Last great guitar hero

koneguitarist

Been thinking about a real bonefide Guitar hero in Eric Clapton, how many guitar hero`s can say they were in two major big name bands ?

Eric has been in , Yardbirds, Mayalls Bluesbreakers, Cream, Derek and the Dominoes , Blind Faith plus even bigger star as a solo artist !

Anyone one else even compare with that kind of legacy ?

Tex Mexico

koneguitarist;147040" said:

Tex Mexico said:

I've read a few posts in this thread which seem to be implying that Slash is not as good a guitarist as his reputation might lead you to think.



Knowing Slash, he'd probably agree with you.



And you'd both be wrong.



Slash has never been described as a virtuoso. It's his style and his sound that people value about him more than anything. Ironically, he's also a fantastically dexterous player. And he's a sex symbol. And a rock icon. And pretty much the dictionary definition of a guitar hero.



And anyone who disagrees with that can take their cardigan and slippers and go masturbate to Eric "yawn" Clapton somewhere else.





I think Slash is a good player, whether he is a fantastic player is another thing, Clapton is not a technically great player, but he has left a huge body of classic songs behind, such as Layla, I feel free, Tears in heaven and that old chestnut Wonderful tonight to name just a few. And lets be honest he hasn`t done bad with the ladies either. What exactly has Slash done apart from sweet child of mine riff ? not a Guns and roses fan so don`t know.

Well, there's the rest of that album, which is the first thing Slash ever recorded and is recognised as one of the most definitive rock albums of all time. Then there's Use Your Illusion I&II, two records which went seven times platinum in their first year, possibly the most hotly-anticipated albums of the 90s. GnR at the time were probably one of the biggest touring acts, and were referred to as the most dangerous band in the world. There have been collaborations with the biggest acts in the world, including several Michael Jackson tracks. And then there's his signature stuff, where they have to keep coming up with new models because every run they do usually sells out at the preorder stage. If like me you were a teenage musician during the height of their career, you either thought Slash was about as good as rock stars get, or you didn't like him because you were an uptight wanker. No middle ground. Seriously, the man's a living legend.

not_the_dj

Exhibit A...Slash wins...

http://imageshack.us/a/img22/5416/p8q1.jpg

Si_

Surprised there is no mention of Steve Stevens in this thread.. Fantastic guitarist, defiantly one of my top influences.

EdGrip

richardhomer said:

EdGrip;146805" said:

Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, Gary Moore, the Erics, or any of the other guitarists that have morphed themselves into one seemingly homologous Old Man Blooz Guitarist in my mind.

Just to help you differentiate, Beck is nothing like a blues player - neither is Page really. Carlos Santana's playing owes as much to his Mexican lineage as it does to blues and Gary Moore was a rock player in terms of attack and phrasing. If by 'The Erics' you are referring to Clapton & Johnson, you clearly haven't heard them. Hard to imagine two more different players..... That said, there is no particular reason why you should be familiar with any of them if you don't want to be.

Seriously just saw this in the shops, couldn't resist taking a picture! ^_^

IT'S LIKE THEY KNEW

richardhomer

koneguitarist;147045" said:

Been thinking about a real bonefide Guitar hero in Eric Clapton, how many guitar hero`s can say they were in two major big name bands ?Eric has been in , Yardbirds, Mayalls Bluesbreakers, Cream, Derek and the Dominoes , Blind Faith plus even bigger star as a solo artist ! Anyone one else even compare with that kind of legacy ?

Agreed. And because his style is fairly simple in technique terms, an intermediate level player can copy him pretty easily (at least superficially).

So for me, the greatest guitar hero of all time. Though not the last....

koneguitarist

Tex Mexico said:

Well, there's the rest of that album, which is the first thing Slash ever recorded and is recognised as one of the most definitive rock albums of all time. Then there's Use Your Illusion I&II, two records which went seven times platinum in their first year, possibly the most hotly-anticipated albums of the 90s. GnR at the time were probably one of the biggest touring acts, and were referred to as the most dangerous band in the world. There have been collaborations with the biggest acts in the world, including several Michael Jackson tracks. And then there's his signature stuff, where they have to keep coming up with new models because every run they do usually sells out at the preorder stage. If like me you were a teenage musician during the height of their career, you either thought Slash was about as good as rock stars get, or you didn't like him because you were an uptight wanker. No middle ground. Seriously, the man's a living legend.

Well, so that's how it is, either love slash, or your an uptight wanker ? Ok and here's me thinking it was about musical ability and quality of songs. No one is saying he ain't any good, but still stand by what I said, he did not bring anything new to the game, same as Bonnamassa, SRV and Gary Moore really. And I love Gary Moore for his sheer balls to the wall attitude and attack in his tone. If it's down to sales, then Brian May must be up there. When a major band splits and the guitarist goes on to do something new, if he still churns out same old stuff but with new lineup, is that the mark of a great or a has been ?

ThePrettyDamned

First time I saw Off The Map, I wanted to be John Frusciante.

Innovative, talented, great song writing skills and all around awesome.

Tex Mexico

koneguitarist;147149" said:

Well, so that's how it is, either love slash, or your an uptight wanker ?

Ok and here's me thinking it was about musical ability and quality of songs.

No one is saying he ain't any good, but still stand by what I said, he did not bring anything new to the game, same as Bonnamassa, SRV and Gary Moore really. And I love Gary Moore for his sheer balls to the wall attitude and attack in his tone.

No, that's how it was to me and my friends when I was a teenager in the early nineties. The people I'm referring to didn't like Slash because he was too cool, too mainstream, too cliché, too hair-metal or whatever. They were in no positionn to judge him based on his musical ability or songs because they never listened to any of his music, so they had a go because he wore leather trousers. Which makes them uptight wankers.

How do you know he hasn't brought anything new to the game if you've only heard less than one per cent of his music?

Fusionista

ThePrettyDamned said:

First time I saw Off The Map, I wanted to be John Frusciante.

Innovative, talented, great song writing skills and all around awesome.

One of my chums,  a pro guitarist (makes a living at it) who is highly technically competent (and a good player) dislikes Beck & Blackmore, says Frusciante is 'poor' and Slash 'limited'.  Add in (Rory) Gallagher,  Eric (Clapton) and Page you have my list.  Now I love jazz (QED) but offhand cannot think of a jazz player who is a 'guitar hero'. It is true that many of the above-named players peaked early (the exception is Beck) but they were innovators,  and left a legacy of work which anyone might be proud of.  These are not the criteria however: a hero is not just brave and exceptional (in some way) s/he is above all and by definition popular.  (Unless an unsung hero of course  )

bertie

koneguitarist said:

Been thinking about a real bonefide Guitar hero in Eric Clapton, how many guitar hero`s can say they were in two major big name bands ?

Eric has been in , Yardbirds, Mayalls Bluesbreakers, Cream, Derek and the Dominoes , Blind Faith plus even bigger star as a solo artist !

Anyone one else even compare with that kind of legacy ?

true, but to be fair, he hasnt done anything "worthwhile"  since the 70s, and nothing that could be said is 'influencing' since the late 60s...........................   

all boils down to what ones definition is of "hero"  -  is it musical ability ? creativity ? influence on others music?  influence on people to actually pick up a guitar and play ?  all of the above ?    

If one person can fit all the above, to a limited audience does that make them any more of a 'credible hero' than a limited player touching the "soul"  of many millions  - 

Tex Mexico

Fusionista;147185" said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

First time I saw Off The Map, I wanted to be John Frusciante.



Innovative, talented, great song writing skills and all around awesome.












One of my chums,  a pro guitarist (makes a living at it) who is highly technically competent (and a good player) dislikes Beck & Blackmore, says Frusciante is 'poor' and Slash 'limited'.  Add in (Rory) Gallagher,  Eric (Clapton) and Page you have my list.  Now I love jazz (QED) but offhand cannot think of a jazz player who is a 'guitar hero'. It is true that many of the above-named players peaked early (the exception is Beck) but they were innovators,  and left a legacy of work which anyone might be proud of.  These are not the criteria however: a hero is not just brave and exceptional (in some way) s/he is above all and by definition popular.  (Unless an unsung hero of course  )

No offence, but your mate sounds like a snob.

Fusionista

No offence, but your mate sounds like a snob.

Curiously enough he isn't, but he is a purist perhaps.

usedtobe

@ Koneguitarist: Tears in Heaven is an awful song.

EricTheWeary

usedtobe said:

@ Koneguitarist: Tears in Heaven is an awful song.

I used to work with a guy who was a total Clapton freak but he hated that song. He said that Clapton had spent his whole career trying to play the blues and when he finally had something to have the blues about he produced some mawkish midddle of the road crap (I am heavilly paraphrasing here).

In fairness Clapton has recorded a lot of stuff and the quality varies enormously. As a guitar player/ hero quite early in he seemed to have decided he had taken it as far as he could take it and wanted to develop other areas instead - his singing and his substance abuse primarilly.Now he is like your cool old uncle who turns up at christmas in his sports car, gives good gifts and does a party turn. Then when he goes everyone discusses him over the washing up saying he can't really be happy without a normal family life.    

xSkarloey

With all respect, I can't help thinking that a helpful term to put alongside Kone's original definition might be this: "a guitarist's guitarist". 

Yeah it's a bit of a cliche, but it came about in response to terms like 'guitar hero' in the first place. 

I'll try and explain with an example. One of my very favourite players of all time is Jerry Donahue. He's had a quiet but lasting influence on music and musicians on both sides of the Atlantic. In terms of the guitar he's also something of a true innovator because of all the astonishing string bending he can do. But there's no way you would ever define him as a 'Guitar Hero'. He's not a larger than life stage persona, hasn't had commercial mega success, and nor is he recognisable to a lot of people in the street. Slash or Clappo he most certainly ain't. 

'Hero of the guitar' yes. Hero to some other guitarists yes. 'Guitarist's guitarist' certainly. But 'Guitar Hero' no. There's a certain set of connotations with the term Guitar Hero that it's hard to escape or redefine, because it's got 40+ years' worth of meaning. 

cbilly22

I'd probably go with Josh Homme as a current guitar hero....great songs in several bands, monster riffs and tone, awesome stage presence, bags of attitude and memorable solos.

[Deleted User]

I think there is a problem with wording here, I remember similar thread on MR.

a guitar hero is $something different to everyone.

eg: Guthrie Govan - a clear guitar hero to the modern world, went from working in McDonalds to being one of the most celebrated guitarist in the last 5 years. Inspired many people to pickup a guitar, inspired many people to get better at the guitar, inspired many people to look at what they where playing and how they where playing it, a technical wizard with some superb soulful playing.

does he inspire me....no. Is he a guitar hero to me, no, and that is removing zero of his superb respect for playing, writing, tone, etc, he just doesn't inspire me (although I enjoy reading his interviews).

when I was a younger, Slash, is he technically amazing, not really compared to say Guthrie, does he play with soul, yeah I think so, is he a great song writer - hard to say as the G'N'R stuff that is celebrated was more a group than an individual effort and his current stuff doesn't make me believe. However was he a guitar hero to me, yes, everything about him, how he played, the sound he made made me want to get better at playing, every day.  Is he a guitar hero to me now, no although I still enjoy his earlier work, does he inspire me to play or influence how I play now, no pretty much never, is he a guitar hero to me now - yes I still appreciate the impact he had on me and others, even if he has zero impact on me now.

Brad Paisley - is he a good technical guitarist, yeah in a certain style, does he play with soul, yeah I think so, is h a good writer, well certainly not bad and a ton of grammy's suggest not too shabby. Does he inspire me to play, yeah a bit, nice to stretch yourself and try different styles, he certainly inspired me to look at certain tones I used and tweak them a bit, his playing has had an impact on the older me in terms of listening to what "not" to play and how to be a bit more subtle. is he a guitar hero to me now, nah not really but he should be, as a younger me I'd have laughed at me being influenced by him, should he be a guitar hero, if you're into that style, yes probably.

it's an example of how people who "should" be guitar heros are not - not for any reason other than the person
How different people will be inspired by different things - you don't have to be the best guitarist to inspire someone to be a better guitarist, and also being the best guitarist doesn't always inspire someone.

things change - what worked for you before doens't work for you now.

It's a really hard moving target to hit.

Fusionista

You only got to be a guitar hero once The target moves on, but you hit it.

Guitarist's guitarist: Guthrie for sure - for me anyway. He can do ANYTHING. 

However 'inspiration' is a funny thing.  When I saw and heard Rory Gallagher close up live, I 'knew' I would never be able to play like that. Curiously, forty years on, my style owes him a lot (although I was correct in my assumption).

stickyfiddle

You can argue for as many pages as you want but the answer is Matt Bellamy. He's the only guy still out there filling stadia with all that over the top rock star bollocks. And Origin of Symmetry basically taught me to play guitar.

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/bg/Matt+Bellamy+Muse+Performs+Live+Reading+festival+ddx6H0GknSfl.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6YU9qHy-aVM/TVx_L2FtuLI/AAAAAAAAId4/GWFcEesvgbs/s320/grammy2011-matt-bellamy.jpg

http://static.gigwise.com/gallery/5762195_Muse2010_1.jpg