... The top 100 guitarists list compiled by Rolling Stone Magazine some years ago had Duane in second place behind Hendrix only. Hendrix and Duane dying so young and while their careers were still climbing may be why Hendrix and Duane were on top. ...
To beat a dead horse half to death - Joan Jett was on that RS list and Chet Atkins was not! Certainly some great players, but I could easily rattle off 100 or more deserving ones who are not on that list. I know - I sound like a broken record, here! 😉
Joe Walsh sat in last night with Stephen Colbert's band on the Late Show. Maybe the entire week? Last week James Taylor sat in.
@rusty Wow I didn't know Chet Atkins wasn't on the list. Joan Jett had a husband who played the solos didn't she?
Someone pointed out to me when the list was published that Gary Moore didn't make the list.
@robertdee Those lists are subjective popularity contests! Beyond anything I've heard on the radio, I really don't know much about Joan Jett. Any music that moves anybody - especially a large group certainly has its merits. I haven't seen that list in a while, but I remember that Dickey Betts was somewhere in the middle (50 - 60?) - pretty far behind players like Curt Cobain, Jack White and Johnny Ramone. I have never heard much of those guys' music, either. I'd give RS a pass if the list was "Most Famous Popular Players" or something, but if you leave Chet off of a "Greatest Guitar Player" list - you shouldn't be the guy compiling the list! 😉
@rusty Joan Jett did make the news a few weeks ago when she announced she will no longer play her big hit "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" because of the school shooting in Texas and other mass shooting in the U. S.
So she is still out there doing shows.
Leaving off Chet Atkins is like leaving B. B. King or Les Paul off. All those legendary guitarists must be on a list of 100 before Joan Jett with all due respect to Joan.
Update. I'm mistaken. I just realized it is Pat Benatar who announced just a few weeks ago she will no longer play Hit Me With Your Best Shot because of all the mass shootings and gun violence here in the U. S.
I can't keep my hard rock women straight.
I do have Gov't Mule coming to my area this month. I never miss Gov't Mule since my first show in 1994... and Marshall Tucker will be at the same auditorium after Mule on their 50th anniversary tour. Haven't decided about going to that. Last time I saw Marshall Tucker was 15 years or so ago and singer Doug Gray was the only member still in the band. The others players were good players but I'd never heard of them as best I remember. Paul Riddle hasn't been in Tucker for decades but is still around so maybe he will be there since it's an anniversary tour. .
@robertdee FYI - Les Paul was also left off of that list! I'm all for personal opinions and taste - but there is no freakin' way that Johnny Ramone or Curt Cobain were better (in any sense of the word) guitarists than Dickey Betts!
Yeah, "Best Shot" was Pat Benatar. Not that it matters (it does not), but I ain't real sure that Joan Jett likes men. Not in the "marry-able" sense, anyway 😉
As far as Marshall Tucker goes - I will always have sentimental spots for all of those bands that I loved when I was younger. More often than not, these bands operate with skeleton crews of newer, younger players (who are usually quite capable). I'm just glad that I saw 'em in the day ... for $6! 😉
@rusty Yes I remember the $6 dollar tickets. Saw Marshall Tucker Band several times with the original lineup. Toy Caldwell had a beautiful cherry sunburst Les Paul with a nice tone and used a thumb pick. I think George McCorkle played a big red Gibson ES-335. I head rumors Toy had gotten heavily into cocaine and apparently that is why took Toy and just in his 40's.
Can't You See is one of the best so-called southern rock songs.
Toy Caldwell had a beautiful cherry sunburst Les Paul with a nice tone and used a thumb pick.
Toy used his bare thumb to pick strings, he didn't use a thumb pick. It's a technique that's more common with (but not limited to) jazz players.
@porkchopbob Oh I see. I saw them in the 1970's several times including opening for the Brothers and Sisters ABB lineup and remember noticing he used his thumb but wasn't aware or couldn't remember he didn't have a pick.
I was just reading about Toy and his wife found him dead in bed at age 45. Autopsy indicated he died of viral myocarditis ( inflamed heart which killed singer Andy Gibb at 36) but toxicology report showed high concentration of cocaine.
Joe Walsh claimed he was on a combination of Camel lights, Vodka and cocaine for 15 years everyday. It was the combination which allowed him to function reasonably well yet still be high. But Don Henley and Glen Frey told Joe in 1994 they couldn't work with him going forward unless he got sober. And he did. Good for Joe.
The ABB, Gregg and Dickey were not the only ones by a mile in the music business having difficulty holding it in the road because of drugs. And a lot of very talented people died along the way.
Clapton apparently didn't do it much but could play well without a pick.
I was just reading about Toy and his wife found him dead in bed at age 45. Autopsy indicated he died of viral myocarditis ( inflamed heart which killed singer Andy Gibb at 36) but toxicology report showed high concentration of cocaine.
Joe Walsh claimed he was on a combination of Camel lights, Vodka and cocaine for 15 years everyday. It was the combination which allowed him to function reasonably well yet still be high. But Don Henley and Glen Frey told Joe in 1994 they couldn't work with him going forward unless he got sober. And he did. Good for Joe.
Reportedly, Tommy Caldwell's death hit Toy hard, but a lot of people don't know that another brother, Tim, died in an auto accident a month prior. Joe's daughter, Emma, died in a car accident as well, very tough losses to recover from.
@porkchopbob That is right. I forgot Marshall Tucker's bass player Tommy Caldwell was killed in a car wreck. Didn't know about the other brother. Yes that is extremely difficult times for You. Sometimes people don't want to live when they experience such tragedy and loss. I always enjoyed the original Marshal Tucker Band. Never saw a bad or sloppy show.
I watched this the other day and noticed what Joe Walsh did as the lyrics said "Some people like to stay out late".
Has anyone here ever met Joe Walsh. Seems to be a good guy. I watched an interview where he talked about he and Keith Moon doing major damage to a hotel. Almost went to jail.
Anyway Joe is cute at "some people like to stay out late"
I've never been a huge Eagles fan. Been to a few shows in the 1970's because of my lady loves them. I am a Joe Walsh fan though.
I'm not entirely understanding as to why the Eagles are the most successful American band. The Allman Brothers were in 1973 and 74.
But the Eagles are not only the most successful American rock band but are by far the most successful. Ticket sales and album sales.
Their studio album Hotel California has sold over 26 MILLION copies in the United States and 32 million worldwide. Brothers and Sisters sold over 5 million worldwide and the Allman Brothers Band NEVER had another album to see over a million copies. Of course the ABB had a greatest hits album released in 1991 to sell over 2 million copies but the last new release to see over a million was Brothers and Sisters.
Some of the guys in the Eagles can buy and sell David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Angus Young, Gary Rossington, Neil Young etc. I just can't put my finger on why Don Henley and Glen Frey are as rich as Clapton, David Gilmore and almost as rich as Mick and Keith. But not Paul McCartney:) Sir Paul is worth 1 billion 200 million.
I guess their songs are that commercial.
@robertdee Maybe it was due to their "introduction" by Linda Rondstadt and Jackson Browne? They started off as Linda's back-up band. Their first hit (that I was aware of) was the cover of Jackson's, "Take it Easy".
Something that you touched (that I never considered) was that a lot of the songs were about relations. As I stated, writing short songs (4:00 +/-) got these songs on commercial radio. Now Bob Dylan once said (words to the effect of), "just because something's popular don't make it good." Look around - some of the daftest, silliest songs ever written become commercial hits. I mean, SOMEBODY bought all those copies of "Who Let the Dogs Out", - right?
The Eagles are not my favorite band, but I can accept the argument that they're (possibly) the greatest American band of all time. They had that elusive combination of the ability to churn out songs that were widely popular and some true talent in the playing department. Everybody who ever played in that band had some serious chops. About the only commercially popular acts that I can think of with that same combination were Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and the Buckingham/Nicks version of Fleetwood Mac. Probably every music fan has something by these acts in their collection CDs and vinyl.
The Eagles were certainly successful in changing their style to garner more fans and airplay. Early on, they'd break out cellos and stringed instruments in their shows (especially during the "Desperado" years).
The "Dude" in "The Big Lebowski" said, "Not the Eagles! I hate the effin' Eagles!" But there were/are enough people who love(d) 'em.
@rusty Here is the original lineup. They are more or less Linda Ronstadt's back up band as you pointed out. That is what it says they were. Jackson Browne was involved with getting the band off and running in 1972 but Browne decided not to officially join.
They added Don Felder in 1975 to have more lead guitar pop. Glen Frey became irritated with Randy the original bass player and he finally quit and was replaced by Tim Schmidt WHO REPLACED RANDY IN POCO!!
Then Don Henley turned on Bernie because he brought in a song they did indeed record for their next album but Don can't stand conservative politicians and Bernie's girlfriend and co writer of the song was Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald Reagan. Don just kept picking at Bernie Leadon about his girlfriend that he quit and Don and Glen offered the spot to Joe Walsh.
And we know Glen was going to have a fist fight with Don Felder in 1980 but Felder smashed his guitar and ran to his limo and disappeared. Glen and Don immediately through Don Felder out of the band. Felder sued by I can't remember how that turned out.
Don Henley also sued David Geffen and their record label. Sounds like some of the same crap from the Allman Brothers.
Henley began dating Stevie Nicks and sang on her solo album. Both of them by now with HUGE banking accounts so they could afford anything I guess.
Here is the original band. Doesn't sound like a band that would become the biggest American band in history but that is exactly what they are!! The Eagles have sold out more shows and sold more albums THAN ANY OTHER AMERICAN BAND!! And way ahead of other bands. Over 150 million albums and Henley is worth $250 million dollars and is 75 years old. Same age as me but a bit more than me in the bank!!!
@rusty Here is Joe Walsh who with the James Gang is the subject of this thread. Joe wrote the music for this song and Glen Frey came up with the words from a recent trip in Los Angeles when a drug dealer picked him up in a Corvette. Suddenly they are on an LA freeway and the guy zooms up to 90 miles an hour and Glen says ' Hey man what in the **** are you doin'?" And the drug dealer said" This is life in the fast lane man!"
That was some hot lead playing by Joe Walsh. And a very catchy guitar riff Joe came up with that became the main riff for Life In The Fast Lane.
I think Don Felder and Joe Walsh was a big step up for lead and slide guitar from Glen Frey and Bernie Leadon. But the band probably would have been just as successful if the original line up had continued because of the singing and writing of Glen Frey and Don Henley.
Joe Walsh is using a metal slide with his black Rickenbacker guitar but another Eagle's clip I watched Joe is playing a Les Paul and using a glass bottle slide. Joe is like Joe Bonamassa in that he uses so many different guitars and in Walsh's case different slides.
Dickey owned over 40 guitars and would use some different ones in the studio, especially for rhythm and acoustics and Dobros but on stage for lead for over two decades it was the same Les Paul and the same tone. In 1994 Dickey began to bounce from one guitar to another but that was the years through about 2000 AD. Dickey was kinda mad at Gibson. B. B.King and Albert King always used the same guitar on everything. I did read recently B. B. played a Telecaster during his early years. Something I didn't know. I guess I like to see guys use the same guitar. Derek and the SG for example but I do remember a show from the 1990's and Derek played a Washburn guitar. I think his tone was very similar though.
B. B.King and Albert King always used the same guitar on everything.
This is a bit of a myth.
BB King had several different guitars he named "Lucille": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_(guitar)
Albert King had several different guitars he named "Lucy": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(Albert_King_guitar)
@porkchopbob Early photos of BB show him playing a Fender Broadcaster (renamed Telecaster pending Gretsch's lawsuit over their Broadcaster drum kit).
Of course there are some who don't like Don Henley. At all!
@porkchopbob Thanks. That makes sense I suppose. As much as they toured, B. B. and Albert couldn't keep the same guitar in good enough shape to play indefinitely.
While reading about the different Lucille's Gibson built for B. B., I ran across a story about the last one being stolen. A guitar collector was contacted by a Pawn Shop with a good offer for an official Gibson B. B. King ES-335 Lucile guitar. The collector noticed ,"prototype one" on the back of the headstock. He contacted B. B. King and discovered B. B.'s last custom Lucille had been stolen and it was the best one B. B. had had.
So they arranged for a meeting and the guitar was returned to a happy B. B. King.
It's so depressing we have so many evil, corrupt and vicious people in the world. What kind of a devil would steal B. B. King's guitar????
@rusty That is a fun little tune. Poor Glen Frey passed away from an intestinal disorder and I respect his talent and enormous success...but some say he and Henley are very difficult people. But they apparently treated Joe Walsh okay. Joe is now worth $75 million dollars and likely a big chunk of that came from being in the Eagles.
@rusty That is so odd seeing B. B. with a Telecaster. And back in that day the Tele was usually used by country and western swing players. But Albert Collins played the blues for years with one.
Here he is with B. B. Did Albert always have that Capo? If so he only used half the frets.
@rusty That is a fun little tune. Poor Glen Frey passed away from an intestinal disorder and I respect his taken and enormous success...but some say he and Henley are very difficult people. But they apparently treated Joe Walsh okay. Joe is now worth $75 million dollars and likely a big chunk of that came from being in the Eagles.
They threw outrageous parties. They paid heavenly bills.
@robertdee I was taken aback when I first noticed Albert played capoe'd up - especially that far (looks like 7th - 8th fret?). He was the Master of the Telecaster! I loved his singing as much as his playing. I loved his choice of phrases in lyrics. There's a song called "Colins' Shuffle" - one of those "Lagrange" blues-vamp things. Somewhere in the song he (character in the song) is walking down the street when he "smells someone cooking catfish ...". He doesn't smell catfish cooking - he smells someone cooking catfish. It's a hoot!
@rusty Poor Albert Collins has passed on and so has Ireland's version of Eddie Van Halen, Gary Moore, who died in Spain in 2011 of consuming too much alcohol while on vacation with a lady friend.
I'm still disappointed Gary Moore sold Peter Greene's unique Greenie Les Paul Goldtop guitar to a collector who in turn sold it to the lead guitarist for Metallica for $2 MILLION DOLLARS!!
Here are Albert and Gary in an amusing video of an old blues song.
