Rolling Stone Publishes Fresh, but Flawed List of Guitar Greats

The upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine is all about fiery solos, dreamy melodies and powerful riffs, as it features a revamped list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

Along with members of its staff, Rolling Stone invited a host of lauded guitarists, including Phish front man Trey Anastasio, to pick their favorite ax masters.

Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Kieth Richards and Jeff Back top the list. But from there, some of the rankings and selections come across as, at best, questionable and, at worst, ludicrous. 

Notably missing from the list of lick kings was Anastasio himself, who ranked 73rd on David Fricke's 2003 version. (At the time, Fricke was a senior editor for the magazine.)

Being that he was a part of the panel who compiled the list, Anastasio's absence could be explained as a mere conflict of interest -- though that did not seem to keep Eddie Van Halen (No. 8), Derek Trucks (No. 16) or Tom Morello (No. 40), all of whom given a vote, off it. 

As expected, Phish fans showed up to express their outrage at Anastasio not making the cut. They were not the only sect to find flaws in the list, however, as others wondered why the panel left out or poorly ranked their favorite guitarists.

Yet one should never view these lists -- though supremely entertaining -- as without flaw or set in stone. In some ways, it's fruitless for a publication to even compile one; people will always find reason to gripe about where their favorite musician ends up.

In dealing with such lists, then, the best course is to let fans -- not artists and certainly not editors, reporters or critics -- decide the rankings.

So, to this end, I welcome you to post your list of guitar gods in the comments section below. Go crazy.

Time Flies When You're Dancing

If you have some free time tonight, head over to Hidden Track and check out Dave Onigman's list of the ten noteworthy changes in Phish -- the community and the scene -- since the 2000 release of Bittersweet Motel.

Much has changed.

$22 a ticket? Unbelievable. Now, $22 will buy you only a domestic beer and a soggy hot dog at the venue. 

And, today, the band is completely sober -- a fact Seth Schiesel eloquently noted in his review of Super Ball IX for The New York Times. 

Thankfully, for its members and its fans, Phish has reduced the torrent of drug abuse that derailed it in 2004 to a gentle, invisible mist. 

The Grateful Dead comparisons no longer phase the band as much, though it's amazing that such remarks ever did. 

Attendance has dropped markedly. Just 40,000 traveled to Super Ball IX compared to the 70,000 at Great Went. This comes as no surprise, of course, given the economy and the rise in ticket prices.

Who knows what could change in the next 13 years. 

Maybe the Occupy Wall Street movement will succeed, abolishing student loans and overpriced tickets. Maybe the band will tour the Middle East or return to Asia. Maybe the jam scene will somehow find its way into mainstream media.

Then again, nothing could change. And that wouldn't be such a bad thing. 

Remembrance: Trey Anastasio at Carnegie Hall

Recently, an exceptional clip of Trey Anastasio's 2009 performance with the New York Philharmonic popped up on YEMBlog. The event marked Anastasio's second performance with an orchestra -- his first was with Orchestra Nashville in 2008. 



It features the Phish song "You Enjoy Myself" in its entirety -- a track the classically trained guitarist actually penned with an orchestra in mind. 

Admittedly, the sight of Anastasio in the prestigious Carnegie Hall rather than a smoky arena, wearing a neatly pressed suit instead of a casual flannel, can be quite jarring. 

But as soon as he begins to play, the shock melts away, with the dynamic orchestra providing a perfect backdrop for his delicate patterns. 

And when hoots and howls fill the typically timid opera hall as the song hits its peak, you can't help but smile.

Phish's music has always been about taking risks. For Anastasio, arguably the band's anchor, that means making sure his notes never grow mold.

This performance highlighted Anastasio's willingness to leap musical hurdles, blending genres with the hope of forming something new. 

Here's hoping he puts on the suit again sometime soon. 

Scalped Out

Four minutes.

That's all it took for tickets to Phish's New Year's Eve show at Madison Square Garden in New York City to sell out on Oct. 29. Poof. Gone. 

Fears come to fruition for thousands of hopeful fans. Shut out again. 

Yet more shocking is the fact that, just fourteen minutes later, StubHub, the online broker, had already amassed over 100 tickets, ranging from roughly $200 for nosebleeds to $7,000 for floor seats.

Clearly, the scalpers won. Using automated Web bots -- cyborg cheats -- they pilfered hundreds if not thousands of tickets before fans could even click their mouses. 

Like professional gamblers studying a betting line, the savvy thieves read the demand and acted accordingly. They knew full well the inherent value of the Dec. 31 ticket. Indeed, to Phish fans, it's considered the Holy Grail. 

And although some flocked to Phantasy Tour, an online forum for Phish fanatics, to post profanity laden threads expressing their outrage, many in the community expected this outcome.

Scalping, they agree, is an unstoppable force fueled by immeasurable greed. 

The consensus: As long as there are tickets, there will be scalpers.