Hobos Landing

You may not believe it, but I do get away from the computer occasionally. One such occasion was a couple of days ago when I was out mowing a section on the south part of the property. I was driving slowly through some weeds when all of a sudden the most horrible noise occurred underneath the mower. Just as this happenned, the mower stopped dead and the motor died. I was pretty sure I had hit a big root sticking up so I disengaged the blades and restarted the mower. It started right up, so I backed up a bit and turned the blades back on. The mower engine drug and it started to die. I figured there was something stuck underneath but I was really tired and didn’t feel like trying to get under it, so I just parked it.

Today I got out with my little tool box to work on it. I’m not terribly mechanical so I usually call my friend Chris at Shaw Motorsports to help me out with anything like this, but I was feeling frisky. I got on the mower and was driving it to where I was going to try to tear it apart and I heard a gnarly, but different noise underneath the deck. For some odd reason, I decided to check the blades and, low and behold, it worked just great. I turned the mower around to go see if I could see what fell off, secretly hoping it’s wasn’t something that was supposed to stay there.

I looked on the ground and found this:

Just to give you an idea, those are 2X6s that it’s sitting on. It reminded me of a big turkey leg. I guess I was extremely lucky that nothing important was broken.

I ran across a Rolling Stone article called “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” yesterday and, being a musician myself, poured over the list.  I’m sure no one can put out a list like this without expecting criticism and disagreement over who they picked and what order they placed  them in.  I am here to fill this niche.  So lets get started, shall we?

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Duane Allman
3. B.B. King
4. Eric Clapton
5. Robert Johnson
6. Chuck Berry
7. Stevie Ray Vaughn
8. Ry Cooder
9. Jimmy Page
10. Keith Richards

I don’t have any major problems with the top 10, at least nothing that screams at me.  I think this may be a little high on the list for Ry Cooder and Keith Richards, but this is still the neck of the woods they need to be in.

11. Kirk Hammett
12. Kurt Cobain
13. Jerry Garcia
14. Jeff Beck
15. Carlos Santana
16. Johnny Ramone
17. Jack White
18. John Frusciante
19. Richard Thompson
20. James Burton

Ok folks, here’s where my problems begin.  Kurt Cobain?  Great guitarist?  I just can’t buy it.  Influential songwriter, maybe.  But in my opinion, he was not a particularly accomplished guitarist.  So he definitely doesn’t go here.  I also can’t believe he is listed ABOVE the likes of Jeff Beck and Carlos Santana!

My next problem:  Johnny Ramone.  Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE THE RAMONES.  They kick major ass.  But their ass kicking is done with attitude, not with chops.  I can teach a 10 year old to play Johnny Ramone songs.  He shouldn’t be on the list.  Sorry.

Now to one of my biggest problems with this list.  Jack White of the White Stripes?  Who did this guys manager pay off?  He shouldn’t even be on the radar.  Not even in the cut.  How did this guy make the list and Albert King didn’t?  I am assuming this was a joke that someone put in when they were stoned that they forgot to take out before publication.

21. George Harrison
22. Mike Bloomfield
23. Warren Haynes
24. The Edge
25. Freddy King
26. Tom Morello
27. Mark Knophler
28. Steven Stills
29. Ron Ashton
30. Buddy Guy

This 10 is not QUITE as bad.  I am a little torn with The Edge.  As a straight player, I don’t think he’s that great, but he is a master of using effects well to make astonishingly full walls of sound.  That being said, I think that makes him the less talented version of Robert Fripp.  Fripp was doing this stuff in analog before The Edge ever picked up a guitar and Fripp is a straight up monster player.  This is one of those guys that’s good, but when you look at who didn’t make the list, I think he should be dropped to make room.  That’s really my main problem with this 10.  There are several who are good but there are many that deserved these slots more.  For this reason and this reason alone, I’d have to take out Tom Morello, Ron Ashton and Steven Still.  These are very tough choices, but when you put them next to Django Reinhardt or Steve Vai, who didn’t make the list, I would have to bump them, or at least bump them lower and get rid of some of the riff raff that shouldn’t be here in the first place.

I do think Buddy Guy needs to be higher.  Hendrix is number one and Guy is the man who influenced what you see in Hendrix more than anyone else.  He needs to at least be to 20.

31. Dick Dale
32. John Cipollina
33. Thurston Moore
34. Lee Ranaldo
35. John Fahey
36. Steve Cropper
37. Bo Diddly
38. Peter Green
39. Brian May
40. John Fogerty

Now here’s an interesting 10.  Dick Dale, the king of surf guitar may be a little high, but I definitely think he needs to be in the list.  There was no surf style before him.  John Cippolina of Quicksilver Messenger Service was a great player as well, but I go back to the ‘who’s NOT on the list’ argument before I put him on.

The next two are the guys from Sonic Youth.  They are ok players, but not even approaching the level of what should be on this list.  You have some incredible players UNDER them.  In excusable choice.  Not as bad as Jack White, but approaching it.

The rest of this 10 are fine with the exception of Bo Diddly.  As a guitar player, I think he is better than Chuck Berry, so if Berry is at number 6, Bo Diddly at least needs to be in the top 10.  (Although top 20 for both of them, I think would be more appropriate.)

41. Clarence White
42. Robert Fripp
43. Eddie Hazel
44. Scotty Moore
45. Frank Zappa
46. Les Paul
47. TBone Walker
48. Joe Perry
49. John McLaughlin
50. Pete Townsend

Not since the top 10 have we listed 10 I can’t argue with.  All are great.  All deserve to be here.  All are in about the right spot, although some arguments could be made for moving a little.  Still, all and all, this one is pretty spot on.

51. Paul Kossoff
52. Lou Reed
53. Mickey Baker
54. Jorma Kaukonen
55. Ritchie Blackmore
56. Tom Veriane
57. Roy Buchanan
58. Dicky Betts
59. Ed O’brien
60. Johnny Greenwood

…and we are right back to the problems.  Paul Kossoff of Free I can go with.  By looking at who isn’t on here, maybe he should open up a spot, but you could open the Grand Canyon in this 10 so let’s move on.

Lou Reed?  Are you serious?  Lou Reed?  C’mon folks.  I love the music but Lou can’t really sing or play.  It’s about the cool, the vibe, the attitude of the Velvet Underground, not musical ability.  Sorry Lou, I love ya, but you got to go.

Mickey Baker is probably one of the best guitarists you never heard of.  I say he stays.

Jorma has at least got to move down the list.  The Airplane and Hot Tuna are great, but I just don’t think he goes here.

Tom Veriane of Television, I must say, is one of the few I have never heard play, so I can’t really say if he goes here or not.

Now let me get to Dickey Betts.  Dickey is WAAAY too low in this poll.  Dickey is one of the best all around players there is.  Just listen to ‘Live at the FIllmore West’.  The problem is that Dickey was in a band with Duane Allman.  So you compare him to the number 2 guitarist EVER and he will pale a little.  When the Allmans reformed, he played next to Warren Haynes, who, BTW, I think is also WAAAAY to low on this list.  He pales a little.  But he is by no means a bottom 50 player.  This guy is definitely top 20 if not top 10.

Ed O’Brien and Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead?  Shouldn’t even be in the list.  Nuff said.

61. Ike Turner
62. Zoot Horn Rollo
63. Danny Gatton
64. Mick Ronson
65. Hubert Sumlin
66. Vernon Reid
67. Link Wray
68. Jerry Miller
69. Steve Howe
70. Eddie Van Halen

So lets start at the top here with Ike Turner.  Great guitar player and song writer?  Agreed.  Belongs in the top 100 guitarists ever?  Sorry,  no.

Zoot Horn Rollo from the Magic band, same as Ike.  Great player, absolutely.  Top 100, nope.

Danny Gatton was a monster.  This guy is too low in the list.  Needs to be 10 to 20 spots higher, at least.

Hubert Sumlin is a real favorite of mine, but I’m not sure he belongs in this list.  He backed up Howlin’ Wolf forever and was great, but in a list that is missing Albert King, I think we have to make some room.  I am truly sorry, Hubert.

Link Wray is a tough one.  Very influential in incorporating distortion, but just not sure if that would be enough to do it for my list.

Jerry Miller of Moby Grape.  I really love this band and Jerry’s playing, but c’mon guys.  You have him on the list ABOVE Eddie Van Halen.  Eddie definitely needs to move up the list.  This guy has done more on a guitar than most of us can even dream up.  He’s top 10.  This is a truly boneheaded oversight.

71. Lightin’ Hopkins
72. Joni Mitchell
73. Trey Anastasio
74. Johnny Winter
75. Adam Jones
76. Ali Farka Toure
77. Henry Vestine
78. Robbie Robertson
79. Cliff Gallup
80. Robert Quine

This 10 is quite diverse and interesting.  Lightnin’ Hopkins is in at 71 which I think is about right.  Glad to see a folk player made the list in Joni Mitchell, who is a great fingerstyle, non-standard tuning player, but I think there were a couple of those who should have made the list and didn’t.

Trey Anastasio is a great player and probably goes in the top 100.  I think his position here is about right, maybe even a little high, but he definitely makes the list.

Johnny Winter is too low.  This guy is a monster.  He started out a monster and is a monster to this day.  Should be at least in the top 30 – 40.

Adam Jones of Tool would never make my list.  I don’t listen to Tool all that much so I don’t want to be too critical, but I think I can easily fill a top 100 list with valid entries and never even think of this name or band.

The rest of this 10 gets no real complaint.  I think Robbie Robertson’s contributions to music totally overshadow any contribution to guitar he may have had, but hell.  I love the guy.  I’ll watch ‘The Last Waltz’ and listen to ‘Music From Big Pink’ till they cremate me.

81. Derek Trucks
82. David Gilmore
83. Neil Young
84. Eddie Cochrane
85. Randi Rhodes
86. Toni Iommi
87. Joan Jett
88. Dave Davies
89. D. Boon
90. Glenn Buxton

First let me say, Derek Trucks is too low.  Go listen to this guy.  He can pretty much outplay any living guitarist.  His playing is simply on another level.  If you haven’t listened to him do.  Easy top 20.

David Gilmore is too low also.  His contributions to music in general and the guitar in particular are without question.  Top 30

Neil Young is probably in the right place, as is Eddie Cochrane, but Randi Rhodes is definitely too low.  40s to 50s.

Toni Iommi may be a little low, but I won’t argue it too much.  He’s on the list and deserves to be.  He’s not top 50 and shouldn’t be.

Joan Jett??  Huh???  Great showman?  Hell Yes!  Great singer?  Hell yes!  Would I go see her live and buy the records?!  Have and will continue to do so.  Great guitarist?   Get real.  I’ll bet even Joan would say she doesn’t belong on this list.

Dave Davies is ok.  The Kinks are ok and have been doing this forever.  But he is just not that great of a guitarist.  Off my list.

D. Boon probably belongs on this list, right about here, but I would easily entertain arguments for elimination.

Glenn Buxton is a good guitarist.  Love the Alice Cooper stuff.  Top 100 of all time, especially with the names that are missing.  No way.  Sorry Glenn.

91. Robbie Krieger
92. Wayne Kramer
93. Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith
94. Burt Jansch
95. Kevin Shields
96. Angus Young
97. Robert Randolph
98. Leigh Stevens
99. Gregg Ginn
100. Kim Thayil

Here we are at the end of Rolling Stones list.  Lets see if they go out with a bang or a whimper.  They seem to start out well.  Robbie Krieger definitely belongs on here, and maybe even a bit higher.  Wayne Kramer and Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith did some great stuff and probably deserve to be here as well.

Burt Jansch is a great player for the same reasons that Leo Kottke does and I probably would have given Leo the nod, but no real argument.

Kevin Shields?  Not on MY list, folks.

Now this brings us to Angus Young, one of the most copied blues rock players of the last 30 years and he rates 96?  Give me a break.  This guy is at least top 50, bare minimum.  Big drop of the ball here.

Robert Randolph is interesting.  Since it said guitarists, not stringed instrument players, I had not thought of him, although this inclusion would mean that Jerry Douglas MUST be added to the list.

Leigh Stevens, Gregg Ginn and Kim Thayil just don’t make my list.

Notable Omissions

We see who has been included, but who got snubbed?  There are some great, great names conspicuously absent from the list.  Here are just a few that I thought of:

• Albert King
• Django Reinhardt
• Brian Setzer
• Steve Vai
• Eric Johnson
• Joe Satriani
• Yngvie Malmsteen
• Sonny Landreth
• Keb Mo
• Leo Kottke
• Charlie Christian
• Chet Atkins
• Jerry Douglas

There are numerous others but these guys definitely should have been on the list somewhere.

So there you have my take on it.  Let me know what you think.  Did I miss somebody? (I’m sure I did)  Is there somebody I under rated?  Leave a comment and let me know.

I was flipping through the TV channels this afternoon after getting home from Barcamp SA (more on Barcamp San Antonio coming soon) and VH1, yes, the ‘music’ channel, is running an apparent marathon of “Trading Spouses:? Meet Your New Mommy”.? So I thought maybe this was Rock n Roll famlies switching spouses.? Nope…it’s the same old sucky show from network TV.? It was bad enough in the first place, but I wish VH1 would stick to playing things that at least remotely tie into music