Comments | patrick_vecchio: A day for the guitar gods

patrick_vecchio

A day for the guitar gods

Sep 01, 2005 21:44

Yesterday was windy and rainy: a perfect day for listening to the blues, so my CD player was occupied by a disc a colleague gave me for Christmas last year. It rounded up the usual suspects - Robert Johnson, Wolf, Son House, Muddy, B.B. - but a little more than halfway through the disc are songs featuring my three favorite guitarists: Jimi Hendrix ( Read more... )

Comments 17

nokomisjeff September 2 2005, 02:31:45 UTC

I love Chris Spedding and Stanley Jordan.

Aloha,

Jeff

nokomisjeff September 2 2005, 02:34:39 UTC

I am a guitar god to my wife, but my troubador style of country/folk/southern/rock covers doesn't exactly make me a god.

It's good for sitting out on the porch swing picking a few tunes, serenading my lovely wife.

Aloha,

Jeff

patrick_vecchio September 2 2005, 11:25:12 UTC

Chris Spedding? Wow ... I saw Spedding with a band called the Sharks (I think) open for Mountain in 1974. As for YOUR chops, anybody who can play has my respect. I tried taking up the guitar at age 40 and lasted about three years, during which time my instructor began calling me "Slowhand," but without the Claptonesque irony. After those lessons, I became a lot less judgmental about "good guitarists" and "bad guitarists."

subtlecynic September 2 2005, 12:49:58 UTC

After decades of near constant exposure to(and appreciation for) all you mentioned (except Richard Thompson for the reason noted) I've slowly backed up and sought out the work of some different "old school" players like Mike Bloomfield(check out the 13 minute 'East-West" from the Paul Butterfield album of the same name) and earlier Ry Cooder. I usually avoid lists but would think Carlos Santana belongs there.

Would never have thought Duane Allman underrated. Maybe brother Gregg's later ups and downs obscured Duane somehow? Besides, Duane had another career as a session player apart from the "Brothers" that left most other guitarists in the dust.

Non-hero players who worked very well in their respective bands - Martin Barre, Buck Dharma and J. Geils.

patrick_vecchio September 2 2005, 12:56:30 UTC

Great players all, and that's a fine list of non-heroes, too. I saw J. Geils Band five times. They never failed to rock the house.

Didn't Zappa (a monstrous guitarist in his own right) once do a song called "Variations on the Secret Carlos Santana Chord Progression" or something like that?

subtlecynic September 2 2005, 18:57:31 UTC

I saw someone else mentioned Jimmy Page and had also thought Jeff Beck. I'm of the camp that think both were far better 'technique' players than most, Beck just never had the career to keep his image in the public view.

Once the Eddie Van Halen/Steve Vai/Joe Satriani era came and went, guitar-god-hero worship became more like nostalgia. Just too many really good ones to choose from.

patrick_vecchio September 3 2005, 00:08:04 UTC

Beck would've been No. 6 on my list just for the solo he played on "5446 Was My Number" on Toots and the Maytals' "True Love" last year. If you haven't heard it, it's about a 15-second solo, and it'll melt your eax wax. Those last three guys you mentioned have monstrous chops, but I always thought their playing was a little cold. No soul to it, you know? Or maybe my ears are just too old ...

Thread 6

Guitars Rock cwmackowski September 2 2005, 17:22:12 UTC

First, I hereby bow to the musical greatness of the five guys on your list. I'm going to go in a slightly different direction, and say ( ... )

Re: Guitars Rock patrick_vecchio September 3 2005, 00:11:42 UTC

Some people probably have been picking Keith Richards in their death pools for 25, 30 years now. Just thinking about Keef makes me grin. The story I heard about that "Satisfaction" riff is that he woke up in the middle of the night, recorded the riff, went back to sleep and then forgot about the riff until he played the tape back. I gotta respect your judgment, CMac, on Buck and Baker, but my favorite Page solo is the coda to "Black Dog." Man, am I showing my age with this whole guitar gods thing.

Re: Guitars Rock cwmackowski September 3 2005, 03:23:57 UTC

I can't argue with any of the choices so far (and I join CMack in trying to make the Hip far better known in the US -- it's just not right..), but I'd also add Mark Knopfler. "Sultans of Swing" is just one sampling.

Re: Guitars Rock cwmackowski September 3 2005, 03:39:21 UTC

Yeah, Keith has gotta get extra points just for being so well pickled.

beastofbourbon September 15 2005, 08:08:34 UTC

I worship Hendrix and SRV as well. I also totally admire the following guitarists: Steve Howe, Jimmy Page, Alex Lifeson, Pat Metheny, Eddie Van Halen, Frank Zappa, George Benson, David Gilmour, Randy Rhoads, Kim Thayil, Al DiMeola, Chris DeGarmo, John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, Allan Holdsworth, Buddy Guy, Larry Carlton, Peter Frampton, Vernon Reid, Carlos Santana, Kerry Livgren, Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, George Lynch, and many many others.

But there are TWO particular guitarists that are my very favorites. The first is Ty Tabor of King's X, without question one of the finest guitarists I've ever heard in my life. His solo at the end of "What I Know About Love" is probably my favorite solo by anyone, anytime, anywhere. He's still in his prime.

The other is Jim Matheos of Fates Warning. Arguably the greatest, most influential guitarist in the progressive metal genre. FW's 'Awaken the Guardian' is, after Queensrÿche's 'Operation: Mindcrime,' the best metal album of all time in my opinion. He's still in his prime, too.

patrick_vecchio September 15 2005, 11:18:20 UTC

That's a heckuva list!

beastofbourbon September 15 2005, 19:08:30 UTC

Thanks. Well, if you love Hendrix, you must check into King's X sometime. The only cover song they've ever done on record was "Manic Depression." Doug Pinnick (bassist, vocalist) might as well BE Hendrix (if he played bass :-). And he's older than you. Let me know what you think if you ever do get around to hearing them.

Guitar Gods sirpaulsbuddy September 30 2005, 19:45:01 UTC

Three, two of whom don't get their deserved credit.

1) Hendrix - listen to the guitar work on "Long Hot Summer Night," "If 6 Was 9," and "Spanish Castle Magic." Almost every strain of '70's rock guitar is in those three songs. I am still amazed 35 years a thousands of listens later....

2) George Harrison - Harrison said his proudest moment came when he jammed with Eric Clapton and a couple of the other gods mentioned in posts here and they accepted him as a player. Listen to "And Your Bird Can Sing," "Something," and "Taxman." See why his picture is used next to the definition of tasteful guitar work....Oh, and he kicked ass on ukelele....

3) Johnny Ramone - all punk rock guitar comes from Johnny. And Sheena is a Punk Rocker, so you should be, too....