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Jeff Beck always comes to mind. He's an incredibly proficient guitarist, but he isn't Mr. Pedant. The late Seventies to late Eighties were full of guitarists who were preoccupied with technique, like the guitar wasn't a voice but a tool to be mastered. Jeff Beck wasn't that way -- he used it as a microphone. He was confident.
The first time I was aware of Beck was probably Wired. I
heard the song "Led Boots" in Chicago on WXRT in the mid- to
late-Seventies in some record store. There were no vocals; it was
more electric and neonlike. Before I heard Wired, I was
listening mostly to the loud guitar music of the time: Ted Nugent,
Aerosmith and Foghat. Wired sounded incredibly
contemporary but also sort of futuristic to me.
As far as Nineties guitarists go, I have a lot of respect for Tom Morello, not just for how he plays but also for his head. He's not just an inventive guitarist, he's also a smart guy. He doesn't sound like a thousand blues players, he doesn't sound like a thousand Van Halen wanna-be's. He doesn't sound like anybody else. It's nice to hear his interviews, too. He's not some L.A. "I wanna be a rock star" bonehead. There should be more people who are that aware and accountable.