Most likely better known to us Canadians, my vote goes to Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush. Seen him live about 40 times, great guitarist. And of course David Gilmour, seen them a few times in the seventies when they were in my opinion at thier best. I still get a shiver when I think back to a night about 17 years ago when I seen Frank Zappa at the Queen Elizabeth in Vancouver, just sitting on the monitor cabinet having a smoke while the rest of the band looked after the first part of "moving to Montana" then he gets up tucks his half done cigarette into the machine head, and gets to center stage just in time to rip into the guitar solo. . . .wicked.
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????