NWB - Community Blog

kurt cobain just missed the top 10??????!!!!!!! really????? id be suprised if he were in the top 50!!!! not a mention of mark tremonti. booo

craig

1. John Frusciante - Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. Slash - Guns n' Roses
3. Matt Bellamy - Muse
4. Johnny Marr - The Smiths
5. Tom Morello - Rage Against The Machine
6. Kirk Hammett - Metallica
7. Jonny Greenwood - Radiohead
8. Prince
9. Jack White - White Stripes
10. Peter Buck - REM

Id accept that 3,4,and 5 are great players, Slash mmmm not sure if hes in the top 10

my alternative top 10 would be

1. Yngwie Malmsteen
2. Randy Rhodes
3. EVH
4. Nuno
5. Gary Moore
6. Mark Knofler
7. Micheal Schenker
8. Paul Gilbert
9. Jason Becker
10.Vai

bear in mind it for the last 30 years so ive Omiited giants like Jimmy page, Hendrix, Kossoff, Alvin lee, Jeff Beck etc

id go with that top ten, especially nuno.

We all had a good laugh too.
Johnny Marr the 4th best Guitarist in the last 30 years???? EVH and Thingy Malmsteem must be crapping themselves.

Johnny Marr is a great player Im not sure of his position in the top ten though, Johnny teaches a couple of days a week at Salford uni, has a unique style

Going off the majority of bands listed there, this would of been a young voters poll. What, no Steve Howe or Steve Hackett !

Rick.

I think he would struggle teaching Gilbert any new tricks.

Steve howe is a giant I left him out of mine as I've gone from 1980. Including the 70s would transform the list

Alternative top 10 from a man who isn't a fan of widdles and squeels: -

1. Nick McCabe
2. Robin Guthrie
3. Vini Reilly (Durutti Column)
4. The Edge
5. Rob Marsall (Exit Calm)
6. Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic)
7. Bernard Butler (early Suede)
8. Johnny Marr
9. Jonny Greenwood
10. Graham Coxon

Honourable mention for Johnny Buckland (Coldplay) who is the master of simple, but effective.

When I was at school, all my daft mates told me The Edge was the best guitarist in the world.

I do find that video pretty funny, but I don't think it disproves the excellence of the Edge. Personally I adore guitarists that can create an atmosphere, it doesn't get much better than this: -

I don't follow G'nR or Slash personally but what a great quote ..
"All the guys who I consider guitar legends are the pioneers of electric guitar, rock 'n' roll guitar and blues guitar as well," he said recently. "So I'm still struggling to keep up. I definitely don't put myself in the legend category."

Still struggling to keep up ... genius!


Has this list got anything to do with artists on Guitar Hero??

Kurt Cobain is a very misunderstood guitarist - in the sense that who can understand him making a top 100 nevermind a top 10!!!

Willow

edit - sorry Mr K-F I see you made that point first out! LOL

1. Stevie Ray Vaughan
2. Richie Sambora
3. John Mayer
4. Slash
5. Jeff Healey
6. Joe Perry
7. Mark Knofler/Paul Gilbert
8. John Squire
9. The Edge
10. Richard Thompson

Mine in no particular order really other than they way they sprung to mind.

cant belive I missed SRV off my list !!

I cant believe it either as SRV is the man... you should have your guitar playing stripes removed for not acknowledging such greatness ;-0

Yeah I heard about that poll ,I like frusciante a lot but a guitar hero no ,he just does some great stuff and was a big big part of the peppers and that is all

in no order my personal Heros

eddie van halen
randy rhoads
brian may
steve vai
Paul Gilbert
joe satriani
jimi Hendrix
michael schenker
Richie Blackmore
Lindsay Buckingham
tony iommi
steve lukather
kirk Hammett
zakk Wylde
george Harrison
Richie sambora
steve cropper
john petrucci

I like deans mention of jeff healey too,awesome

Yep, Richard Thompson - very much underated !

Rick.

again I didnt include George Harrison , Tony Iommi I know Ritchie Blackmore did some good stuff in the 80s but hes gone silly with all that "hey nonny no" stuff he does now and Steve Morse is doing a great job in deep purple, as for SRV, I believe hes probably the Finest Blues player Ive heard, in the present day I think Greg Koch is a fantastic player he does the fender Demos in the states, John Lowry (John 5) is a great player as well, another batch of 80s players of course were Jake E Lee, and the vastly underrated Brad Gillis (Night ranger) Bernie Torme, Jennifer Batten, Vito Bratta, George Lynch, Mathias Jabs, Rudoph Schenker, one player guaranteed to bore me to death is Eric Johnson twinging away on the G3 vid with earmufs on murdering Red house

lets have a bit of my no1, hes clichied and wears leather trews but no one can deny he can entertain !

ya know what dazz i saw Yngwie years ago at Bradford Rios and although i dont know much of his stuff and never really wanted to buy his albums as lose attention after a while, i thought that night he is an amazing guitarist and couldnt stop going on about how good he was on the way home

I agree with the usual suspects Gilbert,Yngwie,Petrucci but how about Neil Schoen,Vinnie Moore,Andy Timmons,Greg Howe and Richie Kotzen all fantastic technical players,I dont get the Jonny Marr thing picking major chords with a chorus pedal on is that considered tricky???

RICHIE KOTZEN IS MEGA. Im not usually a fan of widdly wee'ers but there is something about Kotzen... and what a voice!!!

this is wonderful

the one guitarist that still makes the back neck hairs wake up every single feckin time

I love Jeff Beck... The Live at Ronnie Scotts album is genius... Also the playing on the Jon Bon Jovi Blaze of Glory album by him is just frightening.

good call again dean on blaze of glory album!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rob

Vias finest hour was Flex- ible and Eat em and smile EEAS especially is a great showcase for his skills because they are all great tunes, Kotzen yep Ive a DVD thats great, the vai vid would be better if he wasnt mimeing -did he play tender on the live at Astoria vid

@MAxTorque ... "I dont get the Jonny Marr thing picking major chords with a chorus pedal on is that considered tricky??? "

Not having a go (seem to be starting every blog like that these days!!) but is that what its about ... being tricky??
Would you not get technique over any suggestion of expression then?

However for major chords and chorus - Andy Summers surely knocks Marr into a cocked hat!

Willowdoesntreallylikealotofwiddling

Mine have got to be in no particular order:

Jimi Hendrix
EVH
Malmsteen
Vai
Steve Morse
Vinnie Moore
SRV
Michael Romeo
Al Di Meola
Petrucci
Jimmy Page
Marty Friedman
Rhoads
the list goes on!!

Steve

Frusciante is one of the most talented songwriters/composers alive, but I wouldn't call him a 'guitar hero' by any means. His solo albums are fantastic though.


Johnny Marr? Kirk Hamster? Jesus Christ, what a dreadful list....

IMO the only person on that list who should be there is Matt Bellamy.

If I could work out what a Guitar Hero actually is it'd be a start.....

... a bit of a polarizer here.... i love this guy's music, though he comes across as a big yed, i think that is a necessity to be a confident performer, and that turns off a lot of muso's.
John Mayer.

@grooverman - DAMN good call on George Lynch! I loved Dokken. Superb stuff!

@Rob Redfern - that Vai vid is awesome - shows so many sides of his talent! So effortless, and dayme cool when he runs his fingers through his hair mid-solo!! And just enough bare chest showing to excite the ladies too!

I'd have to agree with Matt Bellamy being on the list though - he's a complete git, but a bloomin fine guitarist!

I think my list would go something like: (in no particular order)

Matt Bellamy
Steve Vai
Joe Satriani
Nuno Bettencourt
Vinnie Vincent....... I know - prob get some stick for this, but he can shred and the noises he gets out of his guitar are brilliant!
Eddie Van Halen
David Gilmore
Mark Knopfler
Kirk Hammett

Don't know enough about blues or jazz to comment on them.

How the feck has no-one commented on the fact Peter Buck from REM got on that list?!? Songwriter - hell yes! 10th greatest guitarist in the world...... um no. Just no.

Mick

oh I forgot - Michael Angelo Batio!

The vai vids effortless cos he's mimeing. Great tune though. George lynch is fantastic and had the coolest tiger stripe guitars as well.

you're outing Mr Vai as miming?! is this true?????
Surely not!

@Sacrament - Batio is an awesome guitarist, but also damned boring to listen to I think! The 2-headed guitar thing is cool the first time you see it, but, meh. I don't know.

Mick

They mime on music videos?omg damn I'm so disappointed I thought it was very determined if Richie sambora to drag a valve amp up a mountain to record the bed of roses solo

Vai, Satriani and Malmstein do absolutely nothing for me. Yes they're technically stunning but they play guitar like they're a plugin in a computer rather than human beings.

My top 10 of the last 30 years would probably be (no particular order):

Randy Rhoads
Vini Reilly
Johnny Marr
EVH
Johnny Greenwood
Marty Friedman
Reg Smithies
Graham Coxon
Prince
Robert Smith

A bit light on the shredders I know but I value originality as a guitarist over how many notes you can play in a second. Each to their own, but once you've heard hammer ons and sweep-picking once it doesn't get any more inspiring or interesting the second time!

My all time top five are:

Roger McGuinn
Vini Reilly
Dave Gilmour
Phil Manzaneri
Richie Blackmore

you cant really lump Vai sach and Malmsteen together their styles are nothing alike vai and sach are much more technical and legato based , Yngwie tends to be more of a ripper kind of hangs around Minor scales although he is a fantastic Blues player on the rare occasion he plays blues you can see an interesting comparison on this vid of them all together. probably the three most influencial of the last twenty odd years

this guys one of my fave players stunning !!! and crazy vid for sugerfoot rag !!!

Thanks for the video link. There's no denying they're fantastic technical players but for me I think being a truly great guitarist requires having played something new, memorable and inspires other bands to rip you off. Hence my rather contravertial inclusion of Reg Smithies, but just how many indie bands of the 80s and beyond have done the dual melody guitar sound since the Chameleons? Loads! And the guitar work and relationship between Reg and Dave's guitar is so good. Yes it's easy to play, anyone can play it but nobody had played guitar like they did on Script of the Bridge before it and although it's easy, it's brilliant. There's so few guitarists that are genuinely unique and new, I think that takes a lot more natural talent than mastering a technique as you can master technique by sitting in your bedroom for ten hours a day.

Perhaps in that sense it was a bad shout for me to include Vini Reilly but Vini's amazing as his Durutti Column stuff is so unique and beautiful, yet when Mozz got him to write an album he did Viva Hate, which with tracks like Suedehead and Everyday is like Sunday on there is the best stuff Mozz has done since leaving the Smiths and shows what a truly great songwriter Vini he is.

I don't see how Vai, Satriani and Malmstein have influenced music in the last 30 years. Name one band who owe a debt to any of those three, apart from Zappa's band whom Vai played with for instance? They've hardly defined rock guitaring in the way EVH, Randy Rhoads and Kirk Hammett have done. Or even the guitarists out of Priest who pioneered the two guitar sound in metal.

That John 5 video's great. Interesting rockabilly style going on. Though in the subject of ludicrous virtuoso guitarists, I think Buckethead deserves a mention. I think this may be most ridiculous solo ever, though you can see why Axl Rose got sick of him!

Posted by Film One - 12/04/2010, 12:22 (GMT)

I don't see how Vai, Satriani and Malmstein have influenced music in the last 30 years. Name one band who owe a debt to any of those three, apart from Zappa's band whom Vai played with for instance? They've hardly defined rock guitaring in the way EVH, Randy Rhoads and Kirk Hammett have done.

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dont mean you personally dood but generally its diappointing when the guys mentioned get dismissed as "shredders" when they are complete guitarists in so many ways

Vai and Satriani ( and many others) made me want to play guitar as best as i possibly can and really continue to inspire me, isnt that what its all about?.................... :-))))))))))))

hopefully these clips do somehting for ya, if not god bless ya anyway man

ps i think the guitar part on the smiths how soon is now and the little mini solos on red hot chili peppers scar tissue are absolutely superb :-)

Perhaps I'm being a little ignorant (to say the least). All three are unbelievably talented guys, I just don't think they're really had a legacy on music outside of their sphere of super-human guitaring. If that inspire you that's great.

I still respect them as musicians but I could never imagine myself running home from work and banging on a Steve Vai album. Maybe it's because my main instruments are bass and synths as I love Stanley Clarke and JM Jarre. That might explain it actually! Doh!

Ha ha,hey I'm gonna check out some of the players you mentioned,I think every player has got something to offer,and the fact we've all got these different faves is what makes this site cool

My all time favourites are Gilmour, Roger McGuinn and Vini Reilly (aka Durutti Column). The last two are well worth checking out if you've not seen much of them. Vini's done more for the second hand value of tape echo boxes than any living being, his stuff is just absolutely beautiful. Roger McGuinn is amazing, all the more as he mastered the 12-string like nobody else I've heard. I don't think there'd be indie music without him and what he did in the Byrds. Marr in particular is hugely in his debt.

Roger mcguinn oh god yes he is superb

David gilmour is a total hero I prefer the floyd songs with him singing too,even tho waters is cool as well

I'm glad I'm not the only McGuinn fan! I just don't know how he does what he does with those 12 string rickies - they're so hard to play! You're spot on about Gilmour's voice on the Floyd stuff, it really makes it. His guitar work on Bryan Ferry's Girls and Boys is well worth a listen, it's cracking stuff.

The intro to mr tambourine man is hairs on the back of the neck stuff and ghats even before the vocal harmonies come in!

sorry Rob its a rare occasion where I diagree here this is the best version of Tamborine man

very interesting, i think you cant have 'the best guitarist' i think it needs to go into categories;
most notes per minute,
best bender, (lol)
most tasteful,
creative,
best riff writer,
best improviser?
it is no good being amazing on guitar but cant write a good tune.
my top 10
jimmy rosenberg
marty friedman
james murphy
dimebag
bireli lagrene
chuck schuldiner
sylvain luc
dave mustaine
ry cooder
evh

I'm STILL trying to work out how Jack White got on that list. It's been 2 days now and still no clues.

Mick and Jack White, get a room!! :-)

Watch it Redfern. Chinese burn imminent. :o/

@ grooverman,

Ive seen Vai loads of times he showed me how to play the solo to "shy boy" hes an awesome guy in person

@ Glyn - John Mayer is amazing, i dont know if anybody has seen the live in LA dvd he recently brought out... but its amazing, amazing writter, such a versatile player the guys a genius in my book.

Posted by The Dean Casement Trio - 12/04/2010, 18:07 (GMT)

@ Glyn - John Mayer is amazing, i dont know if anybody has seen the live in LA dvd he recently brought out... but its amazing, amazing writter, such a versatile player the guys a genius in my book.


it is excellent great feel and tone

he should shut up when not holding hs guitar though! :O

Alex Lifeson......massively underrated

Glyn - I dunno quite like extrovert kinda characters like him... he does stand up you know, stick 'John Mayer Stand Up' in youtube... mind you if he annoys you live he'll get right on your jembas doin stand up.

top pic grooverman is that outside manc apollo????

Yeh he hung around for a bit and played few tunes on my guitar sat on the steps of his tour bus and showed a little kid how to play some stuff, he was really cool with everybody signed loads of stuff, the guy has loads of time for his fans. they left the big shutter up and we could hear the sound check, they sound checked without Vai (Dave Wiener did all the guitar bits) we met Dave and Billy Sheehan really nice down to earth guys Dave Wiener is a fantastic player, Vai soundchecked on his own playing loads of freaky stuff tinkering with his effects. the S has faded a bit i tried Laquering over it to no avail

top stuff mate

craig

Posted by The Dean Casement Trio - 13/04/2010, 15:14 (GMT)

Glyn - I dunno quite like extrovert kinda characters like him... he does stand up you know, stick 'John Mayer Stand Up' in youtube... mind you if he annoys you live he'll get right on your jembas doin stand up.

it is more the "flash Harry" thing he has going on than anything else Dean, it is a Great Live DVD... recommended to all.

i'll look at the stand up later, i had no idea

Tbh i cant believe that this young lady wasnt on your list!!!

Madge on a black beauty is a blasphemy! Shatner's Mr Tamborine Man is amazing, as is his Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. The man's a legend!