|
Post by The Chief on Jun 1, 2017 13:09:53 GMT -5
I'd like to see The Edge without his pedals see how he does. He'd just be David Evans. Ha ha ha ha!!!
|
|
|
Post by revol on Jun 1, 2017 13:42:44 GMT -5
Hendrix Page Clapton Van Halen Richards Gilmour Townshend Prince Slash Harrison To name but a few.... Prince? No... sorry mate! Fucking hell, man. Prince is probably one of the most underrated guitar players ever, just listen to this - starts at 3:25.
|
|
|
Post by NicOasis on Jun 1, 2017 14:19:25 GMT -5
GEM IS GOD
said by me
|
|
|
Post by The Chief on Jun 1, 2017 14:25:58 GMT -5
Prince? No... sorry mate! Fucking hell, man. Prince is probably one of the most underrated guitar players ever, just listen to this - starts at 3:25. Wow! I'll admit that's pretty impressive. Not a side of Prince I was aware of. Jesus Dhani looks like his dad...
|
|
|
Post by matt on Jun 1, 2017 17:25:58 GMT -5
To be a great guitarist you need to be able to write full fledged compositions and decent riffs and solos.
Gem may be technically fine and does the job well, but I wouldn't be seen dead listening to any of his dad rock extraordinaire shtick he came up with in Heavy Stereo, Oasis and Beady Eye.
|
|
|
Post by The Chief on Jun 1, 2017 19:17:36 GMT -5
To be a great guitarist you need to be able to write full fledged compositions and decent riffs and solos. Gem may be technically fine and does the job well, but I wouldn't be seen dead listening to any of his dad rock extraordinaire shtick he came up with in Heavy Stereo, Oasis and Beady Eye. To me it's more how technically capable they are. But I agree that the ones who actually write stuff are better.
|
|
|
Post by carlober on Jun 2, 2017 4:01:46 GMT -5
Andy Bell is a better guitarist than Gem anyway I do like Gem too. Nice guy, solid guitarist. But... top 10? Prince, The Edge and Santana lackluster? Come on, that's just ridiculous. I'd like to see The Edge without his pedals see how he does. I can't understand your point. Every single modern guitarist uses pedals. Nobody plays straight into the amp and there's a reason for that: pedals give you the opportunity to shape your sound as much as you like. You can create new sounds, or even new playing styles. Heck, guitar music would be so fucking boring without pedals and rack effects, we would still live with our head stuck in the '60s! Using effects is not cheating: they are an intrinsic part of every guitar-based track you hear on a record. A guitar player's ability lies also in using his pedals to create the sound he's looking for, be it a thundering distorted solo or a delay-heavy, syncopated riff like The Edge's signature sound.
|
|
|
Post by The Chief on Jun 2, 2017 6:33:18 GMT -5
I'd like to see The Edge without his pedals see how he does. I can't understand your point. Every single modern guitarist uses pedals. Nobody plays straight into the amp and there's a reason for that: pedals give you the opportunity to shape your sound as much as you like. You can create new sounds, or even new playing styles. Heck, guitar music would be so fucking boring without pedals and rack effects, we would still live with our head stuck in the '60s! Using effects is not cheating: they are an intrinsic part of every guitar-based track you hear on a record. A guitar player's ability lies also in using his pedals to create the sound he's looking for, be it a thundering distorted solo or a delay-heavy, syncopated riff like The Edge's signature sound. I'm talking effect pedals. My point is there's a difference between say David Gilmour who uses pedals but who actually moves his fingers accross the guitar neck and The Edge who hits two notes and lets his delay pedals and whatnot do the rest. Hell even I can do that and I'm not in way one of the best guitar players in the world. Gilmour is though.
|
|
|
Post by freddy838 on Jun 2, 2017 10:43:16 GMT -5
Anyway, I love Gem, glad he's back and Tim's gone, without wanting to have a dig at the latter. Just checking, is Noel playing as HFB or just himself for these gigs?
|
|
|
Post by matt on Jun 2, 2017 18:13:42 GMT -5
I can't understand your point. Every single modern guitarist uses pedals. Nobody plays straight into the amp and there's a reason for that: pedals give you the opportunity to shape your sound as much as you like. You can create new sounds, or even new playing styles. Heck, guitar music would be so fucking boring without pedals and rack effects, we would still live with our head stuck in the '60s! Using effects is not cheating: they are an intrinsic part of every guitar-based track you hear on a record. A guitar player's ability lies also in using his pedals to create the sound he's looking for, be it a thundering distorted solo or a delay-heavy, syncopated riff like The Edge's signature sound. I'm talking effect pedals. My point is there's a difference between say David Gilmour who uses pedals but who actually moves his fingers accross the guitar neck and The Edge who hits two notes and lets his delay pedals and whatnot do the rest. Hell even I can do that and I'm not in way one of the best guitar players in the world. Gilmour is though. Such a cliche. The Edge is clearly a master of composition more so than Gem but even then, I've yet to hear anything from Gem on a level with The Edge's guitar work on The Fly. And that's not even mentioning his incredibly underrated multilayered instrumental work he did on Pop, which barely used any delay.
|
|
|
Post by spaneli on Jun 2, 2017 20:37:37 GMT -5
I'm talking effect pedals. My point is there's a difference between say David Gilmour who uses pedals but who actually moves his fingers accross the guitar neck and The Edge who hits two notes and lets his delay pedals and whatnot do the rest. Hell even I can do that and I'm not in way one of the best guitar players in the world. Gilmour is though. Such a cliche. The Edge is clearly a master of composition more so than Gem but even then, I've yet to hear anything from Gem on a level with The Edge's guitar work on The Fly. And that's not even mentioning his incredibly underrated multilayered instrumental work he did on Pop, which barely used any delay. The Edge is not a great guitarist. As a guitarist, that cliche rings true. 99% of guitarists can do what he does playing wise. What he does have is a great ear for layering. That really is where his genius lies. Personally, I think a great guitarist is a combination of composition and technical ability, and the Edge's actual ability is lacking. He's the Kurt Cobain of delay pedals. Has a good ear for a riff, can do a bunch of simple riffs through layering, but without his plus delay system is actually fairly limited in his playing ability. Which is a big thing for me. For someone to be a great guitarist, they have to be versatile, something that the Edge isn't. He's part of the very good, but he wouldn't be in my top guitarists.
|
|
|
Post by glider on Jun 2, 2017 20:50:31 GMT -5
I define a great guitarist as someone not only with a amazing ear to melody and composition, nor only fret note mastery, but the ability to transform their sound into something unique and masterful. Jimmy Page is known for his masterful work on a fret, insane speed of chord change/notes to finger placement that has given him the ability to craft the most memorable guitar riffs and solos of all time. Then you have guys like Nick McCabe, Kevin Shields, Jonny Greenwood - gentlemen who can take a guitar, several amps and pedals, and morph their sound into something unexpected from the guitar. The airy tremolo atmosphere of Radiohead's 'Planet Telex'? All coming from layers of tracks from Jonny's expert pedal mastery. The roaring tidal waves of sound on The Verve's 'Star Sail'? McCabe's ability to hone reverb, delay, distortion into a psychedelic package that combines the ethereal qualities of ambient with space rock and 60s psychedelia. Like spaneli said, The Edge is able to create unique layers of rather simple riffs that defined U2's sound. Is his style cliched and duplicated over and over again these days? Of course, but at the time in the early 80s, no one really had done that before. I'll give Edge a kudos to helping jumpstart more usage of delay, reverb and pedal trickery into guitar music that would later on be a cornerstone for the genres like dream pop.
|
|
|
Post by Lennon2217 on Jun 2, 2017 22:43:17 GMT -5
JONNY GREENWOOD IS GOD
|
|
|
Post by rekrelf on Jun 3, 2017 1:01:51 GMT -5
Fucking hell, man. Prince is probably one of the most underrated guitar players ever, just listen to this - starts at 3:25. Wow! I'll admit that's pretty impressive. Not a side of Prince I was aware of. Jesus Dhani looks like his dad... Yes man, Prince was a god!!!
|
|
|
Post by The Chief on Jun 3, 2017 15:15:07 GMT -5
I'm talking effect pedals. My point is there's a difference between say David Gilmour who uses pedals but who actually moves his fingers accross the guitar neck and The Edge who hits two notes and lets his delay pedals and whatnot do the rest. Hell even I can do that and I'm not in way one of the best guitar players in the world. Gilmour is though. Such a cliche. The Edge is clearly a master of composition more so than Gem but even then, I've yet to hear anything from Gem on a level with The Edge's guitar work on The Fly. And that's not even mentioning his incredibly underrated multilayered instrumental work he did on Pop, which barely used any delay. Maybe we should buy Gem a delay pedal? Such a cliche. The Edge is clearly a master of composition more so than Gem but even then, I've yet to hear anything from Gem on a level with The Edge's guitar work on The Fly. And that's not even mentioning his incredibly underrated multilayered instrumental work he did on Pop, which barely used any delay. The Edge is not a great guitarist. As a guitarist, that cliche rings true. 99% of guitarists can do what he does playing wise. What he does have is a great ear for layering. That really is where his genius lies. Personally, I think a great guitarist is a combination of composition and technical ability, and the Edge's actual ability is lacking. He's the Kurt Cobain of delay pedals. Has a good ear for a riff, can do a bunch of simple riffs through layering, but without his plus delay system is actually fairly limited in his playing ability. Which is a big thing for me. For someone to be a great guitarist, they have to be versatile, something that the Edge isn't. He's part of the very good, but he wouldn't be in my top guitarists. That was actually my point. I know it sounded contemptuous but I didn't mean it like that. The Edge is not so much a guitarist than someone who uses the guitar as a base for creating sounds which became his signature. But he's definitely not a great guitarist as such.
|
|
|
Post by welshylad on Jun 3, 2017 16:59:32 GMT -5
NGHFB is slowly morphing into Beady Eye
Chris Sharrock Jeff Wooten Gem Archer
He only needs Andy ffs
|
|
|
Post by matt on Jun 3, 2017 17:22:02 GMT -5
Such a cliche. The Edge is clearly a master of composition more so than Gem but even then, I've yet to hear anything from Gem on a level with The Edge's guitar work on The Fly. And that's not even mentioning his incredibly underrated multilayered instrumental work he did on Pop, which barely used any delay. The Edge is not a great guitarist. As a guitarist, that cliche rings true. 99% of guitarists can do what he does playing wise. What he does have is a great ear for layering. That really is where his genius lies. Personally, I think a great guitarist is a combination of composition and technical ability, and the Edge's actual ability is lacking. He's the Kurt Cobain of delay pedals. Has a good ear for a riff, can do a bunch of simple riffs through layering, but without his plus delay system is actually fairly limited in his playing ability. Which is a big thing for me. For someone to be a great guitarist, they have to be versatile, something that the Edge isn't. He's part of the very good, but he wouldn't be in my top guitarists. Nope, sorry, I absolutely disagree, that is a very narrow definition for a 'great guitarist'. You can't judge a great artist on their painting skills, just like you can't judge a great guitarist on technical ability alone. Jimmy Page called him a sonic architect and Johnny Marr praised him greatly in his recent autobiography - two much much superior technical guitarists than Mr Evans but also two great guitarists who recognise the nuances and overarching holistic role that the guitarist in a band plays. For a great guitarist, I expect a degree of technical accomplishment (which although isn't great, he undoubtedly holds a 'degree' of), authenticity and pioneering. There is absolutely no question about the latter two qualities having devised his 'very own unique style' (as Johnny elaborated in his autobiography). He helped blaze the trail for post-rock guitarists with the sonic textures he devised, with Explosions In The Sky, God Is An Astronaut and Sigur Ros citing him as an influence (more precisely him and not U2) and has inspired numerous lesser pretenders down the years, to the point that perhaps if you listen to a signature tune of U2's, it doesn't sound as innovative as it did back in the 1980s what with its ubiquity amongst many chart acts. That shouldn't take away his masterful compositions though, and the subtlety and mysticisms he induces in, say, With Or Without You or A Sort of Homecoming still blows most effects laden modern day guitarists out of the water. He's arguably the major factor in creating the music of one of the biggest bands of all time, who wrote a ton of great album in the 80s and 90s, but also explored new sonic territories and influenced many others. The lyrics of the frontman only subtly changed (less so the melodies) - they were still very earnest lyrics, and Bono only had to sing into a lower register to seem more brooding. The actual music was turned on its head though, and that was the staple of their hugely successful live sound (leave a U2 concert and nobody says 'that guitarist was shit') and their ability to re-invent themselves successfully - and that's mainly down to The Edge. There's no two ways about it - The Edge is a great guitarist. If we're just going to merely judge great guitarists on their technical expertise, then we might as well stop calling music an art form and turn it into a sport. And start rating the likes of Gem Archer above The Edge.
|
|
|
Post by NYR on Jun 4, 2017 0:01:52 GMT -5
Fucking hell, man. Prince is probably one of the most underrated guitar players ever, just listen to this - starts at 3:25. Wow! I'll admit that's pretty impressive. Not a side of Prince I was aware of. Jesus Dhani looks like his dad... Prince was an incredible guitarist. Here are some more videos for you to check out… prepare for your mind to be blown.
|
|
|
Post by matt on Jun 4, 2017 7:00:33 GMT -5
Such a cliche. The Edge is clearly a master of composition more so than Gem but even then, I've yet to hear anything from Gem on a level with The Edge's guitar work on The Fly. And that's not even mentioning his incredibly underrated multilayered instrumental work he did on Pop, which barely used any delay. Maybe we should buy Gem a delay pedal? Would probably end up ripping off Dirty Day...
|
|
|
Post by The Chief on Jun 4, 2017 8:57:03 GMT -5
Maybe we should buy Gem a delay pedal? Would probably end up ripping off Dirty Day... Didn't he already do that without the delay pedal?
|
|
|
Post by carlober on Jun 4, 2017 9:06:33 GMT -5
Such a cliche. The Edge is clearly a master of composition more so than Gem but even then, I've yet to hear anything from Gem on a level with The Edge's guitar work on The Fly. And that's not even mentioning his incredibly underrated multilayered instrumental work he did on Pop, which barely used any delay. Maybe we should buy Gem a delay pedal? Actually he's already got at least three delays in his pedalboard, from what I can spot in the insta pic posted a few days ago Fuck, not even The Edge's got that many...
|
|
|
Post by spaneli on Jun 4, 2017 9:43:41 GMT -5
The Edge is not a great guitarist. As a guitarist, that cliche rings true. 99% of guitarists can do what he does playing wise. What he does have is a great ear for layering. That really is where his genius lies. Personally, I think a great guitarist is a combination of composition and technical ability, and the Edge's actual ability is lacking. He's the Kurt Cobain of delay pedals. Has a good ear for a riff, can do a bunch of simple riffs through layering, but without his plus delay system is actually fairly limited in his playing ability. Which is a big thing for me. For someone to be a great guitarist, they have to be versatile, something that the Edge isn't. He's part of the very good, but he wouldn't be in my top guitarists. Nope, sorry, I absolutely disagree, that is a very narrow definition for a 'great guitarist'. You can't judge a great artist on their painting skills, just like you can't judge a great guitarist on technical ability alone. Jimmy Page called him a sonic architect and Johnny Marr praised him greatly in his recent autobiography - two much much superior technical guitarists than Mr Evans but also two great guitarists who recognise the nuances and overarching holistic role that the guitarist in a band plays. For a great guitarist, I expect a degree of technical accomplishment (which although isn't great, he undoubtedly holds a 'degree' of), authenticity and pioneering. There is absolutely no question about the latter two qualities having devised his 'very own unique style' (as Johnny elaborated in his autobiography). He helped blaze the trail for post-rock guitarists with the sonic textures he devised, with Explosions In The Sky, God Is An Astronaut and Sigur Ros citing him as an influence (more precisely him and not U2) and has inspired numerous lesser pretenders down the years, to the point that perhaps if you listen to a signature tune of U2's, it doesn't sound as innovative as it did back in the 1980s what with its ubiquity amongst many chart acts. That shouldn't take away his masterful compositions though, and the subtlety and mysticisms he induces in, say, With Or Without You or A Sort of Homecoming still blows most effects laden modern day guitarists out of the water. He's arguably the major factor in creating the music of one of the biggest bands of all time, who wrote a ton of great album in the 80s and 90s, but also explored new sonic territories and influenced many others. The lyrics of the frontman only subtly changed (less so the melodies) - they were still very earnest lyrics, and Bono only had to sing into a lower register to seem more brooding. The actual music was turned on its head though, and that was the staple of their hugely successful live sound (leave a U2 concert and nobody says 'that guitarist was shit') and their ability to re-invent themselves successfully - and that's mainly down to The Edge. There's no two ways about it - The Edge is a great guitarist. If we're just going to merely judge great guitarists on their technical expertise, then we might as well stop calling music an art form and turn it into a sport. And start rating the likes of Gem Archer above The Edge. My definition wasn't "narrow." I listed: Composition Technical Ability Adaptability. The Edge has a very select style that he plays. That's fact. To me, I could never put him among the very best for that simple reason. I consider Prince one of the best because he could easily be the best Blues guitarist, Jazz, R&B, Funk, and Rock. The Edge? No. He's not on that level, and to suggest that...well, I just wouldn't make that suggestion. Being a "great: guitarist requires versatility and adaptability, both of which the Edge lacks. To me, that's a difference between a very good guitarist and a great one, much like in a sport, where there's a guy who excels in one facet of the game, but can't translate his skills to other portions. He'll always be regarded as very good, but rarely great. That's also combining the fact that technical ability-wise, the Edge isn't great. He wouldn't be in the top 100 guitarists if based on technique, that much is evident in a documentary like It Might Get Loud, where someone like Jimmy Page played circles around him. Mind you, Jimmy Page used to be a session musician. There are many session musicians that I would put above the Edge. Some may see this as blasphemy, but there are guys like Tommy Todesco who played on just about every West Coast hit in the 60's, Glen Campbell who made up much of the guitar parts on Pet Sounds, or Robert White of the Funk Brothers, who essentially created the Motown Sound. All of them far more adaptable, versatile, ground breaking, and technically advanced than the Edge. No, sorry. A "great" guitarist doesn't get that far over matched. I'm not expecting the Edge to go pristine sweep picking and Metal-like melodic soloing, but even for his genre, both him and Noel are essentially on the same level in terms of technique, and no one would ever confuse Noel with a truly great guitarist. Once again, the Edge deserves credit for creating a unique sound and pushing the guitar sonically. He was truly ground breaking. But being ground breaking doesn't automatically make you a great musician. Influencing other artists doesn't automatically make you a great musician either. It means that you found a winning formula. No one would ever confuse Lou Reed with being a "great" guitarist, even though sonically, the Velvet Underground pushed their sound, influenced an entire generation of musicians, and wrote great albums. They had an incredibly unique sound, but they weren't great musicians. So, when you're listing the above factors, few of them directly correlate with actually being great at your instrument because there's a long list of artists who fulfill your factors, but wouldn't offhand be considered great musicians. To me, the Edge is a one trick pony. Yes, that trick is fantastic and it's gotten him a long way, but you have to be more, in my opinion, to be considered among the very very best.
|
|
|
Post by discworld on Jun 4, 2017 9:50:52 GMT -5
Frank Zappa was a great guitarist.
|
|
|
Post by matt on Jun 4, 2017 11:01:55 GMT -5
Nope, sorry, I absolutely disagree, that is a very narrow definition for a 'great guitarist'. You can't judge a great artist on their painting skills, just like you can't judge a great guitarist on technical ability alone. Jimmy Page called him a sonic architect and Johnny Marr praised him greatly in his recent autobiography - two much much superior technical guitarists than Mr Evans but also two great guitarists who recognise the nuances and overarching holistic role that the guitarist in a band plays. For a great guitarist, I expect a degree of technical accomplishment (which although isn't great, he undoubtedly holds a 'degree' of), authenticity and pioneering. There is absolutely no question about the latter two qualities having devised his 'very own unique style' (as Johnny elaborated in his autobiography). He helped blaze the trail for post-rock guitarists with the sonic textures he devised, with Explosions In The Sky, God Is An Astronaut and Sigur Ros citing him as an influence (more precisely him and not U2) and has inspired numerous lesser pretenders down the years, to the point that perhaps if you listen to a signature tune of U2's, it doesn't sound as innovative as it did back in the 1980s what with its ubiquity amongst many chart acts. That shouldn't take away his masterful compositions though, and the subtlety and mysticisms he induces in, say, With Or Without You or A Sort of Homecoming still blows most effects laden modern day guitarists out of the water. He's arguably the major factor in creating the music of one of the biggest bands of all time, who wrote a ton of great album in the 80s and 90s, but also explored new sonic territories and influenced many others. The lyrics of the frontman only subtly changed (less so the melodies) - they were still very earnest lyrics, and Bono only had to sing into a lower register to seem more brooding. The actual music was turned on its head though, and that was the staple of their hugely successful live sound (leave a U2 concert and nobody says 'that guitarist was shit') and their ability to re-invent themselves successfully - and that's mainly down to The Edge. There's no two ways about it - The Edge is a great guitarist. If we're just going to merely judge great guitarists on their technical expertise, then we might as well stop calling music an art form and turn it into a sport. And start rating the likes of Gem Archer above The Edge. My definition wasn't "narrow." I listed: Composition Technical Ability Adaptability. The Edge has a very select style that he plays. That's fact. To me, I could never put him among the very best for that simple reason. I consider Prince one of the best because he could easily be the best Blues guitarist, Jazz, R&B, Funk, and Rock. The Edge? No. He's not on that level, and to suggest that...well, I just wouldn't make that suggestion. Being a "great: guitarist requires versatility and adaptability, both of which the Edge lacks. To me, that's a difference between a very good guitarist and a great one, much like in a sport, where there's a guy who excels in one facet of the game, but can't translate his skills to other portions. He'll always be regarded as very good, but rarely great. That's also combining the fact that technical ability-wise, the Edge isn't great. He wouldn't be in the top 100 guitarists if based on technique, that much is evident in a documentary like It Might Get Loud, where someone like Jimmy Page played circles around him. Mind you, Jimmy Page used to be a session musician. There are many session musicians that I would put above the Edge. Some may see this as blasphemy, but there are guys like Tommy Todesco who played on just about every West Coast hit in the 60's, Glen Campbell who made up much of the guitar parts on Pet Sounds, or Robert White of the Funk Brothers, who essentially created the Motown Sound. All of them far more adaptable, versatile, ground breaking, and technically advanced than the Edge. No, sorry. A "great" guitarist doesn't get that far over matched. I'm not expecting the Edge to go pristine sweep picking and Metal-like melodic soloing, but even for his genre, both him and Noel are essentially on the same level in terms of technique, and no one would ever confuse Noel with a truly great guitarist. Once again, the Edge deserves credit for creating a unique sound and pushing the guitar sonically. He was truly ground breaking. But being ground breaking doesn't automatically make you a great musician. Influencing other artists doesn't automatically make you a great musician either. It means that you found a winning formula. No one would ever confuse Lou Reed with being a "great" guitarist, even though sonically, the Velvet Underground pushed their sound, influenced an entire generation of musicians, and wrote great albums. They had an incredibly unique sound, but they weren't great musicians. So, when you're listing the above factors, few of them directly correlate with actually being great at your instrument because there's a long list of artists who fulfill your factors, but wouldn't offhand be considered great musicians. To me, the Edge is a one trick pony. Yes, that trick is fantastic and it's gotten him a long way, but you have to be more, in my opinion, to be considered among the very very best. I still stand by what I said. One trick pony? U2 went from post-punk to ambient experimentalism to electronica. Fuck knows what that is if it isn't versatility and adaptability.
|
|
|
Post by spaneli on Jun 4, 2017 11:23:11 GMT -5
My definition wasn't "narrow." I listed: Composition Technical Ability Adaptability. The Edge has a very select style that he plays. That's fact. To me, I could never put him among the very best for that simple reason. I consider Prince one of the best because he could easily be the best Blues guitarist, Jazz, R&B, Funk, and Rock. The Edge? No. He's not on that level, and to suggest that...well, I just wouldn't make that suggestion. Being a "great: guitarist requires versatility and adaptability, both of which the Edge lacks. To me, that's a difference between a very good guitarist and a great one, much like in a sport, where there's a guy who excels in one facet of the game, but can't translate his skills to other portions. He'll always be regarded as very good, but rarely great. That's also combining the fact that technical ability-wise, the Edge isn't great. He wouldn't be in the top 100 guitarists if based on technique, that much is evident in a documentary like It Might Get Loud, where someone like Jimmy Page played circles around him. Mind you, Jimmy Page used to be a session musician. There are many session musicians that I would put above the Edge. Some may see this as blasphemy, but there are guys like Tommy Todesco who played on just about every West Coast hit in the 60's, Glen Campbell who made up much of the guitar parts on Pet Sounds, or Robert White of the Funk Brothers, who essentially created the Motown Sound. All of them far more adaptable, versatile, ground breaking, and technically advanced than the Edge. No, sorry. A "great" guitarist doesn't get that far over matched. I'm not expecting the Edge to go pristine sweep picking and Metal-like melodic soloing, but even for his genre, both him and Noel are essentially on the same level in terms of technique, and no one would ever confuse Noel with a truly great guitarist. Once again, the Edge deserves credit for creating a unique sound and pushing the guitar sonically. He was truly ground breaking. But being ground breaking doesn't automatically make you a great musician. Influencing other artists doesn't automatically make you a great musician either. It means that you found a winning formula. No one would ever confuse Lou Reed with being a "great" guitarist, even though sonically, the Velvet Underground pushed their sound, influenced an entire generation of musicians, and wrote great albums. They had an incredibly unique sound, but they weren't great musicians. So, when you're listing the above factors, few of them directly correlate with actually being great at your instrument because there's a long list of artists who fulfill your factors, but wouldn't offhand be considered great musicians. To me, the Edge is a one trick pony. Yes, that trick is fantastic and it's gotten him a long way, but you have to be more, in my opinion, to be considered among the very very best. I still stand by what I said. One trick pony? U2 went from post-punk to ambient experimentalism to electronica. Fuck knows what that is if it isn't versatility and adaptability. That's not versatility. Did the Edge really have to change his style or push his playing capabilities when he switched from experimentalisn to electronica? Answer: not that much. That pales in comparison to most great guitarists.
|
|