Satch is a step below on a technical level, although he's one of the most creative. As far as comparing Johnson to Vai, I think it comes down to a matter of taste. All are great talents. They'll keep you practising. By the way H, how's your playing coming along?
Thanks for the link, claywilk. That clip shows why Lynyrd Skynyrd is the best American band EVER. Special mention to the Duane Allman - Dickey Betts interplay in "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed."
Thanks for the professional assessments! As for my playing, baby steps, baby! Baby steps! Having a ball, though. Just ordered a Wasburn D10SCE to try the acoustic side of things.
some more songs and players came to mind today. a newer guy on the block- Kenny Wayne Sheppard- check out his solo on the song Slowride. also: Whitesnake (John Sykes) the song is Crying in the Rain Outlaws- Green Grass and High Tides- great dual guitar action Deep Purple the song is Wasted Sunsets- kind of a bluesy solo by Blackmore but 100% emotion lastly- Night Ranger check out Rock in America and Sister Christian. the guys in nite ranger- Jeff Watson (with his 8 finger technique) and Brad Gillis have to be the two most underrated guitarists of all time. blackguard
I do not mean to offend or start an argument, but technically speaking, Eric Johnson is not above Satch, and not in Vai's league. Viewing the G3 DVD with these three will illuminate this. Don't get me wrong, EJ is a GREAT player, but not technically as advanced as Satch or Vai. Now, technical ability aside, then it comes down to personal taste, for that, there is no right answer. I enjoy all three!
No offense taken. However, I must disagree! Satch cannot pick anything like the rest of the "shredders" mentioned on this thread. His playing is more legato hammer ons and hammer offs. Do you really find Satriani's stuff harder to play than Johnsons? "Cliffs of Dover" takes a lot more time to learn properly than Joe's stuff. To me, Satriani isn't much more difficult than EVH. In Joe's defense, I'd rather listen to his albums before the others. Very melodic and creative.
a few more of my faves: Night Ranger- Don't tell me you love me Satriani- Summer Song and Always with me Always with you
as far as guitar eras go, most awesome period was the late 80s/early 90s when all those hair bands came out. George Lynch of Dokken was another notable one. check out Mr Scary
Mr. Scary was BOSS! Had a unique style... didn't sound like everyone else. Watson/ Gillis are great too. Do you have Brad's solo album where Greg Allmann sings a few tunes? Good stuff.