notice: This list does not
egotistically refer to these gentlemen as "the world's best guitarists."
It is a list of those that I feel have taken the guitar in different directions
or provided a base upon which others might be able to progress in their
own right. My main drive is challenging the assumed role of the guitar
and the guitarist. As such, I have a great bias against blues and blues
guitar. It is a static style that has not grown much at all in the past
twenty years. This is something that many among you may find either puzzling
or even alarming in that it is blues rock heroes such as Jimi Hendrix,
Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and David Gilmour that are
idolized predominantly by most guitarists and fans. I'm not saying I don't
respect them or care for what they do (although there is some truth to
this matter,) only that I do not find much in their playing that I care
to be a part of or try to figure out.
Robert Fripp
Probably the most revered of the progressive
guitarists, Fripp has played a strong part in making guitarists see the
possibilities of their instruments. He has said numerous times that he
is not a rock guitarist, nor is he a jazz or fusion guitarist; rather,
he says, he sees room in all music for inspiration to the guitar player.
His primary role has been as the guitarist in the legendary and ever changing
King Crimson, although he has released solo albums and collaborations with
Brian Eno, Andy Summers (of the Police), and David Sylvian (of Japan).
His sessions have included David Bowie (albums Heroes, Scary Monsters),
Peter Gabriel (Peter Gabriels 1977, 1978, 1980), the Talking Heads (the
song I Zimbra), Van Der Graaf Generator (Pawn Hearts, H to He (Who Am the
Only One), Brian Eno (albums Here Come the Warm Jets, Another Green World,
Before and After Science, Nerve Net), and Daryl Hall (Sacred Songs).
Best known for searing solos that burn
and tear the egos of lesser guitarists to shreds, Fripp has the tendency
to be able to pull new tricks from his sleeve whenever he sees fit. He
abandoned electric guitar for a time to concentrate on the practice and
development of his technique with his New Standard Tuning (C G D A E
G) on the acoustic: this was developed fairly quickly before he began teaching
it at the Guitar Craft program at Claymont Court in Charlestown, West VA.
He continues to use this tuning exclusively today, both on acoustic and
electric guitars. Another Fripp original twist came from his earliest collaborations
with Eno. Frippertronics came about from Eno's developing tape loop principles
and were first displayed on (No Pussyfooting). They developed over the
years into his present form of use which has progressed into an all digital
format and a new name - Soundscapes. He still stages tours of these performances.
Another Frippian tendency is to "withdraw
from the marketplace to allow the future to present itself." He did
this is 1974 when he disbanded King Crimson for the first time and again
in 1984 when he disbanded the group the second time. Each time he has done
this, he has taken a slight vacation and then eventually gone into a furious
schedule of session work and career redefinition. This has allowed him
to experience a variety of roles in the music industry, ranging from producer
to journalist in addition to being a musician.
It is not only for Fripp's brilliant and
visionary playing that I respect him, but also for the fact that he refuses
to wear a single suit in his role and for his primarily anti-industry stand
on music matters. Any guitarist who does not at least listen to Fripp is
a fool to think that they have seen or heard it all.
fine examples: King Crimson - Red, Discipline,
Thrak; Bowie - Scary Monsters; Robert Fripp - Exposure
notable solos: King Crimson - A Sailor's Tale; Eno -Baby's on Fire
For years I denied the worth of the Smiths,
primarily for Morrissey's whining and drab voice. It took the persistence
and good will of the great Tim Michael to get me to listen to them. Although
I'd always liked How Soon is Now?, it took me nearly two years to listen
to an old tape containing the first two albums given to me by Tim. I put
it on while re-painting the walls one day. The first half of the album
was all right. I got more used to Morrissey's voice, but I saw that the
true key to it all was in the music. Then This Charming Man came on...
I was hooked. Incredible. Catchy. Fast. I couldn't believe the dexterity
going on within a pop song's structure! The rest of the afternoon was soaked
into my brain as I finished the Smiths and moved on to the sheer brilliance
of Meat is Murder. I realized that How Soon is Now? was not even close
to being their best song. The counterpoints between Andy Rourke's bass
and Mike Joyces's drums all brought out the best of Marr's guitar. I realized
how utterly talented this band was. I also got used to Morrissey's voice
and actually grew to like it.
Within the space of less than a year,
I am a Marr convert. He is second only to Fripp in my idea of the ideal
guitarist. In many ways he rivals Fripp in being able to combine art and
pop music. He refuses to be ruled by one style and incorporates folk, flamenco,
and classical styles into his brilliant playing. His use and execution
of chords is unique and far in advance of most of the trappings of guitarists
operating within the confines of pop and rock music. His sounds are predominantly
clean and sweet, the tones which do not mask the mistakes and quirks in
playing of most guitarists. Through this, you find how truly talented Marr
is by the revelation that despite his speed, he very rarely misses. His
playing is never stale and never dull. Like Fripp, he refuses to wear the
same suit and often changes roles.
Probably more important about Marr is
his writing ability. He has always listened to diverse selections of music
and has found influences in Motown, glam rock, California rock, and funk.
Throughout the life of the Smiths, Marr maintained a level of quality that
was never stagnant and continued to progress. Each album has a unique "sound"
to it, but not one that could be immediately pinned down, mainly thanks
to the composition and production skills of Johnny Marr.
After leaving the Smiths, he went on to
play sessions with the Talking Heads (album Naked), Bryan Ferry (album
Bete Noire), the Pretenders (song Windows of the World), and Kirsty MacColl
(albums Kite, Electric Landlady). He also joined the The for three albums
and formed Electronic with Bernard Sumner of New Order. He is extremely
adept in the studio and has adopted Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound"
approach to recording. Oftentimes he will lay down in excess of ten layers
of guitar, including repetition and harmonies, to expand and tailor the
sound. His manner of doing this is done so eloquently that you can only
really recognize one or two guitars in most cases: he is not providing
an assault (as done by Jimmy Page on the amazing Achille's Last Stand,)
but rather painting a canvas. fine examples: the Smiths - Meat is Murder, the Queen is Dead, Louder than Bombs
notable songs: the Smiths - This Charming
Man, the Headmaster Ritual, Some Girls are Bigger than Others, London
Though not as well versed as either Marr
or Fripp in studio technique, Ginn must be respected for other reasons.
Along with Chuck Dukowski (Black Flag's original bass player) he formed
SST, one of the oldest and best known indepent labels established to release
punk and hard core music. He also refused to rest on his laurels and formed
the punk jazz instrumental group Gone while heading up Black Flag. Black
Flag's final tour had both acts billed.
fine examples: Black Flag - the First
Four Years, Slip It In, the Process of Weeding Out; Gone - Let's Get Real,
Real Gone for a Change
notable songs: Black Flag - Slip It In,
Your Last Affront, Drinking and Driving
The guitarist behind the brilliance that
was Husker Du and Sugar, Mould has a unique style rooted within the deep
ethics of punk, but that spans folk and rock into a form that is perfectly
capable of pop. He seems equally comfortable spraying out uncompromising
and violent solos as he does sitting playing acoustic guitar and singing
about the injustices of relationships. Very under-recognized for his abilities,
Mould has shifted into solo recording after the break up of Sugar as he
did after Husker Du parted ways as a unit.
Mould should also be respected for his
decision to manage as well as perform in Sugar, as well as manage his own
solo career. Both his playing and sound have matured from the humble beginnings
of Hüsker Düu. He's also a wicked good lyricist and vocalist if that makes
any difference.
fine examples: Husker Du - New Day Rising,
Warehouse; Sugar - F.U.E.L.
notable songs: Husker Du - Real World,
Hardly Getting Over It; solo - Black Sheets of Rain
With the release of the first Tin Machine
album, Gabrels has become Bowie's sideman of choice for nearly a decade.
His playing ranges from complex Frippian lines to the brutal savagery of
punk to sheer noise. He is a combination of many of the guitarists that
had worked with Bowie, including characteristics of Robert Fripp, Adrian
Belew, Mick Ronson, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Gabrels is an experimentalist
and constantly finds new ways to draw forth new sounds from the guitar,
be it by vibrator, eletric drill, or trem bar abuse.
fine examples: Tin Machine - II; Bowie
- Outside
notable songs: Tin Machine - I Can't Read,
Baby Universal; Bowie, Hallo Spaceboy, the Hearts Filthy Lesson
Howe is best known for his work with Yes,
and it is in Yes that he has displayed most of his talent. Uneducated and
unable to read sheet music, Howe constantly shows his self learned abilities
and knowledge of music to a degree that renders most educated musicians
impotent. Both his solos and rhythmic playing are adept and fully able
to match the brilliance of whatever musicians he happens to work with.
He is amazing live and is constantly changing guitars even during the same
song to re-create the vast sounds for which Yes is known in the studio.
fine examples: Yes - Fragile, Tales from
Topographic Oceans, Yessongs
notable songs: the Clap, South Side of
the Sky
He is the member of Rush that everyone
seems to forget. He is also my favorite member of the capable group. His
playing ranges from near heavy metal to the delicacy of flamenco and classical
guitar. Over their 20+ year career, he has demonstrated his constant ability
to change and progress to encompass nearly every known style. Lifeson's
solos are some of the greatest out there and, like Fripp, he has the ability
to overshadow and change the direction of an entire song with just a solo.
Like Marr, he has a mastery of chords and a quick and complex playing style
that operate well within the boundaries of popular music.
fine examples: Rush - 2112, Hemispheres,
Moving Pictures
notable solos: Freewill, La Villa Strangiato
The LA metal sound was never so appealing
coming from anyone else. His style and playing was at its peak while working
with Eric Avery in Jane's Addiction, and even though he usually played
loud and laden with effects, he was fully capable of providing clear emotional
sound environments to take the song into a new realm. He deserves a great
deal of credit along with Avery and Stephen Perkins in his ability to provide
dynamics in a stagnant and complacent age of music.
fine examples: Jane's Addiction - Live,
Nothing's Shocking, Ritual de lo Habitual; Deconstruction
notable songs: Jane's Addiction - Summertime
Rolls, Three Days
Johnny Marr
Greg Ginn
By most standards upon first hearing,
Ginn would be considered nothing more than a chaotic and amateurish player
at best. But upon further listening and consideration, the true talent
of this noise merchant creeps out. His sound is raw and laden with distortion
while his playing is nothing short of furious; however, after attempting
the full lines from Slip It In, I Can See You, and Account for What?, the
true brilliance and ability of Ginn shows through. The punk ethic is definitely
solid within his playing (primarily major barre chords), but his single
note playing and solos are unique and sound very similar to Fripp at times
in their apparent chaos but underlying direction.
Bob Mould
Reeves Gabrels
Steve Howe
Alex Lifeson
Dave Navarro
