Top 5's Part Three-Random Shit

It's relatively easy to differentiate but I had a whole scope of Blues and Blues Rock guitarists in mind that are so steeped in the Blues...it is better though to just focus on purists.

Met, when you're ready for some Blues 101 start w/something like The Cobra Records Story or some of the sets from Chess Records then hit Stax Records then move forward or backward from there, SRV really ruined latter Blues guitarists for me more so b/c of his tone and all the clones...there's a couple of good 'un's (my Cobra Records pun) and a few songs scattered here and there. As far as White Bluesmen go w/Green era Mac, Free, Johnny Winter and Paul Butterfield for starters. Also John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and then go into others like Robben Ford, etc. and of course Stevie!

Who do you like from the '50s-'60s, SD?

Akeldama wrote:

Who do you like from the '50s-'60s, SD?

Pretty much the majority of the Chess/Sun/Bluesville/Cobra/Stax greats.

Chuck Berry is where I started, which led to Willie Dixon and then all the others. Some of my favorite blues musicians aren't guitarists...Otis Spann (piano), Little Walter (harmonica), Willie Dixon (bass), etc.

Man, that's kewl bro. Otis Spann is a bad ass, Willie Dixon was also a great producer as well. I dig all the ones you mentioned.

Top 5 Prog Groups?

Here are mine, in no particular order of course.

Yes

King Crimson

Gentle Giant

Van der Graaf Generator

Rush

Honorable Mentions:

Nektar; Wishbone Ash; Pink Floyd.

Metal-On-Metal wrote:

Top 5 Prog Groups?

If we're just talking 70s. Here's my list in order:

1. Yes
2. Genesis
3. Kansas
4. Camel
5. Gentle Giant

Honorable mentions go to ELP, King Crimson, The Strawbs, PFM, Rush, Focus, Caravan, Renaissance, Jethro Tull, VDGG, Nektar, Pink Floyd, Barclay James Harvest, The Moody Blues and anyone else I might have forgotten.

It's probable my favorite genre, so I like a lot of stuff.

70's Prog

1. King Crimson
2. Jethro Tull
3. Yes
4. Gentle Giant
5. Camel

No surprises on mine

Pink Floyd
King Crimson
Yes
Jethro Tull
Rush

I feel bad for forgetting Jethro Tull, Camel, Kansas and a few others. But, oh well.

S.D. wrote:

70's Prog

1. King Crimson
2. Jethro Tull
3. Yes
4. Gentle Giant
5. Camel

Looking at this list and thinking about leaving off Pink Floyd. Why exactly? Originally the thought in my head was "Pink Floyd is so unique, they don't belong in any category, they are just Pink Floyd". So I left them off the list. However, by my own reasoning Jethro Tull shouldn't have been on the list either, because I also view Tull as a category unto themselves.

Then I thought that maybe I'm thinking about this too much.

Akeldama wrote:

SD inspired this one:


Top 5 White Blues Guitarists:

Honestly, I have to think about this for a few days...

1. Rory Gallagher
2. SRV
3. Bernie Marsden
4. Gary Moore
5. George Thorogood
Those are some of the faves I can think of.

Top 5 Non-metal guitarists... Prog, jazz, fusion, etc.

This one's probably subject to change, but I'll give it a shot.

In no definite order:

Steve Howe

Robert Fripp

Alex Lifeson

John McLaughlin

Rory Gallagher

[Honorable Mentions include: David Gilmour, Lary Coryell, Andy Latimer, Kerry Livgren, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Steve Hackett]

Damn dude, that's a tough one. I don't think any of my favorite guitarists are metal, haha.

Uh...
Jimi Hendrix
Alvin Lee
Nick Drake
Larry LaLonde (debatably metal? i dunno)
Alex Lifeson

Jimi Hendrix
Tosin Abasi
Jeff Martin
David Hidalgo/Cesar Rosas
All the Steely Dan dudes (Denny Dias, etc)

Top 5 Non-metal guitarists... Prog, jazz, fusion, etc.

1. Michael Hedges
2. Al Di Meola
3. Steve Howe
4. Steve Hackett
5. Andres Segovia

Top 5 Albums The Year You Were Born

1980:

1. Black Sabbath-Heaven And Hell
2. Diamond Head-Lightning To The Nations
3. Scorpions-Animal Magnetism
4. B.O.C.-Cultasaurus Erectus
5. Carlos Santana-The Swing Of Delight!

This was harder than piss to choose 5 from 1980...

I could probably choose 50 albums from the year I was born - 1970. But I also think that was overall the best year for music in history. It would take a long time to get that list down to 5...

1974

1. Nazareth - Rampant
2. Deep Purple - Burn
3. Santana - Illuminations
4. Alice Cooper - Muscle Of Love
5. Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla

SpectreFate wrote:

1974

1. Nazareth - Rampant
2. Deep Purple - Burn
3. Santana - Illuminations
4. Alice Cooper - Muscle Of Love
5. Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla

I must say that having Rampant in the top 5 and at #1 no less is a surprise to me...sure I like the album but...

Akeldama wrote:

SpectreFate wrote:

1974

1. Nazareth - Rampant
2. Deep Purple - Burn
3. Santana - Illuminations
4. Alice Cooper - Muscle Of Love
5. Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla

I must say that having Rampant in the top 5 and at #1 no less is a surprise to me...sure I like the album but...

It's a KILLER record in my opinion. 1974 wasn't the best year for music.

SpectreFate wrote:

1974 wasn't the best year for music.

Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs
Lucifer's Friend - Banquet
Nektar - Down To Earth
Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets
Joni Mitchell - Court & Spark
Kiss - Kiss
Kiss - Hotter Than Hell
The Doobie Brothers - What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits
Camel - Mirage
Rush - Rush
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
Queen - Queen II
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe
Mott The Hoople - The Hoople
King Crimson - Starless & Bible Black
King Crimson - Red
Kansas - Kansas
Grand Funk Railroad - Shinin' On
Miles Davis - Big Fun
David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Elf - Carolina County Ball
Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties
Santana - Lotus
UFO - Phenomenon
Henry Cow - Unrest
Bad Company - Bad Company
Bob Dylan & The Band - Before The Flood
Buffalo - Only Want You For Your Body
Gentle Giant - The Power And The Glory
Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes - Tooth, Fang & Claw
Supertramp - Crime Of The Century
E.L.O. - Eldorado
Jethro Tull - War Child
Thin Lizzy - Night Life
Scorpions - Fly To The Rainbow
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Ohio Players - Fire
Wishbone Ash - There's The Rub
Yes - Relayer
Deep Purple - Stormbringer
Joe Walsh - So What?

This list just scratches the surface of the rock/pop stuff, tons of great jazz, R&B, funk, etc also came out in 1974.

S.D. wrote:

SpectreFate wrote:

1974 wasn't the best year for music.

Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs
Lucifer's Friend - Banquet
Nektar - Down To Earth
Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets
Joni Mitchell - Court & Spark
Kiss - Kiss
Kiss - Hotter Than Hell
The Doobie Brothers - What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits
Camel - Mirage
Rush - Rush
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
Queen - Queen II
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe
Mott The Hoople - The Hoople
King Crimson - Starless & Bible Black
King Crimson - Red
Kansas - Kansas
Grand Funk Railroad - Shinin' On
Miles Davis - Big Fun
David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Elf - Carolina County Ball
Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties
Santana - Lotus
UFO - Phenomenon
Henry Cow - Unrest
Bad Company - Bad Company
Bob Dylan & The Band - Before The Flood
Buffalo - Only Want You For Your Body
Gentle Giant - The Power And The Glory
Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes - Tooth, Fang & Claw
Supertramp - Crime Of The Century
E.L.O. - Eldorado
Jethro Tull - War Child
Thin Lizzy - Night Life
Scorpions - Fly To The Rainbow
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Ohio Players - Fire
Wishbone Ash - There's The Rub
Yes - Relayer
Deep Purple - Stormbringer
Joe Walsh - So What?

This list just scratches the surface of the rock/pop stuff, tons of great jazz, R&B, funk, etc also came out in 1974.

Meh. I left out Get Your Wings and Relayer. Maybe "Fire". I'm not of the "If it came from the 70's, it's gotta be good" syndicate.

Well, there are a ton of classic albums on that list that I wouldn't want to live without. The decade itself isn't why it's my favorite, it just so happens more albums came out during the 70s that truly move me than any other decade. (yeah, I know the 80s were the "metal years" but that's meaning less and less to me as time moves on)

1974 was a little weaker by comparison to the years surrounding it, but still a high ratio of quality albums.

My Top 5 of 1974 would be...

1. King Crimson - Starless & Bible Black
2. King Crimson - Red
3. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
4. Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs
5. Camel - Mirage

'74 had some great stuff and I agree that the '70s is the greatest decade for music and personally I think '76 was the best year for music.

Top 5 - 1970

1. Jimi Hendrix - Band Of Gypsys
2. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
3. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
4. King Crimson - Lizard
5. Led Zeppelin III

Those could change any second, but I'll stick to them for now.