Another boring hundred best whatever issue. As a subcriber I’ve got to say these issues are a waste. My subscription is up soon and because of all the ‘best’ lists I probably wont renew. I’ve bought Classic Rock since issue 1, but now we keep getting these boring best of lists, what a waste.

I agree…Best of lists equal less features…enough! please,write about Pat Benatar,Angel,Billy Squier,Fleetwood Mac,Desmond Child and others..enough on Hendrix,Led Zep,GNR,Queen!

Where was Ace Frehley? He influenced a whole generation of guitarists in your list…

I’d second that Mr Speed. Also, I couldn’t believe Ted Nugent didn’t feature?! I know many don’t like his rather extreme views on life but his guitar playing is genius!

Zappa in a CR cover? Too bad i can’t get that one, since i’m a subscriber and will probably get the hendrix one. Nice try, though.

Sorry CR, I too have bought every issue and loved every word but this was a huge let down, definitely one list issue too far. There was literally nothing else to read. Maybe the magazine is suffering because we have already read most the news and articles on the website.

I will be 3rd to voice my displeasure of the omission of Mr. Ace Frehley.

Ted should be on there too but he’s a fuckin asshole so I don’t vouch for that cocksucker.

Haven’t bought it yet, but am guessing there’ll also be:

John Squire on Page;
Yngwie on Blackmore;
John Sykes on Gary Moore;
and Zakk Wylde on Woody from the Bay City Rollers.

yey hippi9es on the hill are on the album , they are on 7wavescommunity radio NOW http://www.7waves.co.uk

Back to normal next month please?

…4 massively collectable covers – who’s gonna be daft enough to buy 4 copies of the same content???
It’s even worse as regards Classic Prog as it’s so damn expensive to start with!

another list with the same names. I think they miss a few people out such as ace frehley to get a few letters for the letters page the next issue.
what about euro metal guitarists such as Timmo Tolkki?

JIMMY PAGE BEST BE NO 1!!!!!!!!!! gotta agree with rockers comment tho classic rock is morphin into Q with all ya best of lists

I actually think this was nicely different from the usual format for ‘100′ lists…surely the reason certain guitarists weren’t mentioned was because the guitarists asked din’t choose them?

It would maybe have been a nice idea to contact some subscribers by their email and ask them for a contribution to this feature though, I’m sure I ain’t the only one who would be like to see what my fellow reader feels about this as well as having a chance to talk a lot of rot about my favourite guitarist as well(for the record I’d have happily filled a page with reasons why Ace Frehley is a god but for a start just listen to the solo in Shock Me)

Generally agree with all of the previous posts. However, it’s wrong to suggest that it’s a Top 100 as it’s just the unranked opinions of 100 guitarists. It just takes up way too much of the magazine.

again? we already had the wildest guitarists, isnt that enouph

Well, I’m slightly biased but I think it’s one of our best issues. So with my arms folded and a big petted lip, here’s a bit of a defence…

I don’t think it’s anything like the list features Q became notorious for – it’s 100 new articles and interviews (OK I’ll come clean: only around 96 of them are new) with some of the world’s greatest guitarists who write/talk about their heroes with warmth, humour, insight and real knowledge of their subject. If that doesn’t do it for you, I’m sorry. But it works for me.

As far as omissions go: obviously if people didn’t mention a certain player we couldn’t do him. You could do the list again and have 100 different people.

They’re not ranked – that would be stupid: everyone got one vote each.

It’s not all the usual suspects either: Roy Buchanan, Greg Sage, Dave Cousins, Skunk Baxter, Danny Whitten, Birelli Lagrenge, Bill Nelson, Bill Frisell, Bukka White, Audley Freed, Buck Dharma, John Cipollina, Frank Marino, Cliff Gallup, Randy California, Davy O’List…

We’ve rarely written about them – and I can’t think of any other mag that has either.

On the other hand, we could expect a whole load of moans for missing out “the usual suspects”.

For me it’s double edged. You might be more of a Steely Dan fan than a Saxon fan, but either way you’re going to read Paul Quinn on Elliott Randall.

4 collectable covers – I don’t expect anyone to collect all 4. Why would you? What you can do though is buy the one you like. I think they are 4 of the greatest covers we’ve done and would be happy with any of them. They’re printed in equal amounts, so you’re as likely to get Zappa as Hendrix.

As far as subscribers go, you’ll almost certainly get the one you don’t want. Would it have been better to just do one cover? Hope you get yer Zappa one, Moe.

Sorry if anyone thinks the magazine is suffering – we don’t. In fact, just last week it was announced that we were the only monthly magazine whose sales went up in the last 6 months. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/aug/13/magazine-abcs-nme (Not by much, I grant you, but ‘flat is the new up’ and all that.) Now I realise that popular doesn’t = good. But… it’s not like we’ve started writing about The Killers and U2.
I don’t think that we can fool our audience into buying any old crap – I mean, look at your comments: you’re not short of an opinion or two.

We’ve still got work to do though, that’s fer sure, and it’s always interesting to read your comments.

Are we back to normal next issue? There’s no such thing as normal with us – look at the last 6 issues. The feature sections in each one are different. We’re constantly trying different things to keep things fresh.

Anyway, pout over…

THIS ISSUE ROCKS!

I haven’t seen the new CR yet: is Blackmore somewhere to be found in the list?

Are you all retarded? have you even read the magazine, these guitarists are chosen by the worlds best guitarists. I found it very interesting. If you want to complain about something start reading fucking heat magazine!

Lets have some comments about the free c.d. What a change it is to have an unsigned band on there alongside new and legendary artists. Hippys On The Hill really deserve thier place amongst these names.

Well I’m enoying it. The only (minor) gripes I have is the photo of Blackmore in fishnets which put me off my dinner and that Hendrix was on the cover last month. Could’ve and should’ve been Tipton and Downing instead (on the cover that is, not in fishnets). Other than that, keep up the good work CR.

Have to agree with the other comments. When I opened the lastest issue after it dropped on my carpet my first reaction was “Oh no not another ‘100 best of’ list!” It’s a third of the magazine. I know it’s August and you’re all off on your holidays but this is just lazy journalism.

I trust next the issue will be list free? Or are we to be treated to the 100 best drummers or bass players or album insert or DVD or live album or Tour T-Shirt over the coming months?

I’m loving the magazine – read it for hours last night and there’s still loads to read and check out. Great to see you giving CD space to the greats and the next generation of musicians. Lot of interest in Hippys on the Hill so checked out their track, sounds fresh and exciting. Great intro.

Drummers???????
Aren’t they just people who hand around with musicians?

Touch blue paper and stand well back…..

You said at the start of the issue you had steven wilson on the beatles reissues but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

It’s no ordinary list, it’s 100 great guitarists talking about their favourite players. Fascinating reading which makes you want to check out all the lesser known guys. Any feature which includes both Frank Marino and Geordie from Killing Joke has a double thumbs up from me. Two phenomenal guitarists from opposite ends of the rock spectrum who rarely get any credit or recognition. Great work CR !

Many great guitarists. Some on the main stream, some off. Either case we all have personal favorites. However, some stand apart as true artists, without succumbing to commercial temptation.
Do yourself a favor and take the time to “listen”, not just hear, to Frank Marino (of Mahogany Rush). If you don’t…well you’ll never know, will you? http://www.mahoganyrush.com/#
Peace,
D

Jeff Beck is the inimitable and incomparable guitar icon. He can caress and coax a universe of sounds from his fender. His whammy bar magic and myriad tones are amazing. His live concert performances are still enthralling and spellbinding. Off the stage he’s a hot rod builder, an animal loving vegetarian and a robust landscaper. On the stage he’s peerless.

Niall: yeah, I got my wires crossed in my editorial. Steven Wilson has reviewed the Beatles reissues for us – but it’s in the next issue. I’d just read his copy before I wrote my editorial and got all confuselled.

Apologies. For that and Audley Freed/Marc Ford (which we’re still puzzling over).

Why does ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke never feature in these lists? His Motorhead years showed him as a great, less-is-more guitarist. Even the first Fastway album was pretty damn good but you never hear about him these days.

Like Zach once said put Eddie Van Halen in the first 5 then start from there.

I haven’t picked up the magazine yet (will get the Ed cover). However I hope Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt is on that list. He is a true guitar god and if anyone here has yet to do so, Extreme is back and released “Saudades de Rock” in 2008, it’s a great album with lots of classic rock vibe to it.

I just hope he is on that list.

Nice to have Kirk Hammett’s view on Uli Jon Roth; apart from that I have to agree that this list took up far too much space and left little else for me to read about. I keep the faith with Classic Rock but some months I do question why. And does anyone remember the days when Kerrang! used to do a huge feature on Donington every year and give each band full reviews? I appreciate there are more festivals and more bands but the tiny amount of space devoted to the heavy rock bashes (eg Download) each year is pathetic. Instead we’re given lists to read. Not much in the way of album reviews this month either – one section which is normally very good. Still, full marks for Crue’s albums (though I have a soft spot for Too Fast for Love).

where can i get these September issues? I live in los angeles california

sorry got to agree with the majority … been reading since Issue 1 and these lists are incredibly boring. they generally tell us nothing we don’t know already and this one is no exception.

I have to agree with the general view here, I’m afraid. I’m normally the sort the reads every issue cover to cover (ok so I skim over the sleaze reviews) and enjoys it, but I really struggled to get through this one. I do appreciate the concept & the theory sounds good, with all the major names contributing & some surprising choices, but it was just too much. I got very bored. It would have been better to run it as a series over a few months.

Suggestion: I bought prog issue 2 (for Muse) and read most (but not all) of that, but won’t be buying again. To keep the quality up, drop the prog special & run the best of those features in Classic Rock.

Who was the degenerate that decided to put that picture of Ritchie Blackmore in the September issue. I don’t know why he looked like that, but it was very disrespectful for you to post it. Get some class, will you!

Gary Moore, Vinnie Moore, Neal Schon, Tom Scholtz, Steve Lukather, Snuffy Walden, Lee Pickens etc…. A lot of overlooked great ones.

Have to agree with most posters, these lists don’t really tell us anything we don’t know or have an opinion on, and are a waste of paper.

I’m a subscriber,and if we are continually going to get these lists, I won’t be carrying on.

By the way, I’m not 12 any more, so the different covers hold no appeal, and as a subscriber I get no choice anyway!

I thought it was pretty ignorant for that Angus Young to be insulting Eric Clapton and actually stating that Chuck Berry was a better guitarist? What drug is that elf on? If it weren’t for guys like Eric he’d probably never have played guitar! For a guy who doesn’t want to look like a man on stage he sure is stupid. Put some pants on Young and grow up!

Good to see my old jamming buddy Motor City guitarist Jim McCarty get mentioned by Ted Nugent. But hey, you put a picture of the “other” Jim McCarty (Yardbirds) from England!!! Wait till I tell Jim… Too funny!!! Wait till you hear his new band “The Hell Drivers” – real Detroit R’n'R – out in October