Sometimes you think some of these theologian types are immune to the pleasures of rock music but, oh no, not true. Check out Carl Trueman's admission here and Ben Witherington's top rock guitarist list here. He really displays his knowledge of the rock world and rock guitarists in particular. I love to read this stuff because I come from a background where the guitar was the devil's instrument and if you liked rock music you better keep that to yourself. So, it's great to read dudes like this that let us in on their rock-n-roll secrets; it kinda says I'm ok and I'm not some rock lovin' sinner, know what I mean? Obviously, I'm not in that world any longer and I enjoy rock music and many other genres as well (with the notable exceptions of opera and rap). My son & I both play guitar, he shreds his heavy metal and I pick my blues. I could play slow blues numbers all day given the chance.Ben's list of top guitarists is very comprehensive but there are so many top-notch guitarists out there it can become mind boggling to start to rate them. Let me give you my top three in no particular order:
Eric Clapton
Stevie Ray Vaughn
B.B.King
I think you probably noted that all three play at least some blues if not only blues. Well, that's my predisposition. Whose the top rock group? That'd be another massive undertaking to rate the top group or groups of all time so let me give you mine - Alice Cooper. He is now a Christian and from what I can ascertain doing some pretty good works in the world today. He is by far the finest lyricist ever. Like him or not that can't be taken away from him. At his concerts he no longer sings the more gruesome stuff he once did, nor by his own admission will he ever sing worship songs. He views himself more as the harbinger of what is to come should we not change.
There you have it. I'm in the ranks of many fine guys who love rock and blues. Hhhmm, time to pick up the guitar and settle in to some blues....
There you have it. I'm in the ranks of many fine guys who love rock and blues. Hhhmm, time to pick up the guitar and settle in to some blues....
2 comments:
I was a metal-head in the 80's, so that's where my bias lies. I think a whole lot of those guys are cream-o-the-crop guitarists but will never be recognized that way because they played in bands that failed to make ecclectic music. They're thus forever marginalized.
But putting Eddie Van Halen aside from that category for the mo' I'd offer these top three:
George Lynch (Dokken)
Randy Rhodes (Ozzy)
Slash (Guns n Roses)
And if you're going to talk about innovation and changing the way the darn thing gets played, I think you've got to look seriously at that Hammet kid from Metallica.
The four you mention are high caliber, no doubt(intersting side note on Hammett - he has a cousin on this area whose married to a member of the Cleveland Orchestra; we attended church with then for awhile). Yeah, its hard to make a true "Best Ever" list cuz there are just too many that fit that category.
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