He's pretty much his own genre or three.. and like him or not he was a giant musically, hugely influential, at his best a crucial satirist of 60s through 80s pop culture, and IMO the greatest rock guitar player that ever lived.
You had me until the last point.
In my opinion, skilled and innovative as he undeniably was, his playing was too ... eclectic ... to put him in the same league as someone like Keef Richards. Keef's playing is always in the service of the song as a whole, not a side journey.
He's pretty much his own genre or three.. and like him or not he was a giant musically, hugely influential, at his best a crucial satirist of 60s through 80s pop culture, and IMO the greatest rock guitar player that ever lived.
You had me until the last point.
In my opinion, skilled and innovative as he undeniably was, his playing was too ... eclectic ... to put him in the same league as someone like Keef Richards. Keef's playing is always in the service of the song as a whole, not a side journey.
I look at him as a jazz musician playing rock music.
He's pretty much his own genre or three.. and like him or not he was a giant musically, hugely influential, at his best a crucial satirist of 60s through 80s pop culture, and IMO the greatest rock guitar player that ever lived.
You had me until the last point.
In my opinion, skilled and innovative as he undeniably was, his playing was too ... eclectic ... to put him in the same league as someone like Keef Richards. Keef's playing is always in the service of the song as a whole, not a side journey.
I look at him as a jazz musician playing rock music.
Yep.
I had to really think about it before I said "eclectic" instead of "masturbatory".
But my felling about jazzturbation is a whole 'nother side journey.
He's pretty much his own genre or three.. and like him or not he was a giant musically, hugely influential, at his best a crucial satirist of 60s through 80s pop culture, and IMO the greatest rock guitar player that ever lived.
You had me until the last point.
In my opinion, skilled and innovative as he undeniably was, his playing was too ... eclectic ... to put him in the same league as someone like Keef Richards. Keef's playing is always in the service of the song as a whole, not a side journey.
I look at him as a jazz musician playing rock music.
Yep.
I had to really think about it before I said "eclectic" instead of "masturbatory".
But my felling about jazzturbation is a whole 'nother side journey.
I would expect nothing less than that term "jazzturbation", when you mentioned being a fan of Keef- He does serve the song above all. I do love him and the Stones. Keith Richards deserves all the credit he gets for being a great guitarist. But he brings a different skill set to the table than Zappa to my ears (albeit one that is great for so many reasons).
It does sort of boil down to what floats your boat when you listen. I too like rhythm players who serve the song. I love players who have incredible tone. I love melody in a guitar solo, and I like inventive solo turns a lot- give me something I can't predict live, take me somewhere. That said, I'll take a shorter melodic solo with sick tone over endless noodling (I don't do the Grateful Dead and dislike almost all of their offspring, although many who like some of what Zappa did do like those bands and that kind of guitar playing).
FZ, at his best, did all three in my opinion. Compared to others technically he could be sloppy, while still skilled enough to play music that was incredibly complex. He could play rhythm parts and played with a lot of soul and subtlety when the song called for it. He could play a melodic solo, while also never playing the same solo twice- no small feat. Along with all of that, the thing that sets him apart among all others to me is that tone. It's an amazing, dirty, and totally distinctive squonk, and it is SO rock 'n roll. You instantly know it's him.
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
It may sound cliché, but Hendrix is the peak of the mountaintop for me.
After Hendrix, I could name 100 guys who are all equally talented.
Hendrix is great. Just insane.. and talk about great tone- he had it. I love all the divebomby, feedback-laden stuff he did. No question he was one of a kind. There's a recent live record- Miami Jazz Festival? I think it's called? That is one hell of a live recording of Hendrix.
Have you heard of Jimi Hazel (the late Funkadelic guitarist)? Pretty awesome, especially on the Maggot Brain record.. he totally channels Hendrix. Early Funkadelic is totally rock- there's hard rock, funk and soul, and plenty of psychedelia going on. If you like Hendrix, check it out. Personally I think that MIGHT have been one direction Hendrix could have gone had he not passed on.. but admittedly he could have gone anywhere musically and it probably would have been interesting.
Anyone read the Hendrix bio "Room Full of Mirrors"? I liked it quite a bit but I'm far from a Hendrix expert. His life story- all of it- is pretty amazing. Most of us only really know the mythology of his last three years.
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
It may sound cliché, but Hendrix is the peak of the mountaintop for me.
After Hendrix, I could name 100 guys who are all equally talented.
Hendrix is great. Just insane.. and talk about great tone- he had it. I love all the divebomby, feedback-laden stuff he did. No question he was one of a kind. There's a recent live record- Miami Jazz Festival? I think it's called? That is one hell of a live recording of Hendrix.
Have you heard of Jimi Hazel (the late Funkadelic guitarist)? Pretty awesome, especially on the Maggot Brain record.. he totally channels Hendrix. Early Funkadelic is totally rock- there's hard rock, funk and soul, and plenty of psychedelia going on. If you like Hendrix, check it out. Personally I think that MIGHT have been one direction Hendrix could have gone had he not passed on.. but admittedly he could have gone anywhere musically and it probably would have been interesting.
Anyone read the Hendrix bio "Room Full of Mirrors"? I liked it quite a bit but I'm far from a Hendrix expert. His life story- all of it- is pretty amazing. Most of us only really know the mythology of his last three years.
Haven't listened to the Miami Pop Festival album yet. There are so many of those out there. Live at Berkeley is perhaps the best.
You're thinking of Eddie Hazel. Jimi Hazel was the guitarist for 24/7 Spyz, a pretty good guitarist in his own right. But, yeah, “Maggot Brain” is pretty hot. And, yeah, Hendrix did seem to be moving in a more jazzy, fusion type of direction once he formed Band of Gypsys. Nothing against Redding and Mitchell, but Billy Cox and Buddy Miles were better musicians, and I wish we could have heard where their collaboration with Hendrix would have gone.
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
Django Reinhardt Chet Atkins Jimi Hendrix, of course Link Wray Bill Kirchen David Gilmour B.B. King Steve Cropper Brian Setzer Stevie Ray Vaughan Andy Gill Muddy Waters Junior Brown Brian May Mark Knopfler and many, many, many more...
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
It may sound cliché, but Hendrix is the peak of the mountaintop for me.
After Hendrix, I could name 100 guys who are all equally talented.
Hendrix is great. Just insane.. and talk about great tone- he had it. I love all the divebomby, feedback-laden stuff he did. No question he was one of a kind. There's a recent live record- Miami Jazz Festival? I think it's called? That is one hell of a live recording of Hendrix.
Have you heard of Jimi Hazel (the late Funkadelic guitarist)? Pretty awesome, especially on the Maggot Brain record.. he totally channels Hendrix. Early Funkadelic is totally rock- there's hard rock, funk and soul, and plenty of psychedelia going on. If you like Hendrix, check it out. Personally I think that MIGHT have been one direction Hendrix could have gone had he not passed on.. but admittedly he could have gone anywhere musically and it probably would have been interesting.
Anyone read the Hendrix bio "Room Full of Mirrors"? I liked it quite a bit but I'm far from a Hendrix expert. His life story- all of it- is pretty amazing. Most of us only really know the mythology of his last three years.
Haven't listened to the Miami Pop Festival album yet. There are so many of those out there. Live at Berkeley is perhaps the best.
You're thinking of Eddie Hazel. Jimi Hazel was the guitarist for 24/7 Spyz, a pretty good guitarist in his own right. But, yeah, “Maggot Brain” is pretty hot. And, yeah, Hendrix did seem to be moving in a more jazzy, fusion type of direction once he formed Band of Gypsys. Nothing against Redding and Mitchell, but Billy Cox and Buddy Miles were better musicians, and I wish we could have heard where their collaboration with Hendrix would have gone.
Mistyped, yes I meant Eddie Hazel.. I have heard Jimi Hazel as well- I like that stuff too.
As for Jimi Hendrix.. I'm with you on the Band of Gypsies stuff, I love that album. Would have loved to hear more from Hendrix with Cox & Buddy Miles. Isn't there a release with the full concerts that were edited down to make the Band of Gypsies album?
Isn't there a release with the full concerts that were edited down to make the Band of Gypsies album?
Not sure. They did a re-release of Band of Gypsys that included three additional tracks from the Fillmore East shows, and there was a Band of Gypsys 2 release, but only half those tracks had Cox and Miles. And some of that stuff ended up on the Live at the Fillmore East album, which is another of the better live recordings.
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
Django Reinhardt Chet Atkins Jimi Hendrix, of course Link Wray Bill Kirchen David Gilmour B.B. King Steve Cropper Brian Setzer Stevie Ray Vaughan Andy Gill Muddy Waters Junior Brown Brian May Mark Knopfler and many, many, many more...
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
Django Reinhardt Chet Atkins Jimi Hendrix, of course Link Wray Bill Kirchen David Gilmour B.B. King Steve Cropper Brian Setzer Stevie Ray Vaughan Andy Gill Muddy Waters Junior Brown Brian May Mark Knopfler and many, many, many more...
No Clapton?? Or is he in the many more group??
Honestly, there's something about Clapton's playing that I've just never really connected with. With a few exceptions, his work feels a little cold to me--too much head, not enough heart. There's any number of guitarists from the British Occupation I enjoy more.
Just got done with my first listen of Dr. Here's Compton album. It is really good; I mean really really good. Dre has an older grimier flow with really cool and different production. Nobody gets more out of his fellow collaborators than Dr. Dre, and this album is bursting with them. There were 3 new artists i'd never heard of (King Mez, Anderson.Paak, and Marsha Ambrosia, singer) that were featured heavily; of course the Dre family all had songs (Eminem, xzibit, Game, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and newest member Kendrick Lamar).
It's a different album than The Chronic or 2001; it, as the name suggests looks back at the past (lots of Eazy E memories). If you ou enjoy rap it's worth giving it a listen. Right now it is an iTunes only album.
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
Django Reinhardt Chet Atkins Jimi Hendrix, of course Link Wray Bill Kirchen David Gilmour B.B. King Steve Cropper Brian Setzer Stevie Ray Vaughan Andy Gill Muddy Waters Junior Brown Brian May Mark Knopfler and many, many, many more...
No Clapton?? Or is he in the many more group??
Honestly, there's something about Clapton's playing that I've just never really connected with. With a few exceptions, his work feels a little cold to me--too much head, not enough heart. There's any number of guitarists from the British Occupation I enjoy more.
The only Clapton album I own is Cream’s Wheels of Fire.
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
Django Reinhardt Chet Atkins Jimi Hendrix, of course Link Wray Bill Kirchen David Gilmour B.B. King Steve Cropper Brian Setzer Stevie Ray Vaughan Andy Gill Muddy Waters Junior Brown Brian May Mark Knopfler and many, many, many more...
No Clapton?? Or is he in the many more group??
Honestly, there's something about Clapton's playing that I've just never really connected with. With a few exceptions, his work feels a little cold to me--too much head, not enough heart. There's any number of guitarists from the British Occupation I enjoy more.
I've never been a fan either. I like a few Cream tunes but I think more due to Jack Bruce & Ginger Baker rather than what Clapton was doing. Really don't like his solo material.
I've never understood why Clapton gets so much praise. Admittedly, I'm not a guitar guy. I mean, I enjoy its role in the sound of a song, but I could never pay enough specific attention to it to compile a list of 100 best guitarists. The only two I've ever really singled out and focused on are Hendrix (for obvious reasons) and Robert Johnson (because every time I hear him I'm amazed all that sound is coming from one guy and his guitar recorded over 80 years ago).
Like others have said, I liked his stuff with Cream, but I find solo Clapton often too laid back (at best) or irredeemably cheesy (at worst). I honestly change the station every time "Wonderful Tonight" comes on.
I've never understood why Clapton gets so much praise. Admittedly, I'm not a guitar guy. I mean, I enjoy its role in the sound of a song, but I could never pay enough specific attention to it to compile a list of 100 best guitarists. The only two I've ever really singled out and focused on are Hendrix (for obvious reasons) and Robert Johnson (because every time I hear him I'm amazed all that sound is coming from one guy and his guitar recorded over 80 years ago).
Like others have said, I liked his stuff with Cream, but I find solo Clapton often too laid back (at best) or irredeemably cheesy (at worst). I honestly change the station every time "Wonderful Tonight" comes on.
Clapton was an incredibly dedicated student of the guitar, and was among the first of his generation to hit the 10,000 hours point of have become a really skilled player. A lot of his reputation comes from that brief period when he made all his peers sit up and take notice. Plenty of others caught up and surpassed him in skill and especially innovation, but like Christopher Columbus, getting there "first"* counts for a lot.
*Of course, like Columbus, he wasn't really first, just the in right place and time to get the credit.
I've never understood why Clapton gets so much praise. Admittedly, I'm not a guitar guy. I mean, I enjoy its role in the sound of a song, but I could never pay enough specific attention to it to compile a list of 100 best guitarists. The only two I've ever really singled out and focused on are Hendrix (for obvious reasons) and Robert Johnson (because every time I hear him I'm amazed all that sound is coming from one guy and his guitar recorded over 80 years ago).
Like others have said, I liked his stuff with Cream, but I find solo Clapton often too laid back (at best) or irredeemably cheesy (at worst). I honestly change the station every time "Wonderful Tonight" comes on.
Clapton was an incredibly dedicated student of the guitar, and was among the first of his generation to hit the 10,000 hours point of have become a really skilled player. A lot of his reputation comes from that brief period when he made all his peers sit up and take notice. Plenty of others caught up and surpassed him in skill and especially innovation, but like Christopher Columbus, getting there "first"* counts for a lot.
*Of course, like Columbus, he wasn't really first, just the in right place and time to get the credit.
That makes sense. I'm sure that the fact that I'm of the age that by the time I paid attention to music, Clapton was better known for laid back hits like I Shot The Sheriff, Wonderful Tonight, etc., songs that don't make me think "Guitar God" when I hear them, affects his standing with me. I think my first real exposure to him was when he was recording songs for Tom Cruise films and beer commercials.
I feel like the work that best showcases his guitar skills was all done with other groups and not as a solo artist (Yardbirds, Cream, Derek & The Dominos), so I often find myself not connecting the two.
I love The Yardbirds, though I think they fared better under Jeff Beck than Clapton. I think adding that extra bit of pop and psychedelia to their blues sound made them more than just a Rolling Stones knock-off.
I've never understood why Clapton gets so much praise. Admittedly, I'm not a guitar guy. I mean, I enjoy its role in the sound of a song, but I could never pay enough specific attention to it to compile a list of 100 best guitarists. The only two I've ever really singled out and focused on are Hendrix (for obvious reasons) and Robert Johnson (because every time I hear him I'm amazed all that sound is coming from one guy and his guitar recorded over 80 years ago).
Like others have said, I liked his stuff with Cream, but I find solo Clapton often too laid back (at best) or irredeemably cheesy (at worst). I honestly change the station every time "Wonderful Tonight" comes on.
Clapton was an incredibly dedicated student of the guitar, and was among the first of his generation to hit the 10,000 hours point of have become a really skilled player. A lot of his reputation comes from that brief period when he made all his peers sit up and take notice. Plenty of others caught up and surpassed him in skill and especially innovation, but like Christopher Columbus, getting there "first"* counts for a lot.
*Of course, like Columbus, he wasn't really first, just the in right place and time to get the credit.
That makes sense. I'm sure that the fact that I'm of the age that by the time I paid attention to music, Clapton was better known for laid back hits like I Shot The Sheriff, Wonderful Tonight, etc., songs that don't make me think "Guitar God" when I hear them, affects his standing with me. I think my first real exposure to him was when he was recording songs for Tom Cruise films and beer commercials.
I feel like the work that best showcases his guitar skills was all done with other groups and not as a solo artist (Yardbirds, Cream, Derek & The Dominos), so I often find myself not connecting the two.
I love The Yardbirds, though I think they fared better under Jeff Beck than Clapton. I think adding that extra bit of pop and psychedelia to their blues sound made them more than just a Rolling Stones knock-off.
Agreed.
Both with the Clapton was more interesting with groups and with the Yardbirds being more interesting post-Clapton.
I think Clapton's real claim to fame was the way he inspired so many others to become better.
I've never understood why Clapton gets so much praise. Admittedly, I'm not a guitar guy. I mean, I enjoy its role in the sound of a song, but I could never pay enough specific attention to it to compile a list of 100 best guitarists. The only two I've ever really singled out and focused on are Hendrix (for obvious reasons) and Robert Johnson (because every time I hear him I'm amazed all that sound is coming from one guy and his guitar recorded over 80 years ago).
Like others have said, I liked his stuff with Cream, but I find solo Clapton often too laid back (at best) or irredeemably cheesy (at worst). I honestly change the station every time "Wonderful Tonight" comes on.
Clapton was an incredibly dedicated student of the guitar, and was among the first of his generation to hit the 10,000 hours point of have become a really skilled player. A lot of his reputation comes from that brief period when he made all his peers sit up and take notice. Plenty of others caught up and surpassed him in skill and especially innovation, but like Christopher Columbus, getting there "first"* counts for a lot.
*Of course, like Columbus, he wasn't really first, just the in right place and time to get the credit.
That makes sense. I'm sure that the fact that I'm of the age that by the time I paid attention to music, Clapton was better known for laid back hits like I Shot The Sheriff, Wonderful Tonight, etc., songs that don't make me think "Guitar God" when I hear them, affects his standing with me. I think my first real exposure to him was when he was recording songs for Tom Cruise films and beer commercials.
I feel like the work that best showcases his guitar skills was all done with other groups and not as a solo artist (Yardbirds, Cream, Derek & The Dominos), so I often find myself not connecting the two.
I love The Yardbirds, though I think they fared better under Jeff Beck than Clapton. I think adding that extra bit of pop and psychedelia to their blues sound made them more than just a Rolling Stones knock-off.
Agreed.
Both with the Clapton was more interesting with groups and with the Yardbirds being more interesting post-Clapton.
I think Clapton's real claim to fame was the way he inspired so many others to become better.
Like Duane Allman on Layla. As great as he was with his own band, I'm not sure he came up with any riffs half as memorable for the Allman Brothers.
My favorite guitarist isn't the flashiest, fastest, or arguably even the best when these lists come out, but it's a list of favorites, not bests:
David Gilmour.
Whether true or not, to me it always seems like Gilmour has spent hours if not days trying to find the absolute perfect note, sequence of notes, or tones to make the song work. Comfortably Numb, for example, is not a difficult solo to learn the notes to, but try getting it to sound like it does when David plays it. One of those "Artist not the brush" arguments, I suppose.
It's one of the reasons I admire Steve Rothery of Marillion so much - he kind of followed in David's footsteps and surrenders flashiness to what makes the song go forward. Your two big egos in any band tends to be singers and lead guitarists, so any time the lead man is willing to step back and do what's right for the band/song as a whole...that gets my respect more than "Watch how much I can noodle"
And then there's Hendrix who basically took the instrument to a level people are still trying to figure out. :)
And on the flip side of the spectrum, I think Steve Vai gets miscast as a heavy-metal wunderkind, when his work with Zappa and on his own has been quite innovative.
@torchsong: Have you listened to the bonus material on the Wish You Were Here Experience edition? It is chock full of Pure Gilmour Goodness. I was just playing it for a friend last night.
Disc 2 – Live at Wembley & Unreleased Material Disc 2 features previously unreleased live and studio audio:
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (early version) (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 20:22 (This is a pre-album version, therefore its individual parts (1-9) which are listed in the Wish You Were Here album cannot be accurately attributed to this version.) "Raving and Drooling" (early version of "Sheep") (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 12:35 "You've Got to Be Crazy" (early version of "Dogs") (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 18:09 "Wine Glasses" (from the "Household Objects" project) – 2:12 "Have a Cigar" (alternative version) – 7:07 (This version has Gilmour and Waters on vocals instead of Roy Harper and features slightly different music.) "Wish You Were Here" (featuring Stéphane Grappelli on violin) – 6:13
@torchsong: Have you listened to the bonus material on the Wish You Were Here Experience edition? It is chock full of Pure Gilmour Goodness. I was just playing it for a friend last night.
Disc 2 – Live at Wembley & Unreleased Material Disc 2 features previously unreleased live and studio audio:
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (early version) (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 20:22 (This is a pre-album version, therefore its individual parts (1-9) which are listed in the Wish You Were Here album cannot be accurately attributed to this version.) "Raving and Drooling" (early version of "Sheep") (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 12:35 "You've Got to Be Crazy" (early version of "Dogs") (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 18:09 "Wine Glasses" (from the "Household Objects" project) – 2:12 "Have a Cigar" (alternative version) – 7:07 (This version has Gilmour and Waters on vocals instead of Roy Harper and features slightly different music.) "Wish You Were Here" (featuring Stéphane Grappelli on violin) – 6:13
I have this edition of the Wish You Were Here record. Fantastic stuff. I am a big fan of Pink Floyd and David Gilmour. I mentioned tone before and wow- he's another guy that just has an amazing sound.
However, I think Floyd lost a lot of bite post-Roger. Those two guys creatively really needed each other.
And you can't discount the late Rick Wright who often had to mediate and made brilliant contributions to Floyd on keys. He basically played "jazz psychedelia". As great as the individual musicians were in Floyd, I think they are one of those bands who were greater than the sum of their parts.
@torchsong: Have you listened to the bonus material on the Wish You Were Here Experience edition? It is chock full of Pure Gilmour Goodness. I was just playing it for a friend last night.
Disc 2 – Live at Wembley & Unreleased Material Disc 2 features previously unreleased live and studio audio:
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (early version) (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 20:22 (This is a pre-album version, therefore its individual parts (1-9) which are listed in the Wish You Were Here album cannot be accurately attributed to this version.) "Raving and Drooling" (early version of "Sheep") (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 12:35 "You've Got to Be Crazy" (early version of "Dogs") (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 18:09 "Wine Glasses" (from the "Household Objects" project) – 2:12 "Have a Cigar" (alternative version) – 7:07 (This version has Gilmour and Waters on vocals instead of Roy Harper and features slightly different music.) "Wish You Were Here" (featuring Stéphane Grappelli on violin) – 6:13
I have this edition of the Wish You Were Here record. Fantastic stuff. I am a big fan of Pink Floyd and David Gilmour. I mentioned tone before and wow- he's another guy that just has an amazing sound.
However, I think Floyd lost a lot of bite post-Roger. Those two guys creatively really needed each other.
And you can't discount the late Rick Wright who often had to mediate and made brilliant contributions to Floyd on keys. He basically played "jazz psychedelia". As great as the individual musicians were in Floyd, I think they are one of those bands who were greater than the sum of their parts.
And on the flip side of the spectrum, I think Steve Vai gets miscast as a heavy-metal wunderkind, when his work with Zappa and on his own has been quite innovative.
I think Vai is okay.. obviously he's incredibly proficient on a technical level. There's a reason Zappa hired him- he credited Vai as the band's "stunt guitarist" because he could play stuff that was too complex for Zappa to play himself.
But on Vai solo records, at least his stuff that I'm most familiar with, he was doing a lot of the tapping on the fretboard a la EVH.. and when I listen to Vai and EVH back to back, there's no question to my ears which guy had a better knack for melody and hooks, while being pretty innovative and exciting playing in that style. It's Eddie.
That said, I'm probably miscasting Vai as you say.. so what are the better records to check out? I haven't listened to much from him in the past 15 years or so.
Flex-Able is a solid starting point. The Zappa influence is everywhere. "Junkie" is a real standout track - once you get past the lyrical part, Vai goes all over the place and back again on the solo part.
A lot of people cite Passion and Warfare as his watershed - and there's good tracks on it (I Would Love To, Erotic Nightmares), but...
Sex & Religion, when he tried to create a band around him, is my personal favorite. The title track, In My Dreams With You, Survive, Pig...I think a large part of my love for this album was Vai bringing in Devin Townsend, Terry Bozzio and TM Stevens, so it might be unfair to credit it solely to him. Still, it's his guitarwork all over the place.
Those are the early albums - and by that point you'll either love him or hate him or be meh about him. Ultra Zone and Fire Garden are both good. Flex-Able Leftovers as well.
But if you haven't heard anything in the past 15 years or so - you've probably heard these albums anyhow.
Flex-Able is a solid starting point. The Zappa influence is everywhere. "Junkie" is a real standout track - once you get past the lyrical part, Vai goes all over the place and back again on the solo part.
A lot of people cite Passion and Warfare as his watershed - and there's good tracks on it (I Would Love To, Erotic Nightmares), but...
Sex & Religion, when he tried to create a band around him, is my personal favorite. The title track, In My Dreams With You, Survive, Pig...I think a large part of my love for this album was Vai bringing in Devin Townsend, Terry Bozzio and TM Stevens, so it might be unfair to credit it solely to him. Still, it's his guitarwork all over the place.
Those are the early albums - and by that point you'll either love him or hate him or be meh about him. Ultra Zone and Fire Garden are both good. Flex-Able Leftovers as well.
But if you haven't heard anything in the past 15 years or so - you've probably heard these albums anyhow.
I have heard the more well-known of those records, but I will give the others a whirl too. Flex-Able brings back good memories- I had it and played the crap out of it with the guys in my high school band. Still have that cassette.
As a side note, Terry Bozzio totally rocks on drums..
Comments
In my opinion, skilled and innovative as he undeniably was, his playing was too ... eclectic ... to put him in the same league as someone like Keef Richards. Keef's playing is always in the service of the song as a whole, not a side journey.
I had to really think about it before I said "eclectic" instead of "masturbatory".
But my felling about jazzturbation is a whole 'nother side journey.
It does sort of boil down to what floats your boat when you listen. I too like rhythm players who serve the song. I love players who have incredible tone. I love melody in a guitar solo, and I like inventive solo turns a lot- give me something I can't predict live, take me somewhere. That said, I'll take a shorter melodic solo with sick tone over endless noodling (I don't do the Grateful Dead and dislike almost all of their offspring, although many who like some of what Zappa did do like those bands and that kind of guitar playing).
FZ, at his best, did all three in my opinion. Compared to others technically he could be sloppy, while still skilled enough to play music that was incredibly complex. He could play rhythm parts and played with a lot of soul and subtlety when the song called for it. He could play a melodic solo, while also never playing the same solo twice- no small feat. Along with all of that, the thing that sets him apart among all others to me is that tone. It's an amazing, dirty, and totally distinctive squonk, and it is SO rock 'n roll. You instantly know it's him.
Like I said, he's my choice for greatest, but there's a million other badass guitar players out there.. who do you like aside from Keith?
After Hendrix, I could name 100 guys who are all equally talented.
Have you heard of Jimi Hazel (the late Funkadelic guitarist)? Pretty awesome, especially on the Maggot Brain record.. he totally channels Hendrix. Early Funkadelic is totally rock- there's hard rock, funk and soul, and plenty of psychedelia going on. If you like Hendrix, check it out. Personally I think that MIGHT have been one direction Hendrix could have gone had he not passed on.. but admittedly he could have gone anywhere musically and it probably would have been interesting.
Anyone read the Hendrix bio "Room Full of Mirrors"? I liked it quite a bit but I'm far from a Hendrix expert. His life story- all of it- is pretty amazing. Most of us only really know the mythology of his last three years.
You're thinking of Eddie Hazel. Jimi Hazel was the guitarist for 24/7 Spyz, a pretty good guitarist in his own right. But, yeah, “Maggot Brain” is pretty hot. And, yeah, Hendrix did seem to be moving in a more jazzy, fusion type of direction once he formed Band of Gypsys. Nothing against Redding and Mitchell, but Billy Cox and Buddy Miles were better musicians, and I wish we could have heard where their collaboration with Hendrix would have gone.
Chet Atkins
Jimi Hendrix, of course
Link Wray
Bill Kirchen
David Gilmour
B.B. King
Steve Cropper
Brian Setzer
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Andy Gill
Muddy Waters
Junior Brown
Brian May
Mark Knopfler
and many, many, many more...
As for Jimi Hendrix.. I'm with you on the Band of Gypsies stuff, I love that album. Would have loved to hear more from Hendrix with Cox & Buddy Miles. Isn't there a release with the full concerts that were edited down to make the Band of Gypsies album?
Dre has an older grimier flow with really cool and different production. Nobody gets more out of his fellow collaborators than Dr. Dre, and this album is bursting with them. There were 3 new artists i'd never heard of (King Mez, Anderson.Paak, and Marsha Ambrosia, singer) that were featured heavily; of course the Dre family all had songs (Eminem, xzibit, Game, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and newest member Kendrick Lamar).
It's a different album than The Chronic or 2001; it, as the name suggests looks back at the past (lots of Eazy E memories). If you ou enjoy rap it's worth giving it a listen. Right now it is an iTunes only album.
Like others have said, I liked his stuff with Cream, but I find solo Clapton often too laid back (at best) or irredeemably cheesy (at worst). I honestly change the station every time "Wonderful Tonight" comes on.
*Of course, like Columbus, he wasn't really first, just the in right place and time to get the credit.
I feel like the work that best showcases his guitar skills was all done with other groups and not as a solo artist (Yardbirds, Cream, Derek & The Dominos), so I often find myself not connecting the two.
I love The Yardbirds, though I think they fared better under Jeff Beck than Clapton. I think adding that extra bit of pop and psychedelia to their blues sound made them more than just a Rolling Stones knock-off.
Both with the Clapton was more interesting with groups and with the Yardbirds being more interesting post-Clapton.
I think Clapton's real claim to fame was the way he inspired so many others to become better.
David Gilmour.
Whether true or not, to me it always seems like Gilmour has spent hours if not days trying to find the absolute perfect note, sequence of notes, or tones to make the song work. Comfortably Numb, for example, is not a difficult solo to learn the notes to, but try getting it to sound like it does when David plays it. One of those "Artist not the brush" arguments, I suppose.
It's one of the reasons I admire Steve Rothery of Marillion so much - he kind of followed in David's footsteps and surrenders flashiness to what makes the song go forward. Your two big egos in any band tends to be singers and lead guitarists, so any time the lead man is willing to step back and do what's right for the band/song as a whole...that gets my respect more than "Watch how much I can noodle"
And then there's Hendrix who basically took the instrument to a level people are still trying to figure out. :)
And on the flip side of the spectrum, I think Steve Vai gets miscast as a heavy-metal wunderkind, when his work with Zappa and on his own has been quite innovative.
Disc 2 – Live at Wembley & Unreleased Material Disc 2 features previously unreleased live and studio audio:
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (early version) (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 20:22
(This is a pre-album version, therefore its individual parts (1-9) which are listed in the Wish You Were Here album cannot be accurately attributed to this version.)
"Raving and Drooling" (early version of "Sheep") (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 12:35
"You've Got to Be Crazy" (early version of "Dogs") (Live at Wembley, 1974) – 18:09
"Wine Glasses" (from the "Household Objects" project) – 2:12
"Have a Cigar" (alternative version) – 7:07
(This version has Gilmour and Waters on vocals instead of Roy Harper and features slightly different music.)
"Wish You Were Here" (featuring Stéphane Grappelli on violin) – 6:13
To put it in terms of cartoon voice actors, if Hendrix is Mel Blanc, then Steve Vai is Frank Welker.
However, I think Floyd lost a lot of bite post-Roger. Those two guys creatively really needed each other.
And you can't discount the late Rick Wright who often had to mediate and made brilliant contributions to Floyd on keys. He basically played "jazz psychedelia". As great as the individual musicians were in Floyd, I think they are one of those bands who were greater than the sum of their parts.
But on Vai solo records, at least his stuff that I'm most familiar with, he was doing a lot of the tapping on the fretboard a la EVH.. and when I listen to Vai and EVH back to back, there's no question to my ears which guy had a better knack for melody and hooks, while being pretty innovative and exciting playing in that style. It's Eddie.
That said, I'm probably miscasting Vai as you say.. so what are the better records to check out? I haven't listened to much from him in the past 15 years or so.
A lot of people cite Passion and Warfare as his watershed - and there's good tracks on it (I Would Love To, Erotic Nightmares), but...
Sex & Religion, when he tried to create a band around him, is my personal favorite. The title track, In My Dreams With You, Survive, Pig...I think a large part of my love for this album was Vai bringing in Devin Townsend, Terry Bozzio and TM Stevens, so it might be unfair to credit it solely to him. Still, it's his guitarwork all over the place.
Those are the early albums - and by that point you'll either love him or hate him or be meh about him. Ultra Zone and Fire Garden are both good. Flex-Able Leftovers as well.
But if you haven't heard anything in the past 15 years or so - you've probably heard these albums anyhow.
As a side note, Terry Bozzio totally rocks on drums..