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Update: OK, I guess the joke was too subtle! Watch these clips and listen verrrry closely …
I’m borrowing the title of David’s wonderful recurring column in order to pay homage to, and examine, a few of my own musical heroes. You see, sometimes an artist is just so humblingly gifted at one particular thing — Picasso with his brush; Joyce with his pen — that all you can do is sit back in awe and watch. There are such a precious few guitar players in the world who can have that kind of held-in-thrall effect on a whole audience at once — virtuosos who don’t even really need a backing band, thanks to the sheer majesty of their skills. I thought I would take a moment to honor those magic few here.
Many of these artists will be familiar to you; some may not. I invite you to take this opportunity to discover — or rediscover, whatever the case may be — a few of the guitar’s great geniuses. In no particular order, here they are.
Paco de Lucia
Recognized as one of the most talented Flamenco guitarists ever, Spaniard Paco de Lucia has done much to popularize Flamenco all over the world. He’s also crossover success story with jazz, funk, classical, and world music recordings under his musical belt. Is there anything he can’t do?
Steve Vai
If Flamenco isn’t your style, try a little Vai on for size. Ask any guitar freak and you’ll get the same answer: Steve Vai is universally hailed as a saint of the six-string, who got his career started playing guitar for Frank Zappa (which, depending on how much you know about Zappa, you’ll realize is … hard). In fact, Zappa was known to refer to Vai as “my little Italian virtuoso,” and he’s listed in the liner notes of several Zappa albums as playing “stunt guitar.” But hey, don’t take Frank Zappa’s word for it:
Eric Clapton
From his early work in the Yardbirds and Cream to his chart-topping solo hits of more recent vintage, just about everyone’s heard Eric Clapton shred. But that’s no reason to deny yourself the pleasure of another dose of Eric’s magical electric boogaloo:
Santana
Rounding out our set today is the inestimable Carlos Santana (so famous he doesn’t need a first name), a Grammy-winning artist named one the top 15 guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone. But the proof, as it were, is in the pudding:
My thanks to Santeri for his brilliant movie magic (so sorry YouTube decided to take these down, man).
Comments (50)
Comment
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Santana isn’t even close to being in the same league as Stanley Jordan and Segovia.
Everyone do yourselves a favor and YouTube “Autumn Leaves” by Jordan.
posted by Jake Le Master on 2-7-2008 at 8:08 am
Santana is a chump, especially nowadays. Ditto Clapton; pretty good before he started writing for adult contemporary radio.
posted by Ira on 2-7-2008 at 8:13 am
Sorry, that sounded priggish (and probably is).
To be constructive, I would recommend Mark Knopfler. His songwriting is definitely prosaic (at the risk of inciting cringes, I’ll call it Dylanesque), but his guitar work is phenomenally minimalist and expressive. The spaces between his notes are just as important as the notes themselves.
Ditto David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Not prone to guitar wankery, but his “feel” is inimitable.
posted by Ira on 2-7-2008 at 8:21 am
As someone who has played guitar for a vast majority of his life, I just have one question… Have you ever heard of Jazz guitar??? The distortion that guys like Steve Vai, Santana, and Clapton use is really just a mask for the fact that they’re too inaccurate to play with the big boys… Jazz musicians.
posted by nathan on 2-7-2008 at 8:27 am
@nathan
And I thought *I* was being priggish.
posted by Ira on 2-7-2008 at 8:31 am
Two more I can think of Jimi Hendrix and Alvin Lee
posted by Jim on 2-7-2008 at 8:46 am
Joe Satriani is conspicuously absent from this list!
posted by Jeff on 2-7-2008 at 8:48 am
I enjoyed these clips, but was anyone else bothered by the bongo player in the first clip. I wanted to smack his hands and tell him to just stop it.
posted by jenny on 2-7-2008 at 8:49 am
Umm. Does no one get the joke? That’s not ANY of them playing, it’s all REALLY well overdubbed music, some of the best YouTube overdubbing you’ll ever hear…
posted by Marc on 2-7-2008 at 8:51 am
Lucky me I like all of them. As for distortion hiding the fact that Vai and Co can’t play like jazz players is absolute rubbish. Jon Scofield, famously uses a proco rat distortion pedal to compress and smooth out his sound. Many great Jazz Fusion players use distortion too. Look at Paco de Lucia’s playing partner on many occasions, John McLaughlin, he used distortion loads in the 70s as does Al di Meola.
The Vai clip was not the best to show he was just messing about. There’s much better out there.
As far as opinions go about who is and who is not a great guitar play, well they are like assholes everyones got one. For me, I like Vai, Tal Farlow, Eric Johnson, Albert King, Django Rheinhardt and loads more, it’s all good.
posted by Liam H on 2-7-2008 at 9:04 am
@Marc
Can’t watch the videos from work, but I’ve seen a similar one of Ozzy / Tony Iommi that was hilarious.
posted by Ira on 2-7-2008 at 9:10 am
I like Django Rheinhardt (although I don’t think you’ll find a video of him on youtube). He’s pretty much responsible for changing the perception of the guitar from a rhythm instrument to a musical instrument. That and he overcame a potentially crippling injury due to fire and relearned to play. Very cool and complicated jazz guitar…
posted by Jason! on 2-7-2008 at 9:31 am
“Autumn Leaves” by Stanley Jordan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xlfe-f5nME
posted by Jake Le Master on 2-7-2008 at 9:40 am
Understand that my screen name does not reference a fish…
Pyrotechnics can be impressive, but they can often be soulless.
My admiration is for the reserved and tasteful with a distinct personality that as soon as you hear you know who it is.
I won’t denigrate any of these people because they all humble me in one or several ways. If you have an open mind and open ears all of those mentioned can offer you something.
posted by Bassman on 2-7-2008 at 10:00 am
OK … are you guys actually watching the videos??
posted by Ransom on 2-7-2008 at 10:25 am
Some of us (maybe most of us?) have IT departments that block streaming video content providers at work. Sorry for pooping on your joke :(
posted by Ira on 2-7-2008 at 10:30 am
Streaming video isn’t blocked at my work, but ever since I had an embarrasing moment playing Greg Veis’s post on Merlin Mann at work, I tend to wait until I get home to play any videos I’m unsure about. Sorry… Please rest assured that I’ll watch ‘em upon returning home tonight.
My earlier comment was just in responce to another poster mentioning Django…
posted by Jason! on 2-7-2008 at 10:45 am
Heh heh. Sure, all of those guys are phenomenal guitarists. And I bet there’s video out there somewhere of them actually playing guitar phenomenally.
posted by Jef on 2-7-2008 at 10:50 am
Not including Tim Reynolds on this list is tantamount to criminal activity.
posted by cole on 2-7-2008 at 10:55 am
Oh, I don’t know, how about:
Wes Montgomery, Les Paul, Leo Kottke, Richard Thompson,Alan Holdsworth, Henry Kaiser.
If you don’t know who these guitar players are, you need to start listening to some more music.
posted by S.D.Schaffer on 2-7-2008 at 11:01 am
Sort of chipping in an amazing fact generator potential tidbit as well…
Sanatana’s Black Magic Woman was actually a cover–it was done by Fleetwood Mac.
Along the same lines, Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac founder) replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds, and many people (including Eric Clapton) actually think that wound up being an upgrade.
posted by Chan on 2-7-2008 at 11:08 am
You guys seem to have forgotten all about Stevie Ray Vaughn…….heathens :)
posted by Ulysys on 2-7-2008 at 11:11 am
I never gave Les Paul a thought until I saw a 50-year-old video at the Rock and Roll HOF in Cleveland last month and was amazed. For technical prowess, Pat Metheny. For wish-I-could-play-those-songs, Leo Kottke.
posted by Dan T. on 2-7-2008 at 11:26 am
Back in the mid 70s to early I was a dj at a local rock station, and I got to see most of the players who passed through NY and Connecticut.
The one guy who was absolutely jaw-dropping amazing was the late under-appreciated Rory Gallagher.
Link Wray could smoke it pretty good too!
posted by Ed on 2-7-2008 at 11:53 am
That’s mid-70’s to early 80’s.
posted by Ed on 2-7-2008 at 11:55 am
Ditto Stanley Jordan. Check out Tommy emmanuel at his website, phenomenal!
posted by Quix on 2-7-2008 at 12:04 pm
These videos always make me laugh. However, I think there should probably be mention that these are all humorous fakes somewhere in your post.
posted by Charlie on 2-7-2008 at 12:36 pm
Stevie Ray and Son House…
from the IT guy who DOESN’T block streaming vid!
posted by Mike on 2-7-2008 at 12:50 pm
God it took till the 22nd posting to mention Stevie!
Anyway, I think we should all celebrate these great guitarists. People have different tastes. Nobody is mentioning any real duds. The negative comments about some of them don’t seem appropriate to me.
posted by Stew on 2-7-2008 at 1:01 pm
Clapton just doesn’t do it for me.
To me he sounds, at best: Competent.
Jerry Garcia, Andre Segovia, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck (Not a big fan, but he’s good), Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn (Jimi’s clone?), Henry Kaiser, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin (Try the record with Paco de Lucia and Di Meola), David Gilmour
posted by mungley on 2-7-2008 at 1:09 pm
Okay, I’m glad I’m not crazy. I was gonna write something about how, despite these guitarists credentials, all the music in the videos kinda really sucks. Then I read that it’s overdubbed. Very funny.
posted by Alex on 2-7-2008 at 1:48 pm
There are many guitarists that deserve to be on this list, but some might argue it’s relative to the type of music they play. There are several players that can play classical music just as well as well as rock ‘n roll and the blues (Joe Statriani, Eric Johnson). Then there are players like Micheal Angelo Biato that seem like they came from another planet. There no “best of” list that will satisfy even an amature a guitarist.
posted by Shakezoola on 2-7-2008 at 2:25 pm
Isnt it a sin to overdub Clapton?
posted by Don on 2-7-2008 at 2:35 pm
What about *vomit* *puke* Yngwie Malmsteen, the metal guitar version of Kenny G?
posted by iain010100 on 2-7-2008 at 2:53 pm
Personally, I’m not a big shredding fan. But I loves me some Ry Cooder! Check this out: Steve Vai vs. Ralph Maccio (Karate Kid) in Crossroads!
Ry Cooder is Maccio’s guitar double for all the stuff up until the big baroque duel, where Vai plays both parts. Maccio does a much better job of “finger-synching” than most movie stars.
Ths mvy pwns.
posted by Freshmaker on 2-7-2008 at 3:14 pm
One of the funniest things I’ve seen in a quite a while. Sounds like the slop I use to torture out of my guitar.
posted by sapokesfan on 2-7-2008 at 4:02 pm
You bring up Frank Zappa and yet no clip of him? He’s my top choice, but I’ve got mucho respect for Django Rheinhart and BB King as well.
posted by kitsana_d on 2-7-2008 at 5:19 pm
dude, wheres the Stevie Ray Vaughn, or Hendrix for that matter?!?!?!
At least you remembered Paco!
posted by Tony on 2-7-2008 at 5:41 pm
I’m not sure what I like more — the videos or the people commenting so seriously on them.
posted by flatluigi on 2-7-2008 at 5:42 pm
Why did you pick these videos? They are all great guitarists but the examples of their playing that you picked were pure garbage. Paco should have been represented by one of his many flamenco recordings on youtube. same with Vai, because that video was just him jacking around, when he has so many serious works of art to consider. Eric Clapton could have been best represented in some way other than him not playing anything meaningful. Same with Santana. How did you get this by the editorial staff. How do you even have a job if this is how you represent people of such talent????
posted by Tom on 2-7-2008 at 5:57 pm
I’m using the chicken to measure it!
posted by Rance Muahammitz on 2-7-2008 at 8:21 pm
Those videos rock!!! Those are some of the hottest licks and riffs I’ve ever heard! “Clapton is God”
(j/k, get the joke?)
posted by CJ on 2-8-2008 at 12:28 am
How could you have a list of this nature without even a mention of the guitar God himself, Stevie Ray Vaughn?
posted by Steve on 2-8-2008 at 10:39 am
Okay, I have to put one in for the *ahem* Bass guitar. VICTOR WOOTEN IS GOD. that’s all… Ok maybe not, he is the baddest bass guitar player, probably ever, and does things that just shouldn’t be possible with a bass. His brother ain’t too shabby on a Strat either. YouTube “Wooten thump off” to see what I mean.
Also, check out YouTubes of Justin King playing his Guitar. Killer stuff here… maybe not the BEST, but good nonetheless.
posted by Justin L on 2-8-2008 at 10:56 am
For jaw-Dropping guitar, check out Danny Gatton. There’s a video of him floating around of him playing at an Austin club, and he does a jaw dropping slide bit spilling beer all over his guitar, after which he cleans his guitar with a towel and fretting the guitar and playing all the while. Absolutely inspiring.
posted by Sean on 2-8-2008 at 11:22 am
Clapton?!?!
Santana?!?!?!
Wizards they ain’t, above average they are.
Buckethead is a wizard and should have been on this list – he can shred, be melodic, play with depth or delicacy…all while being emotionally involving.
Zappa is the master.
posted by King Kong on 2-8-2008 at 7:03 pm
Number 40’s comment… makes me laugh really hard :) I HOPE you were joking when you wrote that. If not, you have proven the point of many other commenters on here, that people take this way too seriously and they have not listened to the videos.
As for the guitar playing. People get very sensitive when discussing these three things: politics, religion, and music. I’d imagine the sensitivity is tantamount on this site, since mentalfloss readers are a step above when it comes to intelligence (I’m speaking generally, of course).
So as not to step on any toes, I’d like to agree with all the suggestions posted here, and add a few. Surprisingly, Brad Paisley is a pretty awesome guitar player. Even if you’re not a fan of country, it might be worth your time to take a listen to some of his solos. Certainly nothing earth-shattering, but kind of neat considering he’s mainly known for slightly silly country ballads.
And yes, Zappa is the master.
posted by Molly W. on 2-9-2008 at 2:16 am
So maybe I didn’t add a few. I reread some of the comments and realized all my suggestions were already made. Right on!
posted by Molly W. on 2-9-2008 at 2:18 am
Oh, and I find that the more snobby someone is about music, the worse they are at performing. Overcompensation, I suppose.
posted by Molly W. on 2-9-2008 at 2:19 am
That is awesome, and some of the responses make this entry even more awesome.
For some similar videos, but slightly less subtle, google The Legion of Rock Stars.
posted by tim on 2-9-2008 at 5:26 am