Guitar gods and mayhem
3 Comments Published by Sheer melody on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 1:06 AM.
Some great masters of the guitar.
Jimi Hendrix: This man will always top my list for the simple reason of bringing more innovation into the art of guitar playing than everyone else. With prodigious talent and an absolutely wonderful eye for detail, Jimi Hendrix is probably the best exponent of the blues and blues-rock. And in the course of his experimentation with the blues, he brought a great deal of color into the instrument, be it style, be it effects, or be it overall skill. Hendrix had it all.
B. B. King: One of the most respected and talented blues musicians over the world, B. B. King is known best for his trademark guitar, ‘Lucille’, a custom guitar which he started using the 1950s. His musical journey has been a long one, right from the time when he fell under the spell of the blues, in spite of the fact that it was considered ‘devil music’ by his community. His journey took him to Memphis, where he started playing the blues and gospel on street corners. From that, he has come a long way. Considered one of the biggest influences on Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards and Eric Clapton, his impassioned guitar style and rock-solid voice ensures that he is perennially sold out on the blues circuit. One of his best quotes till date remains: “If five out of hundred people get something out of my music, then it’s worth it.”
Eric Clapton: One of the greatest living guitarists, a person who has dabbled in probably every kind of music possible. Each and every album of Clapton right from his early firebrand addicted days to the present sobered-down version is a masterpiece and a clear definition of the musical talent that he is. His “Unplugged” series with MTV, till date remains one of the best acoustic performances of all time. With an unflinching passion for perfection, all of Clapton’s life has been a journey in musical discovery.
Dave Gilmour: This is one person who is a legend, not because he was a virtuoso, but because he knew how to use his talent the best. Best known for engineering psychedelic rock and enhancing it, thereby making it popular, along with his companions in Pink Floyd, Gilmour accomplished with the guitar what a lot of singers accomplished with their voices. “Shine on you, crazy diamond” is one of the most haunting guitar solos ever, and I respect and admire this guitarist for his sparing usage of notes and his capability of successfully molding blues into psychedelic rock.
SRV: Jokingly regarded as the only white man who could play the blues the way it’s supposed to be, Stevie Ray Vaughan till date remains one of the most under-rated but amazing guitarists in the blues and blues-rock scene. Eric Clapton was once invited to a concert, and there was a guitarist in the band who simply blew everyone’s mind out with the way he played the blues. That guitarist was Stevie Ray Vaughan. This was a little story which Clapton in an interview during a tribute concert for Vaughan organized by his brother Jimmie. And in spite of the fact that he is under-rated, it’s tough to find a guitar-player who hasn’t been influenced by him at some point of time. With one of the most soulful and inspired playing styles of his time, SRV was a man who had the technique rock-solid.
These are just five of my favorite guitarists; mentioning five names seems a gross injustice to a lot of rather amazing players and musicians who did not get into the list, because …. Well …. The slots are already taken.
Jimi Hendrix: This man will always top my list for the simple reason of bringing more innovation into the art of guitar playing than everyone else. With prodigious talent and an absolutely wonderful eye for detail, Jimi Hendrix is probably the best exponent of the blues and blues-rock. And in the course of his experimentation with the blues, he brought a great deal of color into the instrument, be it style, be it effects, or be it overall skill. Hendrix had it all.
B. B. King: One of the most respected and talented blues musicians over the world, B. B. King is known best for his trademark guitar, ‘Lucille’, a custom guitar which he started using the 1950s. His musical journey has been a long one, right from the time when he fell under the spell of the blues, in spite of the fact that it was considered ‘devil music’ by his community. His journey took him to Memphis, where he started playing the blues and gospel on street corners. From that, he has come a long way. Considered one of the biggest influences on Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards and Eric Clapton, his impassioned guitar style and rock-solid voice ensures that he is perennially sold out on the blues circuit. One of his best quotes till date remains: “If five out of hundred people get something out of my music, then it’s worth it.”
Eric Clapton: One of the greatest living guitarists, a person who has dabbled in probably every kind of music possible. Each and every album of Clapton right from his early firebrand addicted days to the present sobered-down version is a masterpiece and a clear definition of the musical talent that he is. His “Unplugged” series with MTV, till date remains one of the best acoustic performances of all time. With an unflinching passion for perfection, all of Clapton’s life has been a journey in musical discovery.
Dave Gilmour: This is one person who is a legend, not because he was a virtuoso, but because he knew how to use his talent the best. Best known for engineering psychedelic rock and enhancing it, thereby making it popular, along with his companions in Pink Floyd, Gilmour accomplished with the guitar what a lot of singers accomplished with their voices. “Shine on you, crazy diamond” is one of the most haunting guitar solos ever, and I respect and admire this guitarist for his sparing usage of notes and his capability of successfully molding blues into psychedelic rock.
SRV: Jokingly regarded as the only white man who could play the blues the way it’s supposed to be, Stevie Ray Vaughan till date remains one of the most under-rated but amazing guitarists in the blues and blues-rock scene. Eric Clapton was once invited to a concert, and there was a guitarist in the band who simply blew everyone’s mind out with the way he played the blues. That guitarist was Stevie Ray Vaughan. This was a little story which Clapton in an interview during a tribute concert for Vaughan organized by his brother Jimmie. And in spite of the fact that he is under-rated, it’s tough to find a guitar-player who hasn’t been influenced by him at some point of time. With one of the most soulful and inspired playing styles of his time, SRV was a man who had the technique rock-solid.
These are just five of my favorite guitarists; mentioning five names seems a gross injustice to a lot of rather amazing players and musicians who did not get into the list, because …. Well …. The slots are already taken.
Santana kothaye gelo? ;)
Can't have a Top Five list of guitarists, methinks. Five is too few.
That's not Stevie Ray Vaughan on the picture! That's Lance Lopez! Are you blind?
Hey, that's not SRV that's Lance Lopez on that photo! Haha..you should change it! ;)