During my early concert-going years, when I was most in tune with the music scene, there were rock stars and guitar heroes all over the place. I happened to grow up with hard rock and metal music in the 70's and 80's, so my tastes coincided with what was big at the time. Metal was on the charts right alongside new wave and Michael Jackson.
The guitarists I admired as a teenaged and early 20's headbanger were guys like Matthias Jabs of the Scorpions, Ric Emmett of Triumph, Alex Lifeson of Rush, Eddie Van Halen, the dual guitar line-ups of Priest and Maiden, and Ozzy's all-star guitar-slingers.
I just finished watching four hours of classic metal on Youtube, a seriously rockin' vintage German performance called Heavy Metal Night in '83. This gig featured a bevy of the best of 80's metal: Maiden, Scorps, Priest, Leppard, Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Krokus and MSG.
This stuff, or most of it, anyway, reminded me of how good the heavy rock genre was back in the day.The 70's spawned pioneers of metal like Priest, the Scorps and Def Leppard (pioneers of the second wave of metal, AKA the New Wave of British Heavy Metal). Six-string maestro Michael Schenker left the Scorpions to create MSG (Michael Schenker Group), thus gifting the world with his brand of early progressive metal. The Scorps carried on quite well, with Mike's brother Rudy on double axe duty with Matthias Jabs. Jabs was always a favourite guitarist of mine. His searing and melodic solos, and his seamless riffing and rhythm just floor me every time. I felt chills down my spine as I watched and heard his solos in the Night in '83 video. Just masterful. And it reminded me of my evening watching the Scorps in action back in '84. Unforgettable.
I was a huge Triumph fan in the 80's. My first real concert ever was the Triumph "Allied Forces" Tour in '81.Ric Emmett was a blazing guitar hero on that night, and I was a serious fan for many years to come. I saw the band again on their '84 Thunder Seven Tour. Mr. Emmett never disappointed. His extended spotlit guitar solos were stunning.
It goes without saying that Alex Lifeson of Rush was among my fave guitarists. Being a huge Rush enthusiast for decades, I have always loved his off-the-wall approach to the instrument. Obviously born a talented string-bender, Lifeson brought a less disciplined approach to Rush. Drummer Peart and bassist/vocalist Lee were hyper-diligent with their duties. Lifeson's more intuitive ideas brought a spontaneous feel to songs that were highly structured by his bandmates. This symbiotic relationship worked miracles for Rush.
Judas Priest boasted a twin guitar attack that few bands could match. KK Downing and Glenn Tipton were major forces in establishing the iconic Priest sound. Both formidable soloists, it was Tipton who particularly impressed me. His attention to melodic phrasing while tearing up the fretboard still makes me shake my head in disbelief. Chills. These guys defined metal during its early days, setting even an higher standard in the genre.Guitarists in decades since have looked to pioneers like Priest for inspiration.
And one can't forget Eddie Van Halen for his contribution to hard rock guitar. Eddie's unschooled approach to the instrument was based on his childhood piano lessons. He applied that keyboard knowledge to the guitar and came up with unique ways of "speaking" on the fretboard. Since he never learned the "rules", he devised brand new ways of expressing himself musically. Eddie's guitar voice became one of the most recognizable in rock. My favourite axe-man of all time.
Even Jake E. Lee shredded with technical and creative fury... there's no denying his ability. Lee's predecessor with Ozzy, Randy Rhoads, was no slouch either. A bit of a guitar god in some circles.
Kirk Hammett of Metallica forged some pretty massive and influential work, at least on earlier albums. And ex-Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine brought his fiery style to a new level with Megadeth. Dave's early co-star Marty Friedman was an absolute terror on the six-string. Marty was also a fave player of mine back in the day.
Now I ask again... are there any musical contributors like this today? If so, they are far from the mainstream. The most popular stuff today is Dr. Dre, Ed Sheeran,Taylor Swift, and Skrillex. Blech. No rock stars or guitar heroes there.
Ah well, I've got my memories of the 80's and 90's rock and metal shows I've seen, and the albums I played back then. Maybe things will turn around and rock will top the charts once again. Or not. Whatever happens, I'll still revisit my favourite crunching albums of the past.
Rock til you drop....
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