randy denied

[lerxstcat]

It's like Tommy said, no sense getting upset over these magazine lists. They are designed to appeal to whichever masses are buying the mag right now. Each one of us would have a different Top 100 list and that's good. If everybody agreed on the list it'd be a bland musical world.

Most of the bands I've liked over the years have been relatively obscure anyway. I
d like them to be more successful but it doesn't validate their music any less that only a small number of people are into them. Kings X and Galactic Cowboys come to mind.
Which I dunno if either band's guitarist would make it onto a "top" list here, but I do enjoy the way they play and it doesn't get old for me.

[Grandturk]

Its pretty dang hard to leave Randy off a "top 100" list, though - demographics or not - the masses at least know who Ozzy is and would get the connection that way.

[Endrik]

As to the comment that Page wanted White...maybe so and deferring to Jimmy Page's tastes is not a terrible idea. I would point out however that the documentary is not "Jimmy Page & Friends".

Put Page was one of the producers so he gets what he wants

[lerxstcat]

Its pretty dang hard to leave Randy off a "top 100" list, though - demographics or not - the masses at least know who Ozzy is and would get the connection that way.

I know, but it's like getting upset because you encounter stupid people. In reality, most the people you encounter ARE stupid in today's world, so it's best to desensitize yourself to the phenomenon rather than to let it bother you - because it's gonna continue ad infinitum whether we like it or not.

Kurt Cobain will beat Randy Rhoads in these polls because casual music fans are stupid, but they also buy magazines. That goes for the millions who casually play guitar.

[Endrik]

Randy should be ahead of Kurt Cobain as he was more original during his time and is definitely one of the most influential players in heavy metal.

But I think Cobain also deserves to be on the list. While his playing style wasn't really original (by that time pretty much everything had been done on the guitar already) then he definitely influenced millions to pick up the guitar. And not all of them are die hard Nirvana fans. There's a lot of people who were originally influenced by Cobain but eventually got into Alex Lifeson or Pete Townshend or someone else.
And when Cobain started, grunge was as underground as it gets. No one cared about it at first. He wasn't some spoiled kid who was made to satisfy 13 old girls by the record company. He is what he is but he took his shit seriously.

Music doesn't have to be ultra complex to be important. It's usually the simple stuff that grabs the attention and then you can slowly get into more advanced music. If you force some crazy Emerson, Lake & Palmer tunes to youngsters it may scare them off and perhaps they will never get seriously into music. I remember as a very young Northern European I hated olives, if someone had showed them down my throat I'd probably hate them even now. But slowly with other exotic flavors I got used to them and now absolutely love olives.

Son House and Robert Johnson played for common folks about every day struggles which the public could relate to. Thanks for that appeal more and more kids got into blues guitar and helped to create all kinds of new waves in music.
Before WWII the artists in Italy were very distant from the general public. The literature was usually very abstract which most of the common people didn't understand. It held the society back from getting more into one harmonic unity. During the war the intellectuals got the taste of reality. A lot of great art was born because of it. The films of Neorealism movement were incredibly influential yet spoke to the common people and became very popular. Of course De Sica and Visconti may be considered too artsy-fartsy today by some but at that time it was a huge revolution in the country towards becoming more down to earth.

It's important to be influential to get people making art themselves so they can make all kinds of innovations and whatnot.

[Grandturk]

Well said!

But how the hell can anyone not like olives?

[Endrik]

Well said!

But how the hell can anyone not like olives?

Well, I was young and used to eating shit

[Tricky]

I think a Guitarist mag, that is promoted as such, should list according to technical ability, knowledge, artistry, an ear for sound, etc.
It is a guitarist mag, not a popularity mag.
if you want popularity, there are plenty of mags out there for that.
A mag like R.S. would be expected to be biased and to spread some controversy. People love dirt.

The average person, who is just a listener, most likely wont buy a mag for guitarists & don't care about how the music was accomplished, or the technical ability's involved. They just know they like the music/Artist, or they don't.
A musicians mag should have some integrity and provide for the musician. IMO

Also, I have never seen a list that I agreed with, and I'm sure I never will. Cant be done.

[atomic charvel guy]

what's technical ability if you can't write a catchy tune to save your life though?

[Grandturk]

Technical ability is important, but I think we all know what happens when all you have is technical ability dominating the music scene.

[Tricky]

what's technical ability if you can't write a catchy tune to save your life though?

+1

That cant be taught. You either have it, or you don't. IMO

How many American Idol winners do you think really have creative ability.
All about the voice & look.

[atomic charvel guy]

don't get me wrong, Randy brought the lumber on everything that entails music for me, he had it all.