Rolling Stone’s Greatest Guitarists List

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Interesting.

Rolling Stone?s Greatest Guitarists List: Who?s Too High and Too Low | Amplifier (NEW) - Yahoo! Music

[robertm2000]

I remember Frank Zappa once referring to rock guitarists as "playing clouds of pentatonic gnat-notes." I don't think you could say really anything like that about most jazz guitarists.

[cjm]

It seems to me a list of the top guitarists ought to list guitarists, but...

Seriously, these lists are irritating. If the term guitarist was qualified, as in "top rock guitarist," or "top blues guitarist," they would be more tolerable.

Taste is subjective, but an assessment of technical skills is not. And as I look no further than the top ten on that list, I have to ask where are the dozens of other players -- from Howard Roberts to Hank Garland -- from Segovia to Merle Travis -- some better than others, but quite frankly, from an objective viewpoint, each with more technical skills than those on the list.

(And I threw Merle Travis in there, because if you've listened to Clapton's pathetic take on Travis picking, where the syncopation is off, and the bass strings are not controlled, and compare it to Travis back in the 1940s and '50s when he was recording stuff like Blue Smoke...give me a frikkin' break, Rolling Stone...)

[paynow]

Originally Posted by cjm

It seems to me a list of the top guitarists ought to list guitarists, but...

Seriously, these lists are irritating. If the term guitarist was qualified, as in "top rock guitarist," or "top blues guitarist," they would be more tolerable.

Taste is subjective, but an assessment of technical skills is not. And as I look no further than the top ten on that list, I have to ask where are the dozens of other players -- from Howard Roberts to Hank Garland -- from Segovia to Merle Travis -- some better than others, but quite frankly, from an objective viewpoint, each with more technical skills than those on the list.

(And I threw Merle Travis in there, because if you've listened to Clapton's pathetic take on Travis picking, where the syncopation is off, and the bass strings are not controlled, and compare it to Travis back in the 1940s and '50s when he was recording stuff like Blue Smoke...give me a frikkin' break, Rolling Stone...)

Agreed. Though I never expect to see any jazz guitarists on these lists. I just don't look at Springsteen as a top guitarist.

[fumblefingers]

"greatness" is a very subjective thing. popularity certainly weighs in heavily here.

after seeing McLaughlin listed at 68 and then seeing all the 3 chord rockers listed ahead of him (like Tony Iommi and Prince) it was over for me.

Jeff Beck is listed at 5. You should read his comments regarding McLaughlin being the "greatest of guitarists". Also, it speaks of McLaughlin in the past tense. It seems to me that speaking in historical terms is much more appropo where some of those rock careers are concerned.

There no Wes or Django, Segovia, John Williams, Julian Bream etc, so as was said above, this is really just a "greatest rock/blues/blues/rock" list. that would better explain all the distorted facial expressions, makeup and spandex pants. But then Rolling Stone readers don't know or care very much about musical styles outside that realm anyway. (that describes me, in junior high school anyway).

perhaps this should have been called "100 greatest earning guitarists"?

[Billnc]

Yeah, I'll give Clapton his rock and roll due, but his performance with The Heritage Jazz band (or whoever) was pathetic. If it was me playing like that Marsalis would have thrown me off the stage.

Wouldn't let me quote, but this is a response to post#2.

[Flyin' Brian]

"Best of" lists are pure silliness designed to sell magazines.

[fumblefingers]

Originally Posted by Flyin' Brian

"Best of" lists are pure silliness designed to sell magazines.

right, and it probably works very well.

[paynow]

Originally Posted by fumblefingers

"greatness" is a very subjective thing. popularity certainly weighs in heavily here.

after seeing McLaughlin listed at 68 and then seeing all the 3 chord rockers listed ahead of him (like Tony Iommi and Prince) it was over for me.

Jeff Beck is listed at 5. You should read his comments regarding McLaughlin being the "greatest of guitarists". Also, it speaks of McLaughlin in the past tense. It seems to me that speaking in historical terms is much more appropo where some of those rock careers are concerned.

There no Wes or Django, Segovia, John Williams, Julian Bream etc, so as was said above, this is really just a "greatest rock/blues/blues/rock" list. that would better explain all the distorted facial expressions, makeup and spandex pants. But then Rolling Stone readers don't know or care very much about musical styles outside that realm anyway. (that describes me, in junior high school anyway).

perhaps this should have been called "100 greatest earning guitarists"?

[coolvinny]

Well, at least they have Duane Allman on there. He was #2 on Rolling Stone's list and I see he is #9 on the "Amp" one. It's still a travesty to see a few of the names ranked ahead of him, but at least he's still on there.

Duane was my entry point to jazz. In an interview he said that for a year all he listened to was "Kind of Blue".

His solos on the Live at Fillmore East album are unreal. Actually, I have almost all his recordings, and I don't think he ever played a superfluous note. Maybe he got that from Miles?

[mr. beaumont]

To be fair, Prince can burn.

[jmstritt]

Bruce Springsteen?

I honestly thought he just sang and occasionaly banged a power chord. Does he actually 'really' play?