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Great list, but the can is missing Robin Trower, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Carlos Santana, Brian May, Mark KNopfler, billy Gibbons, Van Halen, Alex Lifeson, Gary Moore, Peter Townsend, Keith, neil Young, omg the list is endless…..each with virtues….noiw if we want to discuss those that created new genres, influenced everyone else, thats a much shorter list even than the one you started with……..Jimi, Jimmy, Eric, Ritchie, Jeff, Duane……
Roberto
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Roberto, thanks to your mention here (and a few other mentions all within the last few days, almost strange how many times I saw or heard his name), I had to go back and check out Robin Trower’s Bridge of Sighs (my first exposure to him and the one I like best) and I’m glad I did; they were playing some great stuff.
I listened to Bridge of Sighs on vinyl, so I don’t really know about the remixes, except “Too Rolling Stoned,” which I just checked out—still great to me. I think I love the drum track on that song. Props to James Dewar’s vocals and bass and Reg Isidore’s drumming.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLquyS6gFyOYB0k46r1OYyndaXUHBgC2zCI enjoyed most of Bridge of Sighs more than I enjoyed many of the Harvey Mandel tracks I posted (I only listened to snippets as I was posting—have to admit, at one time, I thought he was everything a guitarist should be, not that other guitarists should sound like him, but I valued his distinctive sound); nowadays I abhor the “too many is just right” way of layering/mixing instruments—but if you get the chance, check out how he plays on “Ca Purange,” a cover of tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons’ song (coincidental or not to the reason I still like it, the arrangement is relatively spare).
Don D.
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Great list, but the can is missing Robin Trower, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Carlos Santana, Brian May, Mark KNopfler, billy Gibbons, Van Halen, Alex Lifeson, Gary Moore, Peter Townsend, Keith, neil Young, omg the list is endless…..each with virtues….noiw if we want to discuss those that created new genres, influenced everyone else, thats a much shorter list even than the one you started with……..Jimi, Jimmy, Eric, Ritchie, Jeff, Duane……
Good response – for me, I think that those in my list very much were trendsetters and yes, the list would be endless. The late 60’s and early 70s was a very creative period
And to Billy’s point, it is impossible to rank players yet we see it all the time on forums & Facebook groups
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Of course we do, but that’s only people’s preference on faceache, what about the Stevie vi’s or the Robert Frips or the Garry Coleman’s and for that matter the Midge Ure’s of the world..my point is that there are more great guitarists forgotten than there are remembered so how could we possibly rate them?..
..Billy..
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Worms, you aren’t kidding, Keith…
Here are my ten, including blues-rock and rock: I’d add Michael Bloomfield, Roy Buchanan, Carlos Santana, Harvey Mandel, Lowell George, Elvin Bishop, Ernie Isley, Eddie Hazel, Kim Simmonds, Ry Cooder (and I’d keep Peter Green, Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Alvin Lee, Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, and—grudgingly—Jeff Beck). Making 17, oh well…
If I could have 18, it would definitely be Joe Walsh (I kept my additions to ten).
Henry Vestine didn’t make it as a guitarist, but I almost included him just to get Canned Heat into consideration (Harvey Mandel does that, but I think of him as only passing through Canned Heat, a hired gun). Humble Pie, the Stones, the Animals, J. Geils Band all had good to great guitarists, but it was their interaction as bands that made them. Yes, I like Keith Richards, he’s perfect at what he does, no discounting that, but I don’t think “I can’t wait to hear him play,” he’s just an integral part of the Stones (who along with Humble Pie and the Animals are right near the top for me).
I like the Yardbirds, Cream and Blind Faith (a lot—all had been passing favorites), but it was as bands; Eric Clapton was rarely my focal point (with some outstanding exceptions). Same with Led Zeppelin, it wasn’t Jimmy Page. Traffic was a favorite group too, but it wasn’t for the guitars.
Can’t wait to see what everyone else has to say.
Don D.
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And why. In all cases, it was the heart with which they played, their sound and presence—and what they brought to the music they were involved with (which would have been a good reason to actually include Keith Richards; Peter Frampton, Steve Marriott and Clem Clempson [a name I had to look up], or at least put them closer to the top).
When I said “grudgingly” with Jeff Beck, I used to love his music so much, then something happened (and I don’t know what it is) and I lost my feeling for it. Sometimes I even wonder if he was really as good as I (and so many others) thought he was, but somewhat objectively, I can tell he is.
Don D.
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There are at least four time more that fit equal in my private category( all them influenced/inspired by somebody great jazz/blues whatever from their lives living in the past naturally. .. Right now had a terrific work out all four lessons here on Active Melody! ..I really like what Brian has dished out on this site .. EP 156 EP298 EP 299 ML056 .. so much to review and even if Brian takes breaks and hope he does if he wants to cause he really has a feast of prepared lessons on this members table! lol
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Worms, you aren’t kidding, Keith…
Here are my ten, including blues-rock and rock: I’d add Michael Bloomfield, Roy Buchanan, Carlos Santana, Harvey Mandel, Lowell George, Elvin Bishop, Ernie Isley, Eddie Hazel, Kim Simmonds, Ry Cooder (and I’d keep Peter Green, Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Alvin Lee, Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, and—grudgingly—Jeff Beck). Making 17, oh well…
If I could have 18, it would definitely be Joe Walsh (I kept my additions to ten).
Henry Vestine didn’t make it as a guitarist, but I almost included him just to get Canned Heat into consideration (Harvey Mandel does that, but I think of him as only passing through Canned Heat, a hired gun). Humble Pie, the Stones, the Animals, J. Geils Band all had good to great guitarists, but it was their interaction as bands that made them. Yes, I like Keith Richards, he’s perfect at what he does, no discounting that, but I don’t think “I can’t wait to hear him play,” he’s just an integral part of the Stones (who along with Humble Pie and the Animals are right near the top for me).
I like the Yardbirds, Cream and Blind Faith (a lot—all had been passing favorites), but it was as bands; Eric Clapton was rarely my focal point (with some outstanding exceptions). Same with Led Zeppelin, it wasn’t Jimmy Page. Traffic was a favorite group too, but it wasn’t for the guitars.
Can’t wait to see what everyone else has to say.
I started to make it a list of 12 by adding Kim Simmonds & Dickey Betts to the mix but I knew that most would probably draw ???? next to their names
Really should have included Steve Marriott and Paul Kossoff – both were virtuosos in their own right. Any live recording of Humble Pie is great due to Marriott’s guitar and singing; Kossoff had such a searing tone; I wore out the grooves on Free’s Heartbreaker album, largely because of Paul’s guitar
For various reasons, Clapton fell off my list of favorites several years ago
Agreed on Zepplin, never did anything for me – always thought of Page as a much better acoustic player than a electric player
Keith Richards is an interesting one. To me, he is the heart & soul of the Stones but he could stand on his own if he had too. If you listen the videos of his band X-Pensive Winos, they were a pretty decent band as as any of his solo albums.
I like Jeff Beck from Blow By Blow and forward for the next 20-25 yrs. His newer material is too abstract for me.-
For now, here’s a little Harvey Mandel primer (link to Discogs). There are a lot more, if anyone likes what they hear. Harvey Mandel played on a couple songs on the Rolling Stones Black and Blue (the album they made while auditioning guitarists), “Hot Stuff” and “Memory Motel.”
He also played with Canned Heat for a while, including at Woodstock and on Future Blues. That guitar is so chunky and juicy, he really has distinctive tone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hom0fYd5uX4I found out about Harvey Mandel (link to his website) in one of those 10 for 39 cents boxes of 45s (my cousin gave it to me). It had “Cristo Redentor” on one side and “Bradley’s Barn” on the other. You couldn’t want two more different songs. “Cristo Redentor” is a cover of Duke Pearson’s song; it was known from Donald Byrd’s A New Perspective (with Kenny Burrell, Herbie Hancock and a chorale group, beautiful stuff, 1964). “Bradley’s Barn” is a boogie named for a recording studio in Nashville. Both songs are on this album, his first (1968).
This is just a great record. A little too produced, but great, 1969.
Here’s one that differs from most of his, in that it’s all originals, 1970.
This record with Charlie Musselwhite and Barry Goldberg is his bluesiest playing (can’t find it as an album), recorded between 1964 and 1971, it was released in 1973. I’d bet the first 2 songs are from 1964 (“Big Boss Man” was released on Chicago Anthology in 1966).
With Don “Sugarcane” Harris on violin (full personnel at video description).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFMH5ZGoP3UDon D.
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And why. In all cases, it was the heart with which they played, their sound and presence—and what they brought to the music they were involved with (which would have been a good reason to actually include Keith Richards; Peter Frampton, Steve Marriott and Clem Clempson [a name I had to look up], or at least put them closer to the top).
When I said “grudgingly” with Jeff Beck, I used to love his music so much, then something happened (and I don’t know what it is) and I lost my feeling for it. Sometimes I even wonder if he was really as good as I (and so many others) thought he was, but somewhat objectively, I can tell he is.
Here’s one by Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton that I enjoy. There had to be a joke going on behind the scene with the way that Jeff and the other musicians and backup singers were smirking at each other and Clapton’s overall reaction to them LOL
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I don’tknow how anyone could include Neil Young.
Great Song Writer yes. Great Guitar player no.
Average guitar at best. -
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George Harrison – he wasn t a self-exposer, but a really teamplayer. And he played and created so many styles, from Indian to Country, from hard to romantic with an excellent technique.
the early Keith Richard. He played so soulful Blues. Sometimes with few tones, but always with an exciting rhythm.
Steve Mariott & Rory Gallagher – both world class Guitarists.
Joni Mitchell – with a wonderful voice, with lyrics of pure poesie and a Guitar with an unbelievable rhythm and before never heard mysterious open chords. (I first heard her on the radio in my car in the 1970s and I was immediately elektrified. Her Album “Blue” is my favorite up to now.)
Dieter
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I don’tknow how anyone could include Neil Young.
Great Song Writer yes. Great Guitar player no.
Average guitar at best.Its all a matter of perspective……..
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You cannot make a ranking-list of the best, at least I can’t. For me the recognition factor of a guitar player is most important. You hear one note, or one bend, a lick or a couple of notes and you know who it is: guitarists with their own style. This applies to (just to name a few): B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, James Taylor, Larry Carlton, Frank Zappa, Robben Ford, Joe Pass, Ry Cooder, Carlos Santana and many, many more.
Besides these, there are so many good, very good, excellent players out there, but they are exchangeable, if you like.Eric
Eric
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Of course we do, but that’s only people’s preference on faceache, what about the Stevie vi’s or the Robert Frips or the Garry Coleman’s and for that matter the Midge Ure’s of the world..my point is that there are more great guitarists forgotten than there are remembered so how could we possibly rate them?..
All great points Billy
All on my list are Blues Rock oriented guitarists in general and I chose 7 of the 10 because of their contribution to the British Blues Invasion of the 1960’s & 1970’s; Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix & Johnny Winter being the only 3 Americans on the list
Yes we do rank them in our minds largely because of our own bias and our own preferences d
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It’s “subjective” though as some guitar players come in a package, like Robert Johnston his playing in nothing without his singing/lyrics and viseaversa..
An impossible task Keith has set us here, a bit like John”sunburst” posting without brown nosing..hahahaha
Thanks for the laugh Billy
I knew when I posted it, I knew that it was impossible but look at the great conversation that it has caused.
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Very much so Keith, something that the forums lack is content interaction other than when it comes around to the monthlies.. Your topic is a great idea even if it is impossible to answer, though that doesn’t make it impossible to participate in..hahaha
..Billy..
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You often see these discussions on the internet and they usually become quite contentious. If I had to name some guitarists, they would probably be among the names already mentioned.
But ultimately there is no metric for the best guitarist. It comes down to your personal taste in music. I can’t separate the guitarist from the music. There are one or two guitarists on most of the top ten lists that I just don’t care for. Says nothing about their chops, just their music.
There are guys who can play at lightning speed with great proficiency. When I hear them the volume goes off. Then there’s Keith Richards-good guitarist but probably not in the league with others. But he has written some of the most memorable rock riffs/songs. I thinks it comes down to the famous (if he actually said it) Muddy Waters quote: I hear you talkin, but you ain’t sayin much. To me the guitarist has to be saying something that I identify with.
Bob
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Hey Bob, those are good points and your description of Keith Richards’ playing and his dynamic in the band was excellent.
I saw the list asking “Who did you listen to and why did you like them?” so that’s how I answered it. I know it’s subjective, limited by my memory and impulses at the time it was asked. It gave me a chance to remember and reminisce. Some of the best times the music was coming from open doors in cars or speakers placed on the roof (one of my favorite musical memories, I was on my bike headed to the lake and War’s “All Day Music” was coming from cars and apartments on the way). At the same time I was first answering the question yesterday, I was was talking about the trees in the neighborhood I grew up in in another conversation. Heavy nostalgia.
I left out Otis Rush and Hubert Sumlin (who I wasn’t even overly familiar with by name as a kid, he was “just” a part of the Howlin’ Wolf sound, I might have thought Howlin’ Wolf was playing guitar when I was first getting into them), as well as Curtis Mayfield, Jimmy Nolan, Steve Cropper and Cornelius Grant (the Temptations). Even so, I forgot some people who really merit, notably John Cipollina and the other guitarists of Quicksilver Messenger Service (their Bo Diddley improvs are great, see “Who Do You Love” and “Mona” below—it’s playing now and I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought I might) and Tommy Bolin (whose Private Eyes was regular on my record player). I also left all the punk rock guitarists who served the song in the same way Keith Richards, Steve Marriott, Johnny Thunders and Jay Geils did.
I had hoped to do a little capsule primer for each of the guitarist who I thought were more “obscure” than the rest. Roy Buchanan is someone who anyone liking heartfelt blues-rock guitar ought to give a listen to. I have a real weakness for his music. The ones below are my favorites. Every song on Live Stock is a gem (anyone liking his cover of Jr. Walker and the AllStars “Hot Cha,” seek out Sammy Lawhorn’s—if you can’t find it, ask me).
Widely called “his best album,” it was my introduction and I have always agreed with that bit of received knowledge (best of the studio albums).
I should have included more where you can see him, because he’s such a joy, but I’ve got to run. I’ve posted some before and they’re out there.
Don D.
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The ones I still listen to with some regularity:
Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir
Robbie Robertson
Jeff Beck
Duane Allman and Dickie Betts
David Gilmour
Ry Cooder
George Harrison
Frank ZappaThat’s ten…
I love Clapton, Page, Hendrix, Winter, Townshend, Richards, etc… And they all had a big impact on me growing up. But I don’t find myself going back to a lot of their stuff anymore (Layla a possible exception).
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Hey Duffy, I’m glad to see your choices and that you named the criteria as who you still listen to. If I’d done it that way, I could have dismissed a lot of people as you did “Clapton, Page, Hendrix, Winter, Townshend, Richards, etc… And they all had a big impact on me growing up.”
Next time, I’ll try to answer what’s being asked without dragging in all the possible implications.
Don D.
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The original post didn’t ask about best, it asked about favorite guitarists, which ought to be easy and uncontroversial. I’d measure that by how many time I played something—which makes my equivocation about Keith Richards and Steve Marriott a mistake—I mixed up favorite and best or most skillful too (and a specific kind of best, using typical virtuosity as the measure). I guess I’m not the only one who wants to think what I like is the best.
Even though I went back and listened to Robin Trower, I can’t see how he’s going to take up time I could spend listening to Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, Jody Williams, Sammy Lawhorn, Bee Houston or anyone else on that list (I haven’t yet heard everything any of them has played). In my estimation, the best of the rock guitarists drew heavily on the blues, and the best among them acknowledged that just about anytime they were asked about what they played. The Stones notably made a condition of their appearance on Shindig in 1965 contingent on Howlin’ Wolf starring on the show.
Don D.
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Seeing my formative years musically were spent more in the rock and roll realm, I’ll throw out a couple of names that, while rock guitarists definitely had many a blues great as a major influence.
Angus Young
Ace Frehley
Ted Nugent
Allen Collins
Gary Rossington
Ed King
Danny Kirwan (such an AWESOME vibtato)
Mick RalphsCould go on and on and while the original subject matter was 60’s/70’s guitarists, the major force that was SRV would be a shoo-in of the parameters could be expanded just a bit.
A few touched upon this but you all never cease to amaze me… This discussion would’ve gone full circle several times down the wrong path, with name calling and threats of violence had this discussion been brought up in any other forum.
Cool topic and I’ve enjoyed reading all of your posts!
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Hey Mark, seeing Danny Kirwan’s name reminded me of the numerous times I had given Peter Green credit for something Danny Kirwan played. That’s serious credit.
Don D.
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