22

FrankZappa

David Redfern/Redferns
"WhenIwaslearninghowtoplayguitar,Iwasobsessedwiththatalbum,"Phish'sTreyAnastasiosaidin
2005ofFrankZappa's1981collectionofintricateandblisteringsolos,ShutUp'n'PlayYerGuitar.
"Everyboundarythatwaspossibleontheguitar,"Anastasiosaid,"wasexaminedbyhiminwaysthat
otherpeopledidn't."Astheabsolutebossofhisbands,includingthelegendarylineupsoftheMothersof
Invention,Zappafuseddoowop,urbanblues,bigbandjazzandorchestralmodernismwithanironhand.
Asaguitarist,hedrewfromallofthosesources,thenimprovisedwithafuriousandgenuinedelight.His
soloingon"WilliethePimp,"on1969'sHotRats,isanextendedstudiopartyofgreasydistortion,
chompingwahwahandagitatedbluesslaloms.Inconcert,Zappawould"walkaround,doinghisthing,
conducting,"Anastasiorecalled.Butwhenhepickeduphisguitarforasolo,"hewascompletelyin
communionwithhisinstrument...Itjustbecamesoulmusic."
KeyTracks:"WilliethePimp,""InaGaddaStravinsky"

23

BuddyGuy

David Redfern/Redferns
BuddyGuygotusedtopeoplecallinghisguitarstyleabunchofnoisefromhis
familybackinruralLouisiana,whochasedhimoutofthehouseformakinga
racket,toChessRecordsheadsPhilandLeonardChess,who,hesays,"wouldn't
letmegetlooselikeIwanted"onsessionswithMuddyWaters,Howlin'
WolfandLittleWalter.Butasanewgenerationofrockersdiscoveredtheblues,
Guy'sfretworkbecameamajorinfluenceontitansfromJimiHendrixtoJimmy
Page.Guy'sflamboyantplayinghugebends,prominentdistortion,frenetic
licksonsuchclassicsas"StoneCrazy"and"FirstTimeIMettheBlues,"and
hiscollaborationswiththelateharpmasterJuniorWells,raisedthestandardfor
sixstringfury.Hisshowmanship,completewithmidsolostrollsthroughthe
audience,remainselectrifyingatage75."HewasformewhatElviswas
probablylikeforotherpeople,"saidEricClaptonatGuy'sRockandRollHallof
Fameinductionin2005."Mycoursewasset,andhewasmypilot."
KeyTracks:"StoneCrazy,""FirstTimeIMettheBlues"
Related
DamnRight,He'sBuddyGuy
RockandRollHallofFame2005:BuddyGuy

22

FrankZappa

David Redfern/Redferns
"WhenIwaslearninghowtoplayguitar,Iwasobsessedwiththat
album,"Phish'sTreyAnastasiosaidin2005ofFrankZappa's1981collectionof
intricateandblisteringsolos,ShutUp'n'PlayYerGuitar."Everyboundarythat
waspossibleontheguitar,"Anastasiosaid,"wasexaminedbyhiminwaysthat
otherpeopledidn't."Astheabsolutebossofhisbands,includingthelegendary
lineupsoftheMothersofInvention,Zappafuseddoowop,urbanblues,bigband
jazzandorchestralmodernismwithanironhand.Asaguitarist,hedrewfromall
ofthosesources,thenimprovisedwithafuriousandgenuinedelight.Hissoloing
on"WilliethePimp,"on1969'sHotRats,isanextendedstudiopartyofgreasy
distortion,chompingwahwahandagitatedbluesslaloms.Inconcert,Zappa
would"walkaround,doinghisthing,conducting,"Anastasiorecalled.Butwhen

hepickeduphisguitarforasolo,"hewascompletelyincommunionwithhis
instrument...Itjustbecamesoulmusic."

23
Buddy Guy

David Redfern/Redferns
BuddyGuygotusedtopeoplecallinghisguitarstyleabunchofnoisefromhisfamilybackinrural
Louisiana,whochasedhimoutofthehouseformakingaracket,toChessRecordsheadsPhiland
LeonardChess,who,hesays,"wouldn'tletmegetlooselikeIwanted"onsessionswithMuddy
Waters,Howlin'WolfandLittleWalter.Butasanewgenerationofrockersdiscoveredtheblues,Guy's
fretworkbecameamajorinfluenceontitansfromJimiHendrixtoJimmyPage.Guy'sflamboyantplaying
hugebends,prominentdistortion,freneticlicksonsuchclassicsas"StoneCrazy"and"FirstTimeI
MettheBlues,"andhiscollaborationswiththelateharpmasterJuniorWells,raisedthestandardforsix
stringfury.Hisshowmanship,completewithmidsolostrollsthroughtheaudience,remainselectrifyingat
age75."HewasformewhatElviswasprobablylikeforotherpeople,"saidEricClaptonatGuy'sRock
andRollHallofFameinductionin2005."Mycoursewasset,andhewasmypilot."
KeyTracks:"StoneCrazy,""FirstTimeIMettheBlues"

24
Angus Young

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

"Idon'tregardmyselfasasoloist,"AC/DC'sleadguitaristhassaidofhismanicstyle."It'sacolor;Iputit
inforexcitement."AliceinChains'JerryCantrellcalledhim"theabsolutegodofbluesrockguitar."The
approachthatAngusYoungandhisrhythmguitarplayingbrother,Malcolm,developedinAC/DC'searly
yearshighspeedpentatonicrunsoverthunderouspowerchordlicksbecameahardrocktradition,
andmillionsofguitariststheworldoverhavehis"BackinBlack"and"HighwaytoHell"licksimprinted
ontheirbrains."MalcolmandAngushavedonemorewiththreechordsthananyotherhumanbeing,"
saidSlash.AngusYoung'sonstagepersonalschoolboyoutfits,duckwalkinglikeapintsizeChuck
Berryisascolorfulashisplaying."He'slikeClarkfuckingKent!"AC/DCfrontmanBrianJohnson
toldRollingStonein2008."Hegoesintoaphoneboothandcomesoutasthe14yearoldimp,readyto
rock!"
KeyTracks:"HighwaytoHell,""BadBoyBoogie"

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100greatest-guitarists-20111123/tom-morello20111122#ixzz3dcd0dZ2W

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