Posted on 09/29/2016 6:17:49 PM PDT by Mariner
The 20th century could easily be considered the golden age of guitar in popular music. You can hear it in the inventive blues and jazz guitar work that seemed to reinvent the instrument every decade if not every year or so, and you can especially hear it in the invention of the guitar-centric rock genre that became a cultural behemoth in the second half of the century. Popular music today often eschews the guitar in favor of studio-based arrangements, but the guitar players who made the greatest impact in the 1900s continue to influence popular music today. To celebrate their contributions to music and music history, we’re counting off five of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century, in chronological order.
1. Robert Johnson
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Saw him at the LA Music Center in the early 1970s, absolutely solo: One guitar, one chair, no drums, no bass, no accompaniment, no vocals, no dancers, no light-show, no pot, no electricity (other than the pickup mic and the house lighting). Enrapturing and spellbinding—the gold standard, the “father of classical guitar.”
>>Where the hell is Robin Trower?
Playing at the Waterfront in Norwich, UK tonight.
;-P
Heavily weighted toward rock ‘n’ rollers.
Can’t believe that Les Paul isn’t up there.
I agree about Garcia. Interesting anecdote: He did the pedal steel guitar on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Teach Your Children”, even though he didn’t know how to play the instrument. He told Lon Goddard of the British music newspaper Record Mirror in an interview, that he recorded a series of pieces on the steel guitar and spliced them together in the studio to create the backing and solo.
I thought the exact same thing. How can you put Page on here and not Les Paul. I play and my son is a jazz guitar major. All these young kids at one point or another start talking about wanting to find a good classic Les Paul.
The only way I would put Page on that list is for bad influence. Every new guitar play within the first couple of months want to play Stairway to Heaven. I hate that song above all other songs. I will listen to Jay Z before stairway. Someone started playing it last night setting up for church and I immediately cut their channel. My son just started laughing.
To each his own.
I was influenced heavily by each one. Eddie for his tone and fretboard tapping. Rhoads and Yngwie for their classical style.
That was somewhat my objection to Robert Johnson being on the list.
Sounds like you have never really listened to Hendrix.
If you could ask those 20 guitarists that you think are better I bet they would all tell you that you were wrong.
I remember reading that in the late 70's and never forgot it. Can't believe someone else remembers it, too. Was that quote from the liner notes of his album, or did I read that in an article somewhere?
Crossroads. As done by Clapton. One of my desert island songs.
Les Paul - it only takes hearing one or two notes to know it is his fingers at work.
Ha ha! Even better - didn’t we just listen to this School Days song? Now it’s called No Particular Place to Go.
I really love Robin. He is one of the most underappreciated virtuoso guitarists there is.
I saw him play in Dallas last year and got him to autograph my original 1974 copy of Bridge of Sighs. Great show, great night.
Nice! I’ve seen him 3-4 times over the years. Always worthwhile.
LOL! :)
Prince hasn’t been dead long enough yet. ;)
Anyway, my theory is that Clapton murdered Duane, Jimi, Roy Buchanan, SRV,..... Every player that came within his sphere met with a terrible accident. Some weren't fatal. Like Becks car accident (which, incidentally produced the finest all-time angry rock guitar album, "Rough and Ready"). Peter Green barely survived a massive toxic drug OD. Beck and Green weren't supposed to survive. Clapton has no soul. Not to mention he stole Georges wife.
Honorable mention for most under rated: Robby Krieger
IMHO the most criminally underrated guitarist is Ian Bairnson of The Alan Parsons Project.
Notes on the back of the album. Could dig it out from my doemant LP collection if I were not so lazy. Really would like to find a spot for my turntable.
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