Brent Nyitray
Fairlington Blade
Let the mutherfuker burn!
jnc4p
Kevin S. Willis
Michigoose
lmsinca
markinaustin
Arcanaut
novahockey
quarterback
ScottC
yellojktSo this is a mostly non-political “Bits and Pieces” post…something that is not too controversial or taxing as I prepare for my Thanksgiving Day Drive to Pittsburgh. Below are several items that i came across today – some of which made me laugh and some of which made me just shake my head.
Item 1) You will need to wish me well on my travels to Pittsburgh as I will be riding the PA Turnpike. In good times it’s God’s gift to horrible roads…during high travel days it’s the stuff of legend…But I guess just to try something new, it has been blessed with a 40 mile coating of a Sticky Goo that disabled about 150 cars.
Item 2) A typo has led to the election of the wrong man to a finance board in Derby, Conn. James J. Butler was elected over his father, James R. Butler, who was the person actually runninng. The son would not comment on whether he wants the job. But he calls city officials incompetent for confusing him with his father. So did the father and son both vote for the son? Inquiring minds want to know…
Item 3) Just in time for the Christmas shopping season, Sharp has an 80 inch affordable HDTV, assuming that $5,500 is your idea of affordable. This, a Blu Ray and a big enough room means you never have to visit a movie theater again. I think the government should subsidize this – it would be like paying you to stay at home and save gas…
Item 4) I realize there are actually victims but I could not help but chuckle when I read the story about 7 Charged With Hate Crimes In Amish Hair Attacks. Several members of the group carried out the attacks in September and October by forcefully cutting the beards and hair of Amish men and women, authorities said. Cutting the hair is a highly offensive act to the Amish, who believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards and stop shaving once they marry. The perpetrators were a breakaway Amish group that was lead by one Sam Mullet..that’s right – Mullet. In any case, the Sheriff said “We’ve received hundreds and hundreds of calls from people living in fear,” he said. “They are buying Mace, some are sitting with shotguns, getting locks on their doors because of Sam Mullet.” Amish with Mace, shotguns and telephones…who da thunk it?
Item 5) And finally, Rolling Stone put forth their 100 greatest Guitarist of all time. Which has naturally sparked the debate on its merits. He bemoans the fact that Frank Zappa and Springsteen are not higher and that Clapton is too high. Although his argument for that is “We’ve never met anyone who picked up a guitar because they loved “I Shot the Sheriff.” No but there are people who have because of Layla… George Harrison comes in at 11 – that would make my overrated list. List is missing Nancy Wilson…
For the record, here are the top 10:
1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Eric Clapton
3. Jimmy Page
4. Keith Richards
5. Jeff Beck
6. B.B. King
7. Chuck Berry
8. Eddie Van Halen
9. Duane Allman
10. Pete Townshend
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All Things in Moderation 
Great first post Dave! I actually agree with the top 10 list for the most part except for maybe Eddie Van Halen, I've never cared for him too much and I probably would have put both Jeff Beck and BB King above Keith Richards.The Amish piece is comedy. I've always been fascinated by them but haven't ever actually met any of them. I have bought quilts and dolls from them though. My hair used to be really, really long and I probably would have carried around at least mace if not a shotgun if anyone threatened to cut it. Now I'm competing with Mika B. on Morning Joe to see who can go the shortest and the blondest, lol.Have a safe trip and stay away from the goo fergawdsake.Welcome to ATiM!
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If the list does not include Stevie Ray Vaughn in the top 10, it should be discarded.
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You're right McWing, how did I miss that? We listen to him on all our long drives, another great musician gone too soon.
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There is no bigger Springsteen fan than me but he isn't even the best guitarist in the E Street Band.I would rate Eddie Va Halen higher but I have no idea who I would push down the list to do so.
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Mr. McTroll, you beat me to it! And not enough women on that list (but don't have a suggestion since I'm on the fly here).Dave!, best wishes for your drive.HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
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Happy Thanksgiving, ATiM!Ridiculous Rolling Stone. They've gone the way of MTV, no salient cultural contribution in 30 years…living on their over-rated reputation and ability to write fast bs for slow (weed-soaked) minds.That said…by God, Mark Knopfler, who plays Clapton better than Clapton… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkUj0aGUBeo…and can run with Duane, Django, Segovia, and Chet Atkins!Okie, Bonnie Raitt (longtime Tao crush) plays bottle-slide like a roadhouse, whiskey-soaked acoustic blues/hero (which she was God Bless 'er). Saw her up close many times…soooo much fun!.
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Thanx, Dave!.Happy TG from Santa Fe, all.Lists like this are impossible without criteria, aren't they? I certainly agree with everyone's critiques.Saw Bonnie Raitt once live in a jam at Saxon Pub – and she is a terrific guitarist. Watched a completely improvised jam with Joe Walsh and big David Hidalgo at Stubbs and thought I was in heaven. Have seen Robert Cray live twice and he is hypnotic. SRV was, I think, Hendrix' match – although I saw SRV live 5 times and never saw Hendrix live. Virtuosity? Eric Johnson, Vince Gill, Knopfler, and the great Chet Atkins. Clapton, too. Jazz? Jim Hall, Charlie Byrd, George Benson. Inventive? Django Reinhardt, Junior Brown, Hendrix, and most certainly, Les Paul.Able to sustain a cohesive rocking solo that makes you want it to never end? SRV, Prince, Clapton, Hendrix, Santana, and many others.Pretty acoustic? Steven Stills. Fast fingers? Dick Dale, SRV, Eric Johnson, Junior Brown.In the late 80s or early 90s at SxSW I watched Eric Johnson do the intro to the music awards by playing five songs on five different guitars in five different styles. Flamenco, blues, electric blues, classical, and his own composition. For the electric blues he did a tribute great imitation of SRV on an SRV standard.George Harrison's most famous guitar piece -"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" – was played by Clapton on the Beatles recording, at George's request. Prince did a great job on the solo at the Harrison Memorial Tribute.And we have not touched on the blues giants, really, besides BB. I saw BB twice, I saw Lightning Hopkins, I saw Gatemouth Brown, I saw Albert Collins.Gatemouth played all over Austin a lot. He could do Nashville picking, or blues,or jazz, and he was an incredible fiddler, as well.Tao, if you have not, you should check out Knopfler in his Celtic/American roots inspired band, "The Notting Hillbillies".It is easier to point out the folks who are not legit guitarists than to list the hundreds who are really good in some rank order. Prince or Vince Gill? Lindsay Buckingham or Don Felder? Unless you hear "Pipeline" played by Dale, then SRV, then Junior Brown, how do you compare? Can you compare "Concierto Aranjuez" played by the Romeros or by John Williams with the jazz version played by Jim Hall?So with my mini-celebration of the guitar, I refuse the ranking game. BTW, I know that Keith Richards CAN play well, but how often does he ever rise to it? In the documentary of Chuck Berry's 60th birthday he produced he plays better than I ever saw him do on a Stones video. Ronnie seems to carry the guitar work for the band since the 80s.
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Mark, when I saw the Stones in concert, Richards was on. "Tell me pretty mama" was the song which introduced me to Lightnin Hopkins…to this day one of my faves. Would have loved to seen him. I have liked Vince Gill for years but never really paid attention to his guitar playing…until a couple months ago I caught him on a Blues Fest with Clapton – I would put him up in the top 100. The other guy missing from the 100 is George Thorogood who is better live than on CD. Somewhere I have a cassette (that I need to digitize) of a bootlegged live Bonnie Raitt concert where she plays "Don't Advertise your man"…better than the official live version.Hope everyone's Tday was good. No goo to report of…
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Cobain made it cool to suck as a guitarist. And he is on the list? Please. That is like putting Bob Ross on a list of the top painters of all time.Johnny Ramone at #28? oooookaaaay..
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Hey Dave!I just noted that you joined. I hope your travels went well. Eddie is the only one of the Top 10 whom I've heard live. I"m glad to see he's on the list. He took Sammy's tunes (when it was briefly Van Hagar) to another level. I'd put Randy Rhodes on the list, but he died far far too soon. BB
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I forgot to mention that when I saw Ike and Tina in the 60s Ike was a really good lead guitarist.Joe Ely, the Winters brothers,Billy Gibbons, Van Wilks, Jimmy Lee Vaughan, the Sexton brothers, Doyle Bramhall 2d [whose daddy just died in Austin],Delbert McClinton – geez – these are all Texas guitarists who have played Austin a lot and who I have watched and listened to over the years. They are all GOOD.
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And where is Ry Cooder?
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I haven't seen the Rolling Stone list but have seen lots of these lists over the years. It is a silly idea at some level. I mean, you can't really rationally argue wither Clapton or Page is "greater." Clearly there also are some different criteria that put guys where they are. Chuck Berry isn't there for all the same reasons as Page, for example, nor are Keith Richards or Townsend.But it's silly for anyone to complain that Clapton is too high. He didn't just play some of the most important guitar but produced some of the most iconic guitar sounds. His work is monumentally influential.Duane Allman is too high on that list imo. No way he belongs in the top 10. (I'm sure his fans would shudder.)George Harrison tends to be underrated except among guitarists who come to appreciate his playing when they realize how distinctive and true it is. Not the greatest technician ever, but he played beautifully.
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quarterback, have to disagree with you. Harrison got better and by the time he got to Something, he was decent. The early stuff, at least for this guitarist, is sometimes painful. FWIW I love the Beatles…but Harrison was arguably the third best guitarist in the group.
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Dave!!!!:Arguably that could be true about third best, but then L & M were both geniuses. Lennon, for example, did come up with the greatest riff in history (Daytripper). And maybe there is some sentimentalism that works in George's favor. But I don't think any of his stuff was painful, and it was less the technical ability than the melodic and harmonic sense he had. Also, I would put his, say, simple (sounding) slide solo on Badfinger's Day after Day up against anything for flawless execution. I probably would not put George at 11, but he clearly was an important and influential guitarist. He is often cited by other guitarists for his melodic influence on them.
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