The Stevie Ray Vaughn thread made me think about this yesterday, then today I saw the following clip. Forget the shredders, what about those that possess extreme skills but lack good taste. Or do some of them walk the fine line of bad taste and showing off? Are there some players you can listen to if you are in the mood for it and can overlook some things?

I remember when I was about 18, someone took me to a club to see Eric Johnson. It was total wankery, I suppose. But I was less jaded and cynical then, and I remember there being some fairly impressive moments in his performance.

Is it all guitar douchebaggery to you? Or does it ever prick your ears? Watch this guy, while you're at it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2lwNaVGWZY

I'd rather listen to a stubby fingered punk rocker making interesting music than a fleet fingered virt' churning out MOR crap.


Apart from his head being on upside down that was, meh.

Albert Lee always amazes me. His live work with the Everly Brothers is stellar. I did a quick youtube search and found this clip of him cutting an overdub.

Check out Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe freaking out at around 3:30. Phil Lynott is in the background with his jaw at his feet as well.

Rory Gallagher is a pleasure to watch also. There's more out there but I'm too tired to think properly.

The thing that always strikes me about "skilled" guitarists is that they just can't seem to write a good tune.

Steve's friend Ani DiFranco blew me away when I was dragged to her show on a date, she is one hell of a guitar player.

Her music I do not like.

The dude from Weird War, he's a motherfucker with that guitar man.

His music I do enjoy very much.

I generally don't mind a "virtuoso" player, but the music has to be good. I really like John Fahey, the classical guitarist Kazuhito Yamashita, certain prog/tech bands, and a shitload of jazz players, like Bill Evans to Joe Pass, but they make great music. They obviously know how to play, but don't get carried away. Shredders, and others trying to look good playing scales are the height of blandness.

Andy McKee's a good guitarist, but the songs he writes, and the style he plays, doesn't do anything for me.

Marsupialized wrote:Steve's friend Ani DiFranco blew me away when I was dragged to her show on a date, she is one hell of a guitar player.

Her music I do not like.

I second this. I dated a hippie veggie chick for a couple of years and paid a heavy, heavy musical price for it (I won't even go into the Furthur Fest or Dave Matthews horrors). But one of the bright spots was being dragged to an Ani DiFranco show and realizing that:

A. Ani has a hall of fame sit-upon that she is not at all afraid to accentuate

2. She can play the damn hell out of that guitar

That Albert Lee clip is impressive. Thanks for posting. I noticed Huey Lewis in that one too.

I second Skronk's words. A lot of these guys have all the ability in the world, but I cannot muster the least bit of enthusiasm for their music. Occasionally I stumble upon something that I can't help but listen to and somewhat admire, but soon forget all about it.

The life of a guitar virtuoso might not be all hot babes and fast cars after all.

Here's an interesting clip of guitarist Kazuhito Yamashita, it smacks of showy-ness, but it's a sincere (and spastic) version of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition".


If anyone's interested, here's parts two, and three.

Steve Vai is a technically proficient player whose aesthetic totally sucks ass.

Al DiMeola. Don't really care for his style much but he possesses amazing technical skills.

Buckethead is another technical wizard but I find about 90% of his stuff boring as hell.


...and then there's this kid.

skill just means you blew a lot of time on it. which means you probably didn't have a lot of friends. certainly not a lot of lady friends. probably a fair amount of dough blown on lessons too.

doesn't mean you're making art.

i can't think of one skilled player aside from jimi that i like. even then, jimi bores me from time to time.