Yes, but only when it was played by Dave Davies of The Kinks. In their early days The Kinks truly did turn their amps up to eleven–you can tell by the ringing of the tubes in both that song and “All Day and All of the Night.” It is a good thing those songs are only two minutes long or the amps would have failed.
Just what is the appeal of Van Halen? The guitar work is flashy but pedestrian and his vocalists are really obnoxious. I cannot bear the entire band or anybody associated with it.
OTOH, Ted Nugent’s guitar work on The Amboy Dukes’ original single of “Baby, Please Don’t Go” was absolutely incandescant. He took lead guitar to places it hadn’t been and still rarely goes. I understand he still plays it in most of his concerts, but it can’t have the freshness it had thirty-some years ago. Absolutely amazing. You kids should give it a listen some time.
Re: Duane Allman–Dickie Betts is no slouch, either. A dual-lead-guitar band that worked.
Anything played live by Dick Dale!!! I’m never really impressed with the recordings I hear but live he is unbelievable. He is the only guitarist I have ever seen wear out picks, I mean he literally wears them down to nubs and sometimes more than one in a single song. Later…
Comfortably Numb popped into my head the moment I read the title of the thread. Especially on the ‘Delicate Sound of Thunder’.
I also love ALL of the guitar work on Hendrix’s ‘Red House’, both when he plays in and also when Joe Perry plays it live. It’s a song to strip to if I’ve ever heard one.
Love both of Joe’s solos on ‘Train kept a’rollin’ and ‘Amazing’.
If you have never heard Monte Montgomery, run, don’t walk, and go check out his album “Mirrors.” His guitar work is absolutely stunning, and this is coming from a 12 year veteran of guitar. He does amazing riffs and melodies, and he uses acoustic almost exclusively. I swear he does more stuff with an acoustic guitar than most folks with an electric.
Oh, and T140, welcome. You and I may be the only representatives on this board from Alabama. So, whar ya from, son?
Dean DeLeo, Stone Temple Pilots “Tripping on a Hole in a Paper Heart” (though he couldn’t pull it off in concert, grumble…)
Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover
Hey Ogre, you in Austin? I heard the tail end of one of Monte’s sets at a concert there this summer–it sounded pretty good, though it was pretty hard to hear from 100+ yards away.
Nope, I’m in Montgomery, Alabama. Monte has played around these parts pretty often of late, but I heard him first on Austin City Limits. All I can say is if you are a fan of guitar, he’s your man. Total badass, I swear. Nice guy, too. He’s the kind of player that makes me want to pawn all my guitars and take up macrame.
[hijack]
Heya… Aaahm uh Suthunah toooo… I’m in Alabama. I’m not all that fond of it, but I am here!
There is a band around these here parts, based in Kentucky, that has a guitarist who can nail a lot of the solos… dead-on. He does a great job. The band is the Velcro Pygmies, yeh, I know, it’s a goofy name. [/hijack]
You know, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the guitar work on the old Velvets stuff I’ve gone back to, especially the interplay between Sterling Morrison’s guitar and John Cale’s cello. For pure bombast there’s the lead-in to “Sweet Jane” on “Rock and Roll Animal,” too. Can’t remember the guitarist.
One of the absolute greats.
How about Sam Houston Andrews’ work on Big Brother’s “Ball and Chain?” Possibly the greatest Bar Band Guitarist ever and well matched with Joplin’s singing.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I think “nineiron” is referring not to VH’s cover of “You Really Got Me” but the short introductory guitar solo that Eddie churns out before the song actually starts. And you’re both right: that brief piece of music did one hell of a lot to influence 80s heavy metal guitar playing…and Eddie most likely spent a lot of his formative years listening to Dave Davies thrash his ax.
Yes, I meant “Eruption,” not “You Really Got Me”; that’s why I said “Eruption,” not “You Really Got Me.”
This was the first piece to really utilize “tapping,” without which there would be none of the other guitar virtuosos of the 80’s. It wasn’t merely “flashy,” but melodic as well. And, if you’re one of those people who tend to poo-poo the 80’s as being devoid of decent rock music, obviously this will mean nothing to you. (Honestly, though, I just wanted to use “poo-poo” as a verb.)
