There's a lotta ways to break this down. Let's start with greatest lead rock guitarists:
Dead Hendrix EVH Chuck Berry Duane Allman Randy Rhodes Mick Ronson Peter Green Jerry Garcia
Living
Clapton Jeff Beck Jimmy Page David Gilmour Carlos Santana Brian May Tommy Iommi Mark Knopfler Angus Young Alex Lifeson Joe Walsh Billy Gibbons Ry Cooder Kirk Hammett
The living list seems stronger to my eye.
Just looking at this again and I noted that the majority of the living list is probably not long for this world. That's pretty revealing about the direction of R&R frontmen.
As far as guitarists go, there seems to be plenty of yutes out there who are technically capable. Not many capable of writing and performing good music though.
There's a lotta ways to break this down. Let's start with greatest lead rock guitarists:
Dead Hendrix EVH Chuck Berry Duane Allman Randy Rhodes Mick Ronson Peter Green Jerry Garcia
Living
Clapton Jeff Beck Jimmy Page David Gilmour Carlos Santana Brian May Tommy Iommi Mark Knopfler Angus Young Alex Lifeson Joe Walsh Billy Gibbons Ry Cooder Kirk Hammett
The living list seems stronger to my eye.
Just looking at this again and I noted that the majority of the living list is probably not long for this world. That's pretty revealing about the direction of R&R frontmen.
As far as guitarists go, there seems to be plenty of yutes out there who are technically capable. Not many capable of writing and performing good music though.
I don't really blame the Yutes @chuck in this respect. I'm sure there's thousands and thousands of young guitar players out there who are more technically gifted than, say, a Hendrix. Hell, even I can fax my way through the intro to Hey Joe on my American Strat (way nicer guitar than my ability level merits).
But when it comes to creating new art, it's better to be first than most technically gifted. There just aren't many new ideas left to try in Rock. In the mid 60s it was still most uncharted territory.
The Living- e.g., Dylan, McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Page/Plant, Young, Fogerty, Simon, Townshend, Angus, et al
In 76 at the Dome, the sound was horrendous. I was in high skewl, and didn't care. He was a Beatle. Saw him at Key in the mid-oughts, the sound was good (where we were, anyway), he was good, and he was a Beatle.
Most, if not all of these guys (and gals) got royally ripped off by management / record companies during their peak years. Now that streaming / services has rendered vinyl (sorry, @Yella!) and other forms of purchasing recordings irrelevant as a massive payday, they can play to their fans, old and new, no record deals / new albums every 6 months (the old days), and rake the cake.
I think it was a Charlie Watts interview when he was asked why the Stones didn't retire (this may have been 20+ years ago). IIRC, he said, roughly "What else am I going to do?"...The big guys continue to write and record new music, but nobody buys it, and nobody wants to hear it live...they want the hits, and nothing but the hits, and are willing to pay a shitload of money to hear them. If you have hits, you have a paying audience.
They are musicians and entertainers, and that is what they do. I don't begrudge them for doing it, but it's my choice to spend the money, or not...
My question is will the young bucks of today be touring in their 50s? 60s?
In 76 at the Dome, the sound was horrendous. I was in high skewl, and didn't care. He was a Beatle. Saw him at Key in the mid-oughts, the sound was good (where we were, anyway), he was good, and he was a Beatle.
Most, if not all of these guys (and gals) got royally ripped off by management / record companies during their peak years. Now that streaming / services has rendered vinyl (sorry, @Yella!) and other forms of purchasing recordings irrelevant as a massive payday, they can play to their fans, old and new, no record deals / new albums every 6 months (the old days), and rake the cake.
I think it was a Charlie Watts interview when he was asked why the Stones didn't retire (this may have been 20+ years ago). IIRC, he said, roughly "What else am I going to do?"...The big guys continue to write and record new music, but nobody buys it, and nobody wants to hear it live...they want the hits, and nothing but the hits, and are willing to pay a shitload of money to hear them. If you have hits, you have a paying audience.
They are musicians and entertainers, and that is what they do. I don't begrudge them for doing it, but it's my choice to spend the money, or not...
My question is will the young bucks of today be touring in their 50s? 60s?
In 76 at the Dome, the sound was horrendous. I was in high skewl, and didn't care. He was a Beatle. Saw him at Key in the mid-oughts, the sound was good (where we were, anyway), he was good, and he was a Beatle.
Most, if not all of these guys (and gals) got royally ripped off by management / record companies during their peak years. Now that streaming / services has rendered vinyl (sorry, @Yella!) and other forms of purchasing recordings irrelevant as a massive payday, they can play to their fans, old and new, no record deals / new albums every 6 months (the old days), and rake the cake.
I think it was a Charlie Watts interview when he was asked why the Stones didn't retire (this may have been 20+ years ago). IIRC, he said, roughly "What else am I going to do?"...The big guys continue to write and record new music, but nobody buys it, and nobody wants to hear it live...they want the hits, and nothing but the hits, and are willing to pay a shitload of money to hear them. If you have hits, you have a paying audience.
They are musicians and entertainers, and that is what they do. I don't begrudge them for doing it, but it's my choice to spend the money, or not...
My question is will the young bucks of today be touring in their 50s? 60s?
In 76 at the Dome, the sound was horrendous. I was in high skewl, and didn't care. He was a Beatle. Saw him at Key in the mid-oughts, the sound was good (where we were, anyway), he was good, and he was a Beatle.
Most, if not all of these guys (and gals) got royally ripped off by management / record companies during their peak years. Now that streaming / services has rendered vinyl (sorry, @Yella!) and other forms of purchasing recordings irrelevant as a massive payday, they can play to their fans, old and new, no record deals / new albums every 6 months (the old days), and rake the cake.
I think it was a Charlie Watts interview when he was asked why the Stones didn't retire (this may have been 20+ years ago). IIRC, he said, roughly "What else am I going to do?"...The big guys continue to write and record new music, but nobody buys it, and nobody wants to hear it live...they want the hits, and nothing but the hits, and are willing to pay a shitload of money to hear them. If you have hits, you have a paying audience.
They are musicians and entertainers, and that is what they do. I don't begrudge them for doing it, but it's my choice to spend the money, or not...
My question is will the young bucks of today be touring in their 50s? 60s?
Comments
As far as guitarists go, there seems to be plenty of yutes out there who are technically capable. Not many capable of writing and performing good music though.
But when it comes to creating new art, it's better to be first than most technically gifted. There just aren't many new ideas left to try in Rock. In the mid 60s it was still most uncharted territory.
Most, if not all of these guys (and gals) got royally ripped off by management / record companies during their peak years. Now that streaming / services has rendered vinyl (sorry, @Yella!) and other forms of purchasing recordings irrelevant as a massive payday, they can play to their fans, old and new, no record deals / new albums every 6 months (the old days), and rake the cake.
I think it was a Charlie Watts interview when he was asked why the Stones didn't retire (this may have been 20+ years ago). IIRC, he said, roughly "What else am I going to do?"...The big guys continue to write and record new music, but nobody buys it, and nobody wants to hear it live...they want the hits, and nothing but the hits, and are willing to pay a shitload of money to hear them. If you have hits, you have a paying audience.
They are musicians and entertainers, and that is what they do. I don't begrudge them for doing it, but it's my choice to spend the money, or not...
My question is will the young bucks of today be touring in their 50s? 60s?
Too much baseball CTE @Fishpo31
Maybe I need to refresh on the definition of “oughts”…