- 5,622
- eMadman
First of all, I'd like to thank all of you folks at GTP for introducing me to rock. A year ago, when I joined, I wouldn't have dreamt of listening to metal or rock and now rock is pretty much all I listen to đź‘Ť.
(edit: holy farkin crap, I didn't realize how long it came out to in the end - i hope i didn't ramble on too much)
I still think rap, trance, and jazz are cool but there's something about a great guitar solo that's really moving. The guitar is able to put portray (is that the right word?) sounds and emotions that no hip hop beats or trance songs will ever match. Hell, very few the great jazz musicians have been able to do with their style of music that guitarists have been able to do.
The guitar, in the right hands, can be used to create sounds and music to portray just about every human emotion. It's just amazing what these people can do with their instruments.
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Let's start with the one we all know about. Jimi Hendrix.
What can I say? The guy was legendary. His music was amazing for it's time but I don't really see how people can still call him the greatest ever. No doubt, influenced much of todays music and also created new styles and techniques but he didn't do much that was truly spectacular but he did have a lot of good music nonetheless. It's sad that he died as early as he did. He had a lot of potential to become even better. Even though it's long, I strongly reccomend that you people listen to him playing the Star Spangled Banner at some live venue (unfortunately, I don't know where or when it was done). It's easily the best display of his skill that I've heard. I don't really have favourites of his but if I had to pick, it would probably be Voodoo Chile
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Carlos Santana's Europa for example is just soft and slow. Enough so that in the right circumstances, it can bring a tear to your eye or make you the happiest guy alive (that is, if there's someone you care about in the same room). Well, actually, the first 4 or 5 minutes are soft and slow and then the song gets really fast and sounds...happy (is that possible?). I guess there was a good reason the secondary name to the song is Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile. Try to analyze this song further and you realize that not only is Santana showing great emotion by making the guitar sing and cry the way he does but just listen to it. The skill and technique - the fact that every note rings clear (even in live versions of the song) and he never misses a beat through the entire 7 minutes of the song is just incredible. Despite his age, he still doesn't miss a beat and his music is still just as good whether you are listening to his 1970 album Abraxas or his latest one Shaman. Truly one of the best guitarists around.
Favourite songs include:
Europa because of the reasons I mentioned
Victory is One - Simply put, it's just a beautiful song
"Novus" and "Put Your Lights On" are also just incredible
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As most of you probably know, my favourite guitarist of all time is Joe Satriani. He's one of the fastest guitarists around but he's not sloppy with it like many others out there. Again, every note rings bright and clear no matter how fast he is. He sounds as good in his live albums as he does in his studio recordings. The man doesn't just play guitar. To top this, he hasn't even reached his full potential. He only started off in the 1980's and every album since then has improved upon the last. Just listen and you'll see how much better this guy has gotten in a mere 20 or so years (1st album in 1986 but he was playing for a lot longer). Not only that but satriani was also responsible for teaching Steve Vai, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Counting Crows' David Bryson and jazz artist Charlie Hunter. In addition to this, Satriani is also responsible for starting the G3 concerts. For those of you that don't know G3, it's a yearly (I think) tour with Satriani, Steve Vai, and one other absurdly good guitarist. There have been several people playing the third guitarist but they've all been flipping amazing. It's usually 45 minutes to an hour of each of the three playing individually with their own bands followed by 45 minutes to an hour in the end where the three get together and do improv and just try and recreate classic songs together
I have no favourite songs when it comes to Satriani...but if I have to make a choice, it would be Crystal Planet because it's just an amazing song all around. It shows raw emotion and incredible skill
"Mind Storm" because it's the best display of his talent and speed and potential yet. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the same emotion as Crystal planet
"Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing" is a close third because I just really like the song for some odd reason
"chords of life" because it's the only song I've heard that has managed to catch me off guard and bring a tear to my eye.
Souls of Distortion because it's even more powerful than Chords of Life
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There are SEVERAL other guitarists I like but Satriani and Santana are my two all time favourite musicians...I also don't know too much about the histories of all the other great ones I listen to since I only started obsessing over rock a few months ago.
Van Halen - no particular picks - I really like Baluchitherien though. His role in Michael Jackson's Thriller was also amazing
Kirk Hammet - What can I say? I love Metallica. Favourite songs: Enter Sandman (just an awesome song). Master of Puppets is also an amazing song
Tom Morello (From Rage Against The Machine) (thanks Race Idiot) - Really talented guitarist, always experimenting with different techniques and always makes great music. Favourite song would be Killing In The Name Of
Michael Romeo (from Symphony X) - He's fast, has amazing technique and rarely skips a beat. To top that, he manages to blend his guitar work perfectly with the classical music scores that Symphony X is so famous for using in their music. He sounds like a part of the orchestra in the background. The final effect is amazing. Add in that many of Symphony X's songs go anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 minutes and well.... it's just more to enjoy (:
Steve Vai - I have only a little bit of his music in my playlist at the moment but he's also really really really good. He's no Satriani but still has great music
Yngwie Malmsteen - Kickass guitarist, and one of the fastest out of the 80's (at least as far as I know). He also heavily influenced Michael Romeo from Symphony X and I'm not positive but I think Malmsteen had a major influence on a lot of today's power metal and prog metal (think Dream Theater, Stratovarius, Symphony X). Favourite song: Blitzkreig (sp?)
Damn...I have a lot more I'd like to mention but I just haven't heard enough of their music yet to be able to give a real opinion on them.
Props to all the great ones out there đź‘Ť
Who are your favourites and why? Any comments you'd like to make about guitar instrumentals in general?
(edit: holy farkin crap, I didn't realize how long it came out to in the end - i hope i didn't ramble on too much)
I still think rap, trance, and jazz are cool but there's something about a great guitar solo that's really moving. The guitar is able to put portray (is that the right word?) sounds and emotions that no hip hop beats or trance songs will ever match. Hell, very few the great jazz musicians have been able to do with their style of music that guitarists have been able to do.
The guitar, in the right hands, can be used to create sounds and music to portray just about every human emotion. It's just amazing what these people can do with their instruments.
_________________________________________________
Let's start with the one we all know about. Jimi Hendrix.
What can I say? The guy was legendary. His music was amazing for it's time but I don't really see how people can still call him the greatest ever. No doubt, influenced much of todays music and also created new styles and techniques but he didn't do much that was truly spectacular but he did have a lot of good music nonetheless. It's sad that he died as early as he did. He had a lot of potential to become even better. Even though it's long, I strongly reccomend that you people listen to him playing the Star Spangled Banner at some live venue (unfortunately, I don't know where or when it was done). It's easily the best display of his skill that I've heard. I don't really have favourites of his but if I had to pick, it would probably be Voodoo Chile
_________________________________________________
Carlos Santana's Europa for example is just soft and slow. Enough so that in the right circumstances, it can bring a tear to your eye or make you the happiest guy alive (that is, if there's someone you care about in the same room). Well, actually, the first 4 or 5 minutes are soft and slow and then the song gets really fast and sounds...happy (is that possible?). I guess there was a good reason the secondary name to the song is Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile. Try to analyze this song further and you realize that not only is Santana showing great emotion by making the guitar sing and cry the way he does but just listen to it. The skill and technique - the fact that every note rings clear (even in live versions of the song) and he never misses a beat through the entire 7 minutes of the song is just incredible. Despite his age, he still doesn't miss a beat and his music is still just as good whether you are listening to his 1970 album Abraxas or his latest one Shaman. Truly one of the best guitarists around.
Favourite songs include:
Europa because of the reasons I mentioned
Victory is One - Simply put, it's just a beautiful song
"Novus" and "Put Your Lights On" are also just incredible
_________________________________________________
As most of you probably know, my favourite guitarist of all time is Joe Satriani. He's one of the fastest guitarists around but he's not sloppy with it like many others out there. Again, every note rings bright and clear no matter how fast he is. He sounds as good in his live albums as he does in his studio recordings. The man doesn't just play guitar. To top this, he hasn't even reached his full potential. He only started off in the 1980's and every album since then has improved upon the last. Just listen and you'll see how much better this guy has gotten in a mere 20 or so years (1st album in 1986 but he was playing for a lot longer). Not only that but satriani was also responsible for teaching Steve Vai, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Counting Crows' David Bryson and jazz artist Charlie Hunter. In addition to this, Satriani is also responsible for starting the G3 concerts. For those of you that don't know G3, it's a yearly (I think) tour with Satriani, Steve Vai, and one other absurdly good guitarist. There have been several people playing the third guitarist but they've all been flipping amazing. It's usually 45 minutes to an hour of each of the three playing individually with their own bands followed by 45 minutes to an hour in the end where the three get together and do improv and just try and recreate classic songs together
I have no favourite songs when it comes to Satriani...but if I have to make a choice, it would be Crystal Planet because it's just an amazing song all around. It shows raw emotion and incredible skill
"Mind Storm" because it's the best display of his talent and speed and potential yet. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the same emotion as Crystal planet
"Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing" is a close third because I just really like the song for some odd reason
"chords of life" because it's the only song I've heard that has managed to catch me off guard and bring a tear to my eye.
Souls of Distortion because it's even more powerful than Chords of Life
_________________________________________________
There are SEVERAL other guitarists I like but Satriani and Santana are my two all time favourite musicians...I also don't know too much about the histories of all the other great ones I listen to since I only started obsessing over rock a few months ago.
Van Halen - no particular picks - I really like Baluchitherien though. His role in Michael Jackson's Thriller was also amazing
Kirk Hammet - What can I say? I love Metallica. Favourite songs: Enter Sandman (just an awesome song). Master of Puppets is also an amazing song
Tom Morello (From Rage Against The Machine) (thanks Race Idiot) - Really talented guitarist, always experimenting with different techniques and always makes great music. Favourite song would be Killing In The Name Of
Michael Romeo (from Symphony X) - He's fast, has amazing technique and rarely skips a beat. To top that, he manages to blend his guitar work perfectly with the classical music scores that Symphony X is so famous for using in their music. He sounds like a part of the orchestra in the background. The final effect is amazing. Add in that many of Symphony X's songs go anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 minutes and well.... it's just more to enjoy (:
Steve Vai - I have only a little bit of his music in my playlist at the moment but he's also really really really good. He's no Satriani but still has great music
Yngwie Malmsteen - Kickass guitarist, and one of the fastest out of the 80's (at least as far as I know). He also heavily influenced Michael Romeo from Symphony X and I'm not positive but I think Malmsteen had a major influence on a lot of today's power metal and prog metal (think Dream Theater, Stratovarius, Symphony X). Favourite song: Blitzkreig (sp?)
Damn...I have a lot more I'd like to mention but I just haven't heard enough of their music yet to be able to give a real opinion on them.
Props to all the great ones out there đź‘Ť
Who are your favourites and why? Any comments you'd like to make about guitar instrumentals in general?
thanks
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