Death of the Guitar Hero
After attending Desert Trip a couple weeks ago, one thing became abundantly clear: the guitar hero that flew high through the 60’s and into the 90’s is now dead. While guitarists like Keith Richards and Pete Townshend will continue to play sold out stadium shows and are somehow still alive, the world has moved on. Guitar driven bands like the Rolling Stones and The Who are purely nostalgia at this point. No one will top their success, no one will top their influence on culture, and no one will be able to replicate that sound without being labeled a cover band.
While listening the star studded classic rock artists at Desert Trip, I started to get tired of the flashy guitar solos. A large portion of Roger Waters’s and Paul McCartney’s sets consisted of their studio guitarists dominating songs with their shredding solos. Who cares? So you can shred? If you’re not Pete Townshend, or Neil Young you’re a waste of the our time. Do you know how many people in this world can play guitar like you can? You aren’t special.
The songs are special. The effect they had on culture was special. Don’t waste my time with generic guitar solos. I want to hear songs that push the boundaries of what is acceptable, and words that rip my soul apart. It’s time baby boomers move on to a new soundtrack and embrace the future