Onto the top ten we go!

10.  Brian Robertson

Thin Lizzy’s Brian Robertson was pretty much a wunderkind, joining the band at the ripe old age of 18 to team up with Scott Gorham for a brief but most excellent four year stint with the great Irish band.  Lizzy’s popularity shot through the roof with the Gorham/Robertson tag team as they released five studio albums and one live album during this period.  The band has always had a slew of great players, but Robertson has always been my favorite-  his lead style was very melodic and what he played fit perfectly for the song.  His Les Paul tone with half cocked wah wah pedal during the lead breaks was so smooth, subtle, and never too flashy.  Unfortunately, Robertson’s tenure with Lizzy was short and he moved on to fill the guitarist void in Motorhead which seemed like such an odd pairing at the time but in hindsight their single album together (Another Perfect Day) is an underrated gem.  Robertson has kept a fairly low profile over the years and his playing is missed.

Choice cuts:  “Emerald”, “Suicide”, “Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed”, “The Boys Are Back In Town”, “Still In Love With You (live version)”, “Cowboy Song”

9.  Nuno Bettencourt

Nuno Bettencourt has been unfairly slagged as being part of a hair metal band (Extreme) that wrote a #1 hit ballad in “More Than Words” (to me, a FANTASTIC song), but outside of guitar fanatics he doesn’t get his due.  This dude can PLAAAAAAAY and his chops are much better than some of his peers from the 80s.  For one thing, Nuno sense of timing and his innate funkiness is off the charts-  hell, even Rhianna knows this as he’s been moonlighting in her live band for the past few years!  The guy is a great rhythm player and his lead playing puts him on another level.  Sure, Nuno can play fast but his overall sense of feel is what makes him stand out, whether it be on the rock cuts or the occasional acoustic pieces that he writes for Extreme.  All those haters out there have no idea what they are missing.

Choice cuts:  “Cupid’s Dead”, “Kid Ego”, “Play With Me”, “Get The Funk Out”, “Decadence Dance”, “Cynical”

8.  Billy Gibbons

Tone…  taste…  tenacity…  three words that do a great job of describing Reverend Billy F Gibbons’ technique and the overall vibe and style of his fantastic band of brothers in ZZ Top.  I grew up with the MTV version of ZZ so I caught the band in all its glory with the cars, women, beards, and sunglasses but little did I know what awesomeness lie in the past.  Sure, I got a good dose of the early radio hits but holy smokes…  those early pre-Eliminator albums is where the bulk of the joy is.  What’s totally cool about Gibbons’ playing is that it’s the economy of it:  no fast noodling, no wild bends, no crazy guitar histrionics; it’s all down to those three T’s described above and his overall sense of feel.  Put on an early ZZ record and you’ll be air guitaring and bopping along in no time.

Choice cuts:  “Heard It On The X”, “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers”, “Just Got Paid”, “I Need You Tonight”, “La Grange”, “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”

7.  Dave Murray/Adrian Smith/Janick Gers

Why, OF COURSE I have to put The Three Amigos on here, being from my favorite band of all time.  And like a couple of posts earlier I do have to cheat and put them in as a collective unit.  The boys from Iron Maiden (along with bassist supreme Steve Harris) have written a number of classics and all three have their own distinct voice in the band:  Janick Gers with his searing, off the cuff Blackmoreisms, Dave Murray with his Hendrix meets Trower legato work, and the smooth Schenkeresque stylings of Adrian Smith.  All bring something totally different to the table in their writing styles and in their lead playing that helps push Iron Maiden to the forefront of heavy metal.  While I can’t deny that I lean more towards Murray’s looser style, Smith brings more of a melodic punch to the band that was sorely missing when he was gone and Gers has a tendency to freestyle and push things to the limit oftentimes with great success.

Choice cuts:  “The Trooper”, “Wasted Years”, “Powerslave”, “The Thin Line Between Love And Hate”, “Sign Of The Cross”, “Paschendale”

6.  Buck Dharma

Buck Dharma has got to be THE most underrated rock guitar player on the planet.  As one of Blue Oyster Cult’s main songwriters he has written many a fine riff and his lead playing truly fits the song.  However, Buck really comes to life in a live setting, often taking extended solos midway through songs to take them to a whole other level.  Believe me, he is the only guitarist I’ve caught live that took me to another transcendent plane when he went off midway through one of BOC’s moodier cuts that gradually increased in tempo as his playing intensified.  Buck’s style incorporates jazzy phrasing with the occasional blues twist that makes him a little more unique compared to his contemporaries.  He’s quite capable of making quick runs and dramatic stops/starts along with slower, bluesier melodic spots, often within the same song.  Great tone too.

Choice cuts:  “Don’t Fear The Reaper”, “Burnin’ For You”, “Then Came The Last Days Of May”, “Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll”, “Astronomy”, “Perfect Water”

To me, the guitar has always been a bit of a magical instrument.  When I was younger I was always more of a “riff” guy.  Songs back then definitely drew me in if it had a loud, heavily distorted and as I’ve gotten older it’s gotten worse 🙂  I still lean towards the heavy but I’ve come to appreciate an even more rhythmic approach too.  That said, this next batch of five includes some heavy rhythm giants along with a shredtastic lead player and a clown prince of guitar.

15.  Ritchie Blackmore

The heavy rock world’s Man In Black, Ritchie Blackmore is the father of one of THE most iconic riffs of all time as well as one of the craftsmen of what we know today as heavy metal.  As the leader of Deep Purple, Blackmore paired heavy riffs with Jon Lord’s Hammond B3 organ and Ian Gillan’s unearthly screaming to create a new sound circa 1970 that has influenced a number of guitarists over the year.  While Blackmore’s rhythm work is stellar it’s his lead guitar that reigns supreme; all full of lightning quick runs interspersed with beautiful melodic passages.  Known for a mean streak as fiery as his guitar playing, Blackmore sacked quite a few Purple bandmates and even more in his stint with Rainbow.  Nowadays, Blackmore is most comfortable playing medieval folk music with his wife in Blackmore’s Night.

Choice cuts:  “Smoke On The Water”, “Gates Of Babylon”, “Highway Star”, “Lazy”

14.  Tony Iommi

Like Blackmore, Tony Iommi can also lay claim to be a founding father of heavy metal as a member of Black Sabbath.  Due to an unfortunate work accident, Iommi lost the tips of two fingers on his fretting hand which caused him to use lighter gauge strings on his guitar and to tune down, ultimately leading to a heavier guitar sound.  Fortunately, Iommi’s handicap did not deter his spirits as he has blessed us with many a fine riff and remains a dependable anchor in the Sabbath machine.  Iommi has a distinct, piercing lead tone that he’ll often add to various songs but mostly he is the master of the mountain moving riff.  Genres such as stoner metal and doom metal owe a huge debt to Iommi based on his riffs and tone, but all metal genres as a whole have benefitted from the classic songs that he wrote.

Choice cuts:  “War Pigs”, “Hole In The Sky”, “Heaven And Hell”, “Die Young”

13.  Pete Townshend

I could watch Pete Townshend play guitar all day.  It’s not what he’s playing, it’s not the guitar tone, and it’s not the song:  the man is pure excitement when he has a guitar in his hands.  Granted, the man is now an old codger these days (however, one who still plays well) but in the Who’s heyday in the 60s and 70s Townshend damn near turned guitar playing into a violent sport.  Guitar destruction, windmills, leaps in the air, slides across the stage, “Birdman” poses…  the guy had it all and then some.  While not a strong lead player, Townshend is an outstanding rhythm player with an almost flamencoesque style at times mixed in with massive, sustained power chords that shake foundations.  His songwriting spectrum is vast as he can amaze you with a beautifully sung and played acoustic cut and chase that with a vicious and angry one full of punk fervor via gritty and crunchy electric riffs.

Choice cuts:  “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, “Young Man Blues”, “Behind Blue Eyes”, “Pinball Wizard”

12.  Alex Skolnick

In my late teens and early twenties my musical tastes had made a massive shift to much heavier music, specifically thrash metal.  One of my new favorite bands at the time was Testament, featuring the awesome lead guitar work of Alex Skolnick.  Skolnick’s style was filled with fast and tasty guitar runs but he had such a melodic playing style and great tone that he stood out from the pack.  A lot of thrash music can be angry and atonal but Skolnick’s playing helped lift Testament’s songs to a whole other level via his virtuosic talents.  Out of many players in the genre, I can actually SING his lead guitar parts in my head!  In the early 90s Skolnick left Testament to pursue other musical endeavors (releasing a jazz CD, guest guitarist in multiple projects, etc) before returning full time to the band in 2005.  A great, all around player.

Choice cuts:  “Disciples Of The Watch”, “Practice What You Preach”, “Return To Serenity”, “Trial By Fire”

11.  Joe Walsh

Clown prince of rock and roll.  Master of the guitar face.  Popularizer of the “talk box”.  Joe Walsh is all these things and so much more.  What I love about Joe is his sense of fun in his playing (that “nyaah nyaah nyaah” lead style), his funky riffs, monumental songs, and overall sense of rhythm.  Rumor has it that the Eagles brought him on board to inject a bit of that fun into a band full of serious and stoic musicians.  Walsh is great all around, whether running the show in his days with James Gang, Barnstorm, and his solo career or being the ultimate team player in the Eagles with fellow guitarist Don Felder.  Walsh has written a variety of great material, from funny, self-deprecating songs to classic rock anthems throughout his career.  As a master tinkerer, he doesn’t tie himself down to a specific guitar, effect, or tone-  whatever fits the song will do!

Choice cuts:  “Funk 49”, “Turn To Stone”, “Hotel California”, “Rocky Mountain Way”

Down five with twenty more to go!  The next five include some minor “cheats” but hey, it’s my blog and I can do what I want to do.  This group is quite the mix.

20.  Dave Mustaine

Aggressive…  chaotic… intense…  yes, Dave Mustaine’s lead and rhythm style can be described in those three words and then some.  As a founding father of Metallica, Mustaine helped lay the foundation for the burgeoning thrash movement in the early 80’s with an often reckless yet fiercely passionate playing style before his unfortunate sacking from the band.  Not to be deterred Mustaine found some like-minded souls and went on to form Megadeth, a band still going strong today with some fellow co-pilots in the guitarist seat.  Do not be fooled though… this is Mustaine’s band and Mustaine’s vision and all others must follow.  Sure, there have been some missteps along the way but the man and band continue to forge ahead whether it be via their punk meets thrash roots to their all out mid period guitar assaults to more standard rock and metal fare.

Choice cuts:  “Good Mourning/Black Friday”, “Holy Wars”, “Hangar 18”, “My Last Words”

19.  Michael Romeo

Michael Romeo should be a household name in guitar circles.  As guitarist for Symphony X he and his band play a brand of progressive metal that’s a mix of multiple influences (I’ve always described them as Dream Theater meets Kansas meets Yngwie Malmsteen) with a group of outstanding musicians.  Sure, Romeo plays fast but there is a ton of depth in the songwriting which allows him to add a lot of texture, colors, and feel across a broad palette.  His playing never sounds too technical or robotic; he can be aggressive as needed but he plays with a lot of passion and melody moreso than some of his peers in the genre.  While mostly known for his electric work, Romeo will often incorporate acoustic passages into some songs to add a different shade to offset some of his heavier work.  And check out his interplay with keyboardist Michael Pinnella as well!

Choice cuts:  “Accolade”, “Accolade II”, “Sea Of Lies”, “Communion And The Oracle”

18.  Duane Allman/Dickey Betts/Warren Haynes

Yeah I’m cheating here but so what 🙂  Allman and Betts were the original guitar tandem with the Allman Brothers Band while Warren Haynes was one of the many guitarists that joined the band after Allman’s untimely death in the early 70’s and also leads his own group Gov’t Mule.  But I’m focusing on the ABB and leaving these guys out of any guitar discussion is hard to do.  Allman’s slide guitar and Betts’ jazzy runs were instrumental to the success of that band from roughly 1969 to 1971 and set the tone for many jam bands to come.  It’s hard to just refer to the Allmans as a “jam band” as they covered a range of styles, from country to blues to jazz to soul to a everything in between.  In the two year period between the formation of the band to Allman’s death, they were just starting to take off.  Fortunately with Haynes joining in the late 80’s, the band went through a serious “revival” (pun intended) before recently calling it quits earlier this year.

Choice cuts:  “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed”, “Nobody Knows”, “One Way Out”, “Statesboro Blues”

17.  Elliott Randall/Denny Dias/Jeff Baxter

Ahhh the Dan!  I’m sorry, but I’m a big Steely Dan fan, especially the first three or four albums before they got a little too fine tuned and jazzy around Aja.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that album and those that came after but to me, those first few featuring the great work of Randall, Dias, and Baxter are on another level.  These three cats can play!  Can’t Buy A Thrill, Countdown To Ecstasy, and Pretzel Logic featured the three as the Dan broke ground with their rock n soul n jazz stylings.  Their work on these three albums can still be heard on classic rock radio today.  Their raw lead tones and how they color each song with their playing are mini compositions in their own right and are often quite memorable in their own way.  Apologies to the other Steely Dan guitarists that have played over the years, but these three are the tops in my book.

Choice Cuts:  “My Old School”, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”, “Reelin’ In The Years”, “Bodhisattva”

16.  Jimmy Page

Jimmy Page…  Led Zeppelin… what more do you need to say?  Sure, the mid to late 70s (and into the 80s) was a bit of a drug infested period for Page and his live playing often suffered, but you can’t deny the man’s talents.  Did he write classic songs?  Check…  Did he write great riffs?  Check…  Did he have memorable solos?  Check…  Did he write some beautiful acoustic passages?  Check…  Page was a master of light and shade, black and white, and tight but loose.  Even pre-Zeppelin he was one of THE go to session guitarists on the London scene.  The man had talent to spare, whether it be soft acoustic playing or layers upon layers of over the top raw electric on six or twelve string guitar.  The depth of his songwriting alone puts him on this list and his expressive and often ethereal guitar playing helped make Led Zeppelin infamous.

Choice Cuts:  “Stairway To Heaven”, “Whole Lotta Love”, “Achilles Last Stand”, “The Rain Song”

So, I’ve had fun before with my top 25 favorite singers, so now it’s time to give a run through of my favorite guitarists as well.  As before, I’ll give a quick summary about why I like them and give you a few choice cuts to check out.

25.  Glenn Tipton

One half of the mighty Judas Priest tag team, Glenn Tipton is not only a great songwriter but a great player as well.  From melodic, classically influenced leads to more of a sweeping style, Tipton seems to have evolved over time as he doesn’t quite stick with your typical pentatonic scales of his peers nor is he whammy bar happy like partner in crime KK Downing.  To me, he was always the player that stood out in the band; all calm\cool\collected reserve compared to KK’s more rock star histrionics,  And man, can this cat play when he puts his mind to it.  When I think classic lead breaks in Judas Priest, they all come from Mr. Tipton.  The key to his playing is how he can switch from a melodic passage to heavier blasts with emphasis on strong bends and distinct note choices.

Choice cuts:  “Electric Eye”, “Painkiller”, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”, “Victim Of Changes”

24.  Richard Thompson 

I’m late to the party with Richard Thompson but boy, am I glad I’ve discovered who he is and his great talents on the six string.  As an acoustic player there is none finer: what sounds like an army of players is just Thompson, incorporating hybrid picking, unique chord structures, and incredibly beautiful work altogether.  His electric work on his rockier cuts is great as well, but he’s not someone whose power is in volume and tenacity.  His strengths are finding the right chord structures, notes, and tones that fit the great songs that he writes, whether it be his early days with Fairport Convention, his work with his wife Linda, or his solo material.  Not only is the man talented on acoustic and electric, but he will also incorporate mandolin and dulcimer as well.

Choice Cuts:  “1952 Vincent Black Lightning”, “Beeswing”, “Shoot Out The Lights”, “Down Where The Drunkards Roll”

23.  Jimi Hendrix

I’m sure I’ll hear it from some of you out there…. he’s waaaaaaay too low on this list!  Hendrix’ genius really escaped me until my later years and most of that can be blamed on when I first heard him.  Just think, if those of us younger than 50 had heard Hendrix right when he came out we’d be instant converts.  Who else dressed like that, looked like that, and played like that in the late 60s?  He was, as some people swore at the time, literally from outer space.  His songs and his influence are present even to this day.  Psychedelic blues, soulful playing, swirling feedback, weird noises, wailing notes…  the dude was doing it all.  It is amazing how much phenomenal work he actually put out in his few short years on this planet.  He wrote some great songs, sang his heart out, and literally changed rock guitar playing overnight.

Choice Cuts:  “All Along The Watchtower”, “Fire”, “Voodoo Chile”, “Castles Made Of Sand”

22.  George Lynch

Back in the 80s when hair metal was all the rage, Dokken ranked high in my favorites from the genre mostly due to the wicked playing of Mr. Scary.  Lynch is a beat of a freak of nature with his impressive lead work; much of it melodic but oftentimes full of quick barrages of notes at high speed.  My favorite playing from George may likely be his work in Lynch Mob, a little bit more swampier and bluesier in style compared to some of the lighter fare conjured up in his previous band.  These days Lynch is a bit hit or miss on his playing but he doesn’t constantly rely on old tricks as he’ll often seek out new players and projects to showcase different facets of his musical personality.  He’s not quite Furious George all the time but remains on the lookout for new tones.  And he still has quite the cool guitar collection 🙂

Choice cuts:  “Into The Fire”, “In My Dreams”, “Mr. Scary”, “Wicked Sensation”

21.  Angus Young

Years ago I had a discussion with a friend of mine about great guitarists and he was taken aback that I would think Angus Young was worthy of such admiration.  “It all sounds the same!” he said.  Well, not necessarily.  It depends on what you are listening to.  Sure, Malcolm is (or sadly, WAS) the stronger rhythm player and the backbone of the band but Ang certainly was no slouch.  What comes out of Angus Young’s hands and fingers is personality-  I truly think when he was younger that the guitar was just another appendage.  The music is in him and he has such a relentless yet playful style about him that just bleeds out of him, whether it be in his rhythm work or his strong lead work.  Sure, a lot of his influence is strictly in the Chuck Berry mold but his playing and attack is much more fearless.

Choice cuts:  “Whole Lotta Rosie”, “Let There Be Rock”, “The Jack”, “Back In Black”