Guitars
By: Jade Packer

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's a wailing guitar solo!
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Welcome to the wonderful month of April (although considering how on the ball we are here at Paw Print, it is probably May already). So, this month, (also assuming/pretending it's still April) is International Guitar Month; a celebration close to my heart. As it is International Guitar Month, I thought that I might showcase a couple of guitarists who have truly reinvented the way a guitar is played, and also inspired guitarists and guitar enthusiasts around the world. Some of them you will have heard of, some of them you might not, but all of them should leave you dumbfounded in awe of the mighty talent they possess.

I'm going to kick this off with a woman, because I ramble on about quite a lot Ms. Kaki King. I stumbled upon this artist a staggering 10 years ago when she burst onto the guitar scene. Her jaw dropping 'Playing with Pink Noise' still gives me shivers down my spine when I think about it. The thing about Kaki's styling is that she plays the guitar almost like a percussion instrument rather than a plain old guitar. Plus, her finger styling is just breathtaking, I recommend...no, I command you to run off to youtube right this very minute and search for "Playing with Pink Noise". It's ok, this article will be here when you get back...GO. NOW.

Okay, so you're back and if you aren't as floored as I was by that song, then really, just stop reading now because you're not going to like this article. You can go read about fuzzy, cuddly ducks or something. However, for the rest of you, hi, welcome to a better world, one with Kaki King! I'm not the only one showering her with accolades. When Rolling Stone magazine released its article on "New Guitar Gods" four years ago, guess who was the only woman to make the cut? Yes, that's right, it was Kaki, and guess who was the youngest artist on that list? If you guessed Kaki, you would be right!

Now, I will warn you that not all her music is quite like PwPN. She also does a lot of electric guitar/slide guitar looping and her last few albums have been moving more into vocals than just music. Her latest album sounds like your average run-of-the-mill garage band kind of stuff. But never fear people, because even with that, Kaki is one of the best guitarists...ever.

The next guitarist on my radar is one that is probably much more known: Mr. Johnny Greenwood, aka Radiohead's lead guitarist. Okay, so besides being sublime on guitar, this guy also plays piano, drums, banjo, xylophone and, more in short, he just personifies musical talent. Oh, yeah, and you know that 3-hour long snore-fest called ‘There Will Be Blood?’ Well, he also did the score for that (it was the only redeemable feature of that movie). He has a very unique way of playing and can be so aggressive that he's had to wear an arm brace at times for a repetitive strain injury caused by playing. Now, that's what I call hardcore! Did I mention he did the guitar work for the Weird Sisters for the HP movie? If that isn't cred, I dunno what is.

If you were around in the 80's and 90's, you should remember a little band called Heart. My next guitarist made up one half of the main part of that group. I am of course referring to Nicky Wilson. That's right; I'm featuring another woman...because woman can rock an axe just as well as a man. Ms. Wilson totally proves time and time again.

I'm going to throw a name up here and I know already it's going to cause controversy because he's not really established as a guitar god, but Howie Day can handle an axe as well as most people I've had the privilege of seeing live. I'll admit he likes his pedals, but that's not always a bad thing. While Howie Day is probably better known for his commercially pop-ish love type songs, when you get him on stage he knows how to handle his hardware!

Time for another woman! This one may be a bit of a joke, but no one can deny she plays a mean flamenco guitar. Her name is Charo. A student under the late and great Andres Segovia (if you don't know him, go look him up as well, because he was a true pioneer) Segovia even praised Charo as possibly his "most talented student ever.” Charo has been playing guitar for over half a century and let me tell you, her playing is still magnificent to watch. Before you read her back story and dismiss her as another airhead, I really want you to go listen to her playing, if that doesn't prove she deserves to be on this list then nothing else will.

This wouldn't be much of a greatest guitarists list without Jimi Hendrix. I know everyone knows him as a guitar god and it's almost cliché to add him here, but the truth is I don't know anyone who has revolutionized the way guitars have been used more than Jimi Hendrix. Sure, there are better overall guitarists out there these days, but none of them have shaken the guitar world the same way Jimi did back in the 1960s. He set the benchmark for experimentation, and for that, he must be acknowledged. If you haven't seen his rendition of the stars and stripes, then you're missing out.

My friend was trying to convince me the other day that, when it comes to innovation, Eric Clapton has been more of a guitar pioneer than Jimi Hendrix. While I'm still not convinced, I have to say that Clapton's guitar ability definitely solidified his place on this list. I could go on and on about the people he's influenced, the bag full of awards he's won, the fact that he's the only person to be inducted into the Music Hall of Fame THREE times, but all you need to do is close your eyes, sit back and listen to him make poetry with his guitar.

Right, here I'm going to feature one of two artists that were hand-picked by Michael Jackson to tour with him as his lead guitarist...for three tours! Who am I talking about? Well, Jennifer Batten, of course: one of the greatest two-handed guitarists ever. Seriously, you've not heard ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ unless you’ve heard her version....it's awe-inspiring. I have to hand it to the late Michael Jackson; he knew his guitarists. To solidify her cred, Batten has also worked along-side the great Jeff Beck on numerous occasions.

Like the great Jimi Hendrix, my next guitarist also died long before his time. I'm talking about a guy who is arguably the fastest guitar player ever. Yes, that's right, EVER. I am talking about the late, MOGIAMNOTWORTHY Shawn Lane. Not only was Shawn a guitarist, he was also a pianist and a composer. While he may have had the fastest hands, his music isn't always the tear-them-up, shred-them to-pieces ear piercing wail that comes from most shredders. It is calm, precise and breathtaking to listen to.

Lastly, I'd like to introduce you to someone very dear to me, a fellow Australian; the lovely, talented, Orianthi. What do you mean you've never heard of her?! Well, now you have, and let me tell you, she is a force to be reckoned with. I can guarantee you that as long as you don't live under a rock, you'll be hearing more from this awesome guitarist. She's already racked up an impressive list of supporters from the late Michael Jackson to Carrie Underwood, John Mayer to Carlos Santana, and Steve Vai. Not bad for a woman still in her 20s. Not only can she handle an axe, she also has a hell of a voice and you'd be pretty hard-pressed to find anyone who found her hard on the eyes.

Honorable mentions have to go to Graham Coxon, Jeff Lang, Jonny Lang (no relation), BB King, Santana, Slash, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and all the other established legends. (ROBERT PLANT)

So, there we have it guys, another month wrapped up. I hope this inspires you to grab that old guitar out of the cupboard (or wherever it's stashed) dust it off and give it another whirl. Rock on with your frock on. \o/