This is the thing with good guitarist...there are technically gifted guitarist, like Eric Johnson, that I can't sit there and listen to. I couldn't listen to his music if I couldn't actually watch him play. His technique is unbelievable and you're damn right that he can play like no one's business, but it doesn't "sound" good. He is good at using his "tool" like a wood worker is good at using a skill saw. It's fun to watch, but that's it.
In my opinion, a guitar player is about much more than being technical. It's about feeling the music. It's about when you listen to them play, you can get lost in the music. You don't have to watch them play to know they are good. Guitar playing, especially lead, is about a feel to me. There are a lot of players that can rip apart a guitar solo in the middle of a song and you say, that shit didn't fit well with the song at all.
See, take Eddie Van Halen playing "eruption". Yeah he can play pretty good, however, the band has to stop in order for him to "play" his guitar. That defeats the fucking purpose to me. It's like he is saying, "watch this, I can move my fingers real fast on these chords. Watch how fast this shit goes." It's pointless. I have seen people do that on guitar hero. It's pointless to me and takes away from the point of playing a guitar.
I personally like a nice, smooth guitar solo. Something with feeling. It doesn't have to be slow or even bluesy, but it can't jump all over the place just because it can.
I know I will get made fun of, But Trey Anastacio from Phish is a damn good guitar player. And if you want to talk about sell-outs, he is the very opposite of sell out. This is a damn good song but long, he starts ripping at about 6:40 but this song builds from nothing at about 4:00 and is so bad ass...
Fucking bad ass. Plays with feeling. It's what it's about.
Eric Clapton is the same way. He plays with feeling. Makes his guitar sing. He really starts playing at about 5:30, but the whole song shows how he can play.
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