Da Fan in Japan

-OK...  After enjoying my retirement for a while, I've decided to join the latest musical blog fray.  It's for several reasons-  1) I noticed that on Cleve's blog, several posters raised the question of legitmacy regarding having live albums included there  2) I'd actually been thinking of this as a future blog topic for some time now, and 3) I think I have the time to deal with it, especially since work has settled down some for me, and I doubt that this one will get the kind of crazy response that my earlier "Greatest Guitarist" blog did.  So, I put it to the CBS Community-  what do you think are the greatest live albums of all time?

-Here are the rules, and I'm going to be pretty liberal here-

1. I realize that the line between a "live" and "studio" album can sometimes be blurred.  So, even tho it might cause me to have to do some digging with respect to entries I'm not familiar with, the requirement is thus- a minimum of 50% live content before I consider an album to be "live".
2. There were also questions on Cleve's blog regarding genre.  I personally don't care if it's rock, jazz, German industrial death metal, or Klingon Blood Opera, so long as #1 is met.  A fan of Nana Mouskouri?  Now's your chance to be heard!
3. Nationality or dates don't matter.  It could have been recorded by aliens in 2000 BC, so long as I can find some record of it. 
4. I also realize that there aren't nearly so many live albums out there as studio releases, so if you can't think of many, that's fine.  All I ask for is a minumum of one entry, and a maximum of 10.  Should be pretty easy...
5. This is a few days late, but I felt that perhaps I should articulate the point- Live albums of or including "various artists" are perfectly fine.  Therefore so are albums like Woodstock, or The Band's The Last Waltz, respectively.
6. And finally, everyone's tastes need to be shown due respect and consideration, even if you might personally think they bite.  I'll personally and promptly remove any entries that violate this rule- let's keep this thing fun.

-OK, let's hear it-  what are the best live albums of all time?

-Thanks for your participation!  Voting for the preiminaries will end on Sunday, February 1st, at midnight, EST.

-DFiJ

-Greetings, Everyone!

-I'd kinda promised when I began this blog back in the late spring that I'd compile a list from the results, but wound up very busy for several months with work & all, and found it all but impossible to do so... 

-So without any further ado, here are the Greatest Guitarists in History....

(-Please stay tuned, Folks, as I'll be compiling this list from my summer blogs, and putting some thought into each entry.  It stands to be a "work in progress" for a bit...)

1.  Jimi Hendrix  -While Jimi placed 2nd to Eric Clapton in the preliminary vote, he completely romped over almost all of his opponents in the run-off voting, even posting a very convincing win over his final match, Jimmy Page.  Hendrix died almost 40 years ago, and was only in the public eye for about 3-4 years before he passed, but the fact that he continues to be so highly regarded to this day speaks volumes.  While Pete Townsend brought power chords and bravado, Eric Clapton eloquence, and Jeff Beck experimented with distortion and feedback, Jimi expanded the sonic and creative possibilities of the electric guitar like no one before him, and quite possibly, no one ever since.  Watching Jimi play in old footage, it's like the guitar is an extension of him-  there is little or no boundery between the man and his instrument.  This was also said of the legendary violinist Niccolo Pagenini, among others, and, in my opinion, remains a characteristic of the very finest of musicians.  He was also a very sensual performer and musician.  He tapped unabashedly into a timeless, raw, and earthy source of energy that while rooting him very firmly in the tradition of the blues, also made him so liberating for his audience, and a perfect mirror of the zeitgeist of his times.   Having said that, while much of what happened in the 60s can sound pretty dated to our ears, Jimi has managed to evade much of that sort of criticism.  I guess great playing and musicianship never grow old...

-Would Jimi have made the same kind of impact today had he been born, say, 30 years later?  It's an interesting question, but obviously a moot point.  The fact is, he seems to have arrived at the perfect time, and while his time here was all too tragically short, he casts a huge shadow to this very day...

 2.  Eric Clapton  -I decided to exercise "blogmeister" perrogative in placing Eric over Jimmy Page for two basic reasons- he recieved far more mention in the preliminary vote (more than even Hendrix, as I previously wrote), and he only lost to Page in the Semi-Finals as a result of a coin-flip. 

-Back to why Eric is here...  Eric has been around now for so long (with a career spanning about 45 years now) he seems almost perhaps cliche to some.  Let's rewind to 1963, when Eric started playing with The Yardbirds.  It's perhaps helpful to bear in mind that guitar "solos" in pop at that time were, for the most part (on both sides of the Atlantic), rinkey-dink little affairs that consisted of a few diatonic notes played for a measure or two.  Eric was certainly one of the folks who changed all that.  Witness his playing on "Too Much Monkey Business" live with The Yardbirds as an 18 year-old.  He had already mastered the Chuck Berry style (itself drawn from T-Bone Walker) and surpassed it even at that tender age.  Before he was 21, he had started his legendary stint with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and his playing won him both accolades from the blues vanguard in Chicago, and "God-like" status in London.  Not too shabby for a white kid from small town England.  He was, in short, a prodigy- bringing a combination of technical skill, an almost jazz-like sense of lyricism, and maturity to lead guitar playing- all of this coupled with the energy of a still very young man.  With his comerades in Cream, he helped lay the foundations for so many subsequent developments in rock, that I'll only bother to mention one-  Led Zepplin...

-After Cream (or, more precisely, Blind Faith, his second, if lesser known "super-group"), Eric began his retreat from the limelight, and in the process, relinquished his position at the vanguard of rock guitar to folks like our #3, Jimmy Page.  However, even now, in his position as an acknowledged "elder statesman", the respect quite obviously remains, while the influence from his early contibutions is everywhere...

 3.  Jimmy Page  -Starting out in the mid-60s London music scene as a somewhat obscure (but highly regarded) session musician, by the mid-70's Jimmy Page was anything but obscure.  When Eric Clapton left The Yardbirds in 1965 out of frustration with their less blues-oriented musical direction, he reccomended Jimmy Page as his replacement- an offer that Jimmy actually turned down at the time because he felt he could get better bucks doing session work.  He, in turn, reccomended Jeff Beck, a maverick who's ground-breaking playing helped elevate the band to genuine stardom in England.  This helped Jimmy to change his mind about the Yardbirds, and he joined the band on bass when their original bassist, Paul Samwell-Smith, left the group in 1966.  Poor ol' Chris Dreja, their original guitarist, who was bumped to rhythm duties when Eric Clapton joined in 1963, was then bumped over to bass as soon as he felt confident enough on the instrument.  This left Page sharing guitar duties with Jeff Beck- something I'd have loved to have witnessed, but which was very short-lived.  Eventually, the original members disbanded, leaving Jimmy with only the name...   From Wikipedia-

"One account of the band's naming, which has become almost legendary, has it that  Keith Moon and John Entwistle, drummer and bassist, respectively, for The Who, suggested that a possible supergroup containing themselves, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck would go over like a "lead zeppelin", a term Entwistle used to describe a bad gig.  The group deliberately dropped the 'a' in Lead at the suggestion of their manager, Peter Grant, to prevent "thick Americans" from pronouncing it "leed"."

Well, Led Zepplin quite obviously turned out to be anything but, and while they had a reputation as being loud and heavy, their music covered a ton of ground, with Page playing everything from bone crunching rhythms, to sweetly lyrical blues riffs, to medeval flavored altered-tuning folk, to country, and even touches of "world music"- all done, I might add, with his own signature finesse.  He figured hugely in not only the development of heavy metal, but also prog-rock.  Few other guitarists have covered so much musical ground in pop music, and even fewer have done it, well, with such finesse.  Page well deserves his place among the greatest, in my humble opinion...

-First of all, I wish to give a hearty THANK YOU!!! to everyone who has participated in this blog!!  You guys have been really great!  I'd kinda thought that I knew a thing or two about guitarists, but let me tell you, you guys have schooled me, especially in the preliminary round, which I reccomend that any guitar fan check out-  a wealth of info there- I know that I'll certainly be doing so!

-Eric Clapton gained the most votes in the prelimary round, with Jimi a close second, so I was rather surprised to see Jimmy Page (who had half the initial votes that EC had) wind up in the final round-  I'd expected it to be Eric vs. Jimi to the end, but there you go-  ya just never know...

-The result of the "Greatest Guitsrist In History?"  Well, here you have it...  Again, seedings are in parenthesis, and votes recieved are in square brackets-

Jimi Hendrix(2)[35] vs. Jimmy Page(6)[20]   -Like I'd said, I more or less expected Hendrix to be here.  He had the rare combo of technique, innovation, creativity, showmanship, natural talent, influence, and popular appeal that was going to be a tough match for anyone-  even though they might actually have been a better player  Jimi, tho, was a huge influence upon rock guitar, and there really is simply no understating it- you quite honestly could, in some ways, almost divide rock guitar into pre & post Jimi Hendrix, and there are very few others who come close to fitting that category in rock music guitar- with the possible exception of  a few other folks like Clapton, Page, Jeff Beck, Chuck Berry, and Pete Townsend who actually influnced him...

-Miles Davis, the great jazz trumpeter, and arguably one of the greatest jazz innovators of all time, loved Hendrix-  in fact, Hendrix could be said to be indirectly responsible for the jazz-fusion movement, as it inspired Davis to embrace electric instuments and incorporate rock elements into his music...  Pretty big stuff...

-So...  He was here a pretty dang short time, Jimi was, but are there any larger footprints in rock guitar?  It seems that his shoes were a tad too big for Jimmy Page, or any one else, for that matter,  to fill...

-Again, everyone, thank you all so much for making this thing such a pleasure to me to moderate & read-  in spite of all the work, y'all have made it very worth while, and I thank you for that!

-I'll close by first again apologizing for my uncharacteristically late responses recently, but I've just started two new jobs, and things around here have been kinda crazy lately...

-THANKS AGAIN, EVERYONE!!!

-DFiJ

-Well folks, here we are nearing the end of a road that began back on May 21st.  I said then that "I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into" with this, and while it certainly has been work- especially since I have tried my best to be attentive to those who've posted- it has also been a great pleasure to have talked with you all and discussed a topic that is so close to me.  So, I will begin once again by giving a big THANK YOU!! to all who have participated to this point, and by also extending a warm WELCOME!! to those that haven't-  as with all previous rounds, the final is also open to all and any who are interested...

-Votership was down somewhat (42 in total) in the semi final after having slightly increased over each preceding round (57 in Round 3), but we are entering vacation time for many, so that's to be expected.  The results of the semi final were very interesting in one of the races, a back and forth battle which proved to be the tightest yet, and wound up in a tie.  I recounted the votes three times to ensure its accuracy, but it stood up.  Given this result, and the fact that I did not wish to alienate any participants with a personal vote, I elected to toss a coin (a 500 Yen piece, which is slightly larger than a quarter) to determine the result.

-Here, then, are the results of the semi-final.  As with previous rounds, seedings are in parenthesis, and votes received are in square brackets:

Eric Clapton(1)[21] vs. Jimmy Page(6)[21]*  -Tough end of the road for ol' Slowhand...  I was tempted to ask the missus her opinion for the tie-breaker, but I know her preference (Clapton), which I also share (only slightly, as I also love Page's work as well), so in effect it would be like a personal vote, and, as I mentioned, I wanted to keep this vote as impartial as possible.  There really are no "losers" here, however, as both are such greats, and the vote was sooooo dang close....  In any event, the results of the vote are hardly likely sway people's personal tastes in either direction  Page does face one heckuva challenger in the final, though, and one that EC would find no less of a challenge had he been in this position...

*Winner by virtue of tie-breaking coin toss

Jimi Hendrix(2)[35] vs. Carlos Santana(4)[7]  -Mucho aficion for Santana expressed here, and that was reflected in the fact that this one appeared to pose a difficult choice for many voters.  Yet in spite of it, Jimi continues to roll...   Has he finally met his match in the final?  Stay tuned!

So the entrants into the final are:

Jimi Hendrix(2) vs. Jimmy Page(6) 

-I look forward to seeing all of your takes on this very interesting final matchup!

 

 

 

 

-As in previous rounds, I will kick off The Semis with a big "THANK YOU!!"  to all who have participated previously through both your votes and great comments-  kudos to everyone who've helped make this so much fun for everyone involved!  I will also mention again as well that this vote is open to all who are interested and extend a warm welcome to those who haven't already been involved.  I will also reccomend to those who are interested but haven't participated to peruse the earlier rounds if you have any questions as to how the present guitarists have been decided upon or why some of your favorites haven't been mentioned-  thanks!

-The results from Round 3?  Well, two of the races were not really close at all, and were all but decided fairly early on.  The other two were much closer, with one of them being only decided over the past few days, and the other being really up in the air until the final hours.  The latter was so close, in fact, that I was prompted to conduct a re-count, after which the original vote stood...

-So here they are, ladies and gentlemen, the results of Round 3 of "The "Greatest" Guitarist In History?"-  as with previous rounds, seedings are in parenthesis, and votes received are in square brackets:

Eric Clapton(1)[40] vs. Duane Allman(8)[17]  -There are bound to be some disappointed Duane fans out there (I know a few personally!), but the reletive brevity of his career may just well have been the deciding factor.   Ol' Slowhand's cruised along so far, but he faces a very interesting battle coming up here in the next round...

Jimi Hendrix(2)[47] vs. David Gilmour(7)[10]  -David Gilmour knocked off a pretty tough challenger in Round 2, but was himself humbled vote-wise in Round 3 by someone who's star wouldn't appeared to have dimmed much at all- in spite of his all-too short time here.  Brief career or not, Jimi's cruised along more easily than even EC to this point-   he's going to be very tough to beat for anyone, it would certainly appear...

Stevie Ray Vaughan(3)[27] vs. Jimmy Page(6)[30]  -This was a very close race-  a back and forth battle that was only just decided on the last day of voting.  SRV was brilliant, but it would appear that Page's overall influence and musical versatility put him over the top in this contest.  But dang, he faces an uphill battle next round, I think-  an unenviable task for anyone, SRV included...

Carlos Santana(4)[33] vs. Edward Van Halen(5)[24]  -This one seems to have panned out almost as a question of soul vs. technique for many voters, &  these are the results.  I doubt that the question of "soul" hangs over his next challenger, though-  ought to be very interesting, as I'd said...

And so there were four!  Here, folks, are the pairings for The Semis:

Eric Clapton(1) vs. Jimmy Page(6)

Jimi Hendrix(2) vs. Carlos Santana(4)

-No, things do not get any easier here...

-Voting for the Semis will conclude midnight, Sunday July 6th, EDT.

-A with the beginning of Round 2, I am going to begin Round 3 by extending a big "THANK YOU!!" to everyone who's participated to this point!!  You guys have all been great, and many insightful opinions have been expressed and responded to.  If this has been one of the hottest blogs on the boards lately, you guys have yourselves to thank-  you've all made this a very interesting read for guitar fans out there, most of all myself, and have made it also a very inviting forum for discussion.  I would also like to welcome warmly any who haven't participated in previous rounds-  this vote is open to all, so please feel free to place your votes and comments even if you have not done so previously!

-Now, things tightened up considerably in Round 2 compared with Round 1 overall, and while some were runaways, others were pretty close and were only decided in the concluding days of the vote.  So here, folks, are the results.  As with the last round, the winners are in bold typeface, and the losers are crossed out (seedings in parenthesis, votes received in square brackets).   Any "upsets"?  Not according to the seedings, as all the higher seeded players won their respective matchups, but again, I'll let you guys decide...

Eric Clapton(1)[45] vs. Buddy Guy(17)[8]  -Eric has popular music credentials like few others, and the profile to match.  A lotta love expressed for Buddy out there, but not enough to carry him through to Round 3...  Eric himself faces perhaps his biggest challenge in Round 3...

Jimi Hendrix(2)[52] vs. Slash(18)[1]  -Slash squeaked by Johnny Winter in Round 1, but ran square into a brick wall called Jimi Hendrix in Round 2...

Stevie Ray Vaughan(3)[44] vs. Robert Johnson(19)[9]  -Robert Johnson's rather surprising run comes to an end having faced a latter day blues guitar legend...

Carlos Santana(4)[32] vs. Chuck Berry(20)[21]  -A great deal of respect out there for ol' Chuck over the course of this, but there is also a great deal for Santana, himself having become something of an elder statesman...

Edward Van Halen(5)[41] vs. Randy Rhoads(12)[12]  -As I have previously said, Randy made quite a splash over the short time that he was in the spotlight.  Who knows what might have been had he been around longer?

Jimmy Page(6)[39] vs. Pete Townsend(22)[14]  -Gotta love Pete, as big a rock & roll icon as they come.  But being primarily a rhythm player probably cost him this one against someone who was one of the first to take virtuoso lead playing to mainstream pop...

David Gilmour(7)[30] vs. Jeff Beck(10)[23]  -Jeff's incredibly ecclectic career and reletively low public profile probably put him at a disadvantage here against someone that for many has come to actually define classic rock lead playing...

Duane Allman(8)[30] vs. BB King(9)[23]  -BB is the reigning "king" of the blues (perhaps!), but Duane Allman continues to have a very devoted following, in spite of the tragic brevity of his career...

And so there were eight!   Interestingly, seen like this, there haven't been any upsets at all-  all the pairings for this round could have been set from the original vote-  but now here's where the real fun begins...

Eric Clapton(1) vs. Duane Allman(8)

Jimi Hendrix(2) vs. David Gilmour(7)

Stevie Ray Vaughan(3) vs. Jimmy Page(6)

Carlos Santana(4) vs. Edward Van Halen(5)

-Thanks again, folks, for making this thing such a blast for everyone!  Let's see if the seedings hold up here...

-Voting for Round 3 of "The "Greatest" Guitarist In History?"  will conclude midnight EDT, Thursday, June 26th.

 

-I'll begin Round 2 by picking up where I left off with Round 1-  THANK YOU!!  You guys did a great job!!!  You've made this a pleasure for all involved-  myself most certainly included!

-The results of Round 1?  Well, many were rather lop-sided, especially in the higher seedings, but some were quite close, including one that was separated by only one vote and actually prompted me to go back and do a re-count!!  OK, folks, without any further ado, here are the results of Round 1.  The winners are in bold typeface, and the losers are crossed out (seedings in parenthesis, votes received in square brackets).  Were there any "upsets"?  I'll let you guys be the judge...

Eric Clapton(1)[48]  vs. Kirk Hammett(32)[3]  -Ol' "Slowhand" is still a legend, if not a "god'...   Kinda ironic that he should face one of his mentors & "buddies" in Round 2...

Jimi Hendrix(2)[47] vs. Ry Cooder(31)[4]  -In only a few years, what a splash Hendrix made-  incredible...  Again, little doubt that Jimi was an idol of his next match in Round 2...

Stevie Ray Vaughan(3)[41] vs. Chet Atkins(30)[10]  -SRV lives on for many-  RIP to both...   A modern blues legend faces perhaps the all-time great blues legend...  Interesting indeed...

Carlos Santana(4)[45] vs. Rick Emmett(29)[6]  -"Viva Carlos"-  the people have spoken...   Latin-rock fusion star versus an original Rock & Roll icon...

Edward Van Halen(5)50] vs. Nancy Wilson(28)[1]  -A pretty unfortunate matchup for poor Nancy, but this guy's gonna be tough to beat for anyone, IMO..   His next matchup is indeed interesting, considering the overlap of genres here...

Jimmy Page(6)[46] vs. "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott(27)[5]  -Page still garners a great deal of respect, it appears, but not for plenty good reason...   If you're looking for a contrast of styles and personas for the next round?  Look no further... 

David Gilmour(7)[39] vs. Alvin Lee(26)[12]  -A matchup of speed vs. lyricism, it seems, but popularity & profile trumps both...  

Duane Allman(8)[45] vs. Derek Trucks(25)[6]  -This was tough-  a case of "master" vs. "disciple"...  Sorry, folks, it was how the chips fell... 

BB King(9)[41] vs. Roy Buchannan(24)[10]  -Roy (RIP) is a pretty obscure figure for most, I expect.  Do yourselves a favor and check him out- you won't be disappointed...   Seems they don't call BB "King of the Blues" for nuthin'...  Very interesting contrast of styles for the next round.

Jeff Beck(10)[36] vs. Dicky Betts(23)[16]  -Tough to beat a guy as accomplished and versatile (not to mention as legendary) as Beck, but again, he faces another icon in Round 2...  Will it again be a question of public profile?  Or influence?

Joe Satriani(11)[19] vs. Pete Townsend(22)[32]  -Lotta love and respect for ol' Pete out there- as much a Rock & Roll icon as anyone out there...  But he faces an uphill battle in Round 2, IMO...

Randy Rhoads(12)[31] vs. Alex Lifeson(21)[20]  -Alex made a late charge, but Randy also made quite the splash in his short time here in a genre where trying to steal the show is what it's all about...  Will he have met his match in Round 2?  Stay tuned, folks!

Mark Knopfler(13)[17] vs. Chuck Berry(20)[34]  -Chuck's a legend, and tough for anyone to go up against the guy many perceive as the father of rock guitar...  But his next match may well be up to it...

Steve Vai(14)[23] vs. Robert Johnson(19)[28]  -This was rather surprising, I must say!!  But speaking of "fathers" and "legends"?  They don't come much bigger than RJ...   Will it carry him into Round 3?  He faces a pretty tough challenger...

Johnny Winter(15)[25] vs. Slash(18)[26]  -This was razor close, and forced me to do a recount.  Could be considered something of a "phyyric victory" considering who the victor must face in Round 2, though-  not an enviable task for anyone...

and

Yngwie Malmstein(16)[17] vs. Buddy Guy(17)[34]  -Soul wins out over lightning speed...  But hey, while he doesn't shred like Yngwie, Buddy's no slouch, either...   But Buddy does face a buddy of his in Round 2 with a much higher public profile...

So here are the matchups for Round 2, foilks!  They are interesting (and tough) indeed!  Original seedings, again, are in parenthesis...

Eric Clapton(1) vs. Buddy Guy(17)

Jimi Hendrix(2) vs. Slash(18)

Stevie Ray Vaughan(3) vs. Robert Johnson(19)

Carlos Santana(4) vs. Chuck Berry(20) 

Edward Van Halen(5) vs. Randy Rhoads(12) 

Jimmy Page(6) vs. Pete Townsend(22) 

David Gilmour(7) vs. Jeff Beck(10)

Duane Allman(8) vs. BB King(9)

-I'll take this opportunity to again remind folks that this is open to all who are interested-  not having voted in the preceding rounds does NOT exclude you from the succeeding rounds.  I'll also take this opportunity as well to to thank everyone on the "What Are You Listening To?" thread- best group of folks you're likely to meet. 

-So!!  Will there be any upsets or shockers in Round 2?  You guys be the judges...

-Thanks again to everyone who has been an active participant to this point, and a big welcome to those who haven't!!  Have fun!! 

-Voting for Round 2 will officially conclude midnight Thursday, June 19, EDT.

 

 

 

-Well folks, I'll begin by thanking everyone for participating in the initial vote-  we had a great response with much insightful commentary tossed in for good measure!!  I had encouraged diversity, and that's certainly what we got here, with 167 different guitarists named. 

-Now all the votes are counted and the brackets are set.  There were a number of instances in the lower seedings where as final arbitror, I had to toss in a tie-breaker.  In doing so, I didn't pick favorites, but instead tried to evaluate on diversity of styles, and percieved influence.  Tie-breakers are indicated with an asterisk (*).  Seedings are indicated  in parenthesis. 

-It had been suggested that I also post a list of the top 100, but that has proved impossible, with slightly over half (84) of the guitarists named being one-time entries, and a large number of others being only named twice.  I will, however, post a "Top 25" in the coming days.

-So here they are, the top 32 "greatest guitarists" as voted by the CBS Sports Community, and the brackets- 

Eric Clapton(1)  vs. Kirk Hammett(32)*

Jimi Hendrix(2) vs. Ry Cooder(31)*

Stevie Ray Vaughn(3) vs. Chet Atkins(30)*

Carlos Santana(4) vs. Rick Emmett(29)*

Edward Van Halen(5) vs. Nancy Wilson(28)*

Jimmy Page(6) vs. "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott(27)*

David Gilmour(7) vs. Alvin Lee(26)*

Duane Allman(8) vs. Derek Trucks(25)*

BB King(9) vs. Roy Buchannan(24)*

Jeff Beck(10) vs. Dicky Betts(23)*

Joe Satriani(11) vs. Pete Townshend(22)*

Randy Rhodes(12) vs. Alex Lifeson(21)*

Mark Knopfler(13) vs. Chuck Berry(20)*

Steve Vai(14) vs. Robert Johnson(19)

Johnny Winter(15) vs. Slash(18)

and

Yngwie Malmstein(16) vs. Buddy Guy(17)

-Just a reminder to all that not having voted initially does not make you inelligible to vote in any of the coming brackets- all are welcomed...

-Thanks again to all who have already participated!!  Cast your votes & lets all have some fun with the run-off!!

-The deadline for voting in Round 1 is midnight Thursday evening, EDT (June 12th).

-Back toward the end of April, SPORTFAN 01 started a thread entitled "Greatest Guitarist of all times".  I am not sure what I might be getting myself into here, but I thought it would be very interesting to take that idea and format it into a run-off in the same way that DDriver80, YankeeLuvinGator, and The Bong Show had previously done with the "greatest" albums, bands, and frontmen, respectively.  I will also add that while space restrictions limited the title, please feel free to post any and all guitarists that you enjoy, whether they be considered "rock & roll", jazz, jazz/fusion, blues, folk, country, classical, or whatever-  any and all idioms are welcomed-  I want this to be as inclusive a vote as possible.  The rules are very simple-  please name your top 10 favorite axe-men (or women) in no particular order.  The voting for the first round will conclude at 1am, Japan Standard Time, Tuesday, June 3rd  (12pm EDT, Monday, June 2nd).  I will then tally the top 16 vote getters, and seed them accordingly for the second round.  I will add that while some good-natured sparring is fine and indeed welcomed, any  malicious personal attacks will not be tolerated & will be promptly removed-  let's all have some fun with this!  I also wish to thank my bretheren (and sisteren) on RockFlorida's "What Are You Listening To?" thread, without who's support and inspiration, I would not have done this-  you guys know who you are...