| When I do research concerning my blog I visit websites of all sorts and kinds. Among others the site of the Rolling Stone Magazine. I got intrigued when I saw that they had published the list of what is (following their, I can only call it: very weird standards of qualifying) the list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists. So I had a look at that and I have come to the conclusion that the Rolling Stone Magazine is losing it absolutely BIG TIME!!! They state that they have assembled a panel of top guitarists and other experts. Now when I saw the names of these "top guitarists" I got a bit discouraged. There are a few big names in there, true but also a lot that are definitely not so top. And what "experts" are we talking about here? Dentists? Firemen? The champion of selling ice cream from a van? Certainly not "experts" in the field of nominating the 100 greatest guitarists. That has to be a down right lie. Let me explain why. We find John Lennon on this list at number 55. That means that John Lennon is a greater guitarist than the previous 45. So he must manipulate his guitar in a greater way than the number 100 Lindsay Buckingham. (He's from Fleetwood Mac). Now I happen to know John Lennon's work, with the Beatles and solo and I have serious doubts. However to make sure that I would not say something stupid I have also checked a few video clips on Youtube and all this has made one thing sure: I don't see or hear, anywhere at all, that John Lennon uses his guitar in a greater way than the afore mentioned Lindsay Buckingham. Also John Lennon is quoted in the biography from Ray Coleman (part one) in an interview that was held after the Beatles split up and he had done a few solo things, saying: I'm not much of a guitar player. And he was right. So, following the logic of Rolling Stone Magazine, I have to come to the conclusion that John Lennon plays his guitar, what? More original, faster, louder, richer or with a better technique? What are the criteria for this list? Don't get me wrong, I love John Lennon as a musician, after all, his influence in pop music is something we still hear today but I have serious trouble to understand why John Lennon is considered a greater guitarist than James Hetfield (87), Slash (65) or Rory Gallagher (57), just to name a few. Another thing, James Hetfield is at 87 and his buddy from the same band is Kirk Hammett. Kirk is doing all the solo stuff and fancy finger work and oddly enough he's not even on the list. James Hetfield is also one of these top guitarists who has been voting on people in this list. So how did that work out than? He can vote on himself but his pal Kirk is considered as somebody who's not even worth mentioning? I take it that people like Yngvie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, (who developed the first 7 string, electric, modern, commercial guitar) and Joe Satriani (guitar instructor of among others Kirk Hammett and Steve Vai) have opted for an early retirement? Or are they the numbers 103, 102, and 101 as they are not on this list either! And I have this scene in my head: Kirk Hammett talking to James Hetfield: James, you know what, I've learned a little fingertrickytappingwhatsamacallit and I think it'll fit in nicely when we do this song. I got it from this guitar bloke I know, his name is Joe. And James is like: Oh no, there he is again with his Satriani crap. And he says: Forget it Kirk, I'm on the list of the greatest guitarists and you and this Satriani guy are not, so you don't know what you are talking about. So.......... Shut Up!!! Why is Keith Richards the greatest guitarist number four? Yes, he has created a few riffs that everybody has stuck in their head, true enough but does that make him a greater guitarist than Carlos Santana? Frank Zappa is on number 22. I don't want to talk about why Frank Zappa is on number 22. I want to talk about the fact that Frank Zappa employed in 1979 a young guitar player named Steve Vai. And this Frank Zappa refered to Steve Vai as his "little Italian virtuoso" and listed him in the liner notes as performing "stunt guitar" or "impossible guitar parts". Now as the number 22 of this list refers to Steve Vai as a virtuoso playing impossible guitar parts, would you not somehow, somewhere, think | 100 - Lindsey Buckingham 099 - Thurston Moore 098 - Alex Lifeson 097 - Steve Jones 096 - Bruce Springsteen 095 - Roger McGuinn 094 - Peter Buck 093 - Paul Simon 092 - Dimebag Darrell 091 - Dave Davies 090 - Tom Verlaine 089 - Bonnie Raitt 088 - Carl Perkins 087 - James Hetfield 086 - J Mascis 085 - Andy Summers 084 - Joe Perry 083 - Eddie Hazel 082 - Nels Cline 081 - Lou Reed 080 - Buddy Holly 079 - Mike Campbell 078 - John Fahey 077 - Willie Nelson 076 - Robby Krieger 075 - Joni Mitchell 074 - Dick Dale 073 - Kurt Cobain 072 - John Frusciante 071 - Robert Johnson 070 - Jack White 069 - Richard Thompson 068 - John McLaughlin 067 - T-Bone Walker 066 - Leslie West 065 - Slash 064 - Duane Eddy 063 - Johnny Winter 062 - Robert Fripp 061 - Dickey Betts 060 - Ron Asheton 059 - Robbie Robertson 058 - Peter Green 057 - Rory Gallagher 056 - Albert Collins 055 - John Lennon 054 - Joe Walsh 053 - Otis Rush 052 - Clarence White 051 - Johnny Marr 050 - Ritchie Blackmore 049 - Muddy Waters 048 - Johny Greenwood 047 - Stephen Stills 046 - Jerry Garcia 045 - Link Wray 044 - Mark Knopfler 043 - Hubert Sumlin 042 - Mike Bloomfield 041 - Mick Ronson 040 - Tom Morello 039 - Steve Cropper 038 - The Edge 037 - Mick Taylor 036 - Randy Rhoads 035 - John Lee Hooker 034 - Curtis Mayfield 033 - Prince 032 - Billy Gibbons 031 - Ry Cooder 030 - Elmore James 029 - Scotty Moore 028 - Johnny Ramone 027 - Bo Diddley 026 - Brian May 025 - Tony Iommi 024 - Angus Young 023 - Buddy Guy 022 - Frank Zappa 021 - Chet Atkins 020 - Carlos Santana 019 - James Burton 018 - Les Paul 017 - Neil Young 016 - Derek Trucks 015 - Freddy King 014 - David Gilmour 013 - Albert King 012 - Stevie Ray Vaughan 011 - George Harrison 010 - Pete Townshend 009 - Duane Allman 008 - Eddie van Halen 007 - Chuck Berry 006 - BB King 005 - Jeff Beck 004 - Keith Richards 003 - Jimmy Page 002 - Eric Clapton 001 - Jimi Hendrix |
that, maybe he should be considered as, at least, the number 100?
And if I know this, being a mere music amateur, don't these "experts" not know this? So what is the explanation for this than?
I would have thought that in the top twenty of the greatest guitarists everybody has to be a virtuoso at least. And when that has been sorted out you are to establish how good the feelings and emotions come over to the listener, that these virtuoso's create with their playing style.
My opinion is that guitar players should not have had a vote in who should be on the list of the 100 greatest guitarists. Simply because they can not be objective. Drummers, bass players, keyboard players, vocalists and every other instrumentalist can be in that jury but not a guitar player. And of each category in the jury, you should have at least three or four different generations present as well.
The list we have here is a list of guitar players where the total amount of blues guitarists are give or take equal to the total amount of guitarists of every other music style. I can certainly not see this as a list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists.
It makes you wonder what value to give to articles from Rolling Stone Magazine...
And if I know this, being a mere music amateur, don't these "experts" not know this? So what is the explanation for this than?
I would have thought that in the top twenty of the greatest guitarists everybody has to be a virtuoso at least. And when that has been sorted out you are to establish how good the feelings and emotions come over to the listener, that these virtuoso's create with their playing style.
My opinion is that guitar players should not have had a vote in who should be on the list of the 100 greatest guitarists. Simply because they can not be objective. Drummers, bass players, keyboard players, vocalists and every other instrumentalist can be in that jury but not a guitar player. And of each category in the jury, you should have at least three or four different generations present as well.
The list we have here is a list of guitar players where the total amount of blues guitarists are give or take equal to the total amount of guitarists of every other music style. I can certainly not see this as a list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists.
It makes you wonder what value to give to articles from Rolling Stone Magazine...
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