Al Barger gets down in the engine room of rock, the rhythm guitarists and their songs.
Listing the greatest guitarists or greatest singers or such seems just too broad to get the best results. For something more narrowly focused, let's look at individual songs with the greatest rhythm guitar parts.…
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26 - Mark Saleski
Al has extremely acute and varied musical taste
...except for that Black Sabbath thing.
27 - Eric Olsen
And he doesn't appreciate Traffic or Harry Belafonte enough either, but nobody's perfect, except us.
28 - Al Barger
Note that I have volunteered for Traffic re-education camp. Following earlier criticisms on the topic, I figured that I was perhaps inappropriately discounting their work without giving it sufficient hearing. I have recently acquired the Winwood box set and several Traffic albums. I STILL think the Rickie Lee Jones cover of "High Heeled Boys" rules the roost, however.
And Black Sabbath continues to be third or fourth string. Sorry.
Silly politics aside, I still don't see what the big deal is with Harry Belafonte. I could see why he might have been considered moderately appealing pop music in the day, but I don't seem much of lasting value.
29 - Mark Saleski
And Black Sabbath continues to be third or fourth string. Sorry.
...oh, you are a stubborn one.
30 - Shark
Big Al, Black Sabbath can only be properly appreciated if one has brain damage, preferably in the severe category.
That's not a shot against the music, just an environmental/lifestyle enhancement recommendation.
(I'd duck, but Blk Sab fans couldn't hit the broad side of a barn: see above)
31 - jadester
I'm a bit of a Black Sabbath fan, and i'm pretty sure i don't have brain damage. Then again, i like bands from lots of different areas of rock (as opposed to just one or two), so maybe i have...
32 - Dan S.
Almost ANY CCR tune is a textbook exercise in fine rhythm guitar work... :-)
33 - Douglas Mays
Dan:
True, how could anyone leave out CCR? But, how about this: 'What I like about you' by the Romantics. Man, everyone is using that song in their commercials now. And, you know, it ain't too bad...
34 - Al Barger
The Romantics song is alright, but nothing special.
Shark, you don't even know with my interest in Prince. I could easily come up with 50 top PRINCE guitar songs. In this rhythm guitar list, right now I could dig on some "Alphabet Street."
I had a big probably 2'x3' framed poster of the nude Lovesexy album cover hanging in my living room for a couple of years while I was at Ball State. It was only after I was out of BSU and Muncie generally that someone clued me up that a lot of people thought I was gay, largely on the account of that poster.
Well, that and the Michael Jackson Bad bondage gear poster in the kitchen.
And I'm definitely looking forward to downloading the Hall of Fame performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with Prince's guitar. Besides everything else, this provides strong evidence that he's a better guitar player than George Harrison or Eric Clapton.
35 - Douglas Mays
Oh gosh, another one popped into my head. A long time ago the Ventures did a version of 'Green Onions' by Booker T and the MG's.
Talk about a rhythm guitar surf blast!
Anyway, another cool guitar recording.
36 - Chiefwashburn
Luther Perkins is the king of the rythym/lead style of play. This was 100% original and only Bob Wooten nad Marty Stuart have come close.
No disrespect to others, especially Buck Owens lead player. By the way I would also rate Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan almost equals in songwriting. John a 9, Bob a 10+
37 - Al Barger
Thanks Chiefwashburn. I'd forgotten even writing this.
So MANY more great possibilities. This list needs more Jack White. "Hello Operator" from the De Stijl album would be an excellent addition, as would "Blue Orchid" from the new GBMS.
38 - chiefwashburn
Forgive me I'm new to this blog. I may repeat some of the stuff already here. Obviously John Cash was my idol as well as Luther Perkins. Good rythym songs by the above include "cry, cry, cry" "Home of the blues" and "Tennesee
flat top box". I also loved the Ventures. I have their autobraphs as well as Luthers. Got Luther's back around 1964, The Ventures in the 70's.
Take care.
Chief
39 - Chiefwashburn
Going to go back a bit on this one. Johnny Western played rythym and Carl Perkins played lead on "Live at San Quintin". The reverb was turned up to the max that night.
Don't forget Doc Watson and Lester Flatt; after all, bluegrass is rock & roll at warp speed and you have to be more accurate.
I played back up rythym for Ralp Stanley in 1971 and the tempo was incredable. Play only locally now.
40 - spankymcdratre
what about "pride and joy" by stevie ray.
green onions by the ventures is great.
41 - bobbyshade
29 & 38, a bo diddley song and a tune based on the bo diddley riff.
bo diddley is the most influential rhythm guitar player of all time. please name 1 other who created a chord riff and made a career of playing that same riff for 45+ years and it never got/gets stale.
buddy holly was on the way to do the same
(words of love) and to pick a song of his that borrows so heavily from bo is just wrong. IMHO
b. shade
42 - David Blakey
Hi,
Just wanted to thank bobbyshade for his comments regarding Bo Diddley (above).
Also, just to clarify that the Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner" song at 29 is an original song. It isn't a remake of Bo Diddley's song "Road Runner".
"Not Fade Away" by Buddy Holly & the Crickets at 38 (along with George Michael's song "Faith" at 23), as bobbyshade correctly points out, utilises the world famous Bo Diddley beat.
David Blakey, Webmaster,
BO DIDDLEY-The Originator
A Celebration of his unique contribution to Popular Music.
1955 to 2005 - Celebrating 50 Years In Music!
43 - TheGreatCarlini
Okay, some of the best five member rock bands ( base, drums, vocal, lead and rhythm guitar) features the solid backbone riffs from the likes of Adrian Smith, Derrick St. Holmes, Brad Whitford, Rudy Schenker,Gary Rossington / Allen Collins ,Dave Kushner, and Malcom Young!
We Are Smokin'
44 - Brooke
Pretty sweet list there.
45 - 100%fake
frusciante?? power of equality? under the bridge? suck my kiss? funky monks? Cant stop? do i need to go on?
46 - 100%fake
oh yeah, i think "mary had a little lamb" by SRV belongs right up there too
47 - John Lin
Al - thanks for citing Pretender songs representing some of the finest rhythm guitar playing in rock. You might have overlooked "Brass in Pocket"? What about "Back to Ohio"?
Also you mentioned the Clash very brieftly while talking about the Ramones. Perhaps you shoulda shined some light on the Clash as well? I want to give serious brownie points to their double LP "London Calling". Songs like "London Calling", "Death or Glory", "Jimmy Jazz", "Train in Vain" have a tendency to stay with you from adolescence to mid-age. The genius of the Clash derives not only from great song-writing, but also from their diverse musical range. Who woulda expected such James-Brown sounds from the "RADIO CLASH" LP right after "London Calling"?
48 - Al Barger
Thanks, John. James Honeyman Scott was a great guitar talent.
Holy crap, no Clash! "London Calling" definitely rates right up there.
49 - Grozdan Popov
Two years and two months ago big boss Eric pronounced this was an "Excellent List, kind of overwhelming". My, my!
And then for 720 days you guys talk about rhythms and sounds which remind you of your high school days. Grow up. With (really due and well earned ) respect to big Al, I need to say that once artists like Vlatko Stefanovski (formally the lead of "Leb i Sol" group) or Miroslav Tadic are not on any list of top guitar-players of our time - the list is desperately partial, regional, biased or deficient of global perception.
Only people deaf for the sounds of the planet and blind for its socio-cultural map would make such a blunder. You do not know what millions of well educated Europeans consider a really great guitar. Invest a quarter of an hour or so with the site this link will take you to to read and listen and discover something new.
You may just let that browser window open and listen to the music while you write your posts in another window. I have one more link here with Vlatko on guitar and you need to forget the interface there, just listen to the music to get my point.
Anyway, this Friday, December 9th at 08:00 p.m.in New York there will be a concert (I think for free) in a fine gallery of the Macedonian center (off Fifth Ave, on 549 West 52nd Street, 8th floor) where you can hear Bodan Arsovski, former bas-guitar of "Leb i Sol". Do go. And then reinvigorate the impressive throb of this post.
50 - DJ506
Prince is sooo over looked as a guitar player...That performance at the 2004 RRHOF during "While my Guitar..." was f**kin' amazing!!!
51 - gonzo marx
bah....
once again we find Opinion without proper broad based research into the subject at hand...which is fine, cuz it's just Opinion...
but still...
ANYTHING by Pete Townshend is rhythmically superior to 95% of what's listed, by definition...
but, you leave out folks from genre's that you are not familiar with..
Dimebag Darryl of Pantera, and the rhythym guitar work on "Fucking Hostile"
ANYTHING by Fast Eddy of Motorhead
Scott Ian of Anthrax
even dead, Frank Zappa is still greater than Jack White
on and on...
Excelsior!
52 - Martin Backowski
I don't understand where is Hendrix's Purple Haze??!
next good songs...
Heartbreaker- Jimmy Page, Aqualung- Martin Barre
Iron Man- Tommi Iomi, next songs by Led Zep,Jimi H.,Black Sab,... hm queer list....
53 - Michael
How about the long version of "Jet Airliner" by Steve Miller Band?
54 - Imran
You seem to be forgetting any work by Tom Morello. Killing In The Name, anyone?
55 - Solano heavy metal maniac
Hey, good list. But man, you forgot iron man (black sabbath rules by the way)ore Metalica- one. Ore even led zeppelin, kashmir and the immigrant song got killer riffs.
56 - Anton
Jesus! What a list! Where is George McCraes 'Rock your Baby? The way Jerome Smith plays his telecaster will blow you away. John Mellencamp! I ask you.....
57 - Peter
what about the guitar on 'I Fought The Law' by The Bobby Fuller Four huh?
58 - joeman
why no jessica? that is possibly the best rhythm guitar song ever
59 - Glen
I am glad to see how diverse this list is, but its missing one of the best rhythm guitar artists, tom morello of rage against the machine. Especially on Renegades of Funk, the rhythm guitar is simply but incredible. And gimme all your loving by zz top is one of the most driving rhythm guitar parts of all time.
60 - ccc
niggaz have no say in this
61 - Manny
How can you not include Bo Diddley on this list?
62 - erwtqweqw
just because a song defines something or is revolutionary doesn't mean anything in terms of artistic merit. whoever wrote this is a amateur.
63 - Al Barger
Erwtqweqw, I don't know what "revolutionary" means, but if a song defines a genre or style, that probably does imply some artistic merit. If there was nothing to it, it probably wouldn't be considered a definitive anything. I don't necessarily know from definitive or revolutionary, but I would consider every song on my list to have high artistic merit, or I wouldn't have included them. Are there specific entries here that you consider to lack artistic merit?
64 - Dmenno
Thanks for the list with a fine musical taste indeed.All my support.
Lets play Sunday Blues
Dmenno
65 - harry
enter sandman can beat all these songs. .
66 - Dave R.
Great List Al.. but my #1 song for Rhytym guitar has to go to John Lennon Playing that Triple Rhythm on "All My Loving". In my opinion, nothing tops it. (cant belive it didnt make your list)
Thanks
Dave
67 - Al Barger
Dave R- So many excellent choices, so little space. You might also check out some of the brand new Paul Simon So Beautiful or So What album, starting with "Getting Ready for Christmas Day"
68 - James
McCartney plays guitar on "Helter Skelter," guys.
69 - JAC8280
I love the simply guitar rhythm of Lou Gramm's Midnight Blue. It's stuck in my head. Man. The 80s.