Master Index of Archived Threads


Oh no, the singer's plugging in

AG/DC Sep 25 2008 11:05 AM

The following frontmen and frontwomen from the Rock 'n' Roll Holla Fame were vocalists only at least 60%* of the time, but a gap in the arrangement or vanity led them all to occasionally plug in perhaps a few times per show. Rank them by your impression of them as guitarists, starting with the one who gave you the most cahnfidence to the one who would give you the most pause, if you should see them strapping an axe on during an interlude. Occasional guitar Roger Daltrey Mick Jagger Bono Freddie Mercury Patti Smith Deborah Harry Janis Joplin Rod Stewart Dion ___________ *A rather arbitrary number selected to keep David Bowie and Sammy Hagar out of the picture. I also stayed away from James Brown-types, who get studio credits as intstrumentalists, but tendded to stick to the mic exclusively on stage.

smg58 Sep 25 2008 11:46 AM

If you've heard Bronx in Blue, then you'd know Dion is the best guitarist in this bunch by a wide margin.

AG/DC Sep 25 2008 11:52 AM

Yeah, maybe he was a stretch to include because he became a strummnig folksinger after his doo-wop days had passed, and later a bluesman. I go Dion Freddie Daltrey Jagger Bono Rod Janis Patti Deborah

smg58 Sep 25 2008 01:04 PM

Of the four I've seen perform, I'd have to go Dion, Mick, Bono, and Roger. I think Mick would be considered a serviceable rhythm guitarist if he played for a band that needed him to strum more frequently. A handful of U2 songs (like "One") benefit from a second guitar part, and Bono handles them well enough. I never thought Roger was doing more than just fooling around when he picked up a guitar. Of the others... Freddie was definitely a better piano player, but "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" needed an extra guitar and he could handle it. I haven't seen Rod or any of the women you mentioned try to pick up a guitar, and I'm not sure I'd want to.

AG/DC Sep 25 2008 01:22 PM

Really in the mix or just posturing? You make the call.

sharpie Sep 25 2008 01:58 PM

Of the ones I've seen: Jagger Bono Patti Smith Daltrey I've seen Rod Stewart whith the Faces but I've never seen him play no guitar. Daltrey is pretty bad. Patti isn't technically very good but makes the most of it. Jagger clearly the best of the lot I've seen.

cooby Sep 25 2008 06:20 PM

AG/DC wrote: Really in the mix or just posturing? You make the call. I think she faking it but you can't beat those lips with a stick.

sharpie Sep 26 2008 07:31 AM

Another singer who plugs in and would make the bottom of this list: Madonna.

AG/DC Sep 26 2008 08:04 AM

Really? Why wonder if she's really playing guitar? It's enough to wonder when she's really singing. Not a lot of participation here. Rank these singers by your pereception of their abilitites as occasional pianists/keyboardists. Freddie Mercury Steven Tyler Mick Jagger Maurice Gibb Grace Slick Aretha Franklin Morrissey

Frayed Knot Sep 26 2008 09:09 AM

To Madonna a guitar is a fashion accessory. Kind of like most of her children.

metirish Sep 26 2008 09:47 AM

What about Bob .......as in Robert Smith(do you have to In in the HOF?). I for a long time thought Bono was doing nothing more than posing but when I saw the "Elevation Tour" I saw that he was actually playing an important role in certain songs. I can't say I have see enough of the others to have noticed .

AG/DC Sep 26 2008 09:52 AM

I consider Robert Smith a full-time guitarist, and an excellent one at that. OK, last chance to get youse mugs to play. Rank these vocalists at harmonica players: Steven Tyler Bono Roger Daltrey Robert Plant Jim Morrison Rod Stewart

Gwreck Sep 26 2008 10:11 AM

AG/DC wrote: I consider Robert Smith a full-time guitarist, and an excellent one at that. OK, last chance to get youse mugs to play. Rank these vocalists at harmonica players: Steven Tyler Bono Roger Daltrey Robert Plant Jim Morrison Rod Stewart Umm: Tyler Daltrey Plant Stewart Morrison Bono Not mentioned but probably near the top of the list: Huey Lewis. No, really.

AG/DC Sep 26 2008 10:14 AM

i'll buy that, but I was sticking to HOFers.

metirish Sep 26 2008 10:24 AM

] I consider Robert Smith a full-time guitarist, and an excellent one at that. You are correct , and I have seem them plenty. I suppose I just never thought of him as the main guy playing guitar although he probably composes most of the music as well.

Gwreck Sep 26 2008 10:28 AM

Oops on the HOF thing. This really is a good ranking project, but I gotta sit down and carefully consider it. And that means having actual concentration. Today is the most distracted I've been on a weekday since October 19, 2006.

sharpie Sep 26 2008 11:05 AM

On the recording of "Roadhouse Blues" which features a prominent harmonica part, the producer wanted a better harmonica player than Morrison and so John Sebastian was hired. The previous Doors album, "The Soft Parade" had been derided for its horns and Vegas-y sound so Sebastian thought it wouldn't be cool of him to be on a Doors album and so it is credited to a pseudonym. Now, of course, Sebastian, whose music other than a couple of Lovin' Spoonful hits is forgotten, would surely love for people to know that it is him and not Morrison playing on that song which still gets plenty of radio play. Morrison did play the harmonica part credibly in concert.