A Bit More of Purple

I dunno. I wasn't that surprised. Seemed like a pile of safe choices along with a pile of "hip" choices. In the end, it came out a piece of crap. But that's how that sort of thing works.

Agreed. Eddie is probably one of the best living guitarists out there. He's got the technical skill and the excellent sense of when to restrain himself a bit so it's not just wank.

I remember being pretty bummed out that Jack White was even on the list. I mean, he's a great guitarist, but at the time that list came out, it wasn't like The White Stripes were taken by most people as much more than a hype act. And besides, Jack White as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time? He's good, but he's not THAT good.

I think the only one I actually agreed on was Hendrix. Even 40 years later, no one has been able to match his contributions to how the electric guitar is played (with the possible exception of maybe Sonic Youth, just 'cause they made the whole "hey, let's try playing this crappy thrift shop strat knockoff with a drill" thing a lot more visible), or even his sound. I mean sure, you could say that not everyone has a wall of Marshall stacks and an expensive-ass guitar to work with, either, but Hendrix's sound was his alone, and it still is, regardless how many other guitarists try to use it.

Yeah. I've always thought the whole "Hendrix is overrated" crowd kinda missed the point because, no, he's not overrated in the slightest. When Steve Vai or whoever can write a catchy-ass song (preferably one that's as enjoyable sober as it is stoned), shred better than all his contemporaries, and make sounds people didn't even know they could make with a guitar all at once, while playing it with body parts other than his hands, I might reconsider my position on this. But I think restraint goes a long way as far as what I like in guitarists.

I really don't care how fast you can play unless you're writing a good song or conveying something deeper than just notes.

Yeah. The "Hendrix is overrated" crowd exists almost exclusively amongst people who actually buy albums by tacky "shred" guitarists and read guitar magazines more than real books. I get into lots of arguments with those kinds of people over what a good guitarist is, but they're usually pointless.

Actually, I think the best thing about the Rolling Stone list is that none of those guitarists are anywhere to be found on it.