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:

BOLD AS LOVE – Jimi Hendrix

YELLOW LEDBETTER – Mike McCready/Pearl Jam

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) Brian Setzer Wins 12-9
13 Sterling Morrison – Velvet Underground (Oh! Sweet Nothin’) Vs Daniel Ash – Love and Rockets (Yin and Yang and the Flowerpot Man) Sterling Morrison wins 12-7
14 Zakk Wylde – Ozzy Osbourne (No More Tears) Vs Robin Trower (Day of the Eagle) Robin Trower wins 16-4
15 Ronaldo/Moore – Sonic Youth (Total Trash) Vs Tosin Abasi – Animals As Leaders (CAFO) Tosin Abasi wins 13-7
16 Jerry Cantrell – Alice in Chains (Man in the Box) Vs Mick Ronson – David Bowie (Moonage Daydream) Jerry Cantrell wins 11-8
17 Larry Reinhardt – Captain Beyond (Dancing Madly Bacwards Vs Gary Moore (Parisienne Walkways) Larry Reinhardt wins 12-9
18 Jim Heath – Reverend Horton Heat (Galaxy 500) Vs Tony Iommi – Black Sabbath (Dirty Women) Jim Heath wins 11-10
19 Chuck Berry (Johnny B Good) Vs K.K. Downing/Glen Tipton – Judas Priest (Breaking the Law) Chuck Berry wins 17-3
20 Alvin Lee – Ten Years After (Working On the Road) Vs Kurt Cobain – Nirvana (Smells Like Teen Spirit) Alvin Lee wins 14-6
21 Randy Bachman – BTO (Blue Collar) Vs Alexi Laiho – Children of Bodom (Kissing the Shadows) Randy Bachman Wins 11-6
22 Joanne Shaw Taylor (Kiss the Ground) Vs Chris Cheney/The Living End (E Boogie) Chris Cheney Wins 9-7
23 Billy Thorpe (Tangier) Vs David Gilmour/Pink Floyd (Comfortably Numb) David Gilmour wins 13-6
24 Bryant/Menuck – Godspeed You Black Emperor (East Hastings) Vs Tom Scholz – Boston (Foreplay/Longtime) Bryant & Menuck win 12-7
25 Viv Campbell – Dio (Stand Up) Vs Balsac & Flattus – Gwar (Immortal Corruptor) Balsac/Flattus wins 11-8
26 Carlos Santana (Open Invitation) Vs Mike McCready – Pearl Jam (Yellow Ledbetter) Mike McCready wins 13-5
27 Yngwie Malmsteen (Far Beyond the Sun) Vs Carlos Santana (Into the Night) Yngwie wins 10-9
28 Glenn Tipton – Judas Priest (Hellion/Electric Eye) Vs Kirk Hammett – Metallica (The Thing That Should Not Be) Glenn Tipton wins 13-8
29 Bob Bogle – The Ventures (Walk Don’t Run) Vs Terry Kath – Chicago (25 or 6 to 4) Bob Bogle wins 11-9
30 John Sykes – Whitesnake (In the Still of the Night Vs James Burton – Dale Hawkins (Susie Q) John Sykes wins 12-8
31 Jimi Hendrix (Bold As Love) Vs Adam Jones – Tool (Forty Six & 2) Jimi Hendrix wins 17-2
32 Dick Dale (Miserlou) Vs Les Paul (How High the Moon) Les Paul wins 10-8
33. Mark Knopfler (Going Home) Vs Ritchie Blackmore – Deep Purple (Highway Star) Ritchie Blackmore wins 15-5
34. Tom Morello - Rage Against the Machine (Guerrilla Radio) Vs Jack White – White Stripes (Icky Thump) Jack White wins 9-8
35. Noodles – The Offspring (Genocide) Vs Larry Reinhardt – Captain Beyond (Raging River of Fear) Larry Reinhardt wins 11-8
36. Roy Buchanan (The Messiah Will Come Again) Vs Billy Corgan – The Smashing Pumpkins (A Song for a Son) Roy Buchanan wins 13-6
37. Russ Freeman – The Rippingtons (Brave New World) Vs Siepen & Olbrich - Blind Guardian (Nightfall) Siepen & Olbrich wins 14-7
38. Billy Gibbons – ZZ Top (Sharp Dressed Man) Vs Brad Paisley (Catch All the Fish) Brad Paisley wins 14-6
39. Duane Allman – Boz Scaggs (Loan Me a Dime) Vs Ken Greer – Red Rider (Human Race) Duane Allman wins 16-3
40. Randy Rhoads – Ozzy Osbourne (Diary of a Madman) Vs Mikael Akerfeldt – Opeth (Bleak) Randy Rhoads wins 13-7
41. Frank Zappa – The Mothers of Invention (San Ber’dino) Vs Zander Schloss (Machete) Zander Schloss wins 9-6
42. Ted Nugent (Stranglehold) Vs John Squire – The Seahorses (Love is the Law) John Squire wins 10-8
43. Mike Bloomfield – Paul Butterfield Blues Band (One More Mile) Vs Craig Chaquico – Jefferson Starship (Save Your Love) Mike Bloomfield wins 11-6
44. Akira Takasaki (Heavy Chains) Vs Steve Vai (Building the Church) Steve Vai wins 13-7
45. Merle Travis (Cannonball Rag) Vs Hideto Matsumoto – X-Japan (Silent Jealousy) Merle Travis wins 16-3
46. Dimebag Darrel – Pantera (Domination) Vs Billy Gibbons – ZZ Top (La Grange) Billy Gibbons wins 10-9
47. Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Blue on Black) Vs Buckethead (Brooding Peeps) Buckethead wins 13-7
48. Johnny Winter (Still Alive and Well) Vs Jerry Reed (Amos Moses)Johnny Winter wins 11-7
49. John Frusciante - RHCP (Scar Tissue) Vs Jeff Beck (Beck’s Bolero) Jeff Beck wins 11-6
50. Barry Bailey – Atlanta Rhythm Section (Angel) Vs Marty Friedman – Megadeth (Tornado of Souls) Marty Friedman wins 10-9
51. Bernard Sumner – New Order (Temptation) Vs Uli Jon Roth – Scorpions (Sails of Charon) Uli Jon Roth wins 15-4
52. Stevie Ray Vaughan – Double Trouble (Voodoo Child) Vs Robert Fripp – King Crimson (Starless) Robert Fripp wins 14-3
53. Rayani/Smith – Explosions in the sky (Catastrophe & the Cure) Vs Chet Atkins (Yakety Axe) Rayani/Smith wins 10-8
54. Dave Hlubek – Molly Hatchett (Flirtin’ with Disaster) Vs Gary Richrath – REO Speedwagon (Back On the Road Again) Gary Richrath wins 10-8
55. Eddie Van Halen (Panama) Vs Richard Thompson (1952 Vincent Black Lightning) Richard Thompson Wins 11-7
56. Eric Johnson (Cliffs of Dover) Vs Rod Price – Foghat (Slow Ride) Eric Johnson wins 17-3
57. Frank Zappa (Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar Some More) Vs Gorham/Moore – Thin Lizzy (Wating for an Alibi) Frank Zappa wins 13-5
58. Jimmy Herring – Widespread Panic (Surprise Valley) Vs Joe Satriani (The Crush of Love) Joe Satriani wins 12-5
59. Tony Iommi – Black Sabbath (Iron Man) Vs Kim Thayil – Soundgarden (Rusty Cage) Tony Iommi wins 15-2
60. Kevin Shields – My Bloody Valentine (To Here Knows When) Vs Jimi Hendrix (Peace in Mississippi) Jimi Hendrix wins 9-7
61. Hetfield & Hammet – Metallica (Orion) Vs Wolf Hoffman – Accept (Metal Heart) Wolf Hoffman wins 11-6
62. Hillel Slovak – RHCP (Green Heaven) Vs Keith Richards – Rolling Stones (Gimme Shelter) Keith Richards wins 17-3
63. Dean Garcia – Curve (Think & Act) Vs Ani DiFranco (Out of Range) Ani DiFranco wins 12-7
64. Brian May – Queen (Brighton Rock) Vs Django Reinhardt (Limehouse Blues) Django wins 10-7

ROUND 2 MATCHES
1. John Sykes – Whitesnake (In the Still of the Night) Vs Siepen & Olbrich – Blind Guardian (Nightfall) John Sykes wins 9-8
2. Balsac & Flattus – Gwar (Immortal Corrupter) Vs Larry Reinhardt – Captain Beyond (Raging River of Fear) Larry Reinhardt wins 12-7
3. Yngwie Malmsteen (Far Beyond the Sun) Vs Tony Iommi – Black Sabbath (Iron Man) Tony Iommi wins 16-3
4. Angus Young – AC/DC (Fling Thing/Rocker) Vs Merle Travis (Cannonball Rag) Merle Travis wins 12-5
5. Randy Rhoads – Ozzy Osbourne (Diary of a Madman) Vs Jimi Hendrix (Peace In Mississippi) Jimi Hendrix Wins 11-7
6. Tosin Abasi – Animals As Leaders (CAFO) Vs Frank Zappa (Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar) Frank Zappa wins 8-7
7. Jack White – White Stripes (Icky Thump) Vs Brad Paisley (Catch All the Fish) Brad Paisley wins 11-5
8. Chet Atkins (Orange Blossom Special) Vs Adrian Smith – Iron Maiden (Sea of Madness) Chet Atkins wins 9-7
9. Sterling Morrison – Velvet Underground (Oh! Sweet Nothin’) Vs Zander Schloss – Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros (Machete) Zander Schloss wins 10-7
10. B.B. King (The Thrill Is Gone) Vs Chris Cheney – The Living End (E Boogie) B.B. King wins 11-7
11. Roy Buchanan (The Messiah Will Come Again) Vs Django Reinhardt (Limehouse Blues) Roy Buchanan winss 9-8
12. Marty Friedman/Jason Becker – Cacophony (Concerto) Vs Jim Heath – Reverend Horton Heat (Galaxy 500) Jim Heath wins 8-7
13. Duane Allman – Boz Scaggs (Loan Me a Dime) Vs Keith Richards – The Rolling Stones (Gimme Shelter) Keith Richards wins 10-6
14.Rayani & Smith – Explosions in the Sky (Catastrophe & the Cure) Vs Eric Johnson (Cliffs of Dover) Eric Johnson wins 12-4
15. Jerry Cantrell – Alice in Chains (Man in the Box) Vs Randy Bachman – BTO (Blue Collar) Jerry Cantrell wins 9-7
16. Henry Paul – The Outlaws (Green Grass & High Tides) Vs Jeff Beck (Beck’s Bolero) Jeff Beck wins 9-8
17. Chuck Berry (Johnny B Goode) Vs Steve Vai (Building the Church) Chuck Berry wins 15-1
18. John Squire – The Seahorses (Love is the Law) Vs Wolf Hoffman – Accept (Metal Heart) John Squire wins 10-5
19. Billy Gibbons – ZZ Top (La Grange) Vs Ani DiFranco (Out of Range) Ani DiFranco leads Billy Gibbons 11-6
20. Brian Setzer (Switchblade 327) Vs Uli Jon Roth – Scorpions (Sails of Charon) Uli Jon Roth leads Brian Setzer 12-5
21. Joe Satriani (Oriental Melody) Vs Larry Reinhardt – Captain Beyond (Dancing Madly Backwards)
22. Bryant & Menuck – Godspeed You Black Emperor (East Hastings) Vs Gary Richrath – REO Speedwagon (Back on the Road Again) Gary Richrath wins 10-9
23. Glenn Tipton – Judas Priest (The Hellion/Electric Eye) Vs Robert Fripp – King Crimson (Starless) Glenn Tipton wins 11-9
24. Alvin Lee – Ten Years After (Working on the Road) Vs David Gilmour – Pink Floyd (Comfortably Numb) Alvin Lee wins 10-7
25. Robin Trower (Day of the Eagle) Vs Richard Thompson (1952 Black Lightning)
26. Duane Eddy (Rebel Rouser) Vs Marty Friedman – Megadeth (Tornado of Souls)
27. Mike Bloomfield – Paul Butterfield Blues (One More Mile) Vs Ritchie Blackmore – Deep Purple (Highway Star)
28. Jimi Hendrix (Bold As Love) Vs Mike McCready – Pearl Jam (Yellow Ledbetter)

Yellow Ledbetter (along with I Got ID) might be my favorite Pearl Jam song but Mike McCready is no match on the guitar for Jimi Hendrix.

I hate voting against McCready so early. Yellow Ledbetter is an amazing song, and that is largely due to the little touches that McCready puts in. But Bold As Love is the reason people pick up a guitar, it's Wayne Gretzky passing from behind the net, it's Allen Ginsberg yelling Howl at City Lights, it's Slim Pickens riding a bomb into oblivion, it's the Platonic Form of guitar playing.

Hendrix

Pretty much agreeing with the general sentiment so far. Two great songs. A vote for Jimi Hendrix and Bold As Love, please.

BOLD AS LOVE – Jimi Hendrix i guess no one beats jimi lol

My vote is for Pearl Jam because that's one of my best friends favorite grunge bands.

I'll concede Hendrix's mad guitar skillz.

I saw the matchup in this one and thought, McCready has no chance. I'm going to vote for my nom, but will give Jimi his mad props first. Jimi's still the stick by which all others are measured.

McCready shows off his very best chops here and it's extremely Hendrix influenced with it's Little Wing like opening and when Vedder says "Make me cry," McCready obliges and goes into such a beautiful solo. Each note and each bend hanging in the air like summer breezes. It's amazing to me what he does here and in the context of the song he really makes it work.

Yellow Ledbetter

A vote for Jimi Hendrix and Bold As Love

As soon as I saw the matchup I knew who I would be voting for. I listened to both songs anyway - and why not? They're both great.

Vote: Bold As Love

I actually noticed that (for the first time), and thought it quite cool!

Seriously?? Not because you actually like the song better?

Actually, and of course, anyone can vote for any song they want. Just giving you a SMALL hard time!!

But this isn't about the song, it's about the guitar.

Back at ya.

Jimi Hendrix.

hendrix




filler

Another matchup where I really like both songs. In this case, though, I give Hendrix the edge.

BOLD AS LOVE – Jimi Hendrix