Studio Log

Top Ten Guitar Players

Tuesday May 3rd, 2005

5-3-05

A lot of magazines have been publishing lists of Greatest this's and that's lately. Rolling Stone has their 100 greatest recordings, 100 greatest guitar players, 50 hottest celebrities and so on. Guitar One, the magazine you can play, recently published their 200 greatest guitar recordings of all time issue. I had a revelation when I read that issue so I'm responding with today's posting.

In the grand scheme of things these lists are meaningless because in theory you have to reset the historical perspective EVERY freakin' year. So last year's list is toilet paper and this year's is the definitive word on the topic,... allegedly.

The real purpose of these things is to generate discussion and to provoke arguments so it is in that spirit that I am pleased to announce Steve Szajna's Greatest Guitarists of All Time List.

First, I should define what I mean by "Great." The other lists won't define what they mean by Great but I will. "Great" means "my favorite," it means "I like it," it means "lots of other people like them and others should too." I love listening to all the players on this list so here they are in reverse order.

10. David Lindley - This is the weird guy who played funky slide on a lot of Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon records, as well as a ton of the other maniacs that came out of Los Angeles during the 70's and 80's. His solo records are weird but the guitar playing is amazing. He's eclectic, he's toneful and jams more styles into a 16 bar break than anybody.

9. Carlos Santana - When my young guitar playing friends and I were just starting to learn the instrument we would ape the movements of our favorite players, believing the posture and facial expressions would help us to channel the essential qualities of that player as much as the scale used or the axe we played. So if you were "doing" Carlos Santana you would try to look like you were talking to God. That's what his solos sound like. Every single note the guy plays is a conversation, and indeed most of them are in tune with the Almighty.

8. Django Reinhardt - The famous Gypsy jazz player of the 20's and 30's. This guy lost two fingers off of his left hand in a campfire accident and he was still faster than any of the modern shredders. Add the fact that he's deeply tuneful and you just stand there and shake your head.

7. Mark Knopfler - Dire Straits made it on the strength of Knopfler's clean toned, finger plucked soulful playing during the 80's when everyone else was doing heavily processed Metal. Then there's the string of videos and hits. Impressive!

6. Eddie Van Halen - He's the benchmark for virtuoso heavy metal shredders, deceptively melodic and he makes it look easy. He created a style that others have tried to imitate and never looked over his shoulder or fell victim to some perception that he had anything to prove.

5. Lowell George - Reinvented slide guitar playing into something cool and evocative after the great loss of Duane Allman. He also kept slide playing from being totally defined by Foghat.

4. Eric Clapton - Clapton is to guitar playing what Barry Sanders was to carrying a football; you watch the guy and you say "that can't possibly be done." That he is able to keep reinventing himself and producing commercially viable work without looking like a parody of his old self means a ton also.

3. Chet Atkins - The country version of Clapton and far more influential. You see some of his old videos and your mouth hangs open. Generations of Country players have copped licks from jazz records because Chet made it ok to do so.

2. Keith Richards - Everybody wants to be as cool as this guy. Every player would love to invent a lick or phrase that has that emblematic, instantly identifiable qualty that dozens of his songs have. Thousands of songs have been made copying that I-IV rhythm pattern that Richards mines like gold. No one plays two chords with more expression or aplomb. Go ahead and try.

1. Jimmy Page - Every guitar player under the age of 50 has been influenced, touched or otherwise effected by this guy. Every Single One!!! His Rhythm playing, his lead playing, his equipment, his recording techniques have all influenced everything being done on records today. Rappers even want to sample Led Zeppelin. The use of open tunings such as Drop D alone have effected every metal player for the last 30 years. His playing is amazing and his vision is immense. Thank You Jimmy.

Honorable Mentions: - Ry Cooder, Kim Thayil from Soundgarden, Hampton and Bird from Parliament/Funkadelic/P-Funk All Stars, Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, Steve Howe of Yes, Dave Edmunds of Rockpile, Albert Lee, Warren Haynes, Ron Wood of the Faces and Stones, Johnny Ramone, Robert Randolf and Bruce Springsteen whose extended solos live are breathtaking.

Guys Who are Great but Don't Really get me Excited: Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Frank Zappa, Dave Gilmour, Pat Metheny, Al DiMeola, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Jeff Beck.

Article Listings: