen, I've listened to plenty of music of all genres over the many years that I've been on this planet. I've actually dozed off at operas and jazz shows. And I've also had the misfortune to live in an apartment while at Rutgers next door to a friend who used a reel-to-reel to record classical music off the radio at high volumes. I could see that he really got enjoyment out of it. But I found it boring. I've always found classical music boring. And jazz mostly. And country music. And if you think that means I'm a boring fellow....well...so be it. I've been called many things over the years, but seldom boring. Whatever. I could have cared less when I was sixteen that you thought I was boring ....particularly because I didn't embrace all types of music. Now....fifty years later...I'm just as uninterested.
And now that you've got me in the mood, I'm gonna go listen to Neil Young's "My My, Hey Hey".....never once thinking about his technical proficiency while enjoying the ride. Enjoy your John Williams.
Will never forget the night that Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce of Cream played a great show at my small CNJ high school.
Even then I knew that Clapton was destined to be one of the all time great guitar players. Ahh, the memories, lol !
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream_(band)
Even then I knew that Clapton was destined to be one of the all time great guitar players. Ahh, the memories, lol !
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream_(band)
It is interesting to go back and listen to the early blues players like Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson and many others. As another poster noted, those guys created many of the riffs and style that were later picked up by rock bands. You might like the cream version better but Crossroads was written and recorded in 1936 by delta blues man Robert Johnson. The stones and most of the guys on the rock list acknowledge these early blues guys that really shaped rock.
I still whip out "Paradice and Lunch" when I want my dose of Ry! Don't like his Cuban stuff quite as much, but I do recognize the talent in that music!!
If you're into finger-tapping (or hammering), Eddie VH was late to the game. You need to check out Steve Hackett from early Genesis days. He does some great work on songs like The Musical Box and (I know . . . awful name . . . Return of the Giant Hogweed). HE was the innovator.
For my money . . . Steve Howe is and will always be the greatest. He easily incorporates jazz and country into his flat out rock, heavily influenced by Wes Montgomery and Chet Atkins. Check out anything from The Yes Album up through Going for the One. His acoustic pieces (Clap, and Mood for a Day, while a member of Yes) are priceless. He's still playing (although he continues to look more and more like a skeleton). He's the best.
For my money . . . Steve Howe is and will always be the greatest. He easily incorporates jazz and country into his flat out rock, heavily influenced by Wes Montgomery and Chet Atkins. Check out anything from The Yes Album up through Going for the One. His acoustic pieces (Clap, and Mood for a Day, while a member of Yes) are priceless. He's still playing (although he continues to look more and more like a skeleton). He's the best.
Buckethead is amazing. I'm not into shredders but Buckethead can make a guitar do things that dont seem possible. As
Joe Bonamassa says "Guitar is all in the fingers" (no surprise there). Buckethead has super looong fingers that "stay in their lanes" (lots of people have fingers that close in diagonally - especially pinkies that slant in to the center of palm). Bucket has hands like Hendrix - the "pinkies like arms" brothers
This article by Steve Hoffman talks mostly of the Who concert at the school, but also mentions The Cream concert later that same year. There was a book written about the concerts that has photos of Eric Clapton onstage that night and a photo with Ginger Baker in the teachers lounge before the show. Interesting that we also had Jimi Hendrix booked for a show that the principal cancelled. Jimi didn't want to let us out of the contract but the principal would not relent. We ended up with the Lovin Spoonful instead. Big mistake IMO.
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-who-concert-in-the-gym-at-my-high-school.431315/
Amazon product ASIN 1482052636
I wouldn't listen to anything rolling stone has to say. Keith Richards #4 give me a break.
While I can see your point and share your sentiment, I gotta repeat that this was just Rolling Stone polling a group of about 60 top guitarists. The group included people like Carlos Santana, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eddie Van Halen, Tey Anastasio, Steve Cropper, Tom Morello and lots of others who should know a little bit about the subject.
Like you , I would have had a somewhat different list. As would just about anybody else.
Especially since YouTube shows how many great anon players there are. Its hard to play guitar well but there isn't a shortage of people who can do it. Every "legend" has people covering them on YouTube quite well.
Although has a lot of "shred" songs, he also has hundreds like this one below. Something about this one below always puts me in a peaceful mood, even after a bad day. It is a BEAUTIFUL song...Buckethead is amazing. I'm not into shredders but Buckethead can make a guitar do things that dont seem possible. As
Joe Bonamassa says "Guitar is all in the fingers" (no surprise there). Buckethead has super looong fingers that "stay in their lanes" (lots of people have fingers that close in diagonally - especially pinkies that slant in to the center of palm). Bucket has hands like Hendrix - the "pinkies like arms" brothers
Another beautiful song:
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It comes down to what you like and what your prioritize when coming up with what 'best' means. I mean, yeah, Keith Richards doesn't exactly have awe inspiring technique and chops, but he also came up with a ton of riffs that people still play, listen to and enjoy decades later. Yngwie Malmsteen can play the hell out of the instrument, but hasn't exactly shown an ability to do so in a way that most people like listening to. Who is better between the two? Well, again, it depends on what you mean by better.
Terry Kath
A founding member of Chicago—one of the first rock bands to incorporate a horn section—Kath helped forge a path for this band that included eight platinum albums in as many years. In addition to penning many of the group’s songs, his inventive solos purportedly impressed Jimi Hendrix enough for him to tell Chicago’s saxophonist Walt Parazaider, “I think your guitarist is better than me.”
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Forgotten_Heroes_Terry_Kath
A founding member of Chicago—one of the first rock bands to incorporate a horn section—Kath helped forge a path for this band that included eight platinum albums in as many years. In addition to penning many of the group’s songs, his inventive solos purportedly impressed Jimi Hendrix enough for him to tell Chicago’s saxophonist Walt Parazaider, “I think your guitarist is better than me.”
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Forgotten_Heroes_Terry_Kath
Mentioned Joe earlier in the thread...then saw Chicago Transit Authrority from 1967 (double album set): With Terry Kath....linked: wow he was great. Always loved the song... fantastic talent.
Try this one: Larry Cartlon / Stanley Clarke (he's the greatest on bass ever- not talking OBS: that should get some action).
Listen to Carlon just shred the Hollywood Bowl around the 4 minute mark / then for an extended rift around 7:45! :fire::bomb::boom:
MO
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Hey guys, this turned out to be a very informative and entertaining thread. I wasn't able to respond because of my travel plans and activities throughout the holiday weekend. Alot of old timers that I haven't heard of have been posted in this thread and I plan on listening to as many as I can.
I agree that it's impossible to pick the greatest guitarist, it really does depend on your taste and preference, for me, Prince will always be one of my favorites not only as a guitarist but as a musician. The guy came out with his first album when he was 17 years old, he played all 23 instruments, did every vocal, as well as wrote and produced the album. When his demo tape was played for one of the first music execs to hear him, the executive said "sounds great, what's the name of the band", the response was, "it's not a band, it's one 17 year old kid"...IMO, Prince was a great guitarist but he was one of the most complete musicians of our time, his albums usually had this credit...written, produced, directed, and performed by Prince. Not many artists can do that.
I agree that it's impossible to pick the greatest guitarist, it really does depend on your taste and preference, for me, Prince will always be one of my favorites not only as a guitarist but as a musician. The guy came out with his first album when he was 17 years old, he played all 23 instruments, did every vocal, as well as wrote and produced the album. When his demo tape was played for one of the first music execs to hear him, the executive said "sounds great, what's the name of the band", the response was, "it's not a band, it's one 17 year old kid"...IMO, Prince was a great guitarist but he was one of the most complete musicians of our time, his albums usually had this credit...written, produced, directed, and performed by Prince. Not many artists can do that.
