I just got home from seeing Richard Thompson for the first time. I know a bunch of his stuff but had never seen him live. He was acoustic, solo mostly with a female co-singer for a handful of songs.
Who is out there in rock who can match him in terms of sheer excellence on both acoustic AND electric?
I'll quantify that a little. Who can play full night of solo acoustic tunes one night showing real virtuosity in that mode, while singing incredible songs of his own composition, and completely own the crowd, while also having the sick electric chops to stun you when he plugs in a Stratocaster with a band for a completely different yet equally virtuosic (yet fully realized in terms of songs and singing) experience?
Jeez!
Steve Howe is a great player who comes to mind but can't write and sing like that.
Jorma Kaukonen comes to mind.....
brofan, I am sure I caught an off night, but I saw Hot Tuna open for TTB & Wood Bros two summers back, and the Tuna was not impressive.
Richard Thompson playing the amazing "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?"
I've seen him perform on two occasions and in both shows he shared the bill with David Lindley.....
Thompson was a guy I never got. Maybe I should try again.
I don't think these guys would fit into what was mentioned above, but I think are pretty talented on both.
Stephen Stills
Joe Walsh
Clapton
Dickey Betts
Peter Green
Mark Knopfler
Martin Barre
Neil Young...he might not be everyone's thing on electric, but I like what he brings to the table in that regard.
This is just my taste and opinion, and his style is unique and might not be for all, but what Leo Kottke does with his hands on an acoustic boogles me.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Al Di Meola fits the bill I think, not sure if he sings though....
If we are going with this general genre, I am not sure how we can look past Clapton.
In 1989, I saw Thompson perform for the first time. I was enraptured and saw him over the next 5 years at least 15 times. Saw him solo, with a band, and traveled to places from NYC like Philly and the Newport Festival to go see him. The. I just got burnt out seeing him. Started to all sound the same. More my fault than his.
But his guitar playing is sublime. Melodic, and edgy at the same time with tremendous dexterity. The person who posted about DiMeola made an excellent suggestion. Clapton is not a bad one either. I would go with Jerry Garcia.
cmgst34, I love Clapton as an electric player, and I think he is a solid acoustic player.
If I saw him doing a one-man show playing acoustic guitar, I know he would sing well and could show off his songwriting chops. I do not know if he would knock me out as a virtuoso solo acoustic guitar player.
I am confessing ignorance here, not dismissing him completely. On his famous "Unplugged" album, to me, he is basically playing the acoustic with a flatpick more or less doing what he does on electric. I do not know if he can put on a really remarkable display of acoustic guitar mastery like Jorma might, for example, or like John Hammond Jr can. I think a few of jszfunk's picks might be in that same boat.
Steve Hackett is a guy who plays virtuoso classical style acoustic guitar and is a great electric player, doing very different things in each mode very well.
cmgst34, I love Clapton as an electric player, and I think he is a solid acoustic player.
If I saw him doing a one-man show playing acoustic guitar, I know he would sing well and could show off his songwriting chops. I do not know if he would knock me out as a virtuoso solo acoustic guitar player.
I am confessing ignorance here, not dismissing him completely. On his famous "Unplugged" album, to me, he is basically playing the acoustic with a flatpick more or less doing what he does on electric. I do not know if he can put on a really remarkable display of acoustic guitar mastery like Jorma might, for example, or like John Hammond Jr can. I think a few of jszfunk's picks might be in that same boat.
Steve Hackett is a guy who plays virtuoso classical style acoustic guitar and is a great electric player, doing very different things in each mode very well.
Yeah, I'd agree with your points. I wouldn't call Clapton an acoustic virtuoso, but he's really good. Like, other electric-based guys, the dropoff is such that acoustic work does not even really interest me (see: Warren, as a classic example). I'd be willing to see a whole show of Clapton playing acoustic, and I wouldn't necessarily be wishing he was on the electric.
Which is all to say, if we are talking about the ultimate package of both, I'd put Clapton there, with the obvious curve in the grading going to his electric work.
I've listened to a lot of Richard Thompson over time. He was my guitar instructor's very favorite. I "get it," but he does not particularly hit me the way he hits others, so that plays into my opinion too.
Tommy Emmanuel, especially if he did more electric stuff.
Who can play full night of solo acoustic tunes one night showing real virtuosity in that mode, while singing incredible songs of his own composition, and completely own the crowd, while also having the sick electric chops to stun you when he plugs in a Stratocaster with a band for a completely different yet equally virtuosic (yet fully realized in terms of songs and singing) experience?
For full show acoustic, then full show electric - Switch out the strat for a firebird and the answer is Jorma.
I just got home from seeing Richard Thompson for the first time. I know a bunch of his stuff but had never seen him live. He was acoustic, solo mostly with a female co-singer for a handful of songs.
Who is out there in rock who can match him in terms of sheer excellence on both acoustic AND electric?
I'll quantify that a little. Who can play full night of solo acoustic tunes one night showing real virtuosity in that mode, while singing incredible songs of his own composition, and completely own the crowd, while also having the sick electric chops to stun you when he plugs in a Stratocaster with a band for a completely different yet equally virtuosic (yet fully realized in terms of songs and singing) experience?
Jeez!
Steve Howe is a great player who comes to mind but can't write and sing like that.
Richard Thompson is a top-notch acoustic & electric guitarist with very clever & witty lyrics behind his songs. I can't say I'm into everything he does but more often than not he blows me away with his lyrical and musical talent. I have several of his albums (including the ones he did with Fairport Convention) and have seen him a couple of times (both acoustic and electric) and I can't think of anyone currently playing that can do both as well as he does.
I would go with Jerry Garcia.
We have a winner. Garcia could (and often did) do both justice, sang beautifully (at least before 40 million cigarettes ruined his voice) and, along with Robert Hunter, wrote some unbelievably great tunes.
I've see Thompson about 5 times. I try to get him, but still haven't. He's talented, I love some of his songs, but I don't get the praise that everyone lauds upon him. I play guitar, am in bands, have played for 20+ years and he's just not my cup of tea. But I will continue to try...
Guitar aside - Thompson has no rivals as a balladeer. I figured this one out on acoustic last year, great song, story:
"Beeswing"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HApy-Xoix-g
