Welcome one and all to the Guitar Wars. These battles feature songs nominated by you, the folks from the Realms. This isn’t about who the better guitarist is, or what band is better. This is about the instrument and the song. Great solos are something that make us sit up and take notice, but the guitar is more than that. There are great riffs like the one in Beat It, which was not done by Eddie Van Halen. You know, that awesome riff that permeates the song is also the part that EVH had nothing to do with.

There are ways that the guitarist wraps his playing around the melody and makes a perfect fit that’s so subtle and imperceptible that most times it gets missed. And of course, there are the solos, some with blinding speed and some played so eloquently and with so much feel that you can get lost in one sustained note after another.

You are hear! Hendrix, Clapton, Lifeson, Atkins, Page, Abasi, Santana, Morello and a host of others will be popping up. Come on in and check out the virtuosity of these and others. Find new songs you can add to your shuffle or just reminisce on songs you may not have heard in a while. Enjoy.

Listen to each song and pay attention to the guitar part and vote for the song whose guitar part you liked better. Maybe you’re a fan of the slide, or finger-picking or electric solo, but give each song a chance and then vote for the performance that you liked better. We’ll go round by round and match by match until we have a winner. That song will be crowned best overall guitar song to listen to on the Realms. All the songs will have the main guitarist or guitarists listed along with the band’s name and the name of the song. Critique it if you want, and judge it as you will, but keep in mind, this isn’t a battle of what band or artist is better. I for one may not be a fan of a certain band or solo artist, but that will not keep me from voting for a song of theirs if that song has one of the most gorgeous guitar solos ever heard.

Matchups will close on the fifth day after they are posted.

So, without further adieu, hear we go:

MAN IN THE BOX – Jerry Cantrell/Alice in Chains

MOONAGE DAYDREAM – Mick Ronson/David Bowie

ROUND 1 MATCHES:
1 Chet Atkins (Orange Blossom Special)Vs Buddy Guy (Baby, Please Don’t Leave Me) Chet Atkins wins 11-9
2 Clapton/Allman – Derek & the Dominos (Layla) Vs Joe Satriani (Oriental Melody) Satriani wins 13-8
3 John Mayer (Slow Dancing in a Burning Room Vs Duane Eddy (Rebel Rouser) Duane Eddy wins 11-10
4 B.B. King (The Thrill Is Gone) Vs Alex Lifeson – Rush (Working Man B.B. King wins 16-5
5 Jimmy Page – Led Zeppelin (Black Dog) Vs Eric Clapton – The Beatles (While My Guitar Gently Weeps) Eric Clapton wins 12-7
6 Adrian Smith – Iron Maiden (Sea of Madness) Vs Mick Jones – The Clash (Lost in a Supermarket) Adrian Smith wins 12-9
7 Pete Townshend – The Who (Pinball Wizard) Vs Friedman/Becker – Cacophony (Concerto) Friedman/Becker wins 8-7
8 Ronnie Montrose – Montrose (Space Station #5) Vs Allen Collins – Lynyrd Skynyrd (Free Bird) Allen Collins wins 13-6
9 Angus Young – AC/DC (Fling Thing/Rocker) Vs Steve Clark – Def Leppard (Switch 625) Angus Young wins 12-9
10 J Mascis – Dinosaur Jr (Pick Me Up) Vs Snakefinger (Climbing the Ladder) J Mascis wins 16-4
11 George Lynch – Dokken (Mr Scary) Vs Henry Paul – The Outlaws (Green Grass and High Tides) Henry Paul wins 14-7
12 Yngwie Malmsteen (Arpeggios from Hell) Vs Brian Setzer (Switchblade 327)
13 Sterling Morrison – Velvet Underground (Oh! Sweet Nothin’) Vs Daniel Ash – Love and Rockets (Yin and Yang and the Flowerpot Man)
14 Zakk Wylde – Ozzy Osbourne (No More Tears) Vs Robin Trower (Day of the Eagle)
15 Ronaldo/Moore – Sonic Youth (Total Trash) Vs Tosin Abasi – Animals As Leaders (CAFO)
16 Jerry Cantrell – Alice in Chains (Man in the Box) Vs Mick Ronson – David Bowie (Moonage Daydream)

I guess I should get my say in before the stomping begins. I was actually hoping that Moonage Daydream would go against RATM (damn you wintremute), but now gotta go against the guy who may be the best of all the guitarists who came out of the grunge scene.

This is Mick Ronson's finest moment on guitar. From the power chords to the subtle touches right after them. He flexes a lot of muscle and then brings it back ever so slightly. Then the solo comes in at about the 3:12 mark. It's reminscent of something that David Gilmour would have done. It hangs in the air, it sustains, and never leaves us, the listeners needing anything more.

Moonage Daydream - Mick Ronson

This is so hard but I feel that I must write something about Man in the Box since VG9 didn't.

Man in the Box (which is my vote but not my nomination) is one of those few special songs where the simplicity and power of the simplicity around the use of the wah pedal shows its greatness. The verse riff is so powerful to the music and so easily identifiable. It is classic Jerry Cantrell with his gloomy and stark guitar sound. It has a guitar solo that is fitting to the song which is not over the top and noodly. The only other song that has as much simplicity and power is Pantera's Walk, which I was surprised it was not nominated.

Truthfully this is a crazy match for great guitar work, but I felt someone had to defend Man in the Box with exposition.

ok well i love david bowie but MAN IN THE BOX – Jerry Cantrell/Alice in Chains wins this round for me. when this song came out i remember hearing it and being like wtf is this guy doing to his guitar. it had a great sound and also had some interesting notes and ways of playing that hadent been heard of much before. jerry cantreel takes it easy for me.

Had to listen to them each several times and I had to listen to this version of Man In The Box to escape distractions like annoying radio edits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiBLQT5t7tw

I guess I'll go with Jerry Cantrell.

Moonage Daydream -- Mick Ronson/David Bowie, please!

I really had to focus on the guitar for Moonage Daydream so as not to base it on likes/dislikes of the overall song.

Jerry Cantrell still takes it.

Man in the Box, VERY reluctantly

Jerry Cantrell.

duh!

MOONAGE DAYDREAM – Mick Ronson/David Bowie

MOONAGE DAYDREAM – Mick Ronson/David Bowie From one of the great rock LPs of the early 70s. The guitar work here is an example of how the guitar really sells the whole Scifi experience of Ziggy Stardust. I actually like the Alice in Chains song nominated here, but the Bowie song is an example of the guitar being used to create a whole 'vibe' within which to tell a story.

Epic.

(played it a few extra times just because it is sooooooo good.)

Jerry Cantrell - Man in the Box.

I will vote for Mick Ronson.