There comes a time in every man’s life where he picks up a guitar and imagines he is on a stage at
For many, that’s as far as the dream goes. Some join garage bands and others just play the mop handle or the air guitar when the solo of “Freebird” comes on.
But there are the few who see the guitar as an extension of life, as more than an instrument, a part of the body as important as the arm or the heart. These are the people who ascend beyond mere rock star status to become masters of the instrument, be it acoustic or electric. These are the ones they call “guitar heroes.”
And these are the ones we have chosen to honor in our May retrospective on the Daily Vault, which we call Guitar Greats.
It would not be right to have a retrospective such as this without paying tribute to the early blues legends like B.B King, for it was they who came up with the notion of lead guitar. Further down the line, 60s greats like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix radically changed what could be done on stage, while in the studio Jimmy Page was experimenting with riffs and layers of sound.
In the 70s, stylists as diverse as Eddie Van Halen and David Gilmour took the sound and “voice” of the electric guitar in exciting new directions. In the 80s, speed metal via Metallica took guitar crunch to new heights, while technical wizards like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai continued to redefine the most basic of instruments. Meanwhile, beyond the world of mainstream rock, men like John McLaughlin were making a name for themselves, while Phil Keaggy proved that one could be an avowed Christian and also a master of the guitar.
From Duane Allman to Ronnie Montrose, from Yngwie Malmsteen to Jeff Beck, from Steve Morse to Derek Trucks, this retrospective will scale the fretboard of guitar greats. Starting May 4 and running all the way through May 31 (every day, seven days a week!), turn your monitors up to 11 and prepare to rock out as you read these reviews, many buried in the archives, some appearing for the first time.
Founded in January 1997, the Daily Vault has featured over 4,600 reviews of over 2,200 artists covering almost the entire musical spectrum, written by a volunteer review staff from around the world. Previous Artist Of The Month retrospectives have spotlighted the work of artists from Tori Amos to Frank Zappa, including
