Greatest Guitar player...

[jcolec02]

Jimmy Page</font>
Edited by: jcolec02

 

[jcolec02]

Just got done listening to "Going to California", "Stairway to Heaven", "Ramble On", "Over the Hills and Far Away", "Black Mountain Side" and "Bron Y Aur Stomp" and I have never heard anyone play the guitar that good...not only is he just great at one type of music... but he can play any style (rock, blues, country, folk, celtic, middle eastern, hard rock,) and he can play a sitdown slide guitar, suitar, 12 string guitar (pictured above) mandolin, and just about anything else, not to mention "Stairway to Heaven" is about as good as it gets as far as music goes, espiecally when you consider that the song is basically a whimsical tale of a european forest, and in "Ramble On" the lyrics of the song are based on "Lord of the Rings" anyways, I have always had a thing for Jimmy Page...

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Hmm, what kind of thing is that?

Just messing jc! Jimmy Page has always been my favorite guitar player and I think he is overall the best. Jimmy was also a technological innovator. He came up with a new way to mic drums and recorded instruments with distant mics to get a heavy, full, and deep sound that changed the music forever in the fall of 1968. His accomplishments in the studio go un-noticed by many, but he was a recording genius. All of Led Zeppelin's sound was his work, thats why he changed engineers with every album. He also made some cool stuff with the Yardbirds prior to Zep. His violin bowing was unreal, and his recordings as a session player from 1963 to 1965 helped fuel the British invasion. Some say his work is on 60% of the hit songs that came out of London during those years. He also did session work while with the Yardbirds, including Joe Cocker's first album. Yep, Jimmy played on With A Little Help From My Friends! Anyway, I think the guy gets far too little credit. Some criticize him as plagiarizing the black bluesmen he drew from, but if those people knew what the blues are about, they would know that you are always using someone else's stuff. Even so, Page created some awesome totally original material. To be relegated to 9th greatest player ever by Rolling Stone is a slap in the face to me. His riffs will live on!

With the Yardbirds in 1966

With his dragon painted Telecaster in 1969. He used this guitar, and not the Les Paul, to record the first Zep album and several songs in the 2nd.

Edited by: Colonel_Reb

 

[jcolec02]

yeah he did play the blues, but unlike most white musicians he doesnt fawn and drool over the old blues guys like that ****got eric clapton does...and I think most of his stuff was original...and at least half wasnt blues based. A couple of songs that he did actually cover were "When the Levees Break" and Travelin' Riverside Blues" both are great songs, but I loved him for his acoustic and more non blues music...such as the songs I listed above...and dont forget about "Ten Years Gone"

 

[Lance Alworth]

Greatest guitar players to me are Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Vincent, and Michael Schenker

 

[son of Radovan]

Nice change-of-pace topic.

Although I'm partial to heavy metal (but not just), as far as sheer ability goes, it is my opinion that Stevie Ray Vaughan was the master, blues or not. What a tremendous musician we lost...God rest his soul.Edited by: son of Radovan

 

[jcolec02]

I still think that overall jimmy was the best...mainly because of all the different instruments and music styles he played...

 

[Solomon Kane]

Yeah, Page was great, rooted in the blues, but cutting through many styles, raising each to a whole new level. My favorites of his are:

Since I've Been Loving You
Rock and Roll
Stairway
Hangman
Immigrant Song

Re: Clapton. I have no problem with his homages to Robert Johnson and BB King. One should honor one's inspirational sources/mentors. (Though, I guess, as with anything, there can be excess). Also, I think the great bluesmen have on, balance, helped America's musical scene. I wish the brothers were listening to them rather than to the hip-hop people.

I like those mentioned thus far (at least those of them that I have heard--I confess I've been kind of out of loop--I don't know Vincent and Malmsteen, but I have heard Michael Schenker--Ja!)

For what its worth, here are my favorite guitarists, in no particular order.

Jimmy Page
Mick Taylor
Rory Gallagher
Duane Allman
Dickie Betts
Chuck Berry
Kim Simmonds
Jimi Hendrix
Keith Richards
Eddie Van Halen
Joe Walsh
Steve Howe
Eric Clapton
Peter Green
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Jimmy Vaughan
Johnny Winter

 

[screamingeagle]

Let's not forget
Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
Tony Iomi (Black Sabbath)
I think he created every heavy metal riff, or so it seems.
Jeff Beck
Roy Buchanon
Gary Moore
Yngvie

 

[Lance Alworth]

Vinnie Vincent took Kiss from out of the gutter and made them a musical (at least songwriting-wise) powerhouse. Too bad he only lasted 2 albums, but he later formed Vinnie Vincent Invasion which later became Slaughter

 

[agoodleap]

I still think that overall jimmy was the best...mainly because of all the different instruments and music styles he played...

i agree...

 

[Solomon Kane]

Vinnie Vincent took Kiss from out of the gutter and made them a musical (at least songwriting-wise) powerhouse.

Hey! You're dissin' Ace and Paul! Ouch!

 

[jaxvid]

Yeah, Page was great, rooted in the blues, but cutting through many styles, raising each to a whole new level. My favorites of his are:

Since I've Been Loving You
Rock and Roll
Stairway
Hangman
Immigrant Song

Re: Clapton. I have no problem with his homages to Robert Johnson and BB King. One should honor one's inspirational sources/mentors. (Though, I guess, as with anything, there can be excess). Also, I think the great bluesmen have on, balance, helped America's musical scene. I wish the brothers were listening to them rather than to the hip-hop people.

I like those mentioned thus far (at least those of them that I have heard--I confess I've been kind of out of loop--I don't know Vincent and Malmsteen, but I have heard Michael Schenker--Ja!)

For what its worth, here are my favorite guitarists, in no particular order.

Jimmy Page
Mick Taylor
Rory Gallagher
Duane Allman
Dickie Betts
Chuck Berry
Kim Simmonds
Jimi Hendrix
Keith Richards
Eddie Van Halen
Joe Walsh
Steve Howe
Eric Clapton
Peter Green
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Jimmy Vaughan
Johnny Winter

What no Pete Townsend? Most of the guys on the above list are just pale imitations of him. (especially Johny Winter---

)

 

[Lance Alworth]

Vinnie Vincent took Kiss from out of the gutter and made them a musical (at least songwriting-wise) powerhouse.

Hey! You're dissin' Ace and Paul! Ouch!

well look where Kiss was before Vinnie had joined. Peter Criss had left the band and had put out the album "music from the elder" which was considered to be a commercial flop and was their worst selling album to date. Ace had said "enough with this" and left, not to mention he had drug and alcohol problems. Vinnie came on board in 1982, and they released 'creatures of the night" which featured Vinnie's songwriting talent and basically brought Kiss back from the dead. The next year, Kiss reinvented themselves and ditched the makeup. Unfortunately Gene and Vinnie's egos could not co-exist and he was fired from Kiss in 1984

 

[jcolec02]

HEY!!! this is Jimmy's thread, not KISS!!!

 

[C Darwin]

The C Darwin vote for best guitar player...
Jerry Cantrell

 

[Quiet Speed]

As a side note, Neil Young is the finest lyricist of our time. LOL Wanted to get Colonel Reb riled up.

Here's a wild video from 1957 of Page at fourteen. It's straight out of a time capsule. There's some deep commentary here on the changes that have occurred over the past five decades.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epXeC40P80o

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Quiet Speed! Where have you been man. I haven't seen you on here in forever. Yeah, I heard that crappy Young song on the radio a little while ago. Funny though, I hear Sweet Home Alabama a lot more than Southern Man.

As for Page doing the skiffle, yeah it was a big time change from then till now. In some ways, I wish rock had never been adopted. It helped degenerate our society right along with integration.

 

[Deus Vult]

Page was a good songwriter, but a sloppy guitarist.

Discussions centered around who was/is the "best" or the "greatest" guitarist will always yield varied lists because appreciation for these artists comes down to varied taste.

My top guys:

Steve Vai
Yngwie J. Malmsteen
Edward Van Halen
Randy Rhoads
Michael Schenker
Matthias Jabs
Ulrich Roth
Joe Satriani
Eric Johnson
Paul Gilbert
Gary Moore
George Lynch
Ritchie Blackmore
John Petrucci
Jeff Healey

Ask me which one is "the best" and I will probably give you a different answer from week to week.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Ya'll don't forget the MotorCity Madman Ted Nugent, George Thorogood, Zak Wylde, Dickie Betts, Duane Allman & the late, great "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott of Pantera & RebelMeetsRebel...

 

[Ground Fighter]

Ya'll don't forget the MotorCity Madman Ted Nugent, George Thorogood, Zak Wylde, Dickie Betts, Duane Allman & the late, great "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott of Pantera & RebelMeetsRebel...

Its a shame what happened to Dimebag Darrel. I can't believe someone just came up and shot him like that.

Ted Nugent is also the man, and I like his "views" on certain subjects. He isn't the typical hollywood liberal idiot. He supports the military, which is my main reason for liking him, other than his musical talents.

 

[Solomon Kane]

What no Pete Townsend? Most of the guys on the above list are just pale imitations of him. (especially Johny Winter---

)

pale imitation--good one, Jax!

And yes, I should have mentioned Pete.

Deus and Screaming Eagle: Was Gary Moore with the Irish Band Thin Lizzy?

 

[Lance Alworth]

HEY!!! this is Jimmy's thread, not KISS!!!

Vinnie &gt; Jimmy

 

[screamingeagle]

Gary Moore was in Thin Lizzy