Paul Maroon of The Walkmen. I don't know that he's a good player technically, but man his style is so cool.
I think that Vini Reilly's work on The Durutti Column's Someone Else's Party is a good example of using great technical skill to your advantage to make beautiful music...
From that list, or even without it, I gotta go with Hendrix. He really knew his instrument. He also had a great way of switching up his style to suit the song. Unlike a lot of the other guitar gods, who are purely about flash, Jimi understood the importance of a great song and used his playing to enrich the song, rather than just using the songs as a vehicle for stellar guitar solos. The guy was a genius.
----- I’ll be Ben Gazzara, you’ll be Gena Rowlands.
Posts: 5159 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 19 June 2005
Overall, it's gotta be Jimi. His playing was so organic, groove-laden and funky that no other rock guitarist comes close.
Of the white guys, nobody's mentioned Peter Green (before the wheels fell off), THE best white blues player, bar none. All votes for Johnny Winter will be counted, however.
+++++++++++++++++ Nalgaphobia: the irrational fear of prosthetic buttocks.
Posts: 2074 | Location: Vinylville | Registered: 24 September 2006
Of the white guys, nobody's mentioned Peter Green (before the wheels fell off), THE best white blues player, bar none. All votes for Johnny Winter will be counted, however.
Peter Green...that's a good one. He just had something.
Mr Limbo - Johnny Greenwood. A very interesting guitarist. I liked his manipulation of FX.
The reason I went for Trey Spruance is he's a bit of an all rounder - everything from avant-garde to death metal, dance, folk etc. He does it all so well it's infuriating.
None more Black
Posts: 482 | Location: Kent | Registered: 29 September 2005
I'll tell you all what: Prince! He can do anything with six strings. Listen to his power riffing, or his soloing, his taste and economy, his fierceness, delicacy...extraordinarily unappreciated as an axeman. And on the acoustic, I can't go past Lightnin' Hopkins for sheer guts and groove.
'for my purpose holds to sail beyond the sunset, and the baths of all the western stars, until I die.'
Posts: 2033 | Location: The ever silent spaces of the East | Registered: 12 February 2007
Eddie Van Halen is my favorite guitarists of all-time. His playing is what got me interested in music, back when I was 12 or 13. I had heard Hendrix, Clapton, Jimmy Page before Eddie, but none of those guys playing made me pay attention to music at that age, but when I hearsd Van Halen for the first time I was HOOKED. His playing opened my eyes and I started paying attention to other players like Randy Rhoads, Kirk Hammet, James Hetfield, Ace Frehley, Angus Young and many more. I am a music lover today because of Eddie's amazing abilities.
If someone asked I would say Greenwood, but I don't know how he rates with everyone else. I guess I like him more because of his use of things like the ondes martenot, but he still does lots of cool things with the guitar.
The head of state has called for me, but I don't have time for him
Posts: 249 | Location: Sydney, Australia | Registered: 07 September 2006
That'd be sick!!!
