are most of the "FAMOUS" guitarists only seen as "special"

[S t e v e]

because of the bands they were in?, i mean was jimmy page that great or was it zepellin that were great?, is angus young that good or is it ac/dc that made him a "name", is david gilmour realy a fantastic player or is he famous because he was the guitarist in pink floyd?...discuss

 

 

p.s not knocking the above players just a thought/discussion ;)

[cabba2203]

I think it works both ways.

 

JP was a known guitarist before Zep, like Beck & Clapton.

Personally, and I'm a HUGE AC/DC fan, Angus made AC/DC IMO. If they had no Angus, I don't think they would have gotten as much notice.

David Gilmour, true, he is mostly known for being the guitarist in Floyd and that's sad as he is an awesome and underrated guitarist.

Gilmour's tone, bends and vibrato are beautiful - his style is beyond great. He's more than just "that guitarist" to me anyway.

[Notes_Norton]

My first instrument is sax, so I've had a chance to play with some very great guitarists.

 

One day I was talking to Tom Scott (famous sax player) and he very modestly said something like this. "I know there is a sax player somewhere, playing in a Holiday Inn somewhere like Valparaiso Indiana that can put me in his back pocket. But I was at the right place at the right time, knew the right people, showed up straight, showed up on time, and didn't screw up the gig."

 

Jimmy Page was a studio guitarist before he was with Zep, and that speaks for itself.

 

But there are guitarists out there that can put him in their back pockets, that will never be famous.

 

For my money, Jeff Beck is the most technically talented famous rock guitarist alive today

 

Notes ♫

[PartsPvt]

My first instrument is sax, so I've had a chance to play with some very great guitarists.

 

One day I was talking to Tom Scott (famous sax player) and he very modestly said something like this. "I know there is a sax player somewhere, playing in a Holiday Inn somewhere like Valparaiso Indiana that can put me in his back pocket. But I was at the right place at the right time, knew the right people, showed up straight, showed up on time, and didn't screw up the gig."

 

..Perfect. This is what I was trying to say in the "Sell Out" thread. Great explanation of Professional Musician..

[jamman]

The cream always rises to the top. If a Musician goes out there and keeps trying, if he,or she is that good (world class) they will be heard. It's happened before and it will happen again. The truly gifted are easy to spot. The specail gift they have, not everyone gets.

[pippy]

...I mean was jimmy page that great or was it zepellin that were great?, is angus young that good or is it ac/dc that made him a "name", is david gilmour realy a fantastic player or is he famous because he was the guitarist in pink floyd?...discuss

 

As I see it, especially with those particular bands you mention, it's the other way around. The bands became a name partly because of those players but not just because of their actual playing.

 

Led Zeppelin were great to a large part because Jimmy Page could do the things he could do - and not just as a guitarist. Without JP it's doubtful the band would have become the influence they were.

 

AC/DC are who they are largely through the antics and playing skill of Angus Young.

 

The pre-Gilmour Floyd was a quirky band with no particular direction and a lot of whimsy - largely through the mental instability of Syd Barrett. Gilmour took over guitar duties and shortly afterwards the band became much more focussed on where they wanted to go, musically speaking. Again; the guitar playing was just one facet of what made the band great. Gilmour brought a lot more to the party than just his playing ability.

 

Like I say; just how I see it.

[freak show]

because of the bands they were in?, i mean was jimmy page that great or was it zepellin that were great?, is angus young that good or is it ac/dc that made him a "name", is david gilmour realy a fantastic player or is he famous because he was the guitarist in pink floyd?...discuss

 

This is basically the old question: "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" and it's an interesting question.

 

But in this context, I think there's a simple answer -- at least when it comes to Gilmour and Page:

 

Both are considered great guitarists (i.e. "special"), because they wrote and played some of the best guitar music of all times, and that is ultimately the reason why their respective bands are so important. In other words: These bands wouldn't have been great without the songs which Page and Gilmour created. But that doesn't make them superhuman players technically speaking.

 

Neither Page nor Gilmour is the best player of all times. Obviously there are lots of guitarists who can play this music lick for lick and in many cases more flawlessly than Gilmour or Page, but that's not the point. These two guys aren't considered great because of their technical perfection. Their greatness rests on the music they wrote for their bands. Their music is the reason these bands are legendary. There's always someone else who can play a song just as well if not better. Writing the music is what's important.

[pippy]

...There's always someone else who can play a song just as well if not better. Writing the music is what's important...

 

freak show; I agree with you 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999%

 

But, just to play Devil's Advocate for a second, who here has even heard the Billy Roberts version of 'Hey Joe'?

 

(There always has to be one smartass...LOL!)

[saturn]

There are many famous guitar players who are famous only because of their band. That's not saying they aren't "good" or "great" players, but there are countless unknown people who can play better than many of the more famous players. If they don't have the hit songs as a vehicle to play on, more than likely they will never get famous, no matter how technically great their playing is.

[Notes_Norton]

And there are a lot of famous guitar players who just happened to be in the right place at the right time and with the right connections.

 

Not to take away anything from those who "made it", but luck had a lot to do with that.

 

A friend of mine (who sadly left us too soon) was a better guitarist than at least half the most famous guitarists. He never got the chance.

 

I play sax better than Kenny G and at least half of the "smooth jazz" saxophonists, and almost had the chance, but negotiations between our lawyers and Motown's lawyers broke down over money.

 

It isn't only talent that makes you famous. And some times talent has nothing to do with it (Taylor Swift who cannot sing her way out of a paper bag is one example - in my big sister's generation Fabian Forte was another - in my parents' generation Fred Astaire was another [couldn't sing but he could dance]). It's more about being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people.

 

I think we just have to accept that luck has a lot to do with making it, and I think we just have to be happy about the musicians that we like who were in the right place at the right time with the right connections.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

[Zonkers]

I think it's a little of being in the right place at the right time and talent and drive. What if Paul never went to that church to see the Quarrymen play? Zep could have gone in a whole different direction if the initial lineup was solidified. I've often asked this and thought this, "What if"

John and Paul never met

Page and Plant (and Bonzo) never met

Townshend and Daltry never met

etc....

 

Hendrix was a session musician before he was 'Hendrix'

So many of these famous players worked quietly in the background paying their dues, learning the game, then playing them both very well.

[albertjohn]

Perhaps it's because a band's greatness is more than it's individual parts. That greatness is then reflected back upon its individual members and they gain greater status/visibility than if they were solo.

 

Or put another way: when Pete Townshend, Dave Gilmour, JP, George Harrison etc went and did their own thing, they did not enjoy as much success as when they were part of their respective bands.

 

Dave Gimour is the master of bends, vibrato, tone etc (as has been said) but would he have been as famous, and therefore be considered a "great", if he had not been part of Pink Floyd?

 

I'm getting confused now!

[pippy]

Refreshingly, it also works the other way 'round.

 

Eric Clapton was always destined to be one of the all-time greats.

 

He left 'The Yardbirds' at the same moment they achieved their biggest ever hit because they were leaving the 'pure blues' ethos behind.

 

He left John Mayall's Bluesbreakers even before the 'Beano' had even been released because he wanted to take music into a hitherto unknown direction.

 

Cream broke up for reasons too well known...

 

On and on and on. His singlemindedness and commitment to himself was always his driving force and his goal - not commercial success or doing what anybody else wanted.

 

You may not like much of what he's done, (and I know some of the best of you lot don't!) but he's been true to himself and that makes him Great in my book.

[albertjohn]

Refreshingly, it also works the other way 'round.

 

Eric Clapton was always destined to be one of the all-time greats.

 

He left 'The Yardbirds' at the same moment they achieved their biggest ever hit because they were leaving the 'pure blues' ethos behind.

 

He left John Mayall's Bluesbreakers even before the 'Beano' had even been released because he wanted to take music into a hitherto unknown direction.

 

Cream broke up for reasons too well known...

 

On and on and on. His singlemindedness and commitment to himself was always his driving force and his goal - not commercial success or doing what anybody else wanted.

 

You may not like much of what he's done, (and I know some of the best of you lot don't!) but he's been true to himself and that makes him Great in my book.

 

Agreed.

 

I'm a big fan.

[swleary]

It's ok Steve, you are special lol