Quote Originally Posted by N. Abstentia
I'll agree that tentoze is right..it all boils down to your opinion, no matter how wrong it is.

Were you referring to Cobain as 'the most talented mofo to ever come down the pike'? I assume you never saw that 'mofo' live. He can't sing or play a note in tune when playing live. The MTV unplugged show was the best performace the guy ever gave because he didn't have to scream and had plenty of backing musicians. I guess I just never bought into the whole grunge/MTV hype.

What exactly was Cobain talented at? Guitar playing? Satriani. Vai. Bonnamassa. Tabor. Lifeson. Mustaine. Howe. Rabin. McCready. Matheos. Adrian Smith. DeGarmo. Gilmour. Petrucci. You should check them out too.

Song writing? He's better than me, that's for sure. But I urge you to check out Neal Morse, Neil Peart, Jim Matheos, Steve Harris, DeGarmo/Tate, Chris Cornell, Portnoy/Petrucci, Becker/***an. These are the song writers I've always looked up to.
I certainly don't want to speak for J, but I'm sure he would agree with most of my response to your comments. First of all, I would concur that most of the guys you mention are very good musicians. That's fine if you want to sit around and jam to show off how accomplished you are on your instrument, but in the end, it really doesn't matter to me how well they play, but what they play. I can't think of one memorable record, or even one "critically acclaimed" record, from any of them, and I don't think many rock historians will have much to say about any of them. Maybe some of Howe's work in Yes, but beyond that, I just don't know and really don't care.

Most of the guitarists you mention are playing the same effects-laiden excesses that have been around for years, and it's all so, well...boring if you ask me. Their guitar playing is akin to the vocals of Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. Sure they can sing, but the ballads they do are mindless, unemotional drivel geared toward the masses who buy their records. There are plenty of incredibly talented vocalists who know how to hold it back, giving you that little extra every so often so you know it's there. I can't think of a better example of this than Sinead O'Connor, whether you like her or not.

I've been playing guitar since I was 12, so we're talkin' 34 years, and I went through the "guitar hero" phase for a time, but I came to realize that the songs and the music were much more important to me than how well you played. Kurt Cobain was indeed a unique talent and his guitar playing was perfect for his songs. His music and his legacy will endure long after the guys you mentioned, at least in the musical circles where I hang my hat. Yes he was a mess of a person, but his upbringing was a hell that many of us (I hope) never had to endure.

Hey, I still appreciate great guitar playing, but I'd take Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlain of Television before the guitarists you mentioned. Or how about Jeff Beck during his "Blow By Blow" period? Or Duane Allman and Dickie Betts doing "Statesboro Blues"? Jimi Hendrix is still #1 in my book, he also had great songs. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) is still outta sight if you ask me. None of these guys relied too heavily on effects, save some wah-wah and distortion pedals, and all of them had great songs.

Anyway, I think you'll find a large contingent here on Rave Recs who will essentially agree with me, although there is another gang that likes your kind of thing. Hey, you're entitled to your opinion, no matter how ridiculous it may be. Ok, that was a joke.

G'Night,
Swish

P.S. I fully expect J to write a lengthy response as well.