Eric Clapton

Might be the best Springsteen song the Boss never wrote. Memorably covered by Canada's awesome Headstones, fronted by Hugh Dillon of TV's Flashpoint.

 

Sir, I will have you know I am not smelly or a stoner. Since I was about 18 anyway. Thank you.

 

I spent much of my life as a smelly stoner.
No apologies.

 

Higher percentage of your life: as smelly stoner or with facial hair? Or do these two phases perfectly overlap?

 

A lot of Beck's stuff was way too out there for me then you would see him at the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shows and he just blows your fucking mind.

 

Love Derek Trucks.

Clapton was smart enough to employ Derek in his own band in recent years. And, while that took the load of Clapton a bit, I think it also helped to keep his game up, having such a great guitarist in the band.

 

Again, a band "jams" because it's stupid, ugly and not talented enough. The Grateful Dead is a jam band. The Allman Brothers are not. Gov't Mule is not. BTW, for anyone who wants to listen to ridiculous guitar playing on dozens and dozens of covers, YouTube Warren Haynes. I swear the guy can play anything anyone has ever recorded. You can hear him cover Leonard Cohen and Metallica if you so choose. And to backtrack a bit, a couple posters mentioned "Presence of the Lord" earlier. I saw Gov't Mule at the Ryman cover it. Incredible performance. They also covered during the show "Dear Prudence," "The Wind Cries Mary" and "The End." All of The End. If you can't appreciate how awesome that is, Versatile, you can go fuck yourself. I mean, you're going to end up doing that anyway tonight, but you know what I mean.

 

Jeff Beck is wonderful.

 

I can't get into Derek Trucks, but there's no denying how ridiculously talented he is. There's a video of him out there somewhere playing with the Allman Brothers. When he was 9!

 

The stuff Trucks does with his wife is just awesome.

Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festivals are awesome and worth looking for online as audio boots. Everything I have heard Vince Gill - to name just one - do at those things just knocks me out.

 

These best guitarist debates always depend on musical taste.

If you're a fan of surf rock and/or reverb, for instance, Dick Dale is near the top of your list.

If you dig guys who created a unique tone, Brian May did that by literally building his own gear.

If you're a fan of constantly changing time signatures played for a sausage fest of nerd-dom, well, Alex Lifeson's your man!

 

"Nothing Else Matters" shouldn't even qualify as a Metallica cover. But the playing is impressive, though not my cup of tea.