your favorite guitarist out there right now..

[Jaimoe]

I have Buddy Guy on an old acoustic duo disc with Junior Wells that is cool.  Also the Live! The Real Deal is pretty good.  He plays with GE Smith's band but there are some great tunes on there and the performance is damn good I think.  But then I love live music more than studio stuff usually.

Yo man, Buddy is traditionally a hit-or-miss guy when it comes to studio albums. The man gets seduced or makes questionable musical decisions in the studio. I'd rather listen to someone vomitting than sit through blues backed by G.E. Smith.

Listen, some of Buddy's early albums are fantastic and this comment may make for some bantering from his other fans, but I think you can skip most of his 80's and 90's studio output including the now-dated Damn Right I Got The Blues: I hate his unnecessary version of "Mustang Sally" even though it was a hit. Instead focus on this decade. He's put out not only good albums, but important blues period. Sweet Tea is Buddy at his most primal and inspired. His latest album, Skin Deep, is very good and Bring 'Em In is also good. Buddy's playing isn't as precise at it used to be, but it's better in the soul department. Sweet Tea baby. Get it and come back and talk to me.

Oh yeah, I told Buddy back in 2001 that I thought Sweet Tea was his best album. He agreed.

[bold99]

I have Buddy Guy on an old acoustic duo disc with Junior Wells that is cool.  Also the Live! The Real Deal is pretty good.  He plays with GE Smith's band but there are some great tunes on there and the performance is damn good I think.  But then I love live music more than studio stuff usually.

Yo man, Buddy is traditionally a hit-or-miss guy when it comes to studio albums. The man gets seduced or makes questionable musical decisions in the studio. I'd rather listen to someone vomitting than sit through blues backed by G.E. Smith.

Listen, some of Buddy's early albums are fantastic and this comment may make for some bantering from his other fans, but I think you can skip most of his 80's and 90's studio output including the now-dated Damn Right I Got The Blues: I hate his unnecessary version of "Mustang Sally" even though it was a hit. Instead focus on this decade. He's put out not only good albums, but important blues period. Sweet Tea is Buddy at his most primal and inspired. His latest album, Skin Deep, is very good and Bring 'Em In is also good. Buddy's playing isn't as precise at it used to be, but it's better in the soul department. Sweet Tea baby. Get it and come back and talk to me.

Oh yeah, I told Buddy back in 2001 that I thought Sweet Tea was his best album. He agreed.

Yeah I agree...70's stuff was good.....I think 80's/90's in general was a bad time for the blues.  It was when blues artists decided they needed to be popular and try and have hits.  Unless you were SRV it wasn't a good time period.  He has really emerged lately.  You also have to take into account the man is over 70 years old and he still has energy.  There are a few good songs on his new one also.  His box set is really good that he put out recently.

[Jaimoe]

I have Buddy Guy on an old acoustic duo disc with Junior Wells that is cool.  Also the Live! The Real Deal is pretty good.  He plays with GE Smith's band but there are some great tunes on there and the performance is damn good I think.  But then I love live music more than studio stuff usually.

Yo man, Buddy is traditionally a hit-or-miss guy when it comes to studio albums. The man gets seduced or makes questionable musical decisions in the studio. I'd rather listen to someone vomitting than sit through blues backed by G.E. Smith.

Listen, some of Buddy's early albums are fantastic and this comment may make for some bantering from his other fans, but I think you can skip most of his 80's and 90's studio output including the now-dated Damn Right I Got The Blues: I hate his unnecessary version of "Mustang Sally" even though it was a hit. Instead focus on this decade. He's put out not only good albums, but important blues period. Sweet Tea is Buddy at his most primal and inspired. His latest album, Skin Deep, is very good and Bring 'Em In is also good. Buddy's playing isn't as precise at it used to be, but it's better in the soul department. Sweet Tea baby. Get it and come back and talk to me.

Oh yeah, I told Buddy back in 2001 that I thought Sweet Tea was his best album. He agreed.

Yeah I agree...70's stuff was good.....I think 80's/90's in general was a bad time for the blues.  It was when blues artists decided they needed to be popular and try and have hits.  Unless you were SRV it wasn't a good time period.  He has really emerged lately.  You also have to take into account the man is over 70 years old and he still has energy.  There are a few good songs on his new one also.  His box set is really good that he put out recently.

I respectfully disagree with you on a few points. The 80's was good for the blues commercially and creatively. The 80's in particular saw a blues renaissance take hold, albeit a small renaissance. SRV, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton (returning from his 1970's doldrums), Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt and a few others made noise in the 80's when blues was almost dead. However, the 90's saw kids like Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Sheppard try their best to cute-up the blues and it almost ruined everything.

But, popular music in general and blues in particular from the 80's doesn't date well; it's over-produced just like the rest of the crap from that decade. By comparison, if you listen to lots of blues now from labels like Fat Possum and Alligator, and I'll throw a bone to Canada's NorthernBlues, most material is now under-produced and many of the bands sound uniformly good, with producers and multi-tracks taking a back-seat.

And one more thing: Blues is dying. We all know that. It will die out in my lifetime, especially when the last of the old-guard players ascend to their final resting place. There just isn't enough good younger players around to take their place.

[Hawkeye]

"Blues is dying"...it really, really hurts to read that.  I hope you're wrong.  Commercially, you're definitely right, but I think there will always be a few out there who keep it going.  It will eventually come back around I think.

[Jaimoe]

"Blues is dying"...it really, really hurts to read that.  I hope you're wrong.  Commercially, you're definitely right, but I think there will always be a few out there who keep it going.  It will eventually come back around I think.

The blues will always be the backbone of most forms of popular music, but for being popular itself as a genre, I think those days are gone or going. Hybrid bands like The White Stripes and Black Keys are well and good, but there isn't enough real pure blues acts around, particularly black blues players, whom are becoming more and more rare, which is very sad. It's a tragedy actually.

I remember being in Clarksdale Mississippi in their cultural centre, aka the record store called Cat Head in the downtown (basically a showcase for everything North Mississippi Delta-related) and the owner and I talked about the death of the blues. Sure the blues may start to take on different forms or revert to being more simple and pure, but there's going to be few around able to find, care and/or appreciate it.

[ManNamedTruth]

I have Buddy Guy on an old acoustic duo disc with Junior Wells that is cool.  Also the Live! The Real Deal is pretty good.  He plays with GE Smith's band but there are some great tunes on there and the performance is damn good I think.  But then I love live music more than studio stuff usually.

Yo man, Buddy is traditionally a hit-or-miss guy when it comes to studio albums. The man gets seduced or makes questionable musical decisions in the studio. I'd rather listen to someone vomitting than sit through blues backed by G.E. Smith.

Listen, some of Buddy's early albums are fantastic and this comment may make for some bantering from his other fans, but I think you can skip most of his 80's and 90's studio output including the now-dated Damn Right I Got The Blues: I hate his unnecessary version of "Mustang Sally" even though it was a hit. Instead focus on this decade. He's put out not only good albums, but important blues period. Sweet Tea is Buddy at his most primal and inspired. His latest album, Skin Deep, is very good and Bring 'Em In is also good. Buddy's playing isn't as precise at it used to be, but it's better in the soul department. Sweet Tea baby. Get it and come back and talk to me.

Oh yeah, I told Buddy back in 2001 that I thought Sweet Tea was his best album. He agreed.

Yeah I agree...70's stuff was good.....I think 80's/90's in general was a bad time for the blues.  It was when blues artists decided they needed to be popular and try and have hits.  Unless you were SRV it wasn't a good time period.  He has really emerged lately.  You also have to take into account the man is over 70 years old and he still has energy.  There are a few good songs on his new one also.  His box set is really good that he put out recently.

I respectfully disagree with you on a few points. The 80's was good for the blues commercially and creatively. The 80's in particular saw a blues renaissance take hold, albeit a small renaissance. SRV, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton (returning from his 1970's doldrums), Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt and a few others made noise in the 80's when blues was almost dead. However, the 90's saw kids like Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Sheppard try their best to cute-up the blues and it almost ruined everything.

But, popular music in general and blues in particular from the 80's doesn't date well; it's over-produced just like the rest of the crap from that decade. By comparison, if you listen to lots of blues now from labels like Fat Possum and Alligator, and I'll throw a bone to Canada's NorthernBlues, most material is now under-produced and many of the bands sound uniformly good, with producers and multi-tracks taking a back-seat.

And one more thing: Blues is dying. We all know that. It will die out in my lifetime, especially when the last of the old-guard players ascend to their final resting place. There just isn't enough good younger players around to take their place.

Most music trends seem to always come back in waves. I guarantee there will be a blues revival.

[charps]

Neil Young...noone is more enjoyable to listen to.

[MarkW]

Rodrigo Y Gabriela

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=44592846

Don't miss 'em if you have the chance to see them live.

[Jaimoe]

I have Buddy Guy on an old acoustic duo disc with Junior Wells that is cool.  Also the Live! The Real Deal is pretty good.  He plays with GE Smith's band but there are some great tunes on there and the performance is damn good I think.  But then I love live music more than studio stuff usually.

Yo man, Buddy is traditionally a hit-or-miss guy when it comes to studio albums. The man gets seduced or makes questionable musical decisions in the studio. I'd rather listen to someone vomitting than sit through blues backed by G.E. Smith.

Listen, some of Buddy's early albums are fantastic and this comment may make for some bantering from his other fans, but I think you can skip most of his 80's and 90's studio output including the now-dated Damn Right I Got The Blues: I hate his unnecessary version of "Mustang Sally" even though it was a hit. Instead focus on this decade. He's put out not only good albums, but important blues period. Sweet Tea is Buddy at his most primal and inspired. His latest album, Skin Deep, is very good and Bring 'Em In is also good. Buddy's playing isn't as precise at it used to be, but it's better in the soul department. Sweet Tea baby. Get it and come back and talk to me.

Oh yeah, I told Buddy back in 2001 that I thought Sweet Tea was his best album. He agreed.

Yeah I agree...70's stuff was good.....I think 80's/90's in general was a bad time for the blues.  It was when blues artists decided they needed to be popular and try and have hits.  Unless you were SRV it wasn't a good time period.  He has really emerged lately.  You also have to take into account the man is over 70 years old and he still has energy.  There are a few good songs on his new one also.  His box set is really good that he put out recently.

I respectfully disagree with you on a few points. The 80's was good for the blues commercially and creatively. The 80's in particular saw a blues renaissance take hold, albeit a small renaissance. SRV, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton (returning from his 1970's doldrums), Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt and a few others made noise in the 80's when blues was almost dead. However, the 90's saw kids like Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Sheppard try their best to cute-up the blues and it almost ruined everything.

But, popular music in general and blues in particular from the 80's doesn't date well; it's over-produced just like the rest of the crap from that decade. By comparison, if you listen to lots of blues now from labels like Fat Possum and Alligator, and I'll throw a bone to Canada's NorthernBlues, most material is now under-produced and many of the bands sound uniformly good, with producers and multi-tracks taking a back-seat.

And one more thing: Blues is dying. We all know that. It will die out in my lifetime, especially when the last of the old-guard players ascend to their final resting place. There just isn't enough good younger players around to take their place.

Most music trends seem to always come back in waves. I guarantee there will be a blues revival.

Blues isn't a trend though. Blues is important to American heritage and for it to shrink to the point of disappearing is very sad. Revivals normally don't last long either.  

[The DARK]

I have Buddy Guy on an old acoustic duo disc with Junior Wells that is cool.  Also the Live! The Real Deal is pretty good.  He plays with GE Smith's band but there are some great tunes on there and the performance is damn good I think.  But then I love live music more than studio stuff usually.

Yo man, Buddy is traditionally a hit-or-miss guy when it comes to studio albums. The man gets seduced or makes questionable musical decisions in the studio. I'd rather listen to someone vomitting than sit through blues backed by G.E. Smith.

Listen, some of Buddy's early albums are fantastic and this comment may make for some bantering from his other fans, but I think you can skip most of his 80's and 90's studio output including the now-dated Damn Right I Got The Blues: I hate his unnecessary version of "Mustang Sally" even though it was a hit. Instead focus on this decade. He's put out not only good albums, but important blues period. Sweet Tea is Buddy at his most primal and inspired. His latest album, Skin Deep, is very good and Bring 'Em In is also good. Buddy's playing isn't as precise at it used to be, but it's better in the soul department. Sweet Tea baby. Get it and come back and talk to me.

Oh yeah, I told Buddy back in 2001 that I thought Sweet Tea was his best album. He agreed.

Yeah I agree...70's stuff was good.....I think 80's/90's in general was a bad time for the blues.  It was when blues artists decided they needed to be popular and try and have hits.  Unless you were SRV it wasn't a good time period.  He has really emerged lately.  You also have to take into account the man is over 70 years old and he still has energy.  There are a few good songs on his new one also.  His box set is really good that he put out recently.

I respectfully disagree with you on a few points. The 80's was good for the blues commercially and creatively. The 80's in particular saw a blues renaissance take hold, albeit a small renaissance. SRV, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton (returning from his 1970's doldrums), Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt and a few others made noise in the 80's when blues was almost dead. However, the 90's saw kids like Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Sheppard try their best to cute-up the blues and it almost ruined everything.

But, popular music in general and blues in particular from the 80's doesn't date well; it's over-produced just like the rest of the crap from that decade. By comparison, if you listen to lots of blues now from labels like Fat Possum and Alligator, and I'll throw a bone to Canada's NorthernBlues, most material is now under-produced and many of the bands sound uniformly good, with producers and multi-tracks taking a back-seat.

And one more thing: Blues is dying. We all know that. It will die out in my lifetime, especially when the last of the old-guard players ascend to their final resting place. There just isn't enough good younger players around to take their place.

Most music trends seem to always come back in waves. I guarantee there will be a blues revival.

Blues isn't a trend though. Blues is important to American heritage and for it to shrink to the point of disappearing is very sad. Revivals normally don't last long either.  

Your posts are making me want to spend my life as a blues guitarist... ;)

[bold99]

I have Buddy Guy on an old acoustic duo disc with Junior Wells that is cool.  Also the Live! The Real Deal is pretty good.  He plays with GE Smith's band but there are some great tunes on there and the performance is damn good I think.  But then I love live music more than studio stuff usually.

Yo man, Buddy is traditionally a hit-or-miss guy when it comes to studio albums. The man gets seduced or makes questionable musical decisions in the studio. I'd rather listen to someone vomitting than sit through blues backed by G.E. Smith.

Listen, some of Buddy's early albums are fantastic and this comment may make for some bantering from his other fans, but I think you can skip most of his 80's and 90's studio output including the now-dated Damn Right I Got The Blues: I hate his unnecessary version of "Mustang Sally" even though it was a hit. Instead focus on this decade. He's put out not only good albums, but important blues period. Sweet Tea is Buddy at his most primal and inspired. His latest album, Skin Deep, is very good and Bring 'Em In is also good. Buddy's playing isn't as precise at it used to be, but it's better in the soul department. Sweet Tea baby. Get it and come back and talk to me.

Oh yeah, I told Buddy back in 2001 that I thought Sweet Tea was his best album. He agreed.

Yeah I agree...70's stuff was good.....I think 80's/90's in general was a bad time for the blues.  It was when blues artists decided they needed to be popular and try and have hits.  Unless you were SRV it wasn't a good time period.  He has really emerged lately.  You also have to take into account the man is over 70 years old and he still has energy.  There are a few good songs on his new one also.  His box set is really good that he put out recently.

I respectfully disagree with you on a few points. The 80's was good for the blues commercially and creatively. The 80's in particular saw a blues renaissance take hold, albeit a small renaissance. SRV, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton (returning from his 1970's doldrums), Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt and a few others made noise in the 80's when blues was almost dead. However, the 90's saw kids like Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Sheppard try their best to cute-up the blues and it almost ruined everything.

But, popular music in general and blues in particular from the 80's doesn't date well; it's over-produced just like the rest of the crap from that decade. By comparison, if you listen to lots of blues now from labels like Fat Possum and Alligator, and I'll throw a bone to Canada's NorthernBlues, most material is now under-produced and many of the bands sound uniformly good, with producers and multi-tracks taking a back-seat.

And one more thing: Blues is dying. We all know that. It will die out in my lifetime, especially when the last of the old-guard players ascend to their final resting place. There just isn't enough good younger players around to take their place.

You kind of made my points.  The 80's in blues, it was over produced, slick type of almost "happy" blues.  I'm sure there were a few highlights but Its not a lot of stuff I want to listen to.  Even artists like Clapton that I like, I really don't want to hear their 80's stuff.

People have been saying the Blues are dying for years.  It is what is it.  Its not commercial.  There are no more blues stars but there are a lot of up and coming bands that play in the blues rock style and that will always be.  I saw one last night open for Gov't Mule.  Back Door Slam...great young blues band.  You should check them out.  People are always going to go see blues bands and people are always going to make the blues...as long as that happens it will never truely die.

[MMJ_fanatic]

Buckethead

[tomEisenbraun]

Buckethead

Hey! We can agree on something!

My favorite quote about the guy comes from Ozzy in regards to when he tried to audition Buckethead for his live show:

I tried out that Buckethead guy. I met with him and asked him to work with me but only if he got rid of the fucking bucket. So I came back a bit later and he's wearing this green fucking Martian's-hat thing! I said, 'Look, just be yourself'. He told me his name was Brian, so I said that's what I'd call him. He says, 'No one calls me Brian except my mother'. So I said, 'Pretend I'm your mum then!'. I haven't even got out of the room and I'm already playing fucking mind games with the guy. What happens if one day he's gone and there's a note saying, 'I've been beamed up'? Don't get me wrong, he's a great player. He plays like a motherfucker.

As for his chops?

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86DEKFissl4[/media]

Great interview here with "Albert"...
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2tH4TFpB3E[/media]

[MMJ_fanatic]

The head is named Herbie  8-)

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61k041I4aEo[/media]

One of my all time favorite bucket rifss (w/ Praxis)--Interworld and the New Innocence

[bold99]

can''t forget about this guy.

Frank Anthony "Tony" Iommi (born 19 February 1948, in Aston, Birmingham, England) is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and the sole constant band member through multiple personnel changes.

Iommi is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential guitarists in rock music: according to critic Greg Prato[1], "Iommi is one of only two guitarists (the other being Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page) that can take full credit for pioneering the mammoth riffs of heavy metal."

[bold99]

Neil Young...noone is more enjoyable to listen to.

Yes...probably the most underrated guitarist ever.

[xmascriminal]

Neil Young...noone is more enjoyable to listen to.

Yes...probably the most underrated guitarist ever.

Agreed. Incredibly underrated. More people need to listen to Cortez the Killer. That song does annoy me a little bit lyrically because Neil Young obviously knows even less about the Aztecs than I do, and what I know consits of a half-assed project I did in fifth grade, but overall, great song. The guitar playing on Warren Haynes' version with DMB is mindblowing too.

[bold99]

Neil Young...noone is more enjoyable to listen to.

Yes...probably the most underrated guitarist ever.

Agreed. Incredibly underrated. More people need to listen to Cortez the Killer. That song does annoy me a little bit lyrically because Neil Young obviously knows even less about the Aztecs than I do, and what I know consits of a half-assed project I did in fifth grade, but overall, great song. The guitar playing on Warren Haynes' version with DMB is mindblowing too.

This one of my favorite songs ever.  I think Neils playing goes under the radar because his songs are just so good.  I saw Warren last night, the Mule do great Neil covers.  Also Grace Potter does great Neil covers.  Neil's acoustic playing is so good also.

[Jellyfish]

James Nash of The Waybacks.

[jonahspark]

Richard Thompson.