Lots of great musishnins out there... not all of them rock. For example, Alan Holdsworth is a great guitarist, but doesn't rock. Technic out the wazoo, bizarre sounds, cool compositions,
but practically no rock whatsoever.
Also, I'm not talking about Buddy Holly-lalala-type Rock 'n Roll, Jam-Band noodling guitarists, Fuziod shredders, or Metal guitar acrobats. ROCK. Four on the Floor. I suppose Jerry Garcia might
have rocked once or twice in his lifetime and people tell me that Metallica has done so as well, but I disagree. Imo, most metal bands suffer from being too damn much like Hair Bands who trade
their ROCK wholesale for pooched out smooch photos and spandex, none of which ROCKs. Kirk Hammet may be talented and wear leather, but he couldn't rock if his life depended on it. Wheedley-deedley is no substitute for a jaw-breaking power chord. Hammett's leads blow and his rhythm stops sound more like a.... electric harpsichord. That may be fine and even capably
performed, but it doesn't ROCK.
First up... Link Wray.
Look at him! He's practically dead and that one look rocks more than any rocker 1/4th his age! Keep that picture in mind and think of Mick Jagger. Now, I like the Stones and Keith rocks,
but compared to someone like Link Wray, Mick comes off like a prancing cheezeball.
ALL Link Wray does is rock. No fancy compositions or whatnot. Not that composition is bad, but rock is attitude, balls, toughness, in-your-faceness etc... and Link Wray throws down.
He keeps it blunt and beats you over the head with it.
When Link Wray's guitar growls, its mad, its got an agenda and its gonna tear you up. Not like, say Steve Vai, whose growling guitar sounds like a kitten caught in a tree or a
zipper with a microphone on it. I love Vai, but I would say he
occasionally rocks. He is talented as can be, but compared to someone like Link Wray, who rocks with most every note he plays,
well, I gotta say Vai ends up sounding kinda pussyish.
A request: Don't just make a list of your favorite artists, try to think of someone who was truly balls-to-the-wall!