What Zakk Wylde thinks about the RS 100 Greatest Guitarists

[seandorian]

Metal Edge: What did you think about that Rolling Stone issue a couple of years ago, with a list of top guitarists?

Zakk: "Oh, God… That thing was pathetic. I mean, dude, I think they had Eddie Van Halen at, like, 70-something, Randy Rhoads almost didn't even make the list. I was like, 'You gotta be kidding me!' Then they had Kurt Cobain, he's like, 12??? God bless his soul, Kurt was a great songwriter — you know what I mean? — who happened to be playing guitar. He would have been laughing his balls off, above Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads. Yngwie wasn't even on the friggin' list! Steve Vai wasn't on the list. I don't even know if Slash was on the list, and we're not even talking about rock guitar players. Danny Gatton, Albert Lee, none of these guys were on that list. I mean, I don't know who figured out that list."

Metal Edge: Were you bothered that you weren't on the list? Certainly your fans were…

Zakk: "Nah… It's Rolling Stone. I just laughed. Their audience would vote Dave Matthews the best guitar player on the planet, you know what I mean? And that's that audience, and there's nothing wrong with that — it is what it is. I could understand if the guitar magazines had a list, and Yngwie wasn't on it, gimme a break. It was unbelievable…"

 

[robelinda2]

too right. greatestr guitarists doesnt mean "some current dude who strums a few chords on mtv". i was not happy when i saw that list. Rolling Stone is a joke anyway.

 

[lenny]

too right. greatestr guitarists doesnt mean "some current dude who strums a few chords on mtv". i was not happy when i saw that list. Rolling Stone is a joke anyway.

+1
I shred harder than Kurt Cobain hahahaha

 

[robelinda2]

its just stupid really. i dont have anything against Cobain, I dont like Nirvana at all but i respect him as a songwriter and performer and as an artist who seriously changed the musical landscape of the early 90's. the fact that he plays a few power chords shouldnt equal guitar greatness. but then again i expect most guitarists to take this view. Eddie Van Halen is a guitar great, and should be in the top 10 along with the few who really changed guitar playing for the western world, eg Hendrix, Holdsworth, Malmsteen, Albert Lee, etc.

rant over

 

[jaxadam]

Wow, I think this list is pretty subjective, but it makes you really wonder what makes someone a supertalent.

Is it their skill, or is it what they did with the instrument to inspire?

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time/

P.S. I thought I was pretty versed in guitarists, but I haven't even heard of some of these people.

 

[robelinda2]

or are they thinking magazine sales??? me thinks so.....

 

[olorin]

Look....Zakk Wylde just does not know music. If he did, or any other forum member did then you would all bow down to this MASTER guitarist:

 

[Big Poppa]

Luke didnt make it either....

I remember 8 days after donating the kidney I wnet to the NAMM show against all doctors orders. One of the reasons is that guitar world called and told me I was one of the 100 most influental people in the guitar business including players. I was cut in halff with a gazillion stitches and posed for the shot only to get the mag and I was replaced by the digitech whammy pedal.

Those guys hate me becasue I always snicker at them and say if you could play you wouldnt be writing about it. Guitar mag journalists are a notch above divorce lawyers.

When you do a list it really shows either how much or litttle you know about the guitar.

I also have tons and tons of respect for Zack. He is the real deal can play his ass off and really is a great admirer and supporter of talented guitarists.

 

[darchirnoj]

Luke didnt make it either....

I remember 8 days after donating the kidney I wnet to the NAMM show against all doctors orders. One of the reasons is that guitar world called and told me I was one of the 100 most influental people in the guitar business including players. I was cut in halff with a gazillion stitches and posed for the shot only to get the mag and I was replaced by the digitech whammy pedal.

Those guys hate me becasue I always snicker at them and say if you could play you wouldnt be writing about it. Guitar mag journalists are a notch above divorce lawyers.

When you do a list it really shows either how much or litttle you know about the guitar.

I also have tons and tons of respect for Zack. He is the real deal can play his ass off and really is a great admirer and supporter of talented guitarists.

Wait. I'm sorry for changing the subject, but I just had to respond to BP's post about donating a kidney. Man BP, that is so awesome. I'm a renal dietitian for a hemodialysis center and I'm on the Board of Directors for the National Kidney Foundation of the Texas Coastal Bend. It touches my heart to know that you did what you did. That is so special. I wish there were more donors out there; I wish more people had a better understanding about organ donation. Man, nothin' but respect for you, BP.
-darchirnoj

 

[Big Poppa]

thanks pal I'd do it agian but they wouldnt let me....I wasnt trying to make a big deal other than the circumstances were pretty out there. Google the Casey Lee Ball foundation WE have raised over 5 million for pediatric Kidney disease

 

[hbucker]

Then there was the Guitar One list a few months ago: Top 10 guitarists who Desperately need to retire.

10 Dave Navarro
9 Eric Clapton
8 Mike Mushok
7 Carlos Santana
6 Keith Richards
5 Ted Nugent
4 Dick Dale
3 Dickey Betts
2 Jimmy Page
1 EVH

That article told me two things instantly:

1 Their target audience must be about 12 years old.
2 Even though it was my second issue, I would never again, at any price, subscribe that that magazine.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Then there was the Guitar One list a few months ago: Top 10 guitarists who Desperately need to retire.

10 Dave Navarro
9 Eric Clapton
8 Mike Mushok
7 Carlos Santana
6 Keith Richards
5 Ted Nugent
4 Dick Dale
3 Dickey Betts
2 Jimmy Page
1 EVH

That article told me two things instantly:

1 Their target audience must be about 12 years old.
2 Even though it was my second issue, I would never again, at any price, subscribe that that magazine.

The level of idiocy displayed by that list is staggering. NONE of those guys should "retire". Do ridiculously successful musicians need to officially "retire" anyways? Sheesh, how stupid.

BTW, Navarro's new band, The Panic Channel, kicks some major major @$$! I saw them live and it was the best show I've been to in years. And Chris Chaney is an absolute monster!!! Now, where was that sig guitar (and bass maybe?) thread...........

 

[roballanson]

Guitar mag journalists are a notch above divorce lawyers.

Nice one BP i love that quote......

 

[koogie2k]

Opinions like those in the RS mag are just that...opinions. However, I do not agree with them.

 

[Lucidology]

Okay.. I'll probably get slammed big time for this....

But why is it, that SRV achieved such legendary fame....?? I have never, for the life of me, totally understood this...

Of course he was a great soulful blues player... but there are, and have been, so many other even greater blues players that I'd much rather listen too.. and the've been around for many years ...

Okay,, eye's closed... hit me with yer best shot!!

(by the way-for fun.. check out my latest avatar, that's moi' hanging out with Steve Miller about a month ago... long story- )

 

[hbucker]

SRV's untimely death no doubt played a huge role in creating the legend.

Yet I'm one who believes he really was a great player with amazing tone. Plus, IMO he brought some showmanship and "fun" to his music that brought some younger people to the Blues. He wasn't all about "It sucks to have heartache." He was also about "The house is a rockin' so don't bother knockin', come on in!".

In addition to this, his death was made even more tragic by the fact that he had gone to rehab and cleaned up his life. He was an amazing player on drugs. But I saw some footage of him playing clean a few months before he died and it was truly amazing.

Perhaps his playing under the influence didn't impress you. But if he'd lived and stayed sober, I doubt if you'd have the same questions about his talent now.

And FWIW, as we speak there are 1,000+ awesome guitar players (not me) out there for every one player who you've actually heard of. That's just the way it is.

 

[robelinda2]

yeah SRV is just great, superb tone and phrasing. no-one had his sound before him, so its copied in every guitar store. what he actually played wasnt ground breaking, it was just basic pentatonic stuff, but man could he play that scale better than anyone else!!!!

 

[Big Poppa]

Basic Pentatonic stuff?????????????????

Give me a break Stevie was a fantastic player with suberb tone and feel.....

If you are going to slag off pentatonic players Im taking my ball and going home....

SRV really started the movement to heavier strings too...

 

[robelinda2]

i meant no disrepect at all BP, i mearly mean scale wise he was a pentatonic guy, rather than a full on modal type. not that playing different scales means anything. no slagging meant. I love SRV, always will.

 

[Big Poppa]

HMMMMMMMM I may give you mercy but if there wasnt a pentatonic scale the world might have missed chuck berry keith richards eric clapton jeff beck mike bloomfield gary moore eddie vh muddy waters greg allman bb king albert king buddy guy jimi hendrix albert lee how much bandwidth

How about a thread paying tribute to the players that were exclusively "modal"