The Zenith of 80s shred

[Speeddemon]

I'd definitely disagree with the 'players today' comment...in fact, not even close. I don't hear anything, in the flavor of the month 'YouTube' heroes that don't ever play in a band context, that even compares in shred talent to those players from the 80s. Players today seem to be too mechanical, robotic. While that is also a thing with the 80s guys, they at least had some feel in their ability. I don't hear anything that resembles that out of the guys I see on YouTube.
Sorry.

Not only that, but even the players in the 80's (and 90's), I prefer the ones that some would consider sloppy, but play typically with more character or soul.
One of the reasons I didn't care that much for most of Vai and Satriani's stuff; it's clean, impressive and we'll executed, but it lacks some 'grit' that others (not all shredders) have like Slash, EVH, Angus Young...
MAB might be one of the best examples of how all the skill in the world doesn't make up for feel and character.
The best note in his 4-neck shred solo in "Freight Train" is the one slow one.

For me, Lynch and Akira Takasaki would be closer to that 'zenith', where technical skill, character and songwriting are firing on all cylinders.




And don't forget Exciter's John Ricci.
Ba-dum tssk.

 

[Greazygeo]

Agreed-- you can have him and Michael Batio.

I don’t mind MAB. His fusion stuff is kinda cool. His over the top antics…I dunno.

 

[Racerxrated]

Shawn Lane is a great example of "Holy Shit is that guy an Alien????" haha, that speed he possessed is crazy...Paul Gilbert always mentioned him as the Apex of a technical speed skill. And, if you dig into some live EVH from 78 or even before they hit, some club bootlegs where he plays Eruption it's completely different than the 78 record version...and some of it, is so fast it would make Shawn Lane blush. Not the whole solo, but part of it sounds like a freakin keyboard it's so fast.

 

[Greazygeo]

Shawn Lane is a great example of "Holy Shit is that guy an Alien????" haha, that speed he possessed is crazy...Paul Gilbert always mentioned him as the Apex of a technical speed skill. And, if you dig into some live EVH from 78 or even before they hit, some club bootlegs where he plays Eruption it's completely different than the 78 record version...and some of it, is so fast it would make Shawn Lane blush. Not the whole solo, but part of it sounds like a freakin keyboard it's so fast.

Shawn was something else. Worked out some of his stuff with a student quite a few years ago. Interesting tunes too.

 

[jabps]

My zenith would be a combo of Schon, Lynch, G. Moore, Vandenberg, Sykes, Akira, Randy, Gilbert and a dash of May.

 

[stratjacket]

I always liked Impelleteri but never followed much after the first album circa 1988 maybe. I thought his redo of Somewhere Over The Rainbow was really good and I thought Since You’ve Been Gone was better than the original.

 

[PurityS.L.G]

I'd definitely disagree with the 'players today' comment...in fact, not even close. I don't hear anything, in the flavor of the month 'YouTube' heroes that don't ever play in a band context, that even compares in shred talent to those players from the 80s. Players today seem to be too mechanical, robotic. While that is also a thing with the 80s guys, they at least had some feel in their ability. I don't hear anything that resembles that out of the guys I see on YouTube.
Sorry.

That’s because the YT kids are too cool to do “boomer bends” which actually emit emotion in playing

 

[braintheory]

I wonder if the gear itself having more personality also somehow influenced the players back then to on average have better feel. It seems kind of intuitive in a way for a player with sterile sounding gear to also play that way and likewise when the gear is the opposite. You see it similarly in classical guitar as well