[Music] Who was/is the best rock guitarist of all time ?

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Bevendean Hillbilly

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Sep 4, 2006
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Nestling in green nowhere
Just You Tubed Jumping at Shadows to remind myself. **** me what a talent, what a loss...

Good man.

I keep going back to him just because he was just so easy about playing, he never believed he was worth anything and his brilliant creativity was sacrificed on the altar of mental illness.

Just such a humble man.
 






GT49er

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Feb 1, 2009
49,194
Gloucester
Like many people in that part of Manchester he is a First Generation Irish immigrant, the clue being in his Surname... WTF has that got to do with his music of course?
Nothing, of course. What sort of daft question is that? Being a Mancunian has quite a lot to do with being Irish though!
 


Bevendean Hillbilly

New member
Sep 4, 2006
12,805
Nestling in green nowhere
Nothing, of course. What sort of daft question is that? Being a Mancunian has quite a lot to do with being Irish though!

Not as much as being a scouse.

Both cities heavily into their Celtic heritage but Liverpool far far more authentically.

When I lived in both cities the Liverpool/Irish thing was far more evident in all the pubs, songs and humour but...I probably met more genuinely Irish heritage folk in Manchester.

Oddly Manchester is far more conscious of being Manchester, Mancunian and proud whereas the scousers are more mawkishly obsessed with events like the spud famine and the Irish exodus from Liverpool to the new world than is good for them.

Liverpool can't forget what Manchester can't remember was the way my girlfriend (scouse) put it.
 


Uncle Spielberg

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Jul 6, 2003
43,098
Lancing






GT49er

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NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,194
Gloucester
Not as much as being a scouse.

Both cities heavily into their Celtic heritage but Liverpool far far more authentically.

When I lived in both cities the Liverpool/Irish thing was far more evident in all the pubs, songs and humour but...I probably met more genuinely Irish heritage folk in Manchester.

Oddly Manchester is far more conscious of being Manchester, Mancunian and proud whereas the scousers are more mawkishly obsessed with events like the spud famine and the Irish exodus from Liverpool to the new world than is good for them.

Liverpool can't forget what Manchester can't remember was the way my girlfriend (scouse) put it.
Yes, but people born in Manchester (or Liverpool) - which qualifies them as being English - if they want to emphasise their lineage and want to be considered as Irish (or Scottish, or anywhere else-ish) usually make a point of doing so. Vini Reilly didn't - more guitarist and musician than Manc, more Manc than Irish.
 


The Upper Library

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May 23, 2013
675
I love Jimmy Page - especially on the Houses of the Holy album.

But for me number one is David Gilmour.


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Bevendean Hillbilly

New member
Sep 4, 2006
12,805
Nestling in green nowhere
I love Jimmy Page - especially on the Houses of the Holy album.

But for me number one is David Gilmour.


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The thing about Jimmy page is that his riffs are epic but...and it's a big but...he really, really needed Plants Vocal and JPG/Bonham to rock.

On his own his stuff sounds like elf magicked Tolkien plop plop.


It's the same with Dave Gilmour...leave aside Roger Waters as the real talent there...on his own its just for the purists.


To my mind Hendrix and Peter Green and, I guess Gary Moore, Zappa and Carlos Santana rocked all on their very own...write the feme toon, sing da feme toon.

Being good on the Axe is not the only definition of "the best rock guitarist" or else we could chuck in Randy Rhoades or pretty much all of Lynrd Skynrd or the Eagles...because, man, they could play.

The best are the best in their own right.


The other musicians
 




Bevendean Hillbilly

New member
Sep 4, 2006
12,805
Nestling in green nowhere
Yes, but people born in Manchester (or Liverpool) - which qualifies them as being English - if they want to emphasise their lineage and want to be considered as Irish (or Scottish, or anywhere else-ish) usually make a point of doing so. Vini Reilly didn't - more guitarist and musician than Manc, more Manc than Irish.

I'm sure he did.

It doesn't really matter if he didn't set any store by being anything other than a Manc guitarist...or am I missing something?
 




Superphil

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Jul 7, 2003
25,681
In a pile of football shirts
Jimmy Page and Phil Campbell
 




boik

Well-known member
Another vote here for John McGeogh. Magazine, Banshees and the best PiL lineup. Keep a listen out for "Spellbound - the John McGeogh story" a great radio documentary.

I'd probably add Andy Partridge into the mix somewhere too. The albums were simple enough, but live he used to improvise like crazy so things were never the same twice. Very impressive.

Back in the day I used to rate Steve Howe too. Unlike a lot of guitar heroes whose stuff always sounded the same, he had a huge range of styles.
 








jakarta

Well-known member
May 25, 2007
15,738
Sullington
Yes, but people born in Manchester (or Liverpool) - which qualifies them as being English - if they want to emphasise their lineage and want to be considered as Irish (or Scottish, or anywhere else-ish) usually make a point of doing so. Vini Reilly didn't - more guitarist and musician than Manc, more Manc than Irish.

For what it is worth I had a chance to talk with Vini at the Komedia back in 2005. He recognised a fellow Northern Monkey (admittedly I'm from Cheshire) by my accent while signing CD's before the performance and I said the last time I had seen him was in Manchester with Peter Hook playing bass so we had a few words.

A lovely and quiet bloke (although reeking of dope) I said to him that the only other guitarist I thought was in his league was the late Rory Gallagher and he said - So you only like Irish Guitarists then?
 










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