Early Influences

[shredmonster]

I downloaded Hocus Pocus by Focus last night and it got me to thinking about my early influences. Man I love that song.

Other players I remember vividly were Gary Rickrath of REO Speedwagon, Frank Marino, Al DiMeola, Tony Iommi.

The first solo I figured out note for note was 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago. That started me going on the quest for speed. I started to search out faster and faster players and technique.

Was never too much into the Hendrix thing although I knew he was an original. I just did not want that blues type sound in my playing because everyone was doing it.

[blindmuddy]

Re: Early Influences

Some of my main earliest ones were Blackmore Beck Trower Page Lifeson Iommi Howe and Nugent as far as I can remember(I'm getting kinda old) After that I started getting into alot of the "fusion" guys

[MBreinin]

Re: Early Influences

SRV, Gilmour, EVH, Satriani............

Mike

[jgcable]

Re: Early Influences

[ QUOTE ]
I downloaded Hocus Pocus by Focus last night and it got me to thinking about my early influences. Man I love that song.

Other players I remember vividly were Gary Rickrath of REO Speedwagon, Frank Marino, Al DiMeola, Tony Iommi.

The first solo I figured out note for note was 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago. That started me going on the quest for speed. I started to search out faster and faster players and technique.

Was never too much into the Hendrix thing although I knew he was an original. I just did not want that blues type sound in my playing because everyone was doing it.

[/ QUOTE ]

25 or 6 to 4 was my inspiration to pick up the guitar too.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Early Influences

Metal/rock icons Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, and (here's a shocker) a host of old time country players that I was bombarded with as a child, like Chet Atkins, Lester Flat and Earl Scruggs even.... Later 70s brought EVH. Huge Influence.

Then I went Metal in the 80s with Randy and YJM.

[jong]

Re: Early Influences

Earliest musical influence was Johnny Cash, my dad would play one particular record a lot when i was around 3 years old, so much that he said I began asking him to play it when I wanted to hear it.

On guitar (I started in 86): Adrian Smith, VH, Lynch, Jabs, A Young, Hetfield, Ian, Iommi, Page...

[markD]

Re: Early Influences

my earliest influences (from before i played - when i WANTED to be able to play) were foreigner, john parr, lynyrd skynyrd, iron butterfly, zz top - basically whatever my mom had on the record player when she'd be cleaning the house.

but the final thing that inspired me to want to play was when i heard "live after death" by iron maiden. that was it. i had a guitar 2 months later. i cut grass and managed to get 35.00. i bought a 335 copy from a pawn shop. it sucked, but so did i.

[Ace]

Re: Early Influences

Slash and Phil Collen got me wanting to play guitar when I was about 8 in the mid-80's. I remember seeing a picture of Billy Idol in a magazine and I thought he looked so cool with his spiky hair, black leather and mischevious smirk.

By the time I actually got a guitar(my dad's old nylon string acoustic) I was still into G'N'R and Def Leppard, but there was a whole bunch of other players I admired: Hanneman, Gilmour, Mustaine, Metallica, Hendrix.

[nateb]

Re: Early Influences

Vivian Campbell
Adrian Smith/Dave Murry
Tony Iommi
Neil Schon
David Gilmore

And the fleet of other guitarists that were better then me. You may not know one song by some of them. But, hearing them just made you want to be a better player.

-Nate

[Rypsoloisti]

Re: Early Influences

I think it was Brian May at first then came Mark Knopfler and Steve Lukather. Little bit later I started to listen heavier music and I started to like Joe Satriani's and Steve Vai's music and later EVH, YJM, Gary Moore, John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, Andy Timmons, Vinnie Moore... But my biggest influence is Steve Lukather.

[Endrik]

Re: Early Influences

My first favourite (real) band was Genesis. I was 5 years old then. Imagine that, a little kid listens to prog rock.
I also digged Marillion, Whitesnake, Tina Turner, Scorpions, Roxette, Toto etc.
When I was 10 I saw ZZ TOP, since then I became a rocker. Thanks to Billy Gibbons I started to play the guitar, I started playing when I was 14. ZZ Top is still my favourite band.

[pro-fusion]

Re: Early Influences

Iommi, Blackmore, and Lifeson were my first three big influences.

[jgcable]

Re: Early Influences

[ QUOTE ]
My first favourite (real) band was Genesis. I was 5 years old then. Imagine that, a little kid listens to prog rock.
I also digged Marillion, Whitesnake, Tina Turner, Scorpions, Roxette, Toto etc.
When I was 10 I saw ZZ TOP, since then I became a rocker. Thanks to Billy Gibbons I started to play the guitar, I started playing when I was 14. ZZ Top is still my favourite band.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, Marillion. Thats a blast from the past!

[Endrik]

Re: Early Influences

I still listen to Marillion, my mom is HUGE Marillion fan, she sometimes listens to their records every day 3 months straight.

[sully]

Re: Early Influences

ace frehley as far as guitars go, but i remember REALLY liking the sax parts in baker street, and that solo at the end was cool as hell, too.

sully