No argument from me. Petrucci is unbelievable. "Pull Me Under" is what first grabbed my attention. Jaw-dropping musicianship.
Yes, "Still Got the Blues" is such a fabulous song (not to mention a fabulous album). In fact, it is one of the very few songs that literally stopped me dead in my tracks the first time I heard it (on a car radio; I actually pulled over to listen). I had read about this guy Gary Moore, had never heard him, and to this day I have NO idea how I knew that was him. They didn't even say until after the song was over........really weird, but absolutely true.
I play that song pretty well, if I do say so......:)......but it took a few dozen times to get it down. That is THE song I point people to when I turn them on to Gary's work; from there, they're hooked. His prior work? He even sort of puts a lot of it down now, but truth is, NO one could do a power ballad like Gary Moore (I offer up "The Loner" as proof).
Have never seen Yngwie perform in person, and despite my jabs at him, I truly admire his mastery of the instrument.
For a real hoot..........have you heard The Great Cat?? She's a loon; classically trained, virtuoso violinist who took up shred guitar. Built like a Playboy bunny, dresses in uber-dominatrix garb, spits blood, swears like a sailor........and can out-shred any two men. Just unbelievable. She spends months transcribing classical pieces (not interpretations; literal transcriptions) to guitar, learns them, and plays them with a heavy metal band and orchestra.
Really something to hear. Not as "pretty" as Trans Siberian Orchestra, to be sure........but amazing talent.
Haven't heard The Great Kat, but I think she's hillarious anyway, based on her interviews in GW, GP, and GFPM. I first read her rantings many years ago during the heyday of shred. She wants to chop off pee-pees and stuff one moment, but a second later can't help but throw out some fragment of analysis that proves she is a trained violinist/instructor who is ACTING. It's just great, and it's a shame fun people like that get over-looked in favor of the 7,000th reincarnation of Pearl Jam .