The guitarist Steve Vai says even Jimi Hendrix couldn’t touch: “The one”
“Greatest Guitarist of All Time” shortlists are invariably littered with the names Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton. Indeed, if we must list famous virtuosos, these names are suitable candidates.
The stars mentioned above made their names by adding their creative and technical talents on the fretboard to the global arena, engaging with their audiences as part of some of the most iconic rock groups in history. However, the best guitarist in the world will more likely be some relatively unknown savant who practices precision, learning every scale in the book and playing them at all rhythms and variations.
Beyond the issue of subjectivity and bias of fame, the greatest guitarist lists tend to favour electric blues rock guitarists without a word for, say, acoustic fingerstyle virtuosos or jazz guitarists. When asked to name the best guitarist of all time in a past interview with Music Radar, Steve Vai of Whitesnake noted these caveats.
“I very rarely agree with the term best guitar player,” he said. And he is right, of course, logically at least. But, there is something illogically wonderful about randomly battling out your preference against another’s. It gives us a sense of ownership over an art form that provides a connection that few can match. And while Vai is clearly against the idea of lists, he was also happy to contribute his own opinion. “It just seems so obscene to put something so subjective into a best category,” he explained. But if I had to say there was one, I would pick Allan Holdsworth.”
“He was unique in ways that I don’t think have been discovered yet,” he continued, discussing the British jazz guitarist’s underappreciated talent. Those in the know have routinely cited Holdsworth as perhaps the most underrated guiatrist of his generation, and that’s because he was simply impossible to categorise. “Many musicians can be considered ahead of their time, but usually they’re not. They’re mainly ahead of everyone else at that time.”
“For example, Jimi Hendrix wasn’t ahead of his time; he was perfect for his time and ahead of everyone else,” Vai added, drawing a comparison. “Allan Holdsworth was definitely ahead of his time because it’s hard to realise how great he is – not many people actually understand. It takes time for us to catch up with those that are ahead of their time.”
Although he’s not as popular as Hendrix, Vai noted that Holdsworth will be remembered as the apical guitar hero for generations to come. “I would not be surprised if in 100 years from now – if people are still even listening to guitar, which I suspect they will be – he’ll be singled out as ‘the one’ alone, so to speak. The way he uses the whole tone scale is like his own baby shoes – it’s so easy for him. His thought process was phenomenal.
“I can hear any guitar player, and I know what they’re doing – I might not be able to play it – but I can see it in my mind’s eye. But I do not know what the fuck Alan Holdsworth was doing at all…” If there’s any greater compliment, then we haven’t heard it yet.
