Jimi Hendrix Named Greatest Guitarist Of All Time By Rolling Stone

[Tom Karol]

"One of many things that Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello highlights in his short writeup for Hendrix in the magazine:

'He seamlessly weaves chords and single-note runs together and uses chord voicings that don't appear in any music book. His riffs were a pre-metal funk bulldozer, and his lead lines were an electric LSD trip down to the crossroads, where he pimp-slapped the devil.'

Following Hendrix on the list at number two is Eric Clapton, with Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Jeff Beck making up the rest of the magazine's top five guitarists, as chosen by a panel of experts. B. B. King, Chuck Berry, Eddie Van Halen, Duane Allman and Pete Townshend round out the top ten."

Well, I guess they didn't ask anyone here for their input - LOL! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[cjm]

'He seamlessly weaves chords and single-note runs together and uses chord voicings that don't appear in any music book. His riffs were a pre-metal funk bulldozer, and his lead lines were an electric LSD trip down to the crossroads, where he pimp-slapped the devil.'

Ah. Yes. Well.

And the Rolling Stone...

But, of course...

Ummm...

Awkward moment here...

[Billnc]

Jimi Hendrix single handedly invented the 7+9 and add9?
He was a great rock rhythm guitarist, got to hand him that.

[mr. beaumont]

Well, Rolling Stone is a Rock and Roll magazine. We can't expect them to see too far out of their corner of the world.

Ranking guitar players is pretty silly. What, do we have stats now?

I will say Hendrix is one of the few rock players I really enjoy listening to.

[Silence]

>.<

[cjm]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Well, Rolling Stone is a Rock and Roll magazine. We can't expect them to see too far out of their corner of the world.

Why not? Some food critics actually like fast food, but we wouldn't expect them to describe the high school kid working part time at the nearest Burger King as one of the world's top chefs. If anyone did...we'd shake our heads and think him or her an idiot. It's not just a matter of personal preference or taste.

I think Rolling Stone should be held to the same journalistic standards as other publications are.

[mr. beaumont]

They should cjm...but have you read rolling stone? We're lucky they spelled guitarist in the plural without an apostrophe.

[fumblefingers]

Originally Posted by cjm

Why not? Some food critics actually like fast food, but we wouldn't expect them to describe the high school kid working part time at the nearest Burger King as one of the world's top chefs. If anyone did...we'd shake our heads and think him or her an idiot. It's not just a matter of personal preference or taste.

I think Rolling Stone should be held to the same journalistic standards as other publications are.

well ok, but just don't hold your breath on that one.

btw- what is your favorite brand of rolling papers? fire it up!

[Flyin' Brian]

Nonsense.

[cjm]

Originally Posted by fumblefingers

btw- what is your favorite brand of rolling papers?

Bull Durham...but I went to tailormades after they stopped selling Prince Albert in the convenient shirt pocket sized can.

Why do you ask?

[Astronomer]

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

'He seamlessly weaves chords and single-note runs together and uses chord voicings that don't appear in any music book.'

I love Jimi, but when did he ever use radical chord voicings? Are they referring to this in a rock context or what?

Oh, and I second how silly the ranking system gets, whether it be guitarists, bassists, etc. It's always a personal preference rather than an objective assessment of a musician's ability (and even trying to do that takes away from what is actually important...THE MUSIC).

[Atticus]

I seem to remember them doing a Top 100 Guitarists a year or two ago, and Wes was on there somewhere, ahead of Van Halen at least (he was around 80 on that list). Robert Johnson was number three, too.

[Banksia]

I think Hendrix was definitely the most influential guitarist of all time. I would guess that he inspired more people to take up guitar than every jazz guitarist combined. Last year I was in a guitar shop and an Asian teenager was playing "Little Wing." When was the last time you saw a 16-year-old play anything by Metheny? Or how many teenagers have you met who took up guitar because they love Ben Monder?

[newsense]

Originally Posted by Banksia

I think Hendrix was definitely the most influential guitarist of all time.

Influential - I agree. And putting Eric second would probably be consistent with that interpretation.

But, the title of the poll was "Greatest" guitarist. I'm not really sure what that means - most talented, most entertaining, fastest (or fatest !), most listened to, richest, gratingest.....?

So, yes, polls are a waste of time. It reminds me of the Melody Maker polls I was a fan of in my teens. What a surprise that Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) always came top in the woodwind section !

[markf]

Originally Posted by Banksia

I think Hendrix was definitely the most influential guitarist of all time. I would guess that he inspired more people to take up guitar than every jazz guitarist combined. Last year I was in a guitar shop and an Asian teenager was playing "Little Wing." When was the last time you saw a 16-year-old play anything by Metheny? Or how many teenagers have you met who took up guitar because they love Ben Monder?

not just influential, but brilliant in every way. my favourite guitar player for sure.

unfortunately the negative responses here are pretty typical for jazz people.

a lot of them are very limited in the kind of music they are able to appreciate.

like only fishing for one kind of fish, or only eating italian food, or only reading books by British authors.

[cjm]

Originally Posted by markf

not just influential, but brilliant in every way. my favourite guitar player for sure.

unfortunately the negative responses here are pretty typical for jazz people.

a lot of them are very limited in the kind of music they are able to appreciate.

like only fishing for one kind of fish, or only eating italian food, or only reading books by British authors.

I appreciate lots of music that isn't jazz. I even listen to some rock.

But...I don't buy into bullshit about some pop music idol of limited ability being the "greatest" at anything without qualifying statements about what he is supposedly "great" at. To publish that Hendrix and Clapton are the first and second best guitarists of all time is pathetic...even by the journalistic standards of the Rolling Stone.

[NSJ]

You all maybe harping on Hendrix, but read the entire list....

Wow. that is truly one of the most retarded, mindlessly imbecilic lists I have ever seen.


If someone ever needed proof that music is all about marketing and 0% about music, this is Exhibit A, right here.

[Banksia]

Number 2 isn't Clapton, as stated earlier, but Duane Allman. This is an example of being "World Famous in the USA". If you drew up these lists outside the US, you would never find people like Jerry Garcia and Duane Allman on them. I'm 56 so I started buying albums - mostly Rock at the time - back in the 60s and I don't know a single person who ever owned a Grateful Dead album.

[cosmic gumbo]

I think that Modern Plumber Magazine only ranked Hendrix as #4, behind Chet Atkins, Dick Dale and Steve Cropper.

[Banksia]

Another problem that occurs with ranking rock guitarists is that, when people are asked, "Who is the best guitarist?" they often answer the question, "Who is the guitarist in your favourite band?" This is why people like Kurt Cobain and Keith Richards keep appearing in these lists.

[fumblefingers]

Duane Allman was pretty damn good.

Interesting that Alvin Lee was not listed. I have seen many of those guitarists live and have listened to them endlessly on records as well.

Most of them would be shamed on a stage next to Alvin Lee. What that guy could do on a guitar would make most of them appear to be handicapped, Hendrix included (especially if Jimi didnt bring his effects).

[fumblefingers]

does it strike anyone as interesting that there are few if any Gen-Xrs or Gen-Y guitarists in the top list? many of the guitarists listed by the official dope smokers rag (Rolling Stone) made their mark before they were 30.

so do we have any candidates for the top 10 portion of the top 100 list who are under 45?

[bako]

Is it not possible to just appreciate the unique personal creative contributions many musicians make
without declaring winners and losers in a pursuit that arguably has never been classified as a sporting event.

[jtizzle]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Ranking guitar players is pretty silly. What, do we have stats now?

This Hendrix has a shred level of 8, a chord level of 5, and has 83 experience points. He needs to beat another person to level up and gain 2 points towards his chord level.

Well anyways, at least they didn't make the list "top musicians of all time" I don't mind when they rank guitarists, because usually that will take the musicianship out of everything, but when they call it musicians, not gonna fly.

[fumblefingers]

Originally Posted by jtizzle

This Hendrix has a shred level of 8, a chord level of 5, and has 83 experience points. He needs to beat another person to level up and gain 2 points towards his chord level.

Well anyways, at least they didn't make the list "top musicians of all time" I don't mind when they rank guitarists, because usually that will take the musicianship out of everything, but when they call it musicians, not gonna fly.

after are you experienced he only has 83 points?

[Smelodies]

Originally Posted by cjm

Why not? Some food critics actually like fast food, but we wouldn't expect them to describe the high school kid working part time at the nearest Burger King as one of the world's top chefs. If anyone did...we'd shake our heads and think him or her an idiot. It's not just a matter of personal preference or taste.

I think Rolling Stone should be held to the same journalistic standards as other publications are.

They don't say "Top Rock Guitarists"? Well, even if they don't, it's understood.

[Smelodies]

Originally Posted by Banksia

Number 2 isn't Clapton, as stated earlier, but Duane Allman. This is an example of being "World Famous in the USA". If you drew up these lists outside the US, you would never find people like Jerry Garcia and Duane Allman on them. I'm 56 so I started buying albums - mostly Rock at the time - back in the 60s and I don't know a single person who ever owned a Grateful Dead album.

The Grateful Dead albums suck by their own admission. Their (mostly good sound quality) live soundboard recordings are where the meat is, and the internet age has made them much more accessible than they used to be. Garcia was a very unusual player in the rock idiom, in terms of emphasizing tone and melody over flash and effects.

[EightString]

Charlie Christian almost single handedly popularized the electric guitar as a solo instrument. He was also, arguably, the first guitar hero. Now, let's add to that the guy was "instrumental" in the invention of bebop, which almost all moden jazz is derived from, and IMO, any list like this which DOESN'T have Christian at or near the top is ignorant at best.

And this opinion comes from a former metal dude.

[mr. beaumont]

If it weren't for charlie, there just might not be any t bone walker, which means there might not be a jimi hendrix.

Don't mess with the space-time continuum.

[cjm]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

If it weren't for charlie, there just might not be any t bone walker, which means there might not be a jimi hendrix.

Don't mess with the space-time continuum.

It might also be said that Dr.Timothy Leary was nearly as important.