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Originally Posted by CalebD
Wow! You old geezer's certainly have some long memories that jogged a few of my own.
Back in the 1950/60's John McLaughlin was playing more or less straight ahead jazz and then went headlong into fusion music starting with Inner Mounting Flame (amazing album - btw). One of the most amazing concerts I ever saw was him with the group Shakti which was a cross of fusion/Indian/tablas; truly incredible stuff. The violinist L. Shankar blew me away as did John M. J.M. has arguably played the most varied number of different styles of music of all mentioned so far.
Jimi Hendrix was my childhood idle but SRV does a good job of imitation; imitation being the highest form of flattery.
Clapton is not god but he is a journeyman of rock and blues.
Does anyone remember Jeff Beck? Highly underrated guitarist.
JEFF BECK LIVE Cause We've Ended As Lovers - YouTube
Santana is supreme.
There is a slightly more contemporary group called Los Lobos which owes a debt of gratitude to Carlos S.
Los Lobos "What's Going On" - YouTube
Remember Donovan Leech? He really thought he was God; he was really just a dog. |
From the top - I was never a big fan of J.M. - Inner Mounting Flame notwithstanding. He spent WAY too much time in the Himalayas, figuratively speaking. When Santana hooked up with him I lost interest. It was the jungle in Santana's music that I loved. The Himalayan thing was way too cerebral for me.
Hendrix was a trendsetter but he died just as he got polished - Band of Gypsies was his most professional work IMHO but it's all but forgotten.
Clapton is so far beyond a journeyman - he is a true guitar god (small g)
Beck is another guitar god / hot rodder. His old album "Truth", with "before he made it big" Rod Stewart on vocals, is one of the all time best albums. Their version of "Ain't Superstitious" is as good as any Chicago or Mississippi bluesman ever did, just a lot different.
He spent (wasted) a lot of time on that crappy "techno" genre but he's still one of the best ever.
Los Lobos were / are? pretty good but if you think they're in Santana's league, go back & listen to Abraxas again.
Donovan Leitch was regarded as kind of lightweight IIRC - straight girls liked him.
No-one ever regarded him as a guitar god, he was more a troubadour. Some of his stuff has held up very well though.
It ain't being an old fart to recognize that as being a true golden age of music. Practically EVERYTHING was good - you only had to pick out and discard the bits of cr@p. Now the situation is reversed - most of it is overpromoted junk and the gold is hidden away.
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