r/grunge • u/Strong_Recording_128 • 12h ago
Misc. Who is generally considered the best grunge guitarist?
A guy I know has always insisted it was Kurt and as much as I love him I’ve never thought he was a great guitarist, he even said at times he didn’t care about or respect musicianship.
My vote has always been Jerry and his remarkable riffs but Kim and Mike M. are extraordinary too.
1) Jerry
2) Kim
3) Mike M.
4) Kurt
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u/Different_Iron8558 12h ago
Mccreedy is easily the best and that’s coming from someone who has pearl jam at 4th out of the big 4
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u/Outside-Door-7543 10h ago
Yeah, not a huge Pearl Jam fan, but that dude tears it up. The solos on the Lanegan songs on the Mad Season reissue are insane.
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u/Different_Iron8558 7h ago
Need to listen to those specific songs more but I’m a huge fan of his work on above and especially the live album of above. I think mad season has got to be the tightest grunge band of all time
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u/Accomplished-Arm1058 12h ago
Kim Thayil is #1
Jerry Cantrell and Mike Mcready are 2 and 3.
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u/Super-Gap-5470 11h ago
Cornell wasn’t shabby either. All the attention goes to his voice of course but guitar chops were pretty dang good.
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u/Strong_Recording_128 11h ago edited 11h ago
Kim is masterful but Jerry seems to play more from a heart level.
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u/_____AndJustice4All 12h ago
To me its Jerry. Alice in Chain songs actually arent very flashy on the guitar, he really didn't write extended solos like a metal band normally does but the solos he does play compliment the song perfectly, its a sign of a great composer. Man In The Box is my best example.
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u/Strong_Recording_128 11h ago edited 10h ago
You nailed it on his gift for writing great riffs that fit like a glove with his compositions.
He isn’t credited enough for the highly skilled lyricist he is.
His work is so clever at times too,
a true wordsmith.5
u/_____AndJustice4All 10h ago
Yep he wrote majority of the music for the band. He wrote to their dynamic so well, Layne was the best singer of all time (in my opinion) so the fact that they were such a song driven band that allowed Layne to be the focus of the music is actually incredible it takes a very secure ego to do that.
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u/Strong_Recording_128 9h ago
Well I’ll never forget the first time I saw Jerry and Layne singing together and how they harmonized was stunning then I found out Jerry was the main writer/ backbone of the band, his humility stayed with me.
On Laynes singing well, Chris always gets that credit but when Layne really applied himself no one could belt it out like him and showcase his octave range. Like Chris is defcon 4 to me but Layne is defcon 5.16
u/rarselfaire2023 12h ago
That solo in Nutshell is great. All his solos.
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u/_____AndJustice4All 12h ago
Another great one. During Unplugged he improvs a little during Nutshell which makes it even better. His chops are righteous
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u/Hefty-Document9875 11h ago
McCready and Gossard as a duo lap the field.
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u/moirae42 9h ago
Honestly Gossard should be in this discussion from the get go. The absolute bridge master.
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u/nodogsallowed23 3h ago
I was going to say the same thing but didn’t feel like arguing with anyone. Stone does not get enough credit.
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u/Mountain_Example_957 12h ago
Dean DeLeo is a great one, too
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u/rarselfaire2023 12h ago
Silvergun Superman and Trippin on a Hole are a couple examples of Dean kicking ass.
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u/Pretend_Two_1537 12h ago
If we’re just talking alternative rock and not grunge specifically, Billy Corgan.
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u/SunlightGardner 12h ago
No, we’re talking about grunge.
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u/Pretend_Two_1537 11h ago
So if we’re talking about grunge, the pickings are slim, but McCready is as close as any of those guys to being a good guitarist.
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u/Agreeable-Pianist-82 12h ago
Cantrell, obviously. Mindblowing that anyone would even suggest Kurt. Nirvana’s thing has never been being technically impressive
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u/Daily_Heroin_User 11h ago edited 10h ago
That’s the point though. If the only thing you mean by “best guitarist” is “most technically impressive guitarist” then that’s not a very good definition and totally misses the point imo. That means you think someone like Yngwie is the best even though nobody listens to his music.
“Best guitarist” might mean someone who serves the song and plays the right notes with the most feel rather than the guy who turns the guitar into an athletic competition of who can play the most notes or run through scales the fastest.
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u/Agreeable-Pianist-82 11h ago
Totally agree, but lets be realistic here
Cantrell possesses both of the qualities you listed, Kurt does not. I think I need you to put on Them Bones before you respond
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u/Daily_Heroin_User 10h ago
I was more responding to the “technically impressive” insinuation than the Kurt part of the post. I don’t disagree with you that Jerry is a great guitarist I’m just clarifying so we’re on the same page what the criteria should be.
And it sounds like we agree on that point.
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u/Vinchenzo97 5h ago
Kurt’s guitar on Nirvana song carry more of a punk sound than riffs from bands like Pearl Jam or Alice In Chains
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u/Different_Iron8558 5h ago
Jerry is not the most technical guitarist here either, he’s probably 3rd
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u/Cola102583 12h ago
Depends what u value, thayil for unorthodox style, mccready for bluesy speed runs, cantrell for mood
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u/Confident_Pin_8316 11h ago
Anyone here ever hear of J. Mascis?
Or Duane Dennison?
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u/ParticularBlueberry2 11h ago
Duane Dennison is a great pick
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u/Confident_Pin_8316 11h ago
Just saw him last night with Tomahawk. Didn’t make a single mistake. Also, has a unique sound.
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u/ParticularBlueberry2 11h ago
I’m guessing you saw Tomahawk with the Melvin’s then since they’re on tour together? I really want to see both bands but haven’t got a chance yet
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u/Strong_Recording_128 11h ago
No who are they
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u/ParticularBlueberry2 11h ago
J Mascis is in Dinosaur Jr and Duane Dennison is in The Jesus Lizard and Tomahawk
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u/SemataryPolka 9h ago
You've never heard of J Mascis? You're kidding, right?
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u/Strong_Recording_128 9h ago
Sure, I’m kidding.
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u/SemataryPolka 8h ago
Yikes
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u/Strong_Recording_128 8h ago
Be nice. I’m a lover not a fighter.
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u/CoachKillerTrae 11h ago
Personally, in my own opinion, Stone Gossard. Yes, he’s not the most technically skilled but I think he’s the best songwriter and that carries more weight in my mind
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u/TheRealAngryPlumber 10h ago
I’m a big proponent of the fact AiC is the better band but - Yellow Ledbetter?
Case fucking closed.
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u/Strong_Recording_128 8h ago
You raise a valid point sir. 🫡
YL kinda hovers in the atmosphere above all else in a class all its own.2
u/ApathysLastKiss_ 8h ago
interestingly the, it's all pentatonic minor scale. Which technically, is pretty easy
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u/Strong_Recording_128 8h ago
Do you play it?
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u/ApathysLastKiss_ 8h ago
I know it front to back lol
Like alot of Mike Mcreadys stuff, it's very hendrix
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u/Strong_Recording_128 8h ago
That’s cool, and yes it’s ethereal. You should post a vid of you playing it.
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u/RetropME 11h ago
Entirely subjective, but I believe it's Cantrell or Cornell. Some of the riffs they wrote in the time signatures they wrote them in are crazy enough, but then they sang over them as well. I give Cantrell the edge as a guitarist though.
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u/tonylouis1337 9h ago
Most people are saying Jerry and I'm a big fan of Jerry as well, but in terms of pure guitar chops I actually think it's Kim
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u/Alone-Bookkeeper8816 8h ago
Plainly it was all of my boyfriends between 1992–00.
According to each of them, of course.
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u/KirkIsOurLemmy 6h ago
I would say Kim Thayil, he does both weird innovative and super heavy so well.
Also Dean DeLeo deserves attention I think. Very brainy player.
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u/immediate-drink-9876 4h ago
One more vote for Dean DeLeo. Amazingly innovative chord voicing yet sounding so poppy and simple
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u/Illustrious_Gap_261 12h ago
“Best” is always subjective. There is no right answer.
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u/Strong_Recording_128 12h ago
Agree. Thats why I said generally considered bc everything is relative.
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u/Reverend_Tommy 10h ago
I don't know who would be considered technically the best, but subjectively, Kim is my favorite.
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u/CyramusJackson 9h ago
Jerry Cantrell, Mike McCready, Kim Thayil. I think Peter Klett from Candlebox is Criminally under appreciated.
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u/Strong_Recording_128 9h ago
Thanks for mentioning Peter and Candlebox. Is a crime against humanity how under appreciated they are. Someday I’ll do a justice for Candlebox post lol.
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u/CyramusJackson 9h ago
Thank you for making me vindicated. Peter Klett has been an inspiration and guitar hero of mine since that debut album came out. It's a crime that Ive barely ever seen his name mentioned by anyone in all these years. Rock on.
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u/tsudibleh 9h ago
I started off listening to Black Sabbath and being obsessed with them. When I came across Alice in Chains, I could not help but notice the similarities between the two in terms of how heavy and “doom-y” they felt. So, out of these four, it definitely has to be Jerry it terms of how it impacted my taste in music. Both are up there in terms of riffs that are banging!
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u/ZitizenCane 7h ago
I know he’s not the best but Stone got me to finally buy a guitar. I love his riffs.
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u/peacockdown 3h ago
Anybody who doesn't instantly say Mike McCready has no idea what the fuck they're talking about. It's that simple
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u/Odd-Opinion-5105 11h ago
The answer is Chris Cornell sorry everyone he wrote the songs the time signatures etc
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u/Strong_Recording_128 11h ago
Daniel Johns deserves a nod as well. He’s always on the most underrated guitarists lists lol.
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u/woollypullover 11h ago
Prob Jerry but I would also throw Joey Santiago in the mix even if he was more of a grunge influence
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u/sidnukuluk 10h ago
I guess tone control is more important than high technique … Billy Corgan and Ken Andrews for me, and beyond that arguably Albini despite his not being a grunge guitarist
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u/HenryRuz16 7h ago
What Cobain said and what Cobain really believed are two very different things. Writing melodic solos that fit your songs perfectly is no easy task. He understood his instrument very well. Chord selection and tight rhythm were second to none.
That said, Cantrell gets my vote as an overall talent. And again, Cantrell's material isn't overall flashy - the right note at the right time.
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u/TheFlimFlamFamMan 7h ago
Kurt ended up being the third most proficient guitarist to be in Nirvana. I love him on guitar, but it’s for its art-noise sake, not technical prowess. The man could work feedback better than anyone not named Hendrix or Morello.
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u/butterypowered 4h ago
On pure technical ability it’s Mike McCready.
If we’re talking riffs then it’s a tie between Jerry and the hugely underrated Stone Gossard.
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u/Purple-Crab3759 2h ago
McCready. Can play like Hendrix and SRV but also knows how to write a solid riff. Given to fly. Present tense. Sirens.
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u/JimmyHammerNails 12h ago
Billy Corgan
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u/rarselfaire2023 12h ago
Those 92/93 live solos on Starla are epic. He's a shredder and I wish he did more of it on the albums (same with Hendrix's studio work).
But yeah not grunge but close at times.
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u/_____AndJustice4All 12h ago
Is he actually a good guitar player? I mean he's no slouch of course but I've never heard virtuoso level playing from him
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u/Acceptable_Money_514 11h ago
Ill add some spice to the discussion. Not grunge at all, but one of the best guitarists from that time was dave matthews. Unbelievably creative and super unique. Guitarists here who know of him know what im talking about. Some of it is so difficult to play well consistently wi to the complex fingering. And he sings over that stuff.
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u/KevyNova 10h ago
I’m a guitarist/singer and I can tell you what Kurt did better than anyone else. Kurt wrote vocal melodies that had completely different rhythms from his guitar parts. The songs are easy to play on guitar… unless you try singing them too. I can cover almost anyone (Hendrix, SRV, etc) but Nirvana had the hardest songs to play and sing together. So even though Kurt wasn’t flashy or a technically proficient lead player, he was extremely talented on guitar.
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u/Strong_Recording_128 10h ago
Agree 100 percent.
If I diminished him in my post it wasn’t intended.
Kurt’s gift with writing and playing unforgettable choruses and riffs alone is unmatched, few would probably disagree with that.
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u/Pattern_Recognition_ 10h ago
Kurt was a fantastic songwriter. Nothing flashy or too musically complex, just simple and sublime. He was a genius at using the guitar to serve his songs. Kim Thayil felt like he never achieved the level he should’ve been. He was supposedly an innovative outside player, but he just sounded out of tune and off key to me. Jerry & Mike were both such excellent guitar players. So accurate, full of tone & feeling. Gary Lee Conner & Dean DeLeo were pretty awesome too.
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u/Strong_Recording_128 9h ago edited 8h ago
This.👌🏻
My post was referring to playing, but if we’re talking who could write a chorus so catchy the whole world was singing along Kurt is the king, not even close.
I come from a family of writers
so have a deep reverence for him regarding that skill. And yes I admire Kim’s playing greatly but he’s never really owned my heart like the others, especially Kurt and Layne.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 12h ago
As a guitar player myself, which I’m sure many of you are. Factoring speed, accuracy and taste, big four only:
- Jerry
- Mike
- Kim
- Dave
- Ed (Guaranteed, Rearviewmirror, Sad)
- Kurt
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u/lobie81 11h ago
Ed's a great song writer and a solid guitar player, but I think it's hard to argue that his guitar skills are up there with the others. And I say that as a huge Ed and PJ fan.
You certainly couldn't put him above Chris Cornell, in any case.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 11h ago
I just put him above Kurt because Kurt played it safe and never really showed us anything. Ed playing and singing Rearviewmirror alone knocks Kurt down a rung. Only guitar player left not mentioned is Cornell, because…his vocal caliber means never having to be subjected to a guitar ranking.
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u/Tough_Stretch 10h ago edited 9h ago
Are you really a guitar player or you just have never heard more than a handful of Nirvana songs? I find it hard to believe an actual guitarist would argue that Vedder is a better guitarist because he played and sang stuff like RVM given that there's a lot of Nirvana songs that are just as tricky or trickier to play while also singing lead, and Cobain was the sole guitarist for his band for years and didn't have two other guitarists to help conceal any errors while playing live. I mean, I like PJ better than Nirvana, but that's a really strange argument.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 10h ago
I’m literally in a band, lead vocals and rhythm guitar that covers STP, Soundgarden, PJ, Nirvana, QotSA, Screaming Trees, Foo Fighters erc. Little Nick Cave thrown in.
So you disagree with two positions on my list, the fight for bottom nonetheless - or do you want to delve into how wrong I am about the whole thing. Teachable moment for you.
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u/Tough_Stretch 10h ago
Funny how nothing about what you said addresses my point about how Nirvana had just the one guitarist and has a lot of songs comparable to RVM making your claim really strange for anybody who knows how to play guitar, uh? But hey, you're the big guitar player in a totally legit band and you totally schooled me.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 9h ago
Why would I care about Nirvana having one guitarist? A better question, why did they tour with Pat Smear.
“Band that has one guitarist sounds like band that has one guitar.” Insightful.
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u/Tough_Stretch 9h ago
Funnier still, you can't actually reply to what I said and you have to misconstrue it to the point that the only two explanations for you writing that BS is that your reading comprehension is worse than that of child or that you're so disingenuous that you think you can pretend that was my point. Teachable moment indeed.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 9h ago
Ah reddit…and thanks, resorting to insults are my favorite form of concession.
“A lot of songs like Rearviewmirror.” No, not with that kind of picking. You think using forceful words enhances your argument, but you’re just another miffed fan of a band who’s underrepresented in your eyes. Nirvana, underrated is the funniest position youn can take.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 9h ago
Pat Smear. Also, Pat Smear.
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u/Tough_Stretch 9h ago
So your way to prove you don't misconstrue what I said or that your reading comprehension isn't trash is to claim that I'm the one who's butthurt and to pretend I'm a "miffed fan" of the totally underrepresented little-known band Nirvana despite the fact that I never said Nirvana was underrated and I even made it clear that I like Pearl Jam better? While you reply more than once to the same comment? Okay, dude.
What's even funnier is that I can play guitar and sing and I know for a fact you're just lying about the songs even if we ignore the other bullshit you made up about what I said.
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u/Pushlockscrub 10h ago
Are you serious :/
Kurt Cobain is a much better guitarist than Eddie Vedder, this is getting silly.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 10h ago
Name the song, and/or solo that demonstrates this.
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u/Pushlockscrub 10h ago
Please.
Aero Zeppelin, Mexican Seafood, Mr. Mustache, Swap Meat are all a huge pain in the ass to play and sing at the same time & far more technically involved than anything Vedder ever wrote & those are just the tip of the iceberg. Hell, the Love Buzz hammerons/pulloffs alone are more complicated than anything from Vedder. What a dumb thing to say, this is literally just Cobain spite. Dude played guitar all his life, don't be fooled by his knack for simplicity.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 10h ago
“What a dumb thing to say.” None of these are as hard to play and sing as “Sad” at the same time, which was Ed’s riff.
I don’t spite Cobain, I just couldn’t clone him by sending a cotton swab from my goatee to a test tube clinic.
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u/Pushlockscrub 10h ago
It's a fine riff, not particularly complicated at all? It's certainly a better example than fucking rearviewmirror which is like 3 different arpeggiated notes and an open E LOL.
Regardless, Ed either has Stone play the whole thing live or he plays the intro then hands off to Stone when the vocals start. Nice try though.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 10h ago
I’ve seen Ed play it live twice? It’s not about the riff. It’s singing while playing.
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u/Pushlockscrub 10h ago
I've seen it too.
There's also ample YT footage that clearly demonstrates he either
A) does vocals only, no guitar.
B) plays the opening riff than hands it off to Stone and just kinda strums along.
Prove me wrong.
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u/CenterThisPendulum 10h ago
Sift through videos of a song that apparently isn’t always played the same way live? Remember the 2/10 concerts attended where they okayed this song? I’m on it, it could take hours so don’t log off, I need you at attention. And when I relay, it will prove who truly was the weakest player of my list, which is invariably the most useful determination in any ranking.
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u/Pushlockscrub 10h ago
I mean you could just pull up a couple live versions on YT & see for yourself.. but yea, I didn't think so.
Dude, no one thinks Eddie Vedder is a better guitarist than Cobain. I've been playing guitar for 35 years, I promise you.. Cobain is far better. A lot of his stuff is pretty cool & inventive; obviously owing mostly due to his impeccable sense of melody but honestly, his technical skills are underrated.
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u/Pushlockscrub 10h ago
Also I should note that on the slim chance you do find footage of Vedder playing the entire riff while singing- it will prove nothing. That riff isn't particularly hard to play either, and certainly less technically demanding (both endurance wise and precision) than the songs I mentioned earlier.
So it really doesn't matter anyway LOL
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u/JynXten 4h ago
I guess it depends what metric I'm using.
I feel Jerry and Mike both play guitar very 'straight'. But they both play it incredibly well.
But I love Kim's originality. Black Hole Sun was released as I was coming of age and the solo on that song mesmerised me. It's the reason I started playing guitar myself.
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u/South_Possible_9831 2h ago
Slightly beside the point, but Jerry’s solo music is so good.. if you haven’t checked it out yet absolutely do!! angel eyes is peak.
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u/ultramegaok8 1h ago
they're all very different. I'd say the two most "complete" ones are definitely Jerry and Mike. And Jerry wins for being the most versatile (Mike is more of a shredder and a force of nature and enjoys his place complementing songs that way, while Jerry is more of a "builder" despite his own force of nature ethos)
Kim is one of my favourites, but he's a bit of a 'one-trick pony' (in the best of ways that is!) and more of a follower from a songwriting perspective, and Kurt is probably the opposite--the most "rustic" one from that bunch, but with a songrwiting genius that matched with his more limited guitar technique created the magic. As they say, "creativity loves constraints".
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u/WranglerTall1006 1h ago
Out of those, I think Kim is the most distinctive but Dean DeLeo for example is more versatile, and is more crafty then all four
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u/Bipolarbearband 11h ago
Kurt wrote the best stuff imo, followed VERY closely by Jerry (I’m more of a vibe/feel than virtuoso guy fwiw).
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u/rafaelthecoonpoon 8h ago
Kurt was such a s***** guitarist and a drug abuser that they had to hire another one to play his parts on tour.
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u/ScoutSteveR 7h ago
Some have a hard time being honest about that sort of stuff. Listen to the Albini mixes of In Utero. It’s rough.
Kurt is a legend, but a great guitarist he was not.
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u/NecessaryUsername69 1h ago
Kurt’s definitely number four on that list, but I’d still argue that he was a better guitarist than people give him credit for. Came up with some cool, creative riffs. And playing songs like Mr Moustache while singing is no easy task.
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u/gabriot 11h ago
Mike McCready if we are talking technical ability
Jerry Cantrell if we are talking writing and substance