Guitar Virtuoso

The talented, flamboyant lead guitarist was always one of rock's most cherished roles, but it wasn't until the late '80s that the Guitar Virtuoso reigned supreme in mainstream rock. These are just a few of my favorites.

Joe Satriani was one of the best, most influential rock guitarists of the late '80s, equally capable of fast flights of blinding technique as well as sweet, lyrical passages. What also separates Satriani from most technically gifted guitar virtuosos is that he treats a song as a song, Not as an excuse to shred. For these reasons, he appeals not only to guitarists, but also to many rock fans who have never touched the instrument.
Grim's Pick: Flying in a Blue Dream. Visit The Official Joe Satriani Home Page

Steve Vai was a pupil of Joe Satriani as a teenager and studied at The Berklee School of Music before moving to Los Angeles at age 19. He was a huge fan of Frank Zappa's and joined Zappa's band after proving that he knew most of the repertoire and could transcribe orchestral pieces by ear. Zappa credited him on albums as the "stunt guitarist." He then went on to work with Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake before concentrating on his solo career. Vai is considered to be one of rock's top instrumentalists. And, let's not forget his big-screen duel with Ralph Macchio in the movie Crossroads.
Grim's Pick: Passion and Warfare. Visit Steve Vai's Fire Garden - The OFFICIAL Vai Site

Yngwie Malmsteen is arguably the most technically accomplished hard rock guitarist to emerge during the '80s. Combining a dazzling technique honed over years of obsessive practice with a love for such classical composers as Bach, Beethoven, and Paganini, Malmsteen's distinctively baroque, gothic compositional style and lightning-fast arpeggiated solos rewrote the book on heavy metal guitar.
Grim's Pick: The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection. Visit Malmsteen's Militia

Eric Johnson Very few post-Hendrix guitarists can match Eric Johnson's six-string magic. There's no hint of anger, angst, or sloppiness in any of his playing; instead, each note, each phrase, demonstrates his obsession with tone. Joyous celebrations, his solos seem to grow more magnificent with each listening. For years esteemed players proclaimed Eric Johnson one of rock's most imaginative and tasteful guitarists. I've managed to catch him live on two occasions and was blown away both times. I'm hoping to hear more about him and his music in the years to come.
Grim's Pick: Ah Via Musicom . Visit the Eric Johnson Official Web Site.

Jeff Beck While he was as innovative as Jimmy Page, as tasteful as Eric Clapton and nearly as visionary as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck never achieved the same commercial success as any of his contemporaries, primarily because of the haphazard way he approached his career. After Rod Stewart left the Jeff Beck Group in 1971, Beck never worked with a charismatic lead singer who could have helped sell his music to a wide audience. Furthermore, he was simply too idiosyncratic, moving from heavy metal to jazz-fusion within a blink of an eye. As his career progressed, he became more fascinated by automobiles than guitars, releasing only one album during the course of the '90s. All the while, Beck retained the respect of fellow guitarists, who found his reclusiveness all the more alluring.
Grim's Pick: Blow by Blow. Visit Jeff Beck at the EpicCenter

Ty Tabor Comparable to Brian May and Ace Frehley, King's X guitarist Ty Tabor (pictured at far left) has an identifiable guitar style all his own, and unfortunately remains one of rock's most underrated guitarists (just check out King's X tracks such as "Over My Head" and "Moanjam" for proof).
Grim's Pick: Moonflower Lane.

Nuno Although guitarist and band mastermind Nuno Bettencourt's style was derived from Eddie Van Halen, his heart is with the progressive hard rock of Queen, as well as Beatlesque pop and touches of lounge jazz. Consequently, Extreme's music is never easy to classify; it's not just heavy metal, hard rock, or pop -- their albums cover all of that territory, with a sweeping ambition and a social conscious to match. Keep an eye on this one.
Grim's Pick: Schizophonic. Visit theExtreme/Nuno page

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	Joe Satriani was one of the best, most influential rock guitarists of the late '80s, equally capable of fast flights of blinding technique as well as sweet, lyrical passages. What also separates Satriani from most technically gifted guitar virtuosos is that he treats a song as a song, Not as an excuse to shred. For these reasons, he appeals not only to guitarists, but also to many rock fans who have never touched the instrument. Grim's Pick: Flying in a Blue Dream. Visit The Official Joe Satriani Home Page
	Steve Vai was a pupil of Joe Satriani as a teenager and studied at The Berklee School of Music before moving to Los Angeles at age 19. He was a huge fan of Frank Zappa's and joined Zappa's band after proving that he knew most of the repertoire and could transcribe orchestral pieces by ear. Zappa credited him on albums as the "stunt guitarist." He then went on to work with Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake before concentrating on his solo career. Vai is considered to be one of rock's top instrumentalists. And, let's not forget his big-screen duel with Ralph Macchio in the movie Crossroads. Grim's Pick: Passion and Warfare. Visit Steve Vai's Fire Garden - The OFFICIAL Vai Site
	Yngwie Malmsteen is arguably the most technically accomplished hard rock guitarist to emerge during the '80s. Combining a dazzling technique honed over years of obsessive practice with a love for such classical composers as Bach, Beethoven, and Paganini, Malmsteen's distinctively baroque, gothic compositional style and lightning-fast arpeggiated solos rewrote the book on heavy metal guitar. Grim's Pick: The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection. Visit Malmsteen's Militia
	Eric Johnson Very few post-Hendrix guitarists can match Eric Johnson's six-string magic. There's no hint of anger, angst, or sloppiness in any of his playing; instead, each note, each phrase, demonstrates his obsession with tone. Joyous celebrations, his solos seem to grow more magnificent with each listening. For years esteemed players proclaimed Eric Johnson one of rock's most imaginative and tasteful guitarists. I've managed to catch him live on two occasions and was blown away both times. I'm hoping to hear more about him and his music in the years to come. Grim's Pick: Ah Via Musicom . Visit the Eric Johnson Official Web Site.
	Jeff Beck While he was as innovative as Jimmy Page, as tasteful as Eric Clapton and nearly as visionary as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck never achieved the same commercial success as any of his contemporaries, primarily because of the haphazard way he approached his career. After Rod Stewart left the Jeff Beck Group in 1971, Beck never worked with a charismatic lead singer who could have helped sell his music to a wide audience. Furthermore, he was simply too idiosyncratic, moving from heavy metal to jazz-fusion within a blink of an eye. As his career progressed, he became more fascinated by automobiles than guitars, releasing only one album during the course of the '90s. All the while, Beck retained the respect of fellow guitarists, who found his reclusiveness all the more alluring. Grim's Pick: Blow by Blow. Visit Jeff Beck at the EpicCenter
	Ty Tabor Comparable to Brian May and Ace Frehley, King's X guitarist Ty Tabor (pictured at far left) has an identifiable guitar style all his own, and unfortunately remains one of rock's most underrated guitarists (just check out King's X tracks such as "Over My Head" and "Moanjam" for proof). Grim's Pick: Moonflower Lane.



	Nuno Although guitarist and band mastermind Nuno Bettencourt's style was derived from Eddie Van Halen, his heart is with the progressive hard rock of Queen, as well as Beatlesque pop and touches of lounge jazz. Consequently, Extreme's music is never easy to classify; it's not just heavy metal, hard rock, or pop -- their albums cover all of that territory, with a sweeping ambition and a social conscious to match. Keep an eye on this one. Grim's Pick: Schizophonic. Visit theExtreme/Nuno page

My Music Page	Hard Rock	Pop/Rock	Alternative Pop/Rock	Guitar Virtuoso
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock	Art-Rock/Progressive-Rock	Modern Electric Blues	Crossover Jazz	Best Bands You've Never Heard