Which slide players inspire you the most?

xSkarloey

Blackmore and George Harrison for me. Both players who found a very different and very lyrical new 'voice' thanks to playing slide.

And I also love Son House. Just very, very intense music.

Gassage

Johnny Winter is mind boggling. So so good. Gilmour on a lap steel is supreme. Ry Cooder and Bonnie Raitt also.

xSkarloey

Yes Gilmour. Simultaneously creates atmosphere while being very musical.

SimonC

Santo & Johnny

equalsql

A like a lot a Joe Walsh's early stuff, his slide work on 'The Smoker You Drink..' is so powerful and accurate. Also Lowell George and Ry Cooder. 

Matt Andes who played for Jo Jo Gunne is a great player too. Remember 'Run Run Run' ?

Derek Trucks, well it goes without saying,  but if I had to choose it would probably be Sonny Landreth:

richardhomer

Ry Cooder is pure, under-stated class.

The solo on this is just a beautiful piece of guitar playing:

Gassage

Derek Trucks- great shout too.

We'd be doing him an injustice not to mention Chris Rea too.

Gassage

Another one I love is Mark Hart, ex of Supertramp but Crowded House for the last 20 years. Amazing musician on a number of instruments.

Gilmour- this is seriously my favourite piece of him EVER. Not so much the slide, but the acoustic bit at the end. It is phenomenal. How can something so bloody easy sound so wonderful and perfect? Total goosebumps every time.

octatonic

For me Derek Trucks has raised it to a completely different level.

His technique is mind-blowing but he's still so soulful in how he approaches it.

I honestly think he's the best slide player of all time.

Gassage

^ I think you might be right.

We've forgotten Reeves Gabrels and the VibratorSlide though

Eric is a superb slide player too.

And, from the old guard Missisippi Fred McDowell was a pioneer.

Gassage

Missisippi Fred

ICBM

Wisdoms for Skarloey for Blackmore and Harrison, Gassage for Chris Rea and Mark Hart and equalsql for Joe Walsh.

I'll add -

Duane Allman

Robbie Krieger

Leo Kottke

Gassage

We all need to shoot ourselves for forgetten Allman for sure.

Mark Hart- amazing- the gurgling noise from 4.00 onwards is him tapping the lapsteel pick up. He is an amazing musician- keys, sax, guitar, bass, clarinet, drums...he can play them all, and, he's also one of the nicest guys going.

richardhomer

Gassage;611089" said:

Eric is a superb slide player too.

Wisdom awarded.

His Dobro playing on this is beautiful:

ICBM

richardhomer said:

Gassage said:

Eric is a superb slide player too.

Wisdom awarded.

His Dobro playing on this is beautiful:

[Give Me Strength]

I'll raise you this, probably my favourite song from one of my favourite albums of his, Another Ticket. (Although I know most don't share that opinion!)

Gassage

A couple worth mentioning....

Ellmore James (we all need shooting for omitting such an influencial bluesman)
Rory Gallagher- amazing slide player when he chose to be
Steve Miller- The Joker has one of the most famous slide pieces ever!

rlw

Ry Cooder without a doubt is my No.1 slide player - just google it and watch pretty much any version of 'Crazy 'bout an automobile' if you doubt it.  Also include David Lindley in this.

Obviously, Johnny Winter was amazing, as was - another favourite - Jeremy Spencer who out Elmored Elmore James on early Fleetwood Mac albums.

A couple to look out for as well. Joe Brown's son - who plays in his touring band - would seem to have adopted Ry Cooder as his aim in life and is pretty damn good.   And a blast from the past, the pure twelve bar blues of Graham Hine.  In case you are wondering, google Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts.  And also Mick Abrahams.

Christ, I'm old..............

And John Fahey.

richardhomer

ICBM;611105" said:

one of my favourite albums of his, Another Ticket. (Although I know most don't share that opinion!)

I like that record. Though it's not slide - his blues playing on 'Floating Bridge' is great.

You're right though - all EC fans are seemingly required to hate everything from Layla onwards.

No Reason to Cry was a belter too....

koneguitarist

No Reason to cry was my fave Clapton album.

However, I love Ry Cooder for his gone and touch, yet after watching Sonny Landreth with John Hiatt live in London, it has to be Landreth for the control and how he creates chords so easily by using fingers behind the slide etc. awesome.

EricTheWeary

Gassage said:

A couple worth mentioning....

Ellmore James (we all need shooting for omitting such an influencial bluesman)
Rory Gallagher- amazing slide player when he chose to be
Steve Miller- The Joker has one of the most famous slide pieces ever!

Bulfrog Blues by Mr Gallagher is one of the songs I heard as a young man and got turned on ( :-& ) to the blues by. Only years later did I hear it again and realise it was slide. Doh!
Derek Trucks blew my mind first time I heard him, I just didn't know that kind of playing was possible.
Generally I like slide playing on the raw side though and if I was going to put something on it would be Son House.

xSkarloey

One of the good things about posting a thread like this is there's good chance you'll get introduced to some new music.

There's plenty of great suggestions here.

BTW this is the first time I've heard Derek Trucks, and he has a very expressive 'voice' on the guitar.