my favourite guitarists, Part I

I thought it was about time that I sound off about some of my favourite axemen and their influence on me as a (not-so-great) guitarist. I realize that this post will be of far more interest to music fans and musicians than my reading public as a whole, so for that I apologize. Well, in no particular order, here goes:


1. Eric Clapton: Pretty much everyone who plays the electric guitar owes some kind of debt to ole 'Slowhand' since he was one of the big 3 Brits (along with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page) to first revolutionize the instrument in the pre-Hendrix era. Granted, much of his album output is complete crap, but his work in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Derek and the Dominoes is among the greatest fretwork ever laid down. I learned the importance of phrasing from Clapton, trying to make a solo 'sing' and be kinda like a sentence. The famed "woman tone" of his Bluesbreakers/Cream days (Gibson SG through Marshall stack) is my favourite lead tone and the one I try to emulate whenever possible. So fat, warm, and round! I own most of Clapton's good stuff and a small sampling of his churned-out-for-adult-radio crap and my recommendations for great Clapton are 'John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton', Cream's 'Disraeli Gears' and 'Wheels of Fire' as well as 'Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs' by Derek and the Dominoes.

2. The Edge: Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE U2 and so by default it would follow that I love The Edge, U2's sonic architect and resident genius. Edge's trademarks have made their way into my playing to a certain degree, which is inevitable when you listen to the amount of U2 that I did. U2 wouln't be U2 without him!

3. Keith Richards: I would love to be Keith Richards minus the drugs and being hideously ugly. He has elevated the playing of rhythm guitar to an art form and written some of the greatest riffs in rock history including "Jumping Jack Flash", "Brown Sugar", and "Start Me Up". The key to the Stones' signature sound is how Keith's rhythm locks in the with the kick drum of Charlie Watts, making the Stones one of the few bands that follow their guitarist rather than their rhythm section. Listening to the albums between 1968 and 1972 will really give you an appreciation for the genius that is Keith. I tip my hat to Keef Riffhard, the Human Riff!

4. Rich Robinson: My respect for this guy has increased monumentally after having seen him and his amazing band (The Black Crowes) live last week. I always thought that Rich was a sweet guitarist and a cool character, but I have found myself on a real Crowes kick over the past couple months and thus increasingly appreciating Rich's chops. Great riff writer, phenomenal slide player, underrated singer, and the true heart of the "World's 'Most Rock and Roll' Rock and Roll Band", Rich is someone who stays on the margin, gets very little props, but really is the man who runs the band as a unit. Throughout personnel changes, band in-fighting, and of course the famous squabbling with his older brother, lead singer Chris, Rich has stayed true to the music he loves and continues to be one of the finest rock guitarists in the world. Check out the main riffs to "Sting Me", "Twice As Hard", "A Conspiracy", and "Horse Head" just to name a very few. Rock on Richard, rock on...

5. Jimmy Page: Potentially the most influential guitarist of the rock era (along with Jimi Hendrix), Page gave us the archetype of the guitar hero/slinger. He was a great producer, came up with some of the most memorable riffs of all time, and also the mastermind behind the brilliance that was Led Zeppelin. Discovering Zeppelin was one of the greatest musical moments of my life and for a period there they were all that I listened to, with Page's guitar playing being a big reason why. "Whole Lotta Love", "The Ocean", "Kashmir", "Stairway to Heaven", "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll", "Immigrant Song", the list goes on and on...and on. The man almost singlehandedly revolutionized rock and we would have not hard rock/heavy metal (for better and worse) were it not for Jimmy Page. You really can't say enough about the man. And besides, who doesn't want to whip out the air guitar for the "Stairway" solo, which STILL gives me the shivers every time I hear it. Seeing him and Robert Plant live in 1998 was one of the the real 'pinch me I'm dreaming' moments of my life. Keep rockin' Uncle Jimmy!

6. Dan Vickrey and David Bryson: You probably read these two names and ask yourself 'who are these guys?' They are the dynamic duo who lend their lyrical guitar brilliance to the songs of the Counting Crows. I really fell in love with the playing of these two on the Crows' second album 'Recovering the Satellites'. They are tasty, colourful, and have their guitar PhD's from the less-is-more school of playing. I am smitten with the Crows' albums to begin with because I feel that each is an organic sounding mini-masterpiece and much of it has to do with the consummate musicianship of the Bryson-Vickrey partnership. Heck, I don't even know who plays what on each song because they themselves say there is no distinction between lead and rhythm guitar. The colourful fills on "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby", the guitar solo on "Goodnight Elizabeth" and the acoustic guitar solo that concludes "Carriage" are all gorgeous and have brought me to tears in the past with their beauty. Bryson and Vickrey are one of the most underrated guitar duos in rock, period.

7. Ian Thornley: Thornley has not really been an influence on me as a guitarist so much as I just really enjoy his playing with Big Wreck (more than with his new band), especially their first album, 'In Loving Memory Of...' where he showcases virtuosic chops and great songs. I can only dream of being as skilled as him!

8. Mike McCready: I have pretty much ripped off every single lick this man has played and he was the reason that I picked up the guitar in the first place. I am the proud owner of over 40 Pearl Jam concerts on CD and thus have spend more time listening to and studying his playing than any other guitarist. Passion, energy, and fire characterize McCready's style and only Kirk Hammett of Metallica can even come close to rivalling him in the use of the wah pedal as a means of expression. I have seen PJ live 4 times and every time I leave thinking how underrated he is (as is his axe partner Stone Gossard). As a live band, Pearl Jam is close to unrivalled and McCready's real showcases come when he whips out the pyrotechnics on "Even Flow", closes out "Corduroy", melts face with is solo on "Go", and just generally astounds with each nightly show-closing rendition of "Yellow Ledbetter", often throwing clips of other songs into his riffing. Thanks for the memories, Mike!

9. Mick Taylor: The Stones' lead guitarist from 1969-74, they made their best music with Taylor and his melodic leads shaped their sound dramatically. A relatively underrated, unknown guitarist, Taylor has done nothing of note since leaving the Stones 30+ years ago but was a blues virtuouso who played with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers before "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World" acquired his services. His playing is incredibly fluid and lyrical, with beautiful tone and phrasing and I honestly could listen to it for hours on end. The coda of "Sway", from 'Sticky Fingers', is just a beautiful peace of lead playing and the Stones never made music as good again when Taylor left the band.

10. Joe Perry: Aerosmith's guitar playing half of the "Toxic Twins", Perry is almost as prolific as Page and Richards in the riff-writing department having come up with "Walk this Way", "Back in the Saddle", "Toys in the Attic", and "Same Old Song and Dance" to name a few ("Sweet Emotion's riff was the brainchild of Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton for those of you who were wondering why I hadn't included it). His leads are reckless, bluesy, and fiery, often seeming out of control, but always exciting. Whatever your views on Aerosmith's post-drugs output (not nearly as good, believe me), you must give props to Perry and partner-in-crime Brad Whitford for being one of the consistently great guitar duos in rock history.