re: Is the lack of new, catchy guitar riffs to blame for the gradual death of rock?

Nirvana was one band that was punk based. Off the top of your head which Ramones riff or solo stands out.

quote:

---

Say what you want about the hair metal bands of the 80's, but for the majority, those guys could play the frick out of their instruments

---

If you like finger tapping fret board solos. I guess I'm puzzled that Nirvana(punk) changed the perception of the musicianship of all the other bands off the 90's.

quote:

---

You can barely say that about any of the bands from the 90s.

---

Tom Morello, Billy Corgan, John Frusciante, Mike Mcready, Kim Thayil, Jerry Cantrell, Dimebag Darrell, DeLeo, Adam Jones, Rich Robinson...

I take the above any day over Mick Mars, CC Deville, Kip Winger, DeMartini, or any other of those hair metal bands. There might be a few that come close like if you're considering Satriani, Eddie, Mustain as hair which I really don't.

It seems preference anyway and I'll take substance over style any day.

quote:

---

IMO classic rock stations are also a driving force in killing new music. They need to incorporate some of these new bands into their stations and have the DJs tell people who they are.

---

The guys in our shop at work play our local classic rock station. I walked back there the other day and heard interstate love song. I really feel old now.

quote:

---

How else are casual rock fan supposed to learn about new rock music?

---

it's the format. it's classic rock with some 90's rock in there.

it's like when people say "there's no good music anymore"... clearly that is weak hyperbole and very misguided

quote:

---

Highly underrated and an incredible riff writer. He blows the others of that era mentioned away pretty hard

---

Yeah, I probably shouldn't be comparing him to those others. As much as I can't deal with post Shout at the Devil Crue, he does deliver.

rock isn't dead, nor will it be. however, it's become a smaller helping on the average person's plate. more than ever, there are so many entertainment options to choose from. yet, music execs still seem baffled that people are apathetic about paying $10-15 for a digital download, despite the physical product having cost that same amount for years....until the biz comes up with a better business model for the here & now, it's no wonder people are spreading their money around on other things.

When is the last time you heard a hard rock song as addictive as "Shoot To Thrill"? The era that those songs came out in is dead and gone. Just unbridled hellraising.

quote:

---

When is the last time you heard a hard rock song as addictive as "Shoot To Thrill"?

---

Last year. It was "Out of Time" by the Stone Temple Pilots featuring Chester Bennington of Linkon Park.

"Sweet Mountain River" by Monster Truck was another good one from that year.

The best song may have been "Howl" by Beware of Darkness.

"Little Black Submarines" was pretty sweet a couple years ago.

"Cochise" and "Original Fire" by Audioslave a few more years back

quote:

---

Tom Morello, Billy Corgan, John Frusciante, Mike Mcready, Kim Thayil, Jerry Cantrell, Dimebag Darrell, DeLeo, Adam Jones, Rich Robinson... I take the above any day over Mick Mars, CC Deville, Kip Winger, DeMartini, or any other of those hair metal bands. There might be a few that come close like if you're considering Satriani, Eddie, Mustain as hair which I really don't.

---

I have all the respect in the world for Morello, Frusciante, Cantrell, and McCready. We're not going to include Dimebag in this discussion because he's an 80's style lead player. And sorry, Im not talking about Mick Mars and CC fricking Deville (Kip Winger was a bassist, Reb Beach was the guitarist in that band and is an incredible talent, but Im sure you knew that) Im talking about Gary Moore, Brian May, Richie Kotzen, Doug Aldrich, Sykes, Bettencourt, Wylde, Slash, Nugent, Whitford, etc. Those guys played with heart. They could do the flash but werent boxed in by the flash. I love Cantrell as a guitarist and mainly as a songwriter. He is a great artist and musician. He's not a shredder but that's ok, he plays with heart. He has written so many great riffs and creates some of the creepiest atmospheres. AIC is one of my all time favorite bands. Morello was a modern day riff master. He's the Tony Iommi of the 90's and is a solid lead player as well. You forget Peter Klett. Most of the 90's guys youve listed are solid players, especially Deleo. I would not consider him to be a great lead player. Rich Robinson either. Adam Jones doesnt even qualify. Billy Corgan's tone is so horrible on everything he's ever recorded you wouldnt know. McCready was a throwback 80's blues player to begin with. The one thing they all have in common is they were a part of the biggest bands of the 90's which might account for 10% of the music from that era. The majority of the bands were Nirvana types that had very poor musicianship. The difference is that youre run of the mill 80's hair, although dull and heartless, could play circles around the grunge guys of the 90's.