Reply #78: Isn't "rock" just electric folk/blues/R&B music...? [View All]

Kinda sorta? I would argue that Thompson definitely belongs in the pantheon of "rock" guitar gods, even if his electric guitar heroics aren't based on American blues idioms like most everyone elses' are. At least half the songs on all of his solo albums in the last ~15 years could convincingly be placed in the "rock guitar" rather than "folk guitar" category, IMHO. Think "Shoot Out the Lights", "Jerusalem On the Jukebox", "Feel So Good", "When the Spell Is Broken", "Cooksferry Queen", "Razor Dance", "Mascara Tears", "Mother Knows Best", "Tear Stained Letter" "Bank Vault in Heaven", etc., etc., etc...

See him live in concert with his full band (as oppposed to solo/acousitc) and you'll see what I mean. Or check out this...

-SM, who, due to his lack of musical prowess would never dare to attempt the RT instructional book/tape series...