It's about the most influential rather than the best - Robert Johnson influenced the style of slow hand so I can understand why he's not on the list. If it was the 'best' rather than the most influential then I would fight to my last breath to include Clapton.
It's a Joke. No Eric Clapton. Game changer. Name a rock guitarist before him. Rock and roll does not count.
bear in mind that the article is from an American magazine .. and as for Eric C, listen to the B B King recordings of the 60s to see where a LOT of his influence came from
It's about the most influential rather than the best - Robert Johnson influenced the style of slow hand so I can understand why he's not on the list. If it was the 'best' rather than the most influential then I would fight to my last breath to include Clapton.
I wouldn't.
I think the list is pretty much spot on.
Johnson is clearly the most influential as he inspired all the others.
Chuck Berry invented Rock and Roll Guitar and again is heard in every subsequent guitarist even if he's not the most flashy or technically brilliant. Why would you want that anyone.
Not a fan of Page but he did influence a lot of others even if it was to produce sub-zepp rubbish metal.
If you're talking influential then you probably have to agree Robert Johnson. Is there an argument that Hank Marvin was more influential than Duane Allman in the UK, though obviously with nothing like the proficiency and invention? I'd like them to have excluded session man and arch plagiarist Page, but that's because I just don't like him
good comment though it appears to be flippant lol .. a LOT of English (not American of course) players quote Bert as a major influence, including both the aforementioned Page and Marvin .. Bert was THE UK geetar man in the 50s and early 60s, technically brilliant I am told by those who know these things
good comment though it appears to be flippant lol .. a LOT of English (not American of course) players quote Bert as a major influence, including both the aforementioned Page and Marvin .. Bert was THE UK geetar man in the 50s and early 60s, technically brilliant I am told by those who know these things
On the Radio 1 breakfast show in the 1980s , Mike Read learned to play guitar using a Bert Weedon book. You can't get more influential than that
I am in way doubting Eric's influences. Just o cant think of any before that combined it into actual rock music. I don't mean rock and roll. Actual rock. Beck and Hendrix both site him as him as a huge influence.
But in the early 1960s, a reissue compilation LP of Johnson's music could not have been better timed. Called King of the Delta Blues, with 16 of Johnson's total opus of 41 recorded songs, it became a gateway to the genre for British guitar players, including Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.
"When you think you're getting a handle on playing the blues, you hear Robert Johnson and then think, 'Whoa, there's a long way to go yet'," said Richards in the 1990 documentary The Search For Robert Johnson. Clapton described him as "the greatest folk blues player of all time … the greatest singer, the greatest writer".
"You can't hear a blues tune or a rock tune that don't have some of Robert's chords in it," added another of Johnson's musical associates in the documentary, the late Johnny Shines, "because he made them all."
Crap List. I play quite a few gigs and jams etc. We see many many players at the jams. The 3 most imitated players are Clapton, Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I wouldn't even include Robert Johnson on that list, most players have never heard of Robert Johnson until they dig really deep into blues. If you think of Crossroads Blues written by Johnson, no one plays it like that, Clapton popped the riff in the song in the late '60's and everyone copies that version, so that tells you all you need to know. As for Jimmy page and Allman, please, do me a favour, I know a lot of players and not one has ever cited Page or Allman as influences/reasons to pick up the guitar.
Crap List. I play quite a few gigs and jams etc. We see many many players at the jams. The 3 most imitated players are Clapton, Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I wouldn't even include Robert Johnson on that list, most players have never heard of Robert Johnson until they dig really deep into blues. If you think of Crossroads Blues written by Johnson, no one plays it like that, Clapton popped the riff in the song in the late '60's and everyone copies that version, so that tells you all you need to know. As for Jimmy page and Allman, please, do me a favour, I know a lot of players and not one has ever cited Page or Allman as influences/reasons to pick up the guitar.
good comment though it appears to be flippant lol .. a LOT of English (not American of course) players quote Bert as a major influence, including both the aforementioned Page and Marvin .. Bert was THE UK geetar man in the 50s and early 60s, technically brilliant I am told by those who know these things
I suppose I was being a little flippant, probably because I find lists of the greatest this or that can often be a bit of an ego trip for whoever compiled them.
"Hey Jude" by Wilson Picket a "classic recording", it was awful!
Getting back to Bert, lived locally in St Mary Cray, I believe, for many years, and raised countless thousands of pounds for children's charities during his life.
His manual "Play In a Day" influenced generations of budding guitar players including Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison who have all spoken of it in various interviews over the years.
Now where did I put my copy Of Guitar Boogie Shuffle?
Robert Johnson is insane. He plays something like 4 guitar parts at once. Considering there was no easily acquireble way of learning the guitar back then except either being taught or have a freakish ability to hear a sound and be able to do it all again by memory.
It's a Joke. No Eric Clapton. Game changer. Name a rock guitarist before him. Rock and roll does not count.
Well it just says "influential guitarist" the word "rock" is absent.
Anyway, as far as electric is concerned, I guess George Barnes a jazz musician who is the first credited with using an electric guitar on record in 1938 must be up there somewhere in terms of influence. Because he was the trend-setter!
Were are we now on the Johnson recording speed controversy?
Les Paul who actually pretty much gave us the solid body guitar? That's pretty influential!
Son House? (Pre Johnson)
John Lee Hooker? So many have done covers of his songs.
I'd personally add Zappa mainly because of his influence on the likes of Steve Vai although I appreciate that many would disagree!
Then there's John McLaughlin who Jeff Beck described as the best guitarist alive.
Crap List. I play quite a few gigs and jams etc. We see many many players at the jams. The 3 most imitated players are Clapton, Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I wouldn't even include Robert Johnson on that list, most players have never heard of Robert Johnson until they dig really deep into blues. If you think of Crossroads Blues written by Johnson, no one plays it like that, Clapton popped the riff in the song in the late '60's and everyone copies that version, so that tells you all you need to know. As for Jimmy page and Allman, please, do me a favour, I know a lot of players and not one has ever cited Page or Allman as influences/reasons to pick up the guitar.
Not the best. People who changed the game.
I don't get your point? Influences are what we are talking about, and the ones ive listed are the biggest influences among the dozens of guitar players I know. I don't know of one guitar player who was influenced to pick the guitar up by Robert Johnson, he gets discovered as a players standard increases. Fwiw I don't think I would list Hendrix in the Top 3 best guitar players.
Robert Johnson is insane. He plays something like 4 guitar parts at once. Considering there was no easily acquireble way of learning the guitar back then except either being taught or have a freakish ability to hear a sound and be able to do it all again by memory.
Comments
I think the list is pretty much spot on.
Johnson is clearly the most influential as he inspired all the others.
Chuck Berry invented Rock and Roll Guitar and again is heard in every subsequent guitarist even if he's not the most flashy or technically brilliant. Why would you want that anyone.
Not a fan of Page but he did influence a lot of others even if it was to produce sub-zepp rubbish metal.
Not sure about Allman
Duane Eddy maybe
Hank Marvin could have got in there.
Is there an argument that Hank Marvin was more influential than Duane Allman in the UK, though obviously with nothing like the proficiency and invention?
I'd like them to have excluded session man and arch plagiarist Page, but that's because I just don't like him
"When you think you're getting a handle on playing the blues, you hear Robert Johnson and then think, 'Whoa, there's a long way to go yet'," said Richards in the 1990 documentary The Search For Robert Johnson. Clapton described him as "the greatest folk blues player of all time … the greatest singer, the greatest writer".
"You can't hear a blues tune or a rock tune that don't have some of Robert's chords in it," added another of Johnson's musical associates in the documentary, the late Johnny Shines, "because he made them all."
Full article here: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/may/08/robert-johnson-honeyboy-edwards-blues
I play quite a few gigs and jams etc. We see many many players at the jams.
The 3 most imitated players are Clapton, Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
I wouldn't even include Robert Johnson on that list, most players have never heard of Robert Johnson until they dig really deep into blues. If you think of Crossroads Blues written by Johnson, no one plays it like that, Clapton popped the riff in the song in the late '60's and everyone copies that version, so that tells you all you need to know.
As for Jimmy page and Allman, please, do me a favour, I know a lot of players and not one has ever cited Page or Allman as influences/reasons to pick up the guitar.
Who else could have got the Wombles playing like that?
No one. That's who.
"Hey Jude" by Wilson Picket a "classic recording", it was awful!
Getting back to Bert, lived locally in St Mary Cray, I believe, for many years, and raised countless thousands of pounds for children's charities during his life.
His manual "Play In a Day" influenced generations of budding guitar players including Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison who have all spoken of it in various interviews over the years.
Now where did I put my copy Of Guitar Boogie Shuffle?
Anyway, as far as electric is concerned, I guess George Barnes a jazz musician who is the first credited with using an electric guitar on record in 1938 must be up there somewhere in terms of influence. Because he was the trend-setter!
Were are we now on the Johnson recording speed controversy?
Les Paul who actually pretty much gave us the solid body guitar? That's pretty influential!
Son House? (Pre Johnson)
John Lee Hooker? So many have done covers of his songs.
I'd personally add Zappa mainly because of his influence on the likes of Steve Vai although I appreciate that many would disagree!
Then there's John McLaughlin who Jeff Beck described as the best guitarist alive.
Influences are what we are talking about, and the ones ive listed are the biggest influences among the dozens of guitar players I know.
I don't know of one guitar player who was influenced to pick the guitar up by Robert Johnson, he gets discovered as a players standard increases.
Fwiw I don't think I would list Hendrix in the Top 3 best guitar players.
Wilko Johnson
Probably says more about my taste in music.
Influenced a hell of a lot of people's guitar playing