My favorite "guitar music genre" is blues/rock. That said, I've only recently discovered Dave Hole, a blues/rock slide guitar player of the 1st order. He's from Australia, but found his way to Chicago and put out 5 CDs on the Alligator Label. Dave Hole doesn't just merely play slide guitar, he attacks it-- straffing (sp?) the guitar on attack after attack. FWIW, he plays with left hand over the top of the guitar, and to good effect. Ry Cooder has more finesse and gentleness to his "slide" than Dave Hole, but D. Hole has incredible NRG-- and he sings well too. Another I really like, and has been around a long time, is JJ Cale. He plays a more gentle type of blues/rock (and ballads) with a distinct, slower, softer, Southern delivery-- in contrast to the Hi-NRG Chicago blues. JJ Cale is also an excellent singer and story teller. Dave Hole and JJ Cale should have made it bigger, IMHO. Recommendations? Dave Hole CD, "Under the Spell", and JJ Cale CD, "Guitar Man", or CD, "Anthology". As I'm an old coot, CCR has to be the best "guitar band" in my generation, or at least my favorite. I also really like Eric Clapton's "Blues" CD. Hope this post hasn't polluted your thread with "blues" considerations. PS; I think Dekay may like "Guitar Man" CD. Happy Holidays. Craig.
Greatest Guitar Band
I thought just before Christmas I'd get a good thread going. IMHO,the greatest guitar band was the Yardbirds, not because E Clapton,or J Beck, or J Page was in it but because Chris Deja, and Paul Samwell-Smith were great rhythm and bass guitarists that could rock and keep up with the above. Plus Jim McCarty the drummer could keep the group in line and fine harmonica work from Keith Relf(ok not the greatest vocalist, more of a finesse singer).They had it all, I cannot think of another band that had three great guitarists in the band at one time(J Beck, C Deja, P Samwell-Smith). In 1967, when J Beck and J Page were in the band togther as co-lead guitars, they were the lead in band for the rolling stones, they just blow them away,ok, that is not a fair comparison considering the rolling stones still cannot play their instruments very well. But in comparison to say Led Zepplin, LZ did not have a rhthym guitarist(except J Page would overdub that part on recordings). That made them sound not as well rounded live as far as guitar work is concerned. I am not saying LZ was a bad band on the contrary,they put on probably the best show ever, but I do not consider them a guitar band per se. Besides, J Page stole vitually from his former band anyway. Remember "How Many More Times" is a repackaged version of the YBs "Smokestack Lightning", a Howlin Wolf tune. YBs version is in my mind the best rock song ever. So what do you think????