Bonamassa pretty much owns Zakk Wylde here.

[Shiny_Surface]

I'm a fan of early Zakk material and even some *gasp* BLS stuff.

He needs to start drinking again, j/k.

His (best examples) boosted JCM 800 tone's are still some of my favorite tones and without a high barrier of entry to get in the ballpark of for players.

 

[charveldan]

Suck-it bitches ...

 

[yankeebulldog]

It is pretty hard to jump from a shredder to blues man. I like both and try to be a blues metal guy that can shred a bit. Very tough order. I find I need to pick one and practice it for a weekly two them switch.

I can relate to this. I've never been much of a shredder at least in the vein of the really good 80's guys although I've loved that style I could never to justice to some of the stuff like Nuno, Beach, Lynch, etc. The type of music I can play well has always been blues based classic rock and even some hard rock. The only "shredder" stuff I've been able to do okay is along the lines of Schenker or early EVH but only the moderately difficult things.

I wouldn't put ZW in the top tier of those 80's "shredder" guys even in his prime and he's certainly not there now. I was a huge fan boy, from the first Ozzy album to P&G and even Book of Shadows. At any rate, what he's playing now sounds to me like the same very fast and repetitive pentatonic licks he's always played although he used to be better about dressing it up and mixing in a few things that made it interesting. He's just lazy now and doesn't really try to do any more than that same pentatonic wanking with chorus and wah over the same chord. I'd assume he can't play all that bluesy and even chicken pickin style stuff he used to do without a few weeks or months of practice.

 

[Heritage Softail]

The only pro I have heard warm up that blew me away with material out of the box of normal playing was Brad Paisley. Very bluesy should music, roll into some chicken pickin that morphed into Steve Morse every note picked speed run.

I think our own Andy Wood is a serious shredder by anyone's standards and rips the fretboard on chicken pickin.

His Diezel Herbert endorsement vid is just stupid good.

 

[Rdodson]

Paisley is incredible. Totally agree.

Eric Johnson, when he's relaxed, still blows my mind.

 

[skoora]

I think Zakk is a bit too far out of his comfort zone and didn't try to play for the song. It was painful to listen to really. This is what JB thrives in so its no surprise he sounded a million times better than Zakk here to me anyway.

How would JB do on lets say Mr Crowley or Mother I'm coming home etc?

I'm not even a big JB fan but I bet he'd probably rock the shit of those...

That video is so weird. It visually looked for a while like Zakk was "photoshopped" into it. If he wasn't playing the verse riff on the guitar I would have sworn it was a bogus video.

 

[skoora]

And you figure the song is knee deep in Joes wheelhouse...he has probably solo'd over that same tune with 100 different guitarists while I am sure Zak hasnt had to play over that since he was 15 years old, taking his first guitar lessons...so here he was about as far out of his comfort zone than if it would have been a jazz trio....LOLOL I just think its cool he even got up there in the first place....

Also, figure Joes whole setup is designed to cut through that exact set, has been perfected over 20 years to sound optimum in that exact environment, whereas Zak prolly showed up, said throw a rectifier up there and a fifth of Jack, and I am ready to roll...

 

[Zap]

I heard two guys trying to play a lot of Jeff Beck riffs. Good thing he wasn't there.

This.

 

[155]

he needs to start drinking again cause this is clearly not working... poor guy.. haha Hack Wylde!

 

[tubortski]

I can't blame him for delivering a performance that his fans would expect. But, would have been interesting to hear something more suited for the song.

 

[glassjaw7]

A younger Zakk could've pulled this off easily.

 

[carlygtr]

A younger Zakk could've pulled this off easily.

Sure he could have

 

[Badronald]

I would rather listen to the No Rest for the Wicked Zakk any day over Joes music. Love Joe and wish him all the best but since Joe walked away from his old Trio, I've lost interest.
Having said that I still buy everything Joe puts out.

 

[skoora]

A younger Zakk could've pulled this off easily.

Sure he could have

Got to disagree with you here Carl. During the early to mid nineties Zakk had really come into his own as a fantastic all around player. Also the Pride and Glory days are proof that some on here who say that kind of song is not in his wheelhouse are sadly mistaken. How he turned out to be this, I don't know. I will say that he seems like a decent guy with a very self effacing sense of humor but did not always treat people well when he was drinking.

 

[rupe]

A younger Zakk could've pulled this off easily.

Sure he could have

Got to disagree with you here Carl. During the early to mid nineties Zakk had really come into his own as a fantastic all around player. Also the Pride and Glory days are proof that some on here who say that kind of song is not in his wheelhouse are sadly mistaken. How he turned out to be this, I don't know. I will say that he seems like a decent guy with a very self effacing sense of humor but did not always treat people well when he was drinking.

I would say that's pretty much spot on. When he came to my music store for a "seminar" (it was just him jamming classic rock tunes with a drummer and bass player), he was crushing some old blues standards as well as a bunch of southern/blues rock stuff like ZZ Top, Allman Bros, Skynyrd, etc. He definitely overplayed but was always in the pocket and on the groove...none of the sloppy, shreddy mess he displayed here. He drank a 12 pack before starting and another while playing and didn't even seem buzzed. Hard to tell how beers and shots of Jager we had later that night...and he seemed fine the entire time. Dude has an epic constitution.
When we went out later on, we went to a bar where a guy was doing a solo act with a keyboard. Zakk jumped up and took over...totally owned the crowd by once again playing blues and southern rock but this time unaccompanied...just him singing and playing the keys.

 

[moronmountain]

I dunno. Even sober, he still looks like he can play to me. He does overplay on old stuff, but to say he basically sux anymore, has no feel, blah blah blah, is ridiculous. I don't hear alot of interweb players saying Vai sux too often, but if you wanna hear someone suxxoring up the blues, just listen to Vai try to do some....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1OGQQk5HpM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaJjju-LT7s

 

[Mailman1971]

Yeah but the real question here is who would win in a "Indian Hog tied death wrestle match"?
I but Bonamassa would take him. One leap off the top ropes and ZW is toast.

 

[moronmountain]

Yeah but the real question here is who would win in a "Indian Hog tied death wrestle match"?
I but Bonamassa would take him. One leap off the top ropes and ZW is toast.

My dad can beat up your dad.

 

[squank]

Yeah but the real question here is who would win in a "Indian Hog tied death wrestle match"?
I but Bonamassa would take him. One leap off the top ropes and ZW is toast.

Too bad Celebrity Deathmatch is no more!

 

[Mailman1971]

Yeah but the real question here is who would win in a "Indian Hog tied death wrestle match"?
I but Bonamassa would take him. One leap off the top ropes and ZW is toast.

My dad can beat up your dad.

I am sure he probably could....

My Dad is about 105lbs soaking wet with bricks in his pockets.