The 411 Music Top Five 03.09.10: Top 5 Guitarists

Posted by Ben Czajkowski on 03.09.2010

From Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Robert Fripp, Kevin Shields, and BB King to Patrick Ogle, Nicki Rose, Rusty Cooley, Tom Morello, Carlos Santana, and Dimebag Darrell, the 411Music Staffers discuss their choices for their Top 5 Favorite Guitarists. Stop in, check out their lists, and leave your own.

Lenny Vowels

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

B.B. King, George Harrison, Buckethead, Jack White, Slash, Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine, Randy Rhoades, Dimebag Darrell, John Frusciante, Alex Lifeson, Daron Malakian, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Duane Allman.

5. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.

How many kids of the 1970s heard "Stairway to Heaven" and said "I want to play THAT"? Whether it was the somber melody that opens the song or the epic solo that closes, many a young prodigy adopted a fondness for the axe thanks to the music of the almighty Zep. Look no further than Dave Grohl, who constantly cites them as his favorite band of all time. Jimmy's riffs are as timeless today as they were amazing in his heyday, and with the exception of George Harrison and maybe Stevie Ray Vaughn, every one of my honorable mentions has him to thank for paving the way via a rocking guitar solo.

 

4. Zakk Wylde of Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society.

Zakk is more of a personal favorite of mine, but I just can't justify ranking him any lower. While many like Harrison, Rhoades, and Page paved the way for guitarists of the modern era, the Wylde one may have just perfected the art. His style combines the best techniques of thrash metal, southern rock, and country into one awesome package, and there's no telling if anyone will ever be able to duplicate it. Sorry Mustaine fans, but for a lead guitarist that doubles as a singer, Zakk's always topped my list of favorites.

 

3. Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen.

There is no such thing as metal without Eddie Van Halen. Whenever he brought the Frankenstrat onto the stage with him, you knew he meant business. He incorporated so many techniques like tapping, volume swelling, bizarre tuning, and the almighty "Brown Sound" (not to be confused with the South Park-christened "Brown Noise"). His shredding still rocks the house like no other, and while he may not be considered one of the greatest of recent years, his influence is notorious among music listeners of all walks of life. Combine all this with his acrobatic stage antics and you have one of the greatest showmen of the 20th century.

 

2. Eric Clapton.

The man has been in more bands in his life then some people will see in concert in a whole decade. His ability is world-renowned for being maybe the best and most versatile ever. His list of hits among bands like Cream and Derek & The Dominoes are still hailed as classic rock favorites. And do you know what the craziest part is? At the age of 65, he's STILL playing! Clapton is very likely to be considered the greatest guitarist of all time from across the pond, but his influence stretches so much farther than that. Even greats like Bob Marley have him to thank for bringing them into the mainstream, thanks to his writing of "I Shot the Sheriff."

 

1. Jimi Hendrix.

This may be the most cliche answer that anyone can come up with, but that doesn't make it any less true. While Jimi may not be my personal favorite guitarist, there shouldn't be a question as to whether any other player deserves the distinction of "the greatest ever." Jimi pulled all of his influence from the great blues guitarists like B.B. King and Muddy Waters, but his ability, soulful songwriting, and stage presence (He lit a guitar on FIRE, people!) rank him among the elite musicians of all time. I mean really, when 180,000 fans wait all night in the mud and rain at Woodstock just to hear you play with your new band, only to give them the most notable rendition of the national anthem ever... you just have to know that your legacy is never going away.

 

David Hayter

Okay my choices are going to require quite the explanation. First off I've decided to take a variety of guitarist, each with a unique reason for making the list. I'm taking one inspiration an early pioneer, one technical wizard, and one guitarist who changed the way we think about playing the guitar (and so on). Therefore I don't have a consistent criteria but I will be considering: Creativity, Influence, Prowess, technical ability, style, and general iconicness.
This was undoubtedly one of the hardest categories for me, as I don't like to focus on the individual elements of music in isolation, and there are simply so many brilliant guitarists, choosing just five was a nightmare. So I actually asked the Reading Festival Forum for help, and it sparked pages of debate. So you can expect a long list on honorable mentions.

Now I also want to spread the love around, and I'm sure that the rest of the excellent staff at 411mania will give nods to some of the great legends, but my list will NOT include Jimmy Hendrix and Dave Gilmour. It's too obvious, and who really wants to read the same old story written ten different ways? So with all that in mind let's get down to business.

Honorable Mentions: 

Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Rory Gallagher, Tony Iomni (Black Sabbath), Jeff Hanneman (Slayer), Josh Holme (QOTSA, Kyuss, TVC), Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Buckethead, Tom Morello (RATM), Dick Dale, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Dimebag Darrell (Pantera), Darol Malakain (SOAD), Adam Jones (Tool), Chuck Berry, George Harrison, J Mascis (Dinosaur Jnr.), Jonsi (Sigur Ros), Joey Santiago (Pixies), John Squire (Stone Roses), Paul Masvidal (Cynic), James Dean Bradfield (MSP), Jack White (White Stripes, Racountuers, Dead Weather), Prince, Richie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic), Frank Zappa, Neil Young, Steve Vai, Nick Valensi (Strokes), Matt Pike (Sleep), Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Robert Johnson and Jimmy Hendrix.

5. Paul Gilbert (1985-Present with Racer X, G3 & Mr. Big).

While I think being a technical wizard is highly overrated when it comes to guitar playing and creating music in general, there is no doubt that it would be ludicrous to create a top five list devoid of at least one mind blowing fret board magician. And after week of discussion Paul Gilbert emerged as the consensus choice for the best guitarist in the business. Surprisingly not just because his insane speed causes your jaw to slam violently to the floor but because Gilbert never lets the musicality of his piece play second fiddle to mindless shredding. It's easy to forget that back in his days with Racer X he made some pretty damn good records too most notably their debut Street Lethal. Perhaps most importantly Paul Gilbert is a nice guy, who still gives guitar lessons and is at heart a bit of nerd who doesn't take himself or his guitar work too seriously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0ylmUzNSPA (sorry, embedding disabled)

4. Johnny Greenwood + Ed O'Brien (1985-Present with Radiohead).

 Choosing between Ed and Johnny was simply impossible; both have been responsible for some of the most creative and satisfying guitar work of the last two decades. Johnny Greenwood pushed boundaries, he changed the perception of what it was to be a guitarist, rather than being a tech wizard he reaffirmed that the guitarist primary responsibility was as a creative force. He took a back seat when necessary and even put the guitar down altogether to create some of the most gorgeous and haunting soundscapes in music history. Of course along with all the experimentation it's easy to forget that Johnny was at heart a visceral riff machine; "2+2=5", "Just" and "The Bends" where all his brain child. While Ed O'Brien with his ghostly scrapes, other worldly screeches and torturously warped effect changed the face of 21st Century guitar work, he made you reconsider what the role of a guitarist truly was, and as a composers Johnny and Ed together upped the creative anti and laid down the artistic gauntlet for a new generation of guitarists to aspire to. Together they formed one of the most potent and creative duel guitar attacks in music history, with guitar in hand or without.

 

3. BB King (1947-Present).

When it comes to pioneering the art of guitar and shaping the last fifty years of popular music there are three artists whose influence are beyond question. Chuck Berry; he gave the world rock and roll and he would inspire two fellows by the named Lennon and Harrison to pick up the guitar. Robert Johnson; the king of Mississippi blues, the man who inspired everyone from Keith Richards to Jack White. Then finally there was BB King, the man who made the electric guitar the coolest instrument in the world. "The Ambassador Of Blues" was the most fitting title imaginable, BB King is the man who took the blues and took the art of electric guitar playing brought it to the world. He was the first man who truly made the guitar cry, it became an extension of his sorrow, it was his guitar and not his words that's gave the music world its soul. A generation later some kid a kid called Keith Richards would turn his basic formula into modern day rock, and a guy by the name of Tony Iomni would take that raw blues and turn it into an uncontrollable beast named Heavy Metal. Yet without BB none of this could have happen, because it was his guitar that moved people, and changed the way we all thought about music.

 

2. Kevin Shields (1984-Present with My Bloody Valentine).

Sometimes an artist arrives and single headedly changes the shape of music as we know it. Kevin Shields did just that, first with Isn't Anything and then again on My Bloody Valentine's career defining masterpiece Loveless. Shields the chief architect of the Shoegaze sound truly changed the way people think about the guitar as an instrument, by towing the line between pure noise and beauty, his wall of sheer noise gave My Bloody Valentine a texture like no other. His use of effects and his ungodly manipulation of the tremolo arm created a new layer to his music that had an incredible emotive effect when combined with a traditional melody. It was ghostly yet gorgeous and it created a near spiritual experience. It is also worth pointing out that Shields' guitar obliterated everything in its path, it was a sensory overload, My Bloody Valentine were and still are the loudest band in all of existence and there music consumes everything. Shield's influence is still alive today in more traditional works like The Horror's Primary Colors and on Pains Of Being Pure At Hearts' self debut; but more importantly the success of Loveless gave a generation of avant-garde artists like the brilliant Fuck Buttons the chance to experiment with noise and beauty that in past they might not have been afforded. Not since BB King has a single man and guitar grabbed hold of people's raw emotions and shook them to their very core, Shield's did just that, and music has never been the same since.

 

(There is one live performance on YouTube, but the audio capture on TV doesn't work particularly well the levels are all over the place)
1.Robert Fripp (1968-Present with King Crimson, David Bowie & Brian Eno).

When you consider my previous four choices it should come as no surprise that my number one is the legendary Robert Fripp of King Crimson fame. Fripp is perhaps the most influential and underappreciated guitarist of all time. The critics favourite but an artist who when it comes to making those generic and tragically repetitive guitar legends tv shows is always sadly snubbed. Fripp is the definitive prog guitarist. As the guiding creative force behind King Crimson Fripp he experimented in sound and arrangement when so many others were happy to plagiarize basic blues riffs. Listening to In The Court Of King Crimson now, Fripp sounds years ahead of his time, and listening back to landmark releases Red and Discipline it becomes clear that Fripp fits more comfortably alongside Adam Jones of Tool than he does with Keith Richards or Pete Townsend. But not only was Fripp four decades ahead of the curve with his jazz inspired free form song structures and his uber-intricate experiments in tonality; Fripp pioneered new approaches and unheard of guitar playing techniques. In 1984 Robert Fripp invented "new standard tuning" and gave the world a new base for experimentation. Then alongside Brian Eno he invented "Frippertronics" a new approach to guitar playing and together they effectively invented the ambient music genre. Finally it should not be forgotten that Fripp wasn't just a maverick on the fringe, with Eno he helped David Bowie conqueror the charts with the unforgettable Heroes LP, and alone he helped bolster everyone from Blondie to The Talking Heads. Guitarist don't come more forward thinking, more creative or frankly more out there than Robert Fripp. Now sit back and enjoy "Red" a track entirely composed by Mr. Fripp:

 

Aarón Mayagoitia

Fast guitar players are the best guitar players. Emotion? Who needs that? The only thing that counts when you pick up a guitar is how many notes per second you can play. All those blues players have no clue what to do with a guitar. So, to let the people know which shredders (that's how you call a good guitar player) are the only shredders they should listen to, I have put together this list oozing with virtuosity.

5. Rusty Cooley.

Rusty Cooley is a machine, and that's a good thing. He doesn't waste time reaching into the inner depths of his soul to find inspiration. Why? Because he has no soul! Only bad guitar players have a soul, thus Rusty is one of the best shredders ever. I'm sure he'll be shredding his brains out even when old age and arthritis have ravaged his body. Why? Because he's a machine! Aren't you following me? Machines don't get old! Machines don't get arthritis! Here's Rusty playing only the notes that count:

 

4. Michael Angelo Batio.

The only reason Michael Angelo Batio is better than Rusty Cooley is because of his utterly superior hair. Another reason Batio is better than Cooley is because Batio was in Nitro: the best band of all time. Batio is such a good shredder that he needs four guitars – at once – to unleash his most exquisite instrumental dexterity. Yeah, I know all of you blues-minded players can't imagine such a thing, so here's evidence:

 

3. Ben.
You don't know who Ben is? Then I can see you've been living under a rock for the past decade. Well, let me put you up to speed then on current relevant events: Ben rocks. Period. In fact, he's so fast, normal guitars can't handle his speed. That's why he shreds with his weapon (that's how all guitars should be called) of choice: a plastic toy. Laugh all you want, but I bet you don't have his skills:

 

2. Nicki Rose.

Nicki Rose is such a fast shredder that his playing sounds like one sustained note. Nicki knows that average people's heads would explode if he played at top speed, so that's why in the below video he throws in a few simple strums and picks to let people keep track of what he's doing. Plus, he's one of the best singers the world of rock has ever known, not to mention his lyrics are so profound that armed conflicts around the world have come to an end because of this touching message.

 

1. Patrick Ogle.

If you thought Nicki was fast, then you're in for a surprise. Patrick Ogle is so fast that he can play while giving a demonstration of a crappy weapon (how all guitars are called). What, you can't hear it? Then you clearly don't know music. The only moment you see him play ‘normal' stuff is when the utterly crappy weapon slows him down. But Patrick's not about doing things the easy way, that's why he shreds with this weapon:

 

Ben Czajkowski

5. Kurt Cobain, Nirvana.

Here is your obligatory Kurt Cobain listing. And before anyone even SAYS he that he doesn't belong here, he does; so I am not just including him without prior knowledge and admiration. So, trolls, go back to your bridge. I am familiar with the entire Nirvana catalog, several live performances, and some acoustic work. And it's clear to me that while he is not the greatest of all time, he is still a superb guitarist and an all-around talented musician. He deserves a mention, and he's getting it here.

 

4. Prince.

While Prince is well known for being able to play like every instrument under the sun, there is no doubt in my mind or in the music industry that he is one the world's greatest guitarists. If you didn't know, Prince apparently taught himself to play when he was a teenager. When he hit the mainstream with his first album he was already being compared to the likes of Jimi Hendrix. He has never been tied down to one style of music and excelled with a versatility not seen in anyone else before or since.

 

3. Dimebag Darrell, Pantera, Damageplan.

R.I.P.

 

2. Carlos Santana.

I really don't know how to explain Carlos Santana. Phenom. Genius. Freak of nature. This man's rhythms and sounds are like my eardrums are dropping acid. His music is about as intimate as one could possibly be with sound. There's so much passion baked so deeply in what he's written that it could just make you weep. Listen to this clip, and tell me you don't feel the emotion this man possesses:

 

1. Tom Morello, Rage Against the Machines, The Nightwatchmen, Audioslave.

I was really surprised that no one else included him (granted there are only three others here), but when I think of some of the best guitar work of this generation, I think of Tom Morello. He's had his riffs in so many projects; he's like the Hugh Hefner of the music world. Lately, he's been doing the score for Iron Man 2, so that's some major respect right there. He's done so much as a human being and as a guitarist, thus, he is the most respected and the greatest guitarist, in my eyes.

 

The Final Word
	As always, the last thoughts come from you, the reader. We're merely unpaid monkeys with typewriters and Wikipedia. Here's what you need to do: List your Top Five for this week's topic on the comment section using the following format: 5. Artist: Why you picked it. 4. Artist: Why you picked it. 3. Artist: Why you picked it. 2. Artist: Why you picked it. 1. Artist: Why you picked it.