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Post by PistolPete on Jul 7, 2022 9:39:14 GMT
Many years ago I came off stage at an open mic night, after playing some mediocre Mississippi Fred McDowell covers and found myself in the following exchange,
Punter: "You must be a huge George Thorogood fan?"
me: "Not especially, why?"
P: "He's The Greatest Slide Guitarist Of All Time"
me: "Is he? He's no Blind Willie Johnson"
P: "but he's The Greatest"
Cue a circular conversation in which I talk enthusiastically about slide guitarists and it becomes apparent that George Thorogood is the only slide player that the punter has heard of.
For peculiar reasons of memory I found myself reliving the experience in the shower this morning, and cringing slightly at how little tact my twenty-something self had shown.
But it did get me thinking - who would you guys say was The Greatest Slide Guitarist of All Time?
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Welshruss
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Post by Welshruss on Jul 7, 2022 10:15:15 GMT
That’s a hard question. Mississippi Fred McDowell, Dwayne Allman, Derek Trucks, Muddy Waters, Ry Cooder. I can’t pick a favourite, then there’s Kelly Joe Phelps, Joey Landreth, Charlie Parr, I could go on and on. I just love slide guitar.
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Post by slidingwolf on Jul 7, 2022 10:43:34 GMT
That made me laugh. I once had a similar experience. I put the style one tricone on its stand ready to perform only for an audiance memeber to say, "Ah, we'll be having some steel guitar then." I let that one go, but then he said, "So you'll be doing lots of tunes by the Faces then." "The Faces? " I said. "Why the Faces?" "Well," came the reply, "That slide guitar, they invented it, didn't they."
But then again, I once had an irate punter come up to me at the interval, having played songs by Blind Lemon, Willie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Tampa Red etc, to be told, in no uncertain terms, "That's not the blues. You sound nothing like Aerosmith." Apparently they did a "blues" album once which was, obviously, the only blues he'd ever heard. What can you say?
One of my other favourites is, "Can you do American Pie, by Madonna?" It really is hard not to be rude sometimes........
And yes, another vote for Willie Johnson from me too, if I absolutely had to pick one.
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Post by martinrowe on Jul 7, 2022 11:24:45 GMT
I wonder if the categorisation is too broad, there's a lot of 'types' of slide playing I think.
Back in the early 70's when pub rock was a thing I used to go to the Kensington Pub in Holland Park to listen to Bees Make Honey - the music was a sort of early country rock with Blues, Soul, Saxes, and Honky Tonk piano - Dire Straights were doing the rounds then as well. I also used to go and see a group called the Stranglers at the Red Cow in Hammersmith Road on Thursday nights. Bees Make Honey were good: one of the singers could do Ray Charles like Ray Charles, the lead guitarist was an Irishman called Ed Dean. During a slow blues at one point he played three notes that were perfect in context - it sort of went through you, I can still remember the experience. I remember noticing other players in the band looking and smiling - the world was all right. They were good, Frankie Miller sat in for 3 songs once and did Walking the Dog. So for me, it's Ed Dean, on certain Sunday dinner time, during a split second of time, playing a slow blues.
I like Mike Dowling's playing as well, and that's often in Open D which is different.
If you want calm then there's Furry Lewis and his penknife.
If you want angry and terrifying there's always Son House.
That's my two penceworth.
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Post by borborygmus on Jul 7, 2022 13:01:46 GMT
Not *The Best*, but I like those listed so far. One could add Bonnie Raitt, and Martin Simpson, to the lists.
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Post by PistolPete on Jul 7, 2022 17:28:25 GMT
That made me laugh. I once had a similar experience. I put the style one tricone on its stand ready to perform only for an audiance memeber to say, "Ah, we'll be having some steel guitar then." I let that one go, but then he said, "So you'll be doing lots of tunes by the Faces then." "The Faces? " I said. "Why the Faces?" "Well," came the reply, "That slide guitar, they invented it, didn't they." But then again, I once had an irate punter come up to me at the interval, having played songs by Blind Lemon, Willie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Tampa Red etc, to be told, in no uncertain terms, "That's not the blues. You sound nothing like Aerosmith." Apparently they did a "blues" album once which was, obviously, the only blues he'd ever heard. What can you say? Ha ha, how silly! Everyone knows George Harrison invented slide guitar when the Beatles were recording For You Blue /s I had the Aerosmith blues album "Honkin' On Bobo", although I haven't listened to it in years. As I recall it was pretty decent as far as these things go, and on a par with the kind of heavier blues rock that was around on the blues scene at the time, as people like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Eric Sardinas were still quite big. But then I did spend a chunk of my teenage years wearing out an Aerosmith cassette, so I might have been predisposed to warmth towards it. I know this is an acoustic guitar forum & everything, but I feel like Elmore James & Hound Dog Taylor should at least have honourable mentions in this thread, alongside those who've been brought up already.
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walkingdecay
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Post by walkingdecay on Jul 7, 2022 17:31:00 GMT
Ry Cooder and David Hamburger are my favourites, the former because he can convince with sliding through anything from the dirtiest blues to the most delicate jazz, the latter for developmental techniques which often go beyond what you think are the limits of slide. And Dickey Betts, for that creamy tone. And David Lindley, who operates in his own inspirational space.
And some I haven't thought of, of course. There's really no such thing as the best anything ever, is there?
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Post by earwighoney on Jul 7, 2022 17:46:02 GMT
That’s a hard question. Mississippi Fred McDowell, Dwayne Allman, Derek Trucks, Muddy Waters, Ry Cooder. I can’t pick a favourite, then there’s Kelly Joe Phelps, Joey Landreth, Charlie Parr, I could go on and on. I just love slide guitar. No Jack Rose on the list?
One of his songs played on a guitar built by a one time poster on this forum.
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juliant
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Post by juliant on Jul 7, 2022 20:09:38 GMT
Living, Ry Cooder and Howard Emerson Deceased, Blind Lemon
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Welshruss
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Post by Welshruss on Jul 8, 2022 5:41:51 GMT
That’s a hard question. Mississippi Fred McDowell, Dwayne Allman, Derek Trucks, Muddy Waters, Ry Cooder. I can’t pick a favourite, then there’s Kelly Joe Phelps, Joey Landreth, Charlie Parr, I could go on and on. I just love slide guitar. No Jack Rose on the list?
I forgot Jack, doh!
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Post by lavaman on Jul 8, 2022 8:35:08 GMT
Lots of great slide players already mentioned. One not mentioned is Dave Gilmour.
If you like slide I recommend you have a listen to Tom Doughty.
edit - I forgot Harry Manx
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Post by borborygmus on Jul 8, 2022 9:01:05 GMT
I love this kind of thread; although it will result in me going down a lot of interweb rabbit holes this weekend. Players I am not familiar with so far: Mike Dowling, Harry Manx, Tom Doughty.
>>> There's really no such thing as the best anything ever, is there? Agreed!
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Post by borborygmus on Jul 8, 2022 9:04:18 GMT
Almost forgot Rory Gallagher!... and Lowell George...
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Post by ocarolan on Jul 8, 2022 9:19:05 GMT
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David Hutton
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Post by David Hutton on Jul 8, 2022 10:51:11 GMT
I won't lie, I don't recognise a number of the players listed so far and don't feel qualified to judge the best:) I do like a bit of Leo Kottke. No idea if he is technically anywhere near the best but I do love the music he makes.
My brother was also a mad Chris Rea fan in his youth and I have seen him live a couple of times. Don't get me wrong I appreciate he is probably no where near the best, but I think he was/is very much underrated. He does make some pleasant and sometimes unique sounds with that slide.
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