I can't argue with their top-line result. But I can certainly take issue with the rest of their list. Specifically...where's Django? Not in the top 10 even?
One of the coolest music vids ever, in my view. And worth noting how much rock&roll Django invented. He was the first guy to use the lead/rhythm guitar combination. In fact, he once said to his Hot Club violinist partner Stéphane Grappelli that the band should hire a third guitarist so that when he (Django) soloed he had two rhythm guitarists backing him up.
Which is to say that Lynrd Skynrd couldn't have existed if this little Belgian Gypsy hadn't blazed the trail. And, just to clarify, Lynryd Skynrd not existing would have been a bad thing.
And, I'm sorry, where's Robin Trower? Esp.
...and:
..from his Procul Harum days, when he sounded like Clapton. Later he sounded a bit like like Hendrix. For example here (still with PH):
Also: Van Halen is way overrated. Just gobs of notes played real fast. You young guitar players of today, don't be like that.
Lenny Breau deserves a place in any list of great guitarists.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who has struggled to play the guitar for years understands that Django is the most skilled and innovative guitarist who ever lived. Furthermore these lists always seem to be compiled by people who think Rock guitarists are the most skilled among the instrument's aficionados when in fact the most skilled guitarists are almost all out side of that genre. The best guitarists have always been found in the genres of jazz, classical, fusion, and especially flamenco. Next to a guitarist like, say, Carlos Montoya, most rock guitarists (even the best ones) are mere dilatantes.
ReplyDeleteAgreed on Lenny Breau. No sign of Chet Atkins or Mark Knopfler either. I'd take all of them over Townsend, Richards, Van Halen and Chuck Berry any day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bogus list that is. The majority of those chosen aren't even the greatest rock players in my humble opinion. Keith Richards at #4? Puh-leez. I mean, I love the Stones, but Richards has got to be the biggest hack ever to sling a guitar over his shoulder. Dump him, Page and Van Halen and substitute Todd Rundgren, Robert Fripp and Carlos Alomar and you'd have me agreeing (somewhat) with that Top 10.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Robert Johnson ?
ReplyDeleteOutside of the #1 spot of course, if you think the other top-10 picks are contentious, go through the rest of the 90 if you really want to be pissed off.
ReplyDeleteThe following who should never be on such a list:
Bruce Springsteen (96) - I like his music, but he's not a top-100 guitarist
Willy Nelson (77) - wtf?
Prince (30) - seriously, wtf???
I'll second Django Reinhardt & Robin Trower needing to be on this list. Also, these brainiacs at Rolling Stone forgot about Joe Satriani.
Re: Django — great player, but
ReplyDelete"He was the first guy to use the lead/rhythm guitar combination."
Um, no. Charlie Christian, IMHO. The single-coil "Charlie Christian" pickup on his Gibson, and a first-generation guitar amp changed the jazz universe, paving the way for the 30's with Louis Jordan et al. Because of the electro-magnetic pickup, while Django may indeed have been first, Charlie's playing was the first to show the explosive variation in dynamics that poor ol' Django just couldn't get with the crappy microphones of the time.