Am I the only one who finds the lack of solid guitar playing in today’s music troublesome? Anyone else in on this? Anyone at all?

I remember when the guitar heroes of generations past used to actually be quite talented. Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Beck, Rhoads, Van Halen, Satriani, Vai, Hammett, Vaughan, etc. What happened? When did we trade in Angus Young for the non-descript dude from Linkin Park? When did Yngwie Malmsteen give way to Mike Mushok from Staind? When did we forget about Michael Schenker the second we saw Wes Borland?

I don’t get it. I seriously don’t get it. The guitar has been such an integral part of contemporary music since the 60’s, when did it take a backseat to everything else? My only hope is that with the current saturation of the Nu Metal genre that good old rootsy guitar playing will return to prominence.

Now it should be duly noted that I am somewhat excluding the blues from this list. Since ’95 we’ve been graced with great blues guitarists like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, Shannon Curfman, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales, Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II. Those guys are OK by me. They’ve got chops and they know what it’s all about. They understand good blues and what the genre requires, so they are henceforth exempt.

I’m also not referring to virtuosos or progressive rockers. Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Dream Theater’s John Petrucci simply live to bend and break the rules of what is possible with music, and in doing so they have spawned a few generations of relatively small but fiercely loyal fans. Don’t believe me? Check out the Dream Theater Scenes From Manhattan DVD, and take note of Petrooch onstage. I guarantee you’ll have no doubts.

No, good reader, I’m talking more along the lines of hard rock. Seems that with the exception of ageless classic rockers like Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and AC/DC’s Angus Young, nearly no one is bothering to put the time into their guitar work anymore. The heavy metal scene itself, once renowned for rapid fire riffs and scaling solos has given way to thick, out of tune riffs that seem to loop over and over without much feel. Hell, as I’ve mentioned here before, I love St. Anger, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t vexed about the fact that Kirk Hammett didn’t solo. Not once. It’s disheartening to see one of the best guitarists ever forego his trademark solos.

My major curiosity pertains as to where things took a left turn. Unlike most people, I do not blame the Seattle Explosion (I can’t stand the term “grunge”) for this sudden shift. Kurt Cobain’s fretwork, while obviously simple, was still graced with the occasional solo. In an Angus Young sort of way, he gave a lot of younger guitarists hope that they, too could be in a great band, even with simple riffs and solos. Kim Thayill from Soundgarden was not afraid to solo, and did quite well with it to boot. Mike McCready and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam still have their chops when the time is right. And Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains is one of the best guitarists ever. Period.

So I don’t blame the Seattle Explosion. I think a lot of things changed when Korn got in the game. Now don’t get me wrong, I dig Korn. They’re a very creative band, but the whole amalgamation of metal, rap and funk mixed in with out of tune seven-string guitars did a lot to damage the music scene. Lots of imitators popped up in their wake, all of whom are not worthy of being mentioned. But they exploded big, causing Nu Metal to grow at a lightning-quick pace on ye olde product life cycle. But with accelerated growth comes an earlier maturation point, and that’s where the market is now. The only full-on metal bands, Nu or otherwise to survive the trend have been Korn, Disturbed and Godsmack. Fine, throw in Linkin Park as well, but they’re still a new band, so there’s plenty of time for them to jump the shark like all the rest.

Let’s be honest folks, there aren’t too many beacons of light out there for us guitar aficionados. Aside from active classic rockers like Perry, Young, Ted Nugent, Edge and Alex Lifeson, touring whores like Steve Howe, Billy Gibbons and (of course) Keith Richards, prog rockers/virtuosos like Vai, Satch and Petrooch, and the ubiquitous Kirk Hammett, how many actual guitar heroes are there anymore? Only other guys that come to mind are Tom Morello, Jerry Cantrell, Dimebag Darrell and the almighty Zakk Wylde. I mean, these are guys who, because of their axe-handling abilities have managed to inspire legions of aspiring guitarists without the brand equity of their band name. Sure, lotsa people love Godsmack (myself being one of them). But how many can actually name the lead guitarist?

See? Eh? For the record his name is Tony Rombola.

Y’know, it’s sad to see music devolving so quickly. And again, I’m talking about rock music. Screw pop and hip-hop, I don’t have a gauge on that stuff. We went from scores of breeding grounds for great bands in the 60’s (the Beatles, the Stones, the Yardbirds, the Who, Led Zep, Cream, Hendrix), 70’s (Aerosmith, AC/DC, Deep Purple, Rush, Pink Floyd) 80’s (Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Blizzard Of Ozz) and 90’s (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Korn) to an apparent cesspool of overrated under-practiced hollow rock.

That’s not to say there’s no hope. I think there are a few budding artists out there that show signs of potential. I dig Nickelback (ballads notwithstanding) if nothing else for the fact that they sound like a good ol’ fashioned classic rock four-piece. The guitar work ain’t too shabby either. Similarly, Theory Of A Deadman bring back that rootsy feel typical of Southern Rock with some good tunes. Stone Sour mixes old school metal norms with AIC-inspired melodies, thick riffs, and “ear-delicious” solos. Even Evanescence has the occasional solo to complement Amy Lee’s amazing voice, and y’know what? They’re not too shabby. I’m also excited about the Porch Ghouls, whom Joe Perry describes as sounding like “Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac on steroids.” If you’ve ever listened to Peter Green’s chops, you know that’s a good thing. Australia’s Jet are a nice return to classic blues-swagger guitar-infused rock n’ roll with the odd solo here or there. Also, Velvet Revolver (comprised of STP’s Scott Weiland, GNR’s Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, and Infectious Groove’s Dave Kushner) are almost guaranteed to bring back some of the traditional fretwork standards courtesy of the man in the black hat.

And more and more, young bands are getting away from downtuning and opting for melody. That in and of itself is a step in the right direction, and who knows? The next crop of real guitar heroes might not be that far around the corner. Until that time, I don’t mind swimming, wandering aimlessly through the melodic tributaries of the mainstream. You should consider joining me sometime.

Goodnight, and have a pleasant tomorrow.