Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

crusty philtrum said:
In an internet forum filled with people's opinions, we're lucky to have one individual such as yourself to cut through all that rubbish and present us with the actual hard facts.

Meanwhile I'm sure girls and women all over the suburbs are discussing Mr. Vai's latest hit song and dancing to it.
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Thank! Just to update your memory, Steve Vai is still playing music post Whitesnake. Guess you haven't heard of G3 and Generation Axe. Your welcome.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

I actually dig 80s Clapton, with his early signature series active tone. 70s, not so much. I was never a huge fan, and he never hit me quite as hard as Jeff Beck, but I can respect what he has accomplished (no EVH without him, therefore no EVH clones and most 80s rock goes away). I hated Unplugged, though.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

Mincer said:
I actually dig 80s Clapton, with his early signature series active tone. 70s, not so much. I was never a huge fan, and he never hit me quite as hard as Jeff Beck, but I can respect what he has accomplished (no EVH without him, therefore no EVH clones and most 80s rock goes away). I hated Unplugged, though.
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How could you hate unplugged??? From Signe to Rollin' & Tumblin' he performed a symphony with fourteen movements. I guess it's just the way you approach it.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

Obsessive Compulsive said:
Thank! Guess you haven't heard of G3 and Generation Axe.
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Alright I'm going to say it G3 is an abomination, it's the pop idol of rock music, some pretty flashy licks on display but essentially all style over substance

 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

A guitar god, just as any god, only exists in the eyes of a believer.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

Obsessive Compulsive said:
Thank! Just to update your memory, Steve Vai is still playing music post Whitesnake. Guess you haven't heard of G3 and Generation Axe. Your welcome.
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You make a lot of assumptions there. All are incorrect.

Your apology is accepted. Thank you.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

crusty philtrum said:
Judging by this one, poor old Eric can barely even get noticed in a thread about himself. Meanwhile, during the short lifetime of this thread, the guy has probably sold another 150,000 albums, probably more.
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And Justin Beiber's sold more than that; you need a better analogy.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

hows the beibs chops and tone?
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

blueman335 said:
And Justin Beiber's sold more than that; you need a better analogy.
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I wasn't trying to make out that EC sells albums in the volumes that Bieber or any of the latest pop stars do (of course he doesn't), but that as someone with skill and credibilty in the twilight of his career, he still sells a very healthy amount of albums, whilst a bunch of guitar-playing nobodies bicker about his irrelevance and who is better on some internet forum.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

crusty philtrum said:
I wasn't trying to make out that EC sells albums in the volumes that Bieber or any of the latest pop stars do (of course he doesn't), but that as someone with skill and credibilty in the twilight of his career, he still sells a very healthy amount of albums, whilst a bunch of guitar-playing nobodies bicker about his irrelevance and who is better on some internet forum.
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How many albums did Robert Johnson sell in his lifetime? He was a darn good guitar player, I'd say one of the best.
How many Paintings did van Gogh sell in his lifetime? He was a darn good painter as it turns out.

I think that the best guitar player of all time is one that none of us has ever heard. Look at the odds. It's a one in a million shot to get a record deal to start with. It's another one in a million shot that the public will hear the genius and support the artist.(see note below)

Eric Clapton beat the odds with perfect timing, tremendous talent and a variety of audiences that have found the beauty in his ever evolving focus on his art.

Note: I went to a Rolling Stones concert years ago and the opening act was Prince. The audience booed him and threw bottles and cans at him. Mick Jagger came out on the stage and raised holy hell with the audience and threatened to shut down the show. The audience settled down and sat quietly through the rest of Prince's performance but no applause. The Stones retaliated by opening up with "Under my Thumb" played garage band style...really very funny.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

crusty philtrum said:
I wasn't trying to make out that EC sells albums in the volumes that Bieber or any of the latest pop stars do (of course he doesn't), but that as someone with skill and credibilty in the twilight of his career, he still sells a very healthy amount of albums.
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True. Many players are hot when they're young, and gradually wind down. I'm glad to see Eric still playing and doing some nice things.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

Very few, if any, people are innovators or leaders for the duration of their lifetimes, Most innovators who 'break through; and push things or lead a revolution into new areas only seem to do so for a period in their lives ... often during the younger years when there is more energy, drive and fire. The problem is for such people that when they settle back to simply being good at what they do, some will see them as being 'washed up', 'past their used-by date' or whatever, which is often unfair, as even at that level they still usually have plenty to offer.

Just depends how one looks at it I suppose.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

The term 'guitar god' should only apply to those with BOTH chops and commercial success. Just because Eric Clapton sells 500 thousand discs a month doesn't make him a guitar god. And the guy next door with flashy guitar skill can be declared 'god' cause nobody knows him.
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

Obsessive Compulsive said:
The term 'guitar god' should only apply to those with BOTH chops and commercial success. Just because Eric Clapton sells 500 thousand discs a month doesn't make him a guitar god. And the guy next door with flashy guitar skill can be declared 'god' cause nobody knows him.
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In the 60s, Clapton had chops.

I agree with your list, but have to add "well known" (as a separate point) as well.

"well known" meaning - being known outside of guitarist circles. There are countless excellent guitar players who just aren't that well known except by other guitarists (I'd categorize these as "guitar players guitar gods") like Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, etc...

So:

- chops
- commercial success
- well known
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

LLL said:
I agree with your list, but have to add "well known" (as a separate point) as well.

"well known" meaning - being known outside of guitarist circles. There are countless excellent guitar players who just aren't that well known except by other guitarists (I'd categorize these as "guitar players guitar gods") like Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, etc...

So:

- chops
- commercial success
- well known
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I think the 4th component we are missing is innovation. The people we regard as Guitar Gods did groundbreaking things with their instruments. Take Joe Perry as an example. Chops, the guy, has put down some of the coolest licks in the history of rock. Commercial success, no one will argue that point. Well, know, check that box again. Will he ever be known as a guitar god, hell no. Innovation is the key. Jimmy Page created the blueprint for testosterone-fueled rock. Blackmore was playing in 4ths to define his tone and forging neoclassical rock. EVH and Hendrix we all know what they did for the instrument. Randy Rhoades took the Blackmore and EVH torch and carried it to the next level. Frank Zappa taught us how to play outside the box and not to be limited by traditional tonalities or harmonies. These guys are Guitar Gods, I just don't see EC or Joe Perry in the same class. Innovation is the key
 
Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

Guys lets get real. Being in a successful band, writing (or copying) some (very) catchy songs and being a vistuoso (=guitar God) are different things. Jimmy Page put out "Heartbreaker" around 1969 and this is like his top solo by many.
Ok, have a look at this guy and tell me if he is older and better than Page/hendrix/etc or not :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgU2ns2Wwpo

or this one (although not literally a guitarist)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giaC869Sd-A

those two guys were true Gods IMHO.

(running back to shelter, wearing helmet :omg:)
 
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Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

greekdude said:
(running back to shelter, wearing helmet :omg:)
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You should have put on the helmet sooner I think you have a head injury. Jimmy Page never stopped evolving as a guitarist from his first album all the way across the catalog to "In Through The Out Door". Fool in the Rain has a great solo, Page breaks out of his comfort zone and evolves as a musician on that track. Hotdog is fantastic especially seeing country was the weak spot of Page's playing. All of the good country studio work went to Big Jim Sullivan early in JP's career. Even his stuff with The Firm shows growth the solo on Radioactive is like nothing on the LZ albums. Jimmy's style, attack, and tone have always evolved over the years, and he has never been shy to experimentation. You have to give JP credit for not phoning it in with the same pentatonic crap his contemporaries *cough* Clapton */cough* have been handing us for 50 years. If we had to crown one man "God of Guitar Gods" my vote would go to Jimmy Page every god damn time.

 
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Re: Eric Clapton - there has been A LOT of discussion within the threads on him.

My favorite Zep song by far is "Babe_I'm_Gonna_Leave_You", and the guitar work is really nice. All acoustic guitar work in LZ, LZ II and LZ IV IMHO is very nice. Still love it. My first riff was whole lotta love. (Paranoid and smoke on the water came close after). Still much of nostalgia for back then. But guitar God? Nah...
 
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