As you know from previous posts about important people in history and great places in New Mexico, I am a sucker for lists. Whenever I see a book of lists, an irresistible force draws me toward it. The other day I was killing time at the bookstore when a list jumped out at me. It was Rolling Stone: 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. To paraphrase Julius Caesar – I grabbed. I scanned. I bought.
It is an interesting list and begins with Jimi Hendrix, who most people consider the greatest guitarist of them all. Everyone knows how great he is, but few may know that Hendrix honed his craft in the clubs along Jefferson Street in Nashville. There are a lot of great guitarists, at least 100 according to Rolling Stone, but he is the one that I would have headlining my personal music festival.
As I looked through the list, I realized that I have seen several of them in person, and that gave me an idea for the Listeria series. Of the 100 greatest guitarists of Rolling Stone, these are the ones that I have seen perform live. The number is where they are ranked on the list.
2. Eric Clapton – I saw Clapton a few years ago. Granted, these aren’t his best years, but he can still play better than anyone I have ever seen. Plus, I had awesome seats.
4. Keith Richards – The Rolling Stones concert was where I learned that seats far away may not be a bad thing when seeing older acts.
6. B.B. King – I have seen “Blues Boy” several times. The first time I took a stripper as my date. Don’t ask. The last time he told stories more than he played.
10. Pete Townshend – Actually, I am fudging a bit on this one. The Who are coming to Nashville in December, and the tickets have already been purchased.
14. David Gilmour – I saw Pink Floyd in the 1990s, and the concert remains fresh in my mind. That’s despite the fact that my mind was kind of cloudy that night.
16. Derek Trucks – This one was an accident. A friend and I were trying to find something to do and decided to check out the Exit/In, a music hall in Nashville. Derek Trucks was playing. It was like a spiritual experience.
19. James Burton – He played at the concert honoring the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. The old band played as Elvis sang on-screen. A concert by a dead man was better than most concerts I have seen by living people. I don’t remember it, but I also saw Burton when I saw Elvis as a kid.
23. Buddy Guy – He performed at the Ryman Auditorium and cussed a woman on the front row for requesting a song. He said that he was playing for everyone and not just her. Afterwards, he gave her an autograph and a guitar pick.
24. Angus Young – AC/DC is one of my all time favorite bands, and I have seen them more times than I can remember. Young is what makes them go, and the crowd goes wild when he struts across the stage.
27. Bo Diddley – There used to be a music festival in Nashville called River Stages. Diddley played in front of the courthouse as we sat in the parking lot.
32. Billy Gibbons – How genius are the beards of ZZ Top? It’s just like the makeup of KISS. No one ever sees them age.
33. Prince – When he brought out the purple guitar and played “Purple Rain”, the crowd went bananas.
38. The Edge – U2 played in Nashville last summer. Bono ran around in a leather suit in sweltering heat, but I sensed that The Edge was the heartbeat of the band.
54. Joe Walsh – He has had success with The James Gang and on his own, but I saw him with The Eagles. The dueling guitars of “Hotel California” may be the best thing I have ever heard.
65. Slash – I wish I could see him with Guns n’ Roses, but, apparently, that is never going to happen. Instead, I have seen him with Velvet Revolver and on his own. I keep hearing that his mom is from Tennessee, but I am not certain about that.
77. Willie Nelson – He is one of the greats of country music. Ironically, he had to leave Nashville to make it.
84. Joe Perry – Aerosmith puts on a great show. When thinking about rock pairings, not many rank higher than Perry and Steven Tyler.
87. James Hetfield – Once, I was in front of the stage at a Metallica concert and was ready to rock. Then, one of my students came out to work security and stood right in front of me. I didn’t get to do much, but I got a bunch of guitar picks.
93. Paul Simon – Luckily, Simon and Garfunkel was not a wild concert. Before it started, the new president of our university came in and sat right behind me. It was the calmest I have ever been at a concert, and he is still our president.
100. Lindsey Buckingham – Seeing Fleetwood Mac was on the list of things I needed to do. I was disappointed in Stevie Nicks, who I have always had a crush on, because she was wearing orthopedic shoes. However, Buckingham seemed like he hadn’t missed a beat.
Guitar Gods – I have seen several of them, but I really wish I could play like them.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 