Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?
Many great rhythm players are great for the very reason that they have the musical discipline and good taste to see their contribution as just one element in the instrumental arrangement, without trying to shift the focus to themselves.
Hendrix used his complicated & varied rhythms in the studio too, when he had layers of guitars, and I think that's what really made those songs great. No guitar track was allowed to be boring.
You can put a lot of variety into playing rhythm, and still stay in the background. I don't see the virtue in being so repetitive. Yes, on certain songs, but as a general approach to rhythm, no. My theory is that everyone in a band should use a lot of variety throughout their playing, not to hog the limelight, but to make it more interesting for the musician and the audience. Frequent little fills and flourishes. Spontaneous. I just don't see having a live band act like a human backing track. If a song never turns out the same way twice, all the better. Mix it up.
Maybe it's because I listen to a lot of blues, and in a lot of that each instrument is free to do what they want, even while the vocals are goin on. The bass is doing all kinds of runs, the piano and drums doing fancy things here & there, the guitar & harp throw in little bits of solos randomly. Makes for a great feel. Instead of having a solo strictly regimented to the middle of a song (and forbidden anywhere else) like so many rock songs are, why not let good musicians have some room to improvise when they want? They know when they can do that & not dominate the song. Makes it more of a living, breathing creation. Instead of just one guy at a time doing something interesting, everyone is. You can focus on any one guy in the band & be entertained. So many popular songs I think 'He's playing the same thing over and over, unnecessarily, why doesn't that guy do more?'
As much as I like Angus, while Malcolm provides a great rhythm on some songs, after a while it gets tiring to hear him pounding on the chords without much variety or dynamics. I think his playing & songwriting is why most AC/DC songs are considered to be 'album fillers.' I'd love to hear Angus cut loose with a more innovative band.