Tuesday, January 17, 2006

ANOTHER DAMNED MUSIC SURVEY

Those of you In The Loop know of our weakness for music lists. Compile the best rock bands of all time and we're there. Show us the most-popular songs for funerals and we swoon.

Contact Music has another list -- this one touting the greatest guitar solos of all time, man, all freaking time. We are so there, and of course we will bitch.

The Top 10 looks like this:
1. Stairway to Heaven - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
2. Eruption - Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
3. Freebird - Allen Collins and Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
4. Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
5. All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
6. November Rain - Slash (Guns N' Roses)
7. One - Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
8. Hotel California - Don Felder and Joe Walsh (The Eagles)
9. Crazy Train - Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
10. Crossroads - Eric Clapton (Cream)
Our first gut was to wonder about Duane Allman and Eric Clapton on "Layla." Another survey (this one of the Top 100 solos) has it at No. 14.

"Stairway to Heaven" is probably overrated by this point (for sheer deftness and speed, it's Van Halen's "Eruption" all the way), but he who speaketh against the Zeppelin is foolish with his soul; it's in Leviticus. Or maybe Houses of the Holy.

We're also sure it was simply a big-ass mistake that resulted in Tom Morello being left off the list. Pick your for-instances: "Know Your Enemy" from his work with Rage Against The Machine. "Doesn't Remind Me" from his current gig with Audioslave. Morello's the best guitarist working in rock today. Not bad for a guy in his 40s.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Edward Van Halen's Eruption at number two is vastly underrated.
He could probably play the Stairway solo one handed.
And you HAVE to get Dick Dale and George Thorogood in there somewhere.
Other than that, the list is tolerable. *

Anonymous said...

I agree with Morello. His solos are not about "Look at my chops" as they are "Listen to this messed up sound I created." And they WORK...incredible. But the solo on Audioslave's "Like A Stone" is simplisticly beautiful.

But what about John Petrucci? He could fingertap circles around Eddie. I recommend "Blind Faith" from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

Or listen to three guitar greats. Petrucci, Steve Vai and Satch. Guitargasm.

Anonymous said...

Um, on that link above, ignore Joe Satriant's singing. It sucks. You will be rewarded if you put up with it until the end.