Retro Blogging 1 - Slash vs. Chopin

So I had a livejournal back in the day when I was angsty. I went back to read my old entries and want to repost them here to see how they hit 4 years later.

Here's a post from when I was really into Velvet Revolver. I love the guitar. I think it's the most versatile instrument with so many dimensions. What would happen if Chopin picked up a Gibson instead of a Steinway. Who do we think will stand the tests of time and be remembered with the greats in 400 years.

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This is a bit of a stretch but would you consider the rock and roll greats of the past 50 or so years virtuosos and masters of their trade? Slash, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, Bo Diddly, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, SRV, etc. (to name a few). All of these men play the guitar, most in their own unique way with small manorisms that seperate themselves from others. They inspire aspiring musicians and mold their taste and form. Is this not similar to the work of Beethoven, Back, Chopin, and the rest of the classical composers? A virtuoso is one who can express all different emotions through their art. Being that Slash is who inspired this rant, i'll start with him. In Fall To Pieces, his solo and fills excentuate the climax of the song and expresses the desperation and cry for help (as the song in reality is doing). In Sweet Child 'o Mine, his riff expresses the carefree childhood love and happiness expressed in the song. Townshend's work also stands out to me as an emotional ride. Behind Blue Eyes is the obvious example where the intro and bulk of the song is a somber progression showing the despair of a misunderstood man and then quickly changes with the mood of the song to a harsher, almost angry feel. Its kind of interesting, if you start to pay attention to it, listening to a guitarist play on his/her own with no background can sometimes be more interesting and telling than a 10 minute rant with a bland musical background.