Jump to content

Rolling Stone's 20 new guitar gods


Recommended Posts

Considering it's Rolling Stone, that's asking a lot, wouldn't you say? :)

 

I'm sure you're right. The last time RS ran a list that I agreed with/found useful was their "100 Best Albums of the '80s". I found out about a lot of good music from that list. I don't find their lists useful anymore, but maybe teens get something out of them, just as I did at the end of the '80s.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 153
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

True. When he made his debut with RHCP he was a competent funk/rock guitarist, but he wasn't considered anything special. In fact, many fans thought his playing was a step down from Hillel Slovac. He's certainly at a higher level of playing these days compared to 15 years ago. That's why he deserves to be on the list of "new" guitar gods even though he's been around for a while.

 

Some people are on the list because they've gotten so good recently, like Frusciante.

 

No more heroin = better guitar playing

Link to post
Share on other sites
but has only recently been gaining large scale attention since joining (shudder) Widespread Panic.

It will destroy any hipster cred I may have ever accumulated, but WSP easily occupies a spot in my top 3 concert experiences. Granted, that was over 10 years ago and I can't say I have too much urge to see them again at this stage of their/my life, but I still say dammmn that was a cookin' show.

 

I guess this comment is on topic since we're talking about making apologies for certain artists/acts. Most of the time I'd say there are no apologies necessary.

 

John Mayer I still don't like, tho. :pirate

Link to post
Share on other sites
I haven't paid much attention to the Chili Peppers in recent years, but I was watching Frusciante during the Grammys and his guitar work just blew me away. His rhythm lines are more intricate than most people's leads. His fingers are flying all the time, and yet he somehow makes it look easy.

 

He's also a very creative writer, judging from his contributions to the big RHCP singles in recent years. Seriously, is there anything better than that repeated line he plays through "Scar Tissue"? He really has become one of the greats, in my opinion.

 

Supposedly when Frusciante cleaned up, he spent a few years playing guitar 15 hours a day. Flea has said that music replaced drugs as an addiction for him. I could see it. His playing improves remarkably with every new RHCP release.

 

And as far as his writing goes, he's also incredibly prolific as a solo artist. Puts out several albums a year sometimes. The guitar work on his solo albums isn't as fancy, but when you listen to them it makes it more clear exactly what his contributions are to RHCP's songwriting is. His solo stuff has been pretty diverse, but for the most part has shown a much bigger post-punk and new wave influence than RHCP tends to. He and Flea were playing in a Joy Division cover band together for a little while, and you can hear it on Frusciante's albums sometimes (and on a few songs on By The Way).

Link to post
Share on other sites

There's a great George Carlin rant in which he says that "white people have no business playing the blues. EVER. EVER!!! What do white people have to be blue about? Banana Republic ran out of khakis? Hootie and the Blowfish is breaking up??!!??" This is what I think about every time I see or hear John Mayer's pathetic, lame, shitty, stupid, self-absorbed, lyrically bankrupt, soul-less excuse for music. Fuck John Mayer and everything he does.

Link to post
Share on other sites
There's a great George Carlin rant in which he says that "white people have no business playing the blues. EVER. EVER!!! What do white people have to be blue about? Banana Republic ran out of khakis? Hootie and the Blowfish is breaking up??!!??" This is what I think about every time I see or hear John Mayer's pathetic, lame, shitty, stupid, self-absorbed, lyrically bankrupt, soul-less excuse for music. Fuck John Mayer and everything he does.

Fuck Stevie Ray Vaughn and all that he did.

Fuck Eric Clapton and all that he did before he turned into my grandfather.

Fuck any white man who dares to play the black man's music.

Link to post
Share on other sites
There's a great George Carlin rant in which he says that "white people have no business playing the blues. EVER. EVER!!! What do white people have to be blue about? Banana Republic ran out of khakis? Hootie and the Blowfish is breaking up??!!??" This is what I think about every time I see or hear John Mayer's pathetic, lame, shitty, stupid, self-absorbed, lyrically bankrupt, soul-less excuse for music. Fuck John Mayer and everything he does.

Fuck Peter Green

Fuck Paul Butterfield

Fuck John Mayall

Fuck Charlie Musselwhite

 

While we're at it, Fuck Elvis Presley.

 

 

...right? 'Cause that's what I'm hearing.

 

 

Carlin's funny, but that doesn't mean he's right about everything.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Fuck Peter Green

Fuck Paul Butterfield

Fuck John Mayall

Fuck Charlie Musselwhite

 

While we're at it, Fuck Elvis Presley.

...right? 'Cause that's what I'm hearing.

Carlin's funny, but that doesn't mean he's right about everything.

Let's not forget the namesake of the magazine making the seemingly random selections, too: The Rolling Stones, a band based and formed on the Blues classics/sound and who still can kick a nice Blues jam these days.

 

I've got no problem with white folks playing Blues, just with shitty music.

Link to post
Share on other sites
There's a great George Carlin rant in which he says that "white people have no business playing the blues. EVER. EVER!!! What do white people have to be blue about? Banana Republic ran out of khakis? Hootie and the Blowfish is breaking up??!!??" This is what I think about every time I see or hear John Mayer's pathetic, lame, shitty, stupid, self-absorbed, lyrically bankrupt, soul-less excuse for music. Fuck John Mayer and everything he does.

 

Does that mean black people aren't allowed to make happy music?

Link to post
Share on other sites
ira kaplan of yo la tengo ain't new but he was an unknown guitar god to me until i saw them on this tour, and i even own a couple of their albums. simply amazing sounds he's getting out of that axe of his.

 

I couldn't agree more. I love his playing on "Painful" especially his loud parts "I Heard You Looking" and even the softer parts "Nowhere Near."

Link to post
Share on other sites
Fuck Peter Green

Fuck Paul Butterfield

Fuck John Mayall

Fuck Charlie Musselwhite

 

While we're at it, Fuck Elvis Presley.

...right? 'Cause that's what I'm hearing.

Carlin's funny, but that doesn't mean he's right about everything.

 

But they actually have a good ear for the Blues while John Mayer-as he displays in his music-has no idea about the blues. Tell him to listen Robert Johnson's "King Of The Delta Blues Singers Vol 1." then maybe he would actually have an idea of the blues. All he knows is Eric Clapton solo records which are shit.

 

By the way Rolling Stones are great in with blues and country and so is Captain Beefheart. I just wanted to add that in.

Link to post
Share on other sites
But they actually have a good ear for the Blues while John Mayer-as he displays in his music-has no idea about the blues. Tell him to listen Robert Johnson's "King Of The Delta Blues Singers Vol 1." then maybe he would actually have an idea of the blues. All he knows is Eric Clapton solo records which are shit.

 

Buddy Guy is a big fan/endorser of John Mayer. Last I checked, Buddy is black...and plays the blues. I trust his judgment.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...