List 5 Best Canadian Rock Guitar Players

[iluvquarks]

Missing are some pretty obvious choices:

1. Alex Lifeson
2. Rick Emmett (although his musical taste is questionable)
3. Daniel Lanois
4. Randy Bachman

to name just a few!

I like this list. Because you mentioned Bachman, I should mention one of his favourites, Lenny Breau. No not rock, more jazz than anything, but damn he's good.

 

[Garrett]

I like this list. Because you mentioned Bachman, I should mention one of his favourites, Lenny Breau. No not rock, more jazz than anything, but damn he's good.

Breau was American born but Canadian by choice . When sober, he could outplay anyone on this list. "Velvet Touch..." is an amazing record from a great player at his peak.

Another American born but Canadian by choice is Amos Garrett... his solo on Midnight at the Oasis is just sublime. He has said a lot of critical things about Bachman milking the Breau legacy...

For rock, I have to give it to Robbie... just a beautiful player and knew when to get out of the way.

 

[The Bandit]

With all respect, I've never found any Canadian guitar player exceptional in any way.

Obviously you don't know Canadian Rock then....there are too many to mention.

 

[deep_blue]

1. Rik Emmett
2. Alex Lifeson
3. Paul Dean
4. Myles Goodwyn & Brian Greenway (April Wine)
5. Keith Scott (Bryan Adams)

 

[MissTakes]

Five supreme Canadian rock guitarists not on the list.

Gordie Johnson
Jerry Doucette
Pat Travers
The late great Brian "Too Loud" McLeod.
Me.

Don't laugh. I rock AND I wear a short skirt when I do it.

 

[Bud Plug]

I heard all the guys mentioned here, but none of them really impressed me. But, you may be right, I really don't know Canadian rock that well. I'm trained musician having only couple of thousand CDs (not Michael Jackson or Celine Dion, I can assure you), but very few from Canadian rock musicians, for the reason I mentioned above.

OK, now you've posted twice without telling us who you think that all these Canadian rock guitarists don't measure up to. Time to give us some context to your rather extreme position.

p.s. You're hardly the only musician on this board.

 

[Von Wigglestaff]

You all forgot about Liona Boyd.

Technically, she could outplay any of names mentioned so far. I've seen them all in concert and easily she is the best skilled. And she didn't need any Marshalls or Hiwatts to sound great unlike everyone else. (Plus, she was smoking hot in her day.)

Liona Boyd was a mediocre guitar player; her sound was generic and she'd never play any challenging pieces. Once her looks started to fade so did her career. Listen to Norbert Kraft, he is the genuine article.

Q107 will be having a Kim Mitchell weekend. I've recently switched to satelitte radio so I wont have to listen to that pompous never-was.

 

[Von Wigglestaff]

For those that like classical guitar listen to a piece written for John Williams called Concerto de Toronto written by Cuban composer Leo Brouwer. It can be ordered from Sony Classical.

...Liona Boyd would have a nervous brakedown if she attempted it.

 

[Berlin]

Five supreme Canadian rock guitarists not on the list.

Jerry Doucette
Pat Travers

Thanks for mentioning the above 2. They totally escaped my memory and they were good. I still remember the Doucette Lp cover with him and his doubleneck.

There is another good Canuck axe player, IMO not top 5 material but I certainly dig his licks and songs...

Aldo Nova.

 

[mmouse]

With all respect, I've never found any Canadian guitar player exceptional in any way.

Fine, but like Bud Plug says, now give us YOUR list of exceptional guitarists.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

With all respect, I've never found any Canadian guitar player exceptional in any way.

As a proud Canadian I can honestly say I respect your point of view and agree with you. There are some very good guitar players from Canada and I believe most, if not all, have been mentioned.

Still, if you put the best Canadian players up against the world, we wouldn't make the top 10. I've yet to hear a Canadian player compare to the likes of Paige or Hendrix.

My all time fave with the ax is the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Listen to "Texas Flood" and try to imagine any of the Canadians mentioned so far, coming up with those licks.

 

[RZG]

With all respect, I've never found any Canadian guitar player exceptional in any way.

If you get the chance to see Tony Springer your mind will be changed,the best Hendrix tribute ever. He`s played with Bowie too. Can`t forget Paul James either,great to see in any venue.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

If you get the chance to see Tony Springer your mind will be changed,the best Hendrix tribute ever.

Never heard him play.

I guess we should allow for those who are less famous and never made it to the big time. As we all know, being good is no guarantee of success in the music industry.

I used to travel to Chicago on a regular basis and there was a local blues guitarist named Chainsaw Dupont. I doubt too many have heard him play but he was exceptional. I got to know him pretty well as I frequented a bar that he usually played on Friday nights. He knew I was a Stevie Ray Vaughan fan and allows played a "Stevie" set when I arrived.

 

[Bud Plug]

Never heard him play.

I guess we should allow for those who are less famous and never made it to the big time. As we all know, being good is no guarantee of success in the music industry.

I used to travel to Chicago on a regular basis and there was a local blues guitarist named Chainsaw Dupont. I doubt too many have heard him play but he was exceptional. I got to know him pretty well as I frequented a bar that he usually played on Friday nights. He knew I was a Stevie Ray Vaughan fan and allows played a "Stevie" set when I arrived.

Well, if we're going to talk about the more obscure, go see a band called "Atomic 7" here in Toronto. Their front man is Brian Connelly, former front man and songwriter of Shadowy Men on A Shadowy Planet (that band that did all the music for the Kids in the Hall television show). A "surf" type sound, all instrumental 3 piece, heavily influenced by 60's pop songs with a tongue firmly in cheek, and Brian is a virtuoso player in that style. Plus, he plays pedal steel as well! If you love guitar, and have a sense of humour, you'll hear something you'll like.

 

[blackdog]

The best canadian guitarist is Kevin Breit. You have probably never heard of him but you certianly have heard him play. He's played on countless albums, jingles, movie soundtracks. His band "the sisters euclid" still play every now and then. Everything from death metal, to country to jazz, light pop, Kevin Breit rules. He's one of the last and busiest session players in the world now. He still lives here in T.O. but he's always jet setting to play on some album where the origional guitar player can't hack the parts.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

Well, if we're going to talk about the more obscure, go see a band called "Atomic 7" here in Toronto. Their front man is Brian Connelly, former front man and songwriter of Shadowy Men on A Shadowy Planet (that band that did all the music for the Kids in the Hall television show). A "surf" type sound, all instrumental 3 piece, heavily influenced by 60's pop songs with a tongue firmly in cheek, and Brian is a virtuoso player in that style. Plus, he plays pedal steel as well! If you love guitar, and have a sense of humour, you'll hear something you'll like.

Thanks. I will try and check him out.

 

[iluvquarks]

The best canadian guitarist is Kevin Breit. You have probably never heard of him but you certianly have heard him play. He's played on countless albums, jingles, movie soundtracks. His band "the sisters euclid" still play every now and then. Everything from death metal, to country to jazz, light pop, Kevin Breit rules. He's one of the last and busiest session players in the world now. He still lives here in T.O. but he's always jet setting to play on some album where the origional guitar player can't hack the parts.

Yup, saw him at the Orbit Room a few years ago. A great guitarist indeed. Didn't mention him because it was a rock guitarist thread so I mentioned Lenny Breau instead The thing with music threads is that most of it is subjective. Sisters Euclid is a great band - versatile, musicianship up the wazoo, cohesiveness, strong ideas, etc - but it's not for everybody.

 

[RZG]

Thanks for the tip. I will. Always looking forward to hear people who can actually play their instruments.

.Springer does the Jimi tribute under the band name " Fire",saw them a bunch of times years ago. He was around Toronto a couple times in the last while but I couldn`t make the gigs,in the act he`s a lookalike ringer for Hendrix.

 

[Fighting_Amish]

I agree with Tony Springer (or Wild T as he is sometimes know) as an exceptional guitarist, not a great song writer though which is why I think he never broke out..

a couple of guys not mentioned yet are of course Godo (Greg Godevitz) and Jack de Keyzer.

 

[iluvquarks]

OK. Many of you asked me about my picks. For various reasons, I like Zappa, Fripp and John McLaughlin (as the most complete musicians), then Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Al DiMeola, Jeff Beck...

A lot of fusion and prog on your list. Can't argue with you on a tech level. Very very demanding in terms of musicianship.