# How many guitar virtuosos would it take to play this?



## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

[video=youtube;hWhHRfRYMHA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWhHRfRYMHA&amp;t=5m39s[/video]














p.s.
my bet is over 20


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Dont know many guitar virtuosos it would take, but I can listen to about 3 seconds of it and I've had enough. I can appreciate the technical ability and amount of practise it must take to play that fast. Its just not anything that I'd want to listen to.


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## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

Why? Because it's not catchy?

Sorry if not every guitarist applies the same basic rule that 90% of musicians use to catch the listeners' attention.

Not to mention 99% of other shredders (which Shawn Lane isn't) out there play neo-classical, where Shawn did Jazz.

I suggest listening to some of his work and you'll understand how shitty the guitarists of today are compared to him.


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## kw_guitarguy (Apr 29, 2008)

Wow....take a breather there bud...bagpipe simply said it wasn't his cup of tea. It's not for me either, since when are people not entitled to their own taste in music? With two posts, you may want to tone down the attitude a bit. It's also interesting that your username is Shawn Lane and your first post is about Shawn Lane...are you actually Shawn Lane, or just a devoted fan?

Lumping the "guitarists of today" as being "shitty" is not cool...a guitarist isn't good because he can play fast. Look at someone like B.B. King, I don't think I've ever heard or seen him play anything all that fast, but he's a great Blues guitarist...far from being shitty.

Anyway, welcome to GuitarsCanada, but leave the attitude at the door.

~Andrew


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## kw_guitarguy (Apr 29, 2008)

Just learned he's dead...I had never heard of him before.

~Andrew


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## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

Considering guitarists like Buckethead, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Rusty Cooley, and Alex Skolnick, as well as many others were influenced by shawn lane it's surprising you've never even heard of the man.

I won't compare BB King to Shawn Lane, but if shawn was a blues guitarist he would make BB King look like the Herman Li of electric guitar. (a.k.a. poor quality wankery)

No i'm not Shawn Lane. He's been dead for quite a few years now.

It's very saddening to see bullshit bands like iron maiden and metallica get millions of fans yet Shawn Lane's videos have what... 10,000 views? It's preposterous.

Every day i'm disappointed by people's choice of music and the great musicians never find fame. I guess it doesn't matter because they enjoy playing and hearing what they create, but I wish people would for once hear the great guitarists instead of the catchy crappy ones.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

nkjanssen said:


> Isn't Shawn Lane dead?


Yes, he is dead. Died quite young about 10 years ago or so. Not a big fan of the style but he had incredibly fast fingers. His exceptional speed was unbelievable.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Shawn Lane said:


> Considering guitarists like Buckethead, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Rusty Cooley, and Alex Skolnick, as well as many others were influenced by shawn lane it's surprising you've never even heard of the man.
> 
> I won't compare BB King to Shawn Lane, but if shawn was a blues guitarist he would make BB King look like the Herman Li of electric guitar. (a.k.a. poor quality wankery)
> 
> ...


You really should tone down your attitude just a bit. This Forum prides itself on courtesy and respect for all members.


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## kw_guitarguy (Apr 29, 2008)

I agree that a lot of musicians never get the audience they deserve, but just because a guitarist is well known doesn't mean they are a "crappy catchy" guitarist.

Using your logic, Shawn Lane would become a crappy catchy guitarist if he was really well known, but you are trying to get him well known, so I am a little confused.

Instead of the approach you are taking, which is, ridicule modern guitarists and anyone who listens to them...why not try a polite conversation about Shawn and his music? Talk about his gear, where he played etc...

Also, knocking people's taste in music just because it's not yours is not cool. I don't like John Petrucci, or Steve Vai, or Buckethead etc...but my taste in music works for me and tends to lean towards classic rock and blues.

However, I am interested, why would Shawn Lane make B.B. King look like Herman Li? Because he can play fast? You need to qualify that statement to get some credibility for yourself and your favourite musician.

~Andrew


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## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

and where in what way did I disrespect a member in that post?

I suppose if you expect my reply to have some disrespect in it, it would be the 'I won't compare BB King to Shawn Lane, but if shawn was a blues guitarist he would make BB King look like the Herman Li of electric guitar. (a.k.a. poor quality wankery)'
but that isn't a direct disrespect for B.B. King. In fact I think B.B. king is a great blues guitarist. While it isn't my cup of tea, I do listen to some of his pieces once in a while.
Perhaps I should be more clear on my thoughts about B.B. King when comparing him to herman li, I guess that is a pretty big amount of disrespect for any guitarist. Whether new to guitar or not.


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## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

If you consider back when shawn lane played, every other shredder out there had their jaws drop on the floor when they heard him play, and you compare that to B.B. King currently who is probably one of the best blues guitarists out there. Swap draw dropping shredding (which is one of shawn's noteable feats, on top of beautiful music and quality playing) you'd have to understand he would be without a doubt the best blues player. This is obviously figuratively speaking.

One of Yngwie Malmsteen's friends got shawn lane to jam with them one time to insult Yngwie, because Shawn Lane was what they called a 'monster guitarist'. His shredding was beyond imagination during those times and I doubt anyone else was up to par with what that man was creating during the years he was alive.

I mean no disrespect to B.B. King, but Shawn was essentially a guitar deity in so many ways. Similar to Jimi Hendrix, which is why so many guitarists do covers of jimi hendrix.


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## kw_guitarguy (Apr 29, 2008)

Wow...you don't get it.

If you re-read your posts, you have indicated, quite clearly, that modern or popular guitarists are crap and if people like them they have shitty taste in music. As for the disrespect piece...."(a.k.a. poor quality wankery) is definitely disrespect, yet you say above that you think B.B. is great? How can he be great, if you think he'd be a poor quality wanker if Shawn were a Blues guitarist???

Intrepid gave you the same warning I did...I would heed that warning if I were you.

~Andrew


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## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

I sense a little bit of disrespect from your post there kw_guitarguy. Anyway, nice to meet you, but leave the attitude at the door.

If you notice, I haven't disrespected anyone since that post, and I fail to see in what logical sense you are coming up with my recent posts being disrespectful.

Perhaps you could explain yourself more clearly so I can understand where, in my recent posts, i've been disrespectful to people in this thread.

Thank you.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Gotta agree with Bagpipe. All props to the man in question for having played those phrases both accurately and insanely fast - certainly I myself am light years removed from that kind of fluidity - but I just don't sense much soul in it. I respect his technical prowess but there's nothing I find particularly inspiring about that kind of playing.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

Shawn did a lot of fusion-y stuff. For those unfamiliar, here is something more indicative of his songwriting style:

[video=youtube_share;tbPTeFta4lw]http://youtu.be/tbPTeFta4lw[/video]

He was a great musician, but I have never been a big fan of fusion. Nice guy, too. Shame he's gone. But comparing one musician to another with an intent to deify one and patronise the other is silly.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Here is Shawn doing some Hendrix.

[video=youtube;Fkjp4r8wINA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkjp4r8wINA[/video]


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## snacker (Jun 26, 2008)

um.....no thanks


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

The greatest thing that came of my learning to play guitar, was discovering so many different styles of guitar and the masters of the respective genres. Any notion of competitiveness, or of any "one" greatest guitarist eventually vanished and seems silly in retrospect. Cheers


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## Samsquantch (Mar 5, 2009)

Shawn Lane said:


> I mean no disrespect to B.B. King, but Shawn was essentially a guitar deity in so many ways. Similar to Jimi Hendrix, which is why so many guitarists do covers of jimi hendrix.


LOL You don't honestly believe that, do you?


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

I am sensing the same ego and attitude we saw on the Chinese Guitar Teardown thread and I hope this type of posting is not going to continue as it did on the other thread, it was in my humble opinion totally inappropriate. This is a good forum, tone down the rant and enjoy the people here or move on.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

If Shawn Lane were still with us he'd probably laugh the thought of being better than B. B. King. To be fair, until this thread I'd never heard of the guy so I listened to some of the utube vids including the ones posted here. Taking into consideration the sound quality of most of the vids he was probably good at what he did. But it's not my kind of music. I prefer the original "All Along the Watchtower".


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## Hired Goon (Mar 4, 2008)

I can appreciate his technical abilities. He was able to humble some of the best shredders like Paul Gilbert. I would never, however, consider ever buying a Shawn Lane album. Periodically I like to hit YouTube to see him and others show what is possible, but it just isn't musical enough for me for sustained listening.


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## Hammertone (Feb 3, 2006)

Hey Shawn Lane dood:
Say whatever you want so long as you don't break the rules of the forum.


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

greco said:


> Here is Shawn doing some Hendrix.
> 
> [video=youtube;Fkjp4r8wINA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkjp4r8wINA[/video]


 
I'm guessing, but from what I've seen of him, I'd say this is very early on in his career. I prefer his later work with Jonas Hellborg.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)




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## jcayer (Mar 25, 2007)

Never heard of this guy,
didn't miss anything ...

I prefer BB King ...


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## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

Here's my summarization to end this thread, and i'm sure most of you can agree.

Guitarists like B.B. King, Shawn Lane, Buckethead, and others can't be compared because
1) They're in a level all on their own. One we can't begin to understand or copy.
2) They have their own unique style, which shows in their work. Many people enjoy it, but also many people hate it.

When I say catchy guitarists, I mean guitarists like Slash who are in a pop-rock (Is that what it's classed as now? Sad) band and plays for popularity, not music.

Buckethead is a great example of a guitarist who plays what he feels and while his live shows aren't mirror-image of what he does on albums, again he plays what he feels like live.

He isn't a performing guitarist, like slash and such (Who really can't play as well as buckethead anyways) which is why Buckethead, Shawn Lane, and B.B. King (I presume) aren't as popular as they could and should be.

With this being said, I think we can all agree -irregardless of preferences- that Guitarists who play what they feel and improvise are much better guitarists than performing guitarists who play for popularity, and don't go outside their musical realm to create something new. A perfect example of this is metallica which can't go out of their musical style because their fans hate it.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

One word: research.

Did you research this forum? Did you research the artists you mention?

Your first point: A level all their own? Do you know how many other great blues, fusion, shred etc. artists there are? Do you know how many new guitarists we've gotten in just the last 5 years that are being hailed as "the next big thing"? We can understand why the greats got so great, and it can be copied. By now, it has been copied. There are people out there under 30 who have the dedication and time to probably cover your favourite artists note for note, with the same feeling. With the advent of youtube, this isn't quite as big a deal as it was say 10 years ago.

Your second point is just rewording your first point, in a way. So many guitarists have their own style, and so many musicians (not just guitarists) take pieces of others' style to make their own. This is nothing new, music has been around for hundreds of years.

Slash probably does not play for popularity. Solely by endorsing Gibson, he probably gets enough to help pay a mortgage or two. He happens to be the ex-guitarist for a formerly-successful band, and as such has some clout. Deal with it. Also, I've never heard Slash try to cover Buckethead - how do you know he can't play it?

Buckethead is a great example of someone who does whatever he wants. There's lots of guys who do this - ever heard of Les Claypool? So many artists play what they feel like live, that is not an argument whatsoever. Buckethead IS a performing artist - look at his name! It's his gimmick! When you have a signature Gibson Les Paul model, I daresay you are popular. B.B. King and Buckethead both have signature Gibson guitars. And you thought it was only Slash who "sold out"? Can't say I blame them, not everyone gets those offers.

I can easily disagree with your last statement. "Guitarists who play what they feel and improvise are much better guitarists than performing guitarists who play for populary and don't go outside their musical realm to create something new."

*Wrong.*

Here's a shortlist of your assumptions:
1. All who improvise are good at it
2. All who use a formula don't use improv or feel
3. All who use a formula don't go outside their musical realm.

This is sadly not the case. Just because you can improvise doesn't mean you're a great guitar player at all. It might even mean that you can't remember the last solo you played for the song you're currently playing. Also, as soon as you are playing for people, you're a performing guitarist. No two ways about it. Let's look at Nickelback for example. They use a formula, they are also one of the biggest selling acts in today's market *and* they are great musicians. How many famous artists do you know that can release singles that go between genres so smoothly? Listen to "Photograph", then "Too Late" then "Animals". Three completely different songs, invoking three completely different moods, written by the same person.

Again, being able to improvise does not a skilled guitarist make.

Your Metallica example disproves itself so fast I feel dizzy. Metallica did go out of their musical style - they went from being one of the best thrash-metal bands in existence to being a blip on the metal radar. Look up reviews for the album "St. Anger" and "Death Magnetic". Not only that, but Metallica went out of their musical realm in the early '90's when Hetfield wrote "Nothing Else Matters". Do you know how much backlash The Black Album received? Probably not. Metallica should quit; they're washed up, they're not the same band, and they can't even play their heyday material properly anymore.

Back to my original point: do your research first.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I heard of Lane years ago, and checked out a number of the videos available on-line over the years. He was a great player, who died much too young (not drugs, but disease) and probably would have been jaw-dropping had he had an opportunity to mature and refine his chops.

The problem I have with him is that it's a bit like that John Moschitta, the "speed-talker" who used to do commercials for Fed-Ex, reading Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson aloud, or entering a 5-star restaurant and seeing how fast you can chew and swallow. The speed is impressive but the pleasure of the notes and note choices doesn't always have a chance to be absorbed. Speed, used strategically, is most assuredly an aspect of what provides emotion to music, but I want a chance to savour the notes in my ears, the way I want to savour the taste and texture of food on my tongue. At the end of a long day, he ends up being a player I merely respect, not one I would turn to to rejuvenate my spirit.

....but I do recommend people check him out.


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

I love shred as much as the next guy, but I'd rather listen to a slow poke like Blackmore, Satch, and Buckethead when he is playing slow then this stuff. Actually one of my favorites is Johnny Ramone. Couldnt play a solo to save his life, but what a great guitar player. Guitar playing is about being part of the band not taking it over. Satch certainly knows how to make music with shred. Even Batio and Batten could make music when they slowed their playing down. Once the playing gets too fast it just becomes a blur, and who really wants to listen to bees in a jar. Gabba Gabba Hey...........


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## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

This kinda' sums it up for me.Here is so-in so doing Hendrix or what's his name doing Van Halen or anybody doing somebody else. 
It's pretty cool to pay a tribute to someone by playing their song and maybe taking it somewhere that inspires even the writer of that song.
(Jimi doing Dylan)
For me, all of the greats that live on have been associated with other people's material while breaking new ground with their own unique style (EVH), writing abilities (Lennon/McCartney),innovations (Les Paul) amazing on stage presence (Paigey)and on and on etc.
If somwbody turns yer' crank, lifts your spirits and maybe even inspires you to take up playing, job done.
Who was it that got any of us started down this crazy path? Friends, family,musicians from all walks of life and all levels of ability.
Must be a million of em', all great ,all remembered for inspiring someone.
There are lots of "virtuosos" out here that I have never heard of, but somebody has.
Gotta' keep an open mind and get some perspective about this topic, it's way bigger than any of us.
Cosmic, eh? 




greco said:


> Here is Shawn doing some Hendrix.
> 
> [video=youtube;Fkjp4r8wINA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkjp4r8wINA[/video]


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## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

I'm not even going to bother watching this thread anymore. The level of ignorance is astounding.

Presuming i've never heard of 'x' guitar player shows how much research you've done on my knowledge of music.

Just because I make broad assumptions doesn't mean i'm incorrect. It means i'm likely explaining myself improperly (Which I find to be a large problem, since while i'm already at point b, most people thinking are between point a and b. So i'm thinking ahead and explaining myself presuming the past has already been explained)

I used to be a very HUGE metallica fan. In fact I used to listen to around 80-100 of their songs daily. This included albums such as St. Anger, Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Holier Than Thou, Nothing Else matters and i can't think of others atm.
Then I ran into buckethead and I realized how hollow their music is.

Essentially you know a good guitarist from a bad guitarist not because you dislike them, but because you can hear in their music how much they're putting into it.

I'll guarantee you shawn lane poured in every ounce of his soul into each of his songs, compared to metallica who nowadays are washed out as you say.
I guess some of you would consider drums or singing part of music. I personally cannot stand either drums or singing.
guitar is the only thing I enjoy musically. So naturally over time I pick up what most guitarists hear.
In one of shawn's videos he talks about vibrato, note shaping and such. And this essentially explains how I feel about popular guitar players compared to shawn lane and the others (Yes, there's too many to list. Yes, there are new upstarts. There's no need to explain the obvious to me.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOFQKzQLGU8&t=7m10s
I linked the part where he talks about vibrato and such, but I would suggest watching the entire video. I'm sure you'd understand why I think so much of him.
The way he learned, taught, and played was simply amazing. 
To say he was one of the greatest isn't an over-estimation of what his abilities were.

That's all i'm trying to say.


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

Im starting to think that Shawn Lane would be awesome in the band, The Cult..............


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

It's great that you have found someone to inspire you,but to dismiss any and all others that don't fit into your niche is absurd .
Shaun Lane is as much a performing artist as anyone you have mentioned,he recorded and he performed period .
The fact that he chose a style that only a very few can say they love to listen to doesn't put him above anybody else.
His technical ability is astounding,no doubt about it,but it's of a genre the very few listen to extensively .

As far as Buckethead vs Slash,and I'm no fanboy of either,but Buckethead ended up playing in the band Slash left,so I'm unclear on your distinction between the two.Slash wears a top hat,Bucket head wears a KFC bucket and mask .What's the difference ?


As far as improve goes,I've known guys that can play circles around me,and learn almost anything note for note,but can't pull an improvised solo out to save their soul.

There's room for everybody


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

The entire problem here, from the first post on, is that you aren't expressing your opinion as YOUR OPINION. You're slagging a bunch of guitarists who are other people's heroes (King Hemmet Slash etc) and repeatedly comparing their virtues, then saying you're not comparing their virtues. On page one you said Lane isn't a shredder - wtf - then on page 2 you were saying 'shredders like him'.

Nobody here is down on Lane, that I've read, they're just saying it's not their thing. I've known about him for years, and know how well he's respected and loved. But, same here - not my thing. Glad you love him, everyone needs something/someone to aspire to. Just tone it down, and I'm about the 5th person to say so.


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

I just saw your last post where you said you don't enjoy singing or drums as part of your listening experience.

I'm sorry for that .

You probably should have mentioned that in your first post,then we could see where you were really coming from .


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Shawn Lane said:


> I'm not even going to bother watching this thread anymore. The level of ignorance is astounding.
> 
> Presuming i've never heard of 'x' guitar player shows how much research you've done on my knowledge of music.
> 
> ...


Yeah... I remember being 15 once.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Let me do my best to sum up this Thread:
(1) The OP really likes Shawn Lane and his music
(2) The OP firmly believes that Shawn Lane is deserving of greater respect in the music world because of his superior guitar playing ability.
(3) The OP believes some other guitarists are pandering to the populace and therefore have achieved greater status then they deserved.
(4) The OP believes some popular guitarists are "wankers" compared to Shawn Lane.
(5) Some posters at GC have never heard of Shawn Lane
(6) Some posters at GC are not particularly fond of the music of Shawn Lane.
(7) Some posters at GC admire Shawn Lane's musical ability and appreciate some of his music.
(8) Overall, most members of GC can share their views on any topic or musical genre in a polite and respectful fashion.
(9) Finally, the vast majority of the membership at GC have never utilized the expression "wankery" or "wanker" to describe the musical talent of B.B. King.
(10) P.S. Is this Thread done yet? Anybody got a fork to stick in it to check?


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Intrepid said:


> Let me do my best to sum up this Thread:
> (1) The OP really likes Shawn Lane and his music
> (2) The OP firmly believes that Shawn Lane is deserving of greater respect in the music world because of his superior guitar playing ability.
> (3) The OP believes some other guitarists are pandering to the populace and therefore have achieved greater status then they deserved.
> ...


hahaha, well done!

I kinda like the 2nd vid on the first page (Gray Pianos Flying), but the 2 live vids were nothing that I would care to hear again. In the Gray Pianos vid, he sounds a lot like Eric Johnson in terms of tone and the fusion style. 

I don't get the OP's hate for Slash. Maybe you don't think he's great, but to say Slash doesn't play for the music but for the money? Umm, no. All Slash _does_ is play for the sake of music. If he wanted a boatload of cash, he could call up Axl, bury the hatchet and play a tour that would make him richer than sin, instead, he's running his own show and doing session work all over the place, as he's always done! Check out some youtube videos, that cat has been on the stage with all sorts of people because he just enjoys playing music. I'm not a Slash fanboy, but I can see and respect that what he is doing is out of love of music, not for a paycheque.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Intrepid said:


> Let me do my best to sum up this Thread:
> (1) The OP really likes Shawn Lane and his music
> (2) The OP firmly believes that Shawn Lane is deserving of greater respect in the music world because of his superior guitar playing ability.
> (3) The OP believes some other guitarists are pandering to the populace and therefore have achieved greater status then they deserved.
> ...


Thank you for you summary....much appreciated. 
This kind of thread really messes up my aging brain.

Cheers

Dave


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Well played, Hamstrung. Well played...

I'm like, totally going to get the kids to dig out my old guitar magazines under the stairs in the basement and relive my youth by checking out all the Sharpnel Records ads they used to run. Pre sell-out Paul Gilbert, Cacophony, Tony MacAlpine, Ritchie Kotzen - all the major dudes. It's gonna be gnarly.




(we all know Jerry Garcia was the single greatest guitarist ever, right???)
View attachment 707


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## Mr Yerp (Feb 24, 2006)

"I guess some of you would consider drums or singing part of music. I personally cannot stand either drums or singing."
If this is sincere, it's the weirdest statement I've ever read on a musician's forum.....
I won't go into the depths of wrongitude that it implies.


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## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

Thanks for summarizing the thread.

It's a very sincere statement that I cannot stand drums or singing. I just can't listen to it. It drives me nuts.
The lyrics are basic. Even when they are complex, the message is always simple and repetitive.

My arguments have always been baseless because that's what part of me wants to be. I want to be the baseless person who has no opinion, no sides, no bias. At the same time
my age restricts this desire, and I have opinions and biased thoughts. So then comes this mixture of opinions of other people (Because I have no knowledge or experience of my own to support what I say) and mix it with arguments from others.
Then I combine these to create my unbiased belief in the subject.

In a way this entire thread was fishing for opinions and knowledge so I could better understand the situation and my opinion at hand.

I've always learned this way and it's very difficult for me to learn any other way because I don't like learning from one thing and believing that to be the only way, then later on finding out that isn't the case.
A prime example would be a child raised strictly catholic. They don't know any better of most other religions and they consider the people who aren't catholic 'weird' or 'different' they don't know the depth behind
the reality of their world. 
(Obviously this is a white and black representation of catholic people. I understand catholic people aren't like this, but this is an exaggerated example to give you an idea)

So in the end I have to learn two sides and the middle to come with a precise opinion on how I feel about something.
If someone tells me parallel universes exist, I will look into scientists who try to prove they exist, scientists who disprove they exist, and the websites that are in the middle showing both sides.
Now you think: "Why not just pick the one in the middle in the first place?"
Well a lot of information is usually left out and they summarize the topics and points at hand.

So really my mind is all this fragmented information that i'm processing to put together into something understandable that doesn't contradict what I originally posted as my opinion. Yet opinion is ever changing. So sometimes I will argue with myself.

I guess it must be nice to be adults who don't have to process all of this and they just have their opinion and are comfortable with it.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

who is Shawn Lane?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Boy oh boy did this thread seem to take a detour into Harmony-Central territory there for a moment!

I happen to like Shawn Lane's playing, and if I dig through my oldest posts I may well have posted a link to a video or two of him with Jonas Hellborg. I just find a lot of other players more satisfying. I_ really _like Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan, but there are times they irritate the hell out of me too.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Did he ever take lessons from this guy?

[video=youtube;hb5QaCfm7bg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb5QaCfm7bg[/video]


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## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

Is it possible to bump up the minimum age for posting on here?
I want to stop following this thread but I can't look away.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

Shawn Lane said:


> The lyrics are basic. Even when they are complex, the message is always simple and repetitive.


 
The Boxer
Around This Corner
The River
Bird On The Wire
Like A Rolling Stone
Watching The Detectives
She's Always A Woman To Me
Your Latest Trick
Where The Streets Have No Name

Etc.

P.S. No offence, but the older you get, the more meaning you draw from lyrics, due to life experience.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

natalie tran










i think it's funny










this is our living room right now because it's the doll festival this time of year










the new honda electric vehicle


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Mark P said:


> The Boxer
> Around This Corner
> The River
> Bird On The Wire
> ...


Now that you mention it... thats a very true statement. When I go back and listen to songs I used to listen to in the 70's they are almost new songs in terms of the meaning of some of them. I find myself trying to listen to the lyrics a lot more now where as before, I was more listening to the music, solos, riffs.... the singing was there but I was not paying attention to the lyrics


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I think many "guitar virtuosos" could play it.

He's a nice player for sure but not noteably better than a number of players I can think of.

Musically I have to agree with Bagpipe. It's pretty much a snoozefest. Even guitar virtuosos can come up with a song that captures my interest.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Shawn Lane said:


> It's a very sincere statement that I cannot stand drums or singing. I just can't listen to it. It drives me nuts.
> The lyrics are basic. Even when they are complex, the message is always simple and repetitive.


No offense, but if you find the lyrics you're listening to to be basic, it has more to do with what you're listening to than any sort of representation of lyricists in general.

Personally, I love listening to Yngwie's Rising Force album, except for the songs with words. I get what you're saying, in that sort of music, lyrics sort of detract from the overall experience because they ARE kinda hokey and just thrown in there to fill a void, but that's Yngwie.

Take a listen to some other genres. Some good ones have been listed above. Dylan and Knoplfer both have a way with words that is truly special. I don't dig Dylan's music, but MAN is he ever a story-teller! I'm big on Springsteen for lyrics as well. Once you start listening to what the Boss is saying, it's some pretty staggeringly deep stuff!

On the other hand, I don't get how you don't like drums?!?! Songs are built on the foundation of drums and bass. Without the rhythm section, you have pretty much nothing. You may prefer guitar, sure, who here doesn't? I mean, it IS after all a guitar forum, but you can't just write off drums as being useless. Try playing with a Boss Dr. Rhythm and then go play with a real drummer. Afterwards, you tell me which one is useless.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

The older I get the less I need to hear "blow away" soloing.

It's ALL about the song for me. Music is not a sport. faster, higher, whatever(er) is not better.

I think most of us go through the stage where speed = good. 

And then we hit 20 and realize that one note can say as much as a hundred.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

fretboard said:


> I'm like, totally going to get the kids to dig out my old guitar magazines under the stairs in the basement and relive my youth by checking out all the Sharpnel Records ads they used to run. Pre sell-out Paul Gilbert, Cacophony, Tony MacAlpine, Ritchie Kotzen - all the major dudes. It's gonna be gnarly.
> View attachment 707


I first picked up a guitar in the late 80s & think that Slash, Jeff Healey, Billy Duffy & Mark Kendall deserve some serious respect for having the balls to plug Strats, Les Pauls & Gretsches straight into Marshalls when the trend at the time was pink Ibanezes & giant rackmount effects processors.

A large part of the greatness of EVH, B.B. King & The Edge is the fact that they created their own distinctive tone & style. If you copy them but play faster, you're still just copying them.

Shawn Lane was very technically proficient but his playing does not move me on an emotional level like Albert King, Pete Townshed or pre-LSD Peter Green do. That's why I will always choose Mike Bloomfield over Robben Ford, his playing speaks to me. But many others may not agree. To each his own. Guitarists aren't better, just different.


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## cwittler (May 17, 2011)

I think it is fair to say that in Shawn Lane's musical genre, academia takes precedent over art. That is just the nature of the beast. You can play 12,000 notes to 12 people or 12 notes to 12,000 people. That is just how it goes. It ain't no big thing. An ounce of performance has always been worth more than a pound of talent. That's why they call it "show-biz" and not "virtuoso-biz". 

Shawn Lane's wiki... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawn_Lane

Note how the introduction says he could play more notes faster than the human mind could comprehend. Impressive? Yes. Captivating? Not so much!


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## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

*Irregardless* is not a word. The word is *regardless*. Congratulations Shawn Lane, you are the first person to make my ignore list on this board. That was awesome. Usually it takes more than a day to reveal oneself as a total jerk.


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## Shawn Lane (Mar 8, 2012)

Irregardless is a nonstandard. If you do a quick google your simple mind will be able to wrap around its use and meaning.

To the person who said Buckethead's KFC bucket is a gimmick:

How is it a gimmick when he turned down playing for Ozzy Osbourne?

Ozzy said to ditch the bucket, Buckethead changed to a sort of alien costume/headgear piece and Ozzy still said no.
Buckethead knew this was likely the case, and he wasn't about to drop his personality to become more popular than he is.

The fact you think what buckethead does is a gimmick shows how little you understand people's actions and why they do it.


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## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

Wow. Speaking of jaw dropping, this has definitely made the cut. This must be what is considered a virtuosic argument.


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## cwittler (May 17, 2011)

J S Moore said:


> Congratulations Shawn Lane, you are the first person to make my ignore list on this board. That was awesome. Usually it takes more than a day to reveal oneself as a total jerk.


Or perhaps he is just an over-zealous fan of something that leaves the rest of us indifferent. 

Kind of like 0:30 to 0:60 of this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgm3-aHwfuY&feature=related


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Shawn Lane said:


> The fact you think what buckethead does is a gimmick shows how little you understand people's actions and why they do it.


Are you claiming to know why Buckethead wears a bucket? I mean, beyond the raised-in-a-chicken-coop story. And seriously, dude, if you don't think wearing a bucket on your head and claiming you were raised on a farm in a chicken coop and that the bucket is in memory of all the chickens needlessly slaughtered by the fast-food industry is a gimmick, than what IS?


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

The only thng that I could fathom out of BH wearing the mask and bucket, was to retain anonymity.

Other than that, if it isn't the case, it's a gimmick.
Plain and simple.


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## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

According to the urbandictionary.com, our only reliable resource for English terms, irregardless is defined as such:

A word used by uneducated people intending to sound intelligent. Often, the defendant will use this word in court in an attempt to impress the judge and jury. Educated people notice and those who use this word instantly identify themselves to educated people as being uneducated. Educated people rarely correct them because it helps educated people more easily identify them if they are well groomed.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

He is good, but can he do this?

[video=youtube;JkaeZ0kvYWI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkaeZ0kvYWI[/video]


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

If he was that good, he'd be able to play one of these!


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

Is Shawn Lane our new Tubetwang?


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I was thinking that the twangster had a new IP.


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

Shawn Lane is the new Chuck Norris..........


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Chuck Norris recently visited the Virgin Islands.

They are now referred to as "The Islands"...


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## cwittler (May 17, 2011)

fretboard said:


> Chuck Norris recently visited the Virgin Islands.
> 
> They are now referred to as "The Islands"...


Last time I met a virgin, I thanked her for nothing.


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## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

cwittler said:


> Or perhaps he is just an over-zealous fan of something that leaves the rest of us indifferent.


Yes, and I would tend to agree except he continues to persist in his approach.


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## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

neldom said:


> According to the urbandictionary.com, our only reliable resource for English terms, irregardless is defined as such:
> 
> A word used by uneducated people intending to sound intelligent. Often, the defendant will use this word in court in an attempt to impress the judge and jury. Educated people notice and those who use this word instantly identify themselves to educated people as being uneducated. Educated people rarely correct them because it helps educated people more easily identify them if they are well groomed.


Damn, I let the cat out of the bag.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Shawn Lane said:


> Irregardless is a nonstandard. If you do a quick google your simple mind will be able to wrap around its use and meaning.


Oh well that's different. If it's written on the internet it must be true. I'm going to take a shot in the dark here and ask you if you also believe "orientated" to be a word?


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

fretboard said:


> Chuck Norris recently visited the Virgin Islands.
> 
> They are now referred to as "The Islands"...


LOL!

When Chuck Norris does pushups, he doesn't push himself up, he pushes the Earth down.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Chuck Norris is so fast he ran around the world and punched himself in the back of the head.

Chuck Norris doesn't wear a watch, Chuck Norris decides what time it is.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

You don't see how a KFC bucket as a hat is a gimmick? You don't like lyrics or drums? 

Epic troll is epic.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I had a friend that no matter how hard he tried to say "might as well" it would always come out "mysually should" google that


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Budda said:


> You don't see how a KFC bucket as a hat is a gimmick? You don't like lyrics or drums?
> 
> Epic troll is epic.


Ya, I got trolled. It is what it is, and that's what it is.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Well we all need a laugh once in awhile.

Really I've never understood the appeal of trolling, in much the same was as I've never understood people who create computer virus'.

Thanks for the Yuks Mr. Lane.


Now back you go to HC.


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## Gizmo (Aug 7, 2008)

Shawn Lane said:


> Thanks for summarizing the thread.
> 
> ......
> A prime example would be a child raised strictly catholic. They don't know any better of most other religions and they consider the people who aren't catholic 'weird' or 'different' they don't know the depth behind
> the reality of their world.



Haha, now you're insulting Catholics as well as guitarists!!


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Ohhhh!. Shawn Lane fanboy is gone ?!?! I was gonna blow his mind by asking him to contrast and compare this to his original video:

[video=youtube;JIwYGZlBw9Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIwYGZlBw9Y[/video]


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Who is Shane Lawn anyways?


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

[video=youtube;SWdPmapuOd4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWdPmapuOd4[/video]


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