I never understand people arguing over who is better or the best.No such thing. It may be better to say I dig one over the other.Thank goodness every fine musician brings something a little different or it would be downright boring. The extended Allman family seem to me to be people who really love to play music.What a great circle it is.
Duane was always very kind to Dickey whenever referring to his ability calling him the "True guitarist of the band" or the "legitimit player.. i forget exactly word for word, but thats what he would say, which i though was most gracious, i think they were both amazing and it was a very healthy relationship, i feel Duane kept Dickey inspired and as far as Derek i like his playing but not as much as either of the other two...
@kvnshafer Butch is Derek's uncle -- as if I had to mention that -- and he is also a terrific person who naturally wants to heap praise upon his nephew. Would you expect less from such a close family? Butch is a great guy and no doubt, a loving uncle. The "reporter" who wants to "keep score" as Dickey put it is the jerk.
dicky is correct, i always preferred Duane but thats me. it s what moves me. Derek has a starnge style to me in that he plays more of a "Staccato type slide, it strikes me a bit strange and a bit annoying..he doesn't hold the notes long enough (to me anyway) i could be way off in saying this, but he seems to move off the notes too quickly i don't know how else to state it..anyone else know what i mean?
Well said Mr. Betts. If I am to be honest with personal preference, I would probably have to say that I liked Jack Pearson better than Derek Trucks as a guitar player in the Allman Brothers Band. He was no slouch and the few years he was in the band in the late 1990s aren't officially documented, which is a shame. I really liked his playing, his writing and his singing. He is just a monster on the guitar and it's a shame more people don't know about him.
Well said, like the real pro and class act that he is. "There's no keepin' score." Each player is great and brings his own sound and style. Dickie Betts was one of the greatest ever.
@mpgregor ...prove me wrong....not saying Hendrix was my favorite-that title belongs to Jimmy Page-and, lately, Joe Bonamassa, but if one did a poll, Jimi would come out on top.....the guy was inhuman with a guitar...
@mpgregor ....lol...OK, you win....I agree with your "dissection" of Duane's skills. BTW, Duane and Barry are buried in my hometown, Macon, Georgia. I used to go to their graves years ago to have a drink, a smoke, and say a few words.....they are resting in one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the US.- Rose Hill Cemetery. Go to: Find A Grave.com and put their names up and pics of their graves can be seen....let me know what you think...peace.
Baseball fans: its like comparing Cap Anson to Ichiro. Hockey fans: its like comparing Terry Sawchuk to Marty Brodeur. Food fans: its like comparing a good ol' banana split to your favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor. Legendary status helps. In my opinion, Derek is a SLIGHTLY better player than Duane was, but to me they are literally right behind Jimi on the list of best rock/blues players ever.
@theatlantisrise How on God's good green earth can you say Derek is SLIGHTLY better? Do you realize that Duane was just as good of a lead guitarist as a slide guitarist. That's how he started out. Can Derek do that?
Alot of you guys don't make any fucking sence. Duane this Duane that Dickey Dickey, blah blah blah trying to say that ONE musician is BETTER than EVERYONE else is futile. If you say Duane is the BEST tha'ts youre opinion, it doesnt make it true, except in youre own mind.
This is a really sad discussion. Who knows how good Duane might have been if he hadn't died so tragically young? But Derek, Jack Pearson, Jimmy Herring, all continue the tradition of moving the guitar onward and upward just as Duane would have done. They're all great. The fact that Eric CLapton has started performing all those Dominoes songs again now that he has Derek on board should tell you something. He knows a thing or two about guitarists. Duane is definitely smiling down on Derek.
Duane Allman was and still is the best ever.....Dereck and Warren pale in comparison and Butch Trucks is a fool for having ever made that comment!!!!!
Dickey Betts is a drunk and seldom sober enough anymore to play real Allman Bros riffs , I remember a Beacon gig when Derek had just joined the band and on the 1st and 2nd tunes of the night Dereks amp was having some serious problem and Dickey could have and should have jumped in there and covered for the kid until the amp problem cleared up !!! didnt matter the young gun blew Dickey away the rest of the night . !!!!!
Few musicians would waste commentary on such comparisons. And, Butch said, "technically...a better player..." Well, who cares about "technical ability"? There are a thousand painters who can match every paint stroke in "A Starry Night". That doesn't make any of them close to being Van Gogh. We all can have favorites. There is no such thing as "best". (And Duane IS my favorite!!!)
Guys I'm, not entirely sure that Butch was referring to Duane ALLMAN. Dickey's son is named Duane and that is who he may have been referencing. Either that or he's high because Duane Allman is damn near untouchable.
After Berry and Duane passed, the ABB might have been another band from the south. Dickies Country shit slid out of control and is solo's where as long as pointless as the early Dead's stuff was. The ABB's music wasn't much different than the Atlanta Rythem Section. For me the music beyond Berry and Duane is just too painful. Angeline, WOW, what an embarrassment!!!! I'll give you Pony Boy, Jelly Jelly and maybe High Falls. Then it got down right ugly. Oh Ya Dicky's Nothin You Can Do.
Clapton was in awe of Duane. Bobby Whitlock stated that the Layla sessions where going nowhere till Duane showed up. I believe they got 4 songs in the can the first day. Clapton is great in his own right, but did not have the flow Duane had. Clapton also stated Stevie Ray had the best natural flow as a guitarist. I'm not even close to the level of these guys, but for my money, Duane had it over everybody! Yes that includes Derek too! Please post one of his own memorable licks if you can.
WTF is Butch smoking? Let's face it , Duane had flames coming out of every note he played. He could fit into any ones approach. There's not enough space to list the artist's he has backed and made their record successful . I will say this, "Everything after Eat A Peach went straight down hill. That includes Dickies last great work of art "Les Bres in A Minor and Greggs Aint Wastin Time No More". This is the period when the bass got lost in the mix and the band was drifting in the abyss.
well, duane started playing at about fourteen and died at 24. derek started at six and he's in his thirties. if duane allman was still alive there would be no question about who's better. honestly, sorry derek, duane is the better guitarist
Betts should be president. Guitar players play differently at every level. You can compare, but it's like comparing painters. Who's better? It's all subjective. What wine is better? Red or white? If red.... Cab? Zin? Betts said it right.
@spreadneck7 Spread... so right. People play how people play You enjoy what you like. I couldn't sit and listen to Freddy Fender or Miles Davis for a few hours. But I could spend a day listening to some serious blues. It's everyone's personal choice. I just wish I could play at that level!!!! So talented.
And Trucks can play any style with a SLIDE, no one else plays jazz with a slide like that innovative young man. Duane rocks, but he could only play in his awesomely Duaney style.
THIS IS A TOUGH THING FOR ME TO SAY, BUT I HOPE AND PRAY THAT SOMEBODY CHOPS OFF DEREK'S HANDS! i WOULD EVEN SETTLE FOR ONE HAND, OR MAYBE A THUMB AND A FEW FINGERS! LET'S SEE HOW GOOD HE'D BE THEN! UNLIKE DUANE AT LEAST HE WOULD STILL HAVE HIS LIFE! PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT!!!!!!!!!
Duane was the best guitar player ever in my opinion. Southern Rock had some of the best guitar players in the history of music really. Duane Allman, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, and Dickey Betts could be the top five of all time.. but you still have to throw Clapton, Stevie, and Hendrix in there. Steve Gaines is really underrated. That guy could flat out play. Billy Gibbons is another great one. You cant really say whos the best. They all have things that make them great. RIP
@josh1988ist Your list is a great start, but has to include Toy Caldwell, Ed King, Elvin Bishop, Hughie Thomasson (!), Charlie Daniels, Billy Jones and Ricky Medlocke, to name just a few.. Southern Rock will never die as long as people remeber these guys........
Couldn't have said it better with regards to Duane. I don't really feel that Derek is coming from a deep place when he solos. Sure he can play notes but even then I'm not a fan of any of the melodies he comes out with. He's way too busy. Derek's farting amp tone at the peak of his solos is pretty lame as well. And they are charging $100 to see them. Come on.
@MrMightyslim Absolutely, Dude! Derek shows up and picks up his paychecks after playing the same ol' memorized tunes every night. He plays with no improvisation or feeling that are the foundation of the Allman Brothers. You can see it in Warren's face when he kicks out a fucking facemelter. He has lived the blues and he MEANS EVERY NOTE! It's just not the same unless they make you believe it.
If Derek has better technique than Duane, it's because he had the time the improve his technique over the years, a chance Duane didn't live long enough to have...They're both great.
i think duaNE ALLMAN IS BETTER ONLY BECAUSE DUANE DIED REALLY YOUNG AND WOULD HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AND EVERY TIME I SEE DEREK HE IS BETTER THAN THE LAST.
Well said Dickey! Would you penalize Derek for playing Duane's music? He is breaking new ground in DTB and with Susan. It would be impossible for me to choose one over the other.
They are both great, but no one would play in the style that Duane played in if Duane hadn't created that style. So god bless Derek, but god blessed Duane.
The man's right, score is not being kept. Take your best shot, and if that doesn't work out, try again tomorrow. Duane Allman was stunning, a stand-out in a decade that went from the Singing Nun to Jimi Hendrix and had just about everything in between. Derek Trucks is stunning, and smart enough to keep alive and keep growing. I'm happy to hear either of them, or Betts. LIke Raymond Chandler said, there isn't high art and low art, there's only art, and damn little of it. I love it all.
Well said, Dickey. Why do people feel the need to split hairs when it comes to great guitarists? It's subjective, folks. I mean yeah, technical skill is an objective criterion but whether or not you're a great guitarist has to do with more than just technical skill. I mean, Albert King could solo for five minutes using only four notes and keep me absolutely riveted.
Eric Clapton Said Duane Allman was the best he ever played with, I'll take his word for it. I kinda think he knows a little more than all of us combined!!!
@athack014 I've never heard or read anything resembling that comment...I've seen interview where Clapton praises virtual nobody's but have never heard him praise Duane Allman.
@Skyman46 agreed, I've just heard a few people mentioning a (possibly non-existent) Clapton interview addressing Duane and if it exists I'd just like to see it. but again, agreed
@athack014 it is real. guitar player magazine i am pretty sure. the eric quote as i remember it was "he (duane) scared the hell out of me" and as to the song layla : "it was his (duane's) riff."
@dlfige Never read or heard that. I worried about being good, better, best when I first started playing. Now I have favs and I know who is more accomplished than me. But as far as who is best? I'll leave that to the non-players and/or the critics.
Dickey is spot on. I have seen the Allman Brothers Band many times with all the lineups. I preferred the more original lineup. I don't knock Warren Haynes or Derek Trucks, they are so technically solid but the show feels more like a jazz improvisation than a rock show to me now. Some people may appreciate that now so Dickey's opinion is totally true. Hey I happen to like the sound of Dickey better than all of them.
I agree, I'll always love ABB, and I've always caught them live whenever they were within distance, but I prefer them with Dickey, because he added that crucial country/gospel element that is lacking from them now. Also, I've noticed that the ABB seem so much better in an outdoor venue, it just seems to fit their style so much.
@klmullins65 Great comment. I get you about adding the country/gospel element. I will never knock Trucks, as he is truly an amazing guitarist in his own right, but Betts just added that "Southern" feel to them.. and AMEN to seeing them outdoors. I have seen them 3 times, all outdoor venues. Something about a hot summer show.. outdoors watching the sun set.. and seeing everyone jamming and dancing and having a good time.. frosty beer in hand and just lovin' life at that moment.. nothing compares.
I heard Michael Jordan's response when they told him that people call him the best player to play basketball. His response definitely fits here. "It's an opinion. It's not fair to compare to others who came before him because it diminishes what they've accomplished, which in and of itself was amazing. Plus they never were able to play together or against each other."
"but it is probably as much to do with my youthful memories, as it does with his actual playing"
Allman was one of the top session men in the south for a time: Wilson Picket, Clarence Carter, King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Otis Rush, Percy Sledge, Johnny Jenkins, Boz Scaggs, Delaney & Bonnie and Herbie Mann. Eric Clapton (!) heard him on an album (not knowing who he was) and sought him out.
After all the comments I've seen posted it is only prudent to see the man who toured and played with them both offer the most responsible and accurate reply
duane allman changed the idea of slide guitar... derek trucks took that idea and brought it to awhole nother level.. Technically Derek for sure... but duane wrote some of the classic songs and I dont think derek will ever live up to that. But music has changed and Derek will never be mainstream soo...
I defy anybody to replicate Duane's exquisite left-hand touch, slide or no slide. I'm as big a D-Trucks fan as anyone but what he does is *different* from, *not* superior to, Duane's playing. Same thing goes for Sonny in comparison to the other two. Duane wasn't really a songwriter . . . he wrote Little Martha and that's about it. But damn if he didn't play that guitar like nobody else . . .
get with the program. the dudes his nephew and i think betts &haynes. in 90s ruled.warm thanks to dan toler and jack pearson.everyone check pearsons solo on blue sky.sick
i can understand Butch praising his son. And maybe "technically" he's better. But Duane was never a technical player. I'm not sure that he even knew scales by heart or could even read music. I like Butch Trucks, being one of the originals and all- but i think he should have kept that one to himself. Duane was one of the best there ever was, and he made you believe it in his playing that he really felt and lived every note. Not an emotionless kid like Derek Trucks.
"Emotionless kid like Derek Trucks?" What planet are you on? Derek is older than Duane ever lived to be. He is similar to Duane in that neither one moves much on stage, but Derek is one of the most spine chilling emotional players I've ever heard, including Duane. I'm with Dickey. It's not about keeping score. We're lucky to get to hear both of them. I saw ABB with Derek a few weeks ago and it was mindblowingly good.
i'm happy your parents let you go to a concert . and now everyone who reads this will know that you got to go to a real concert. but don't talk shit to me- "What planet are you on?" I've seen this band more times than you can count, with and without dickey, derek, and warren. don't try to tell me about music, kid
When you call Derek an emotionless kid, somebody needs to tell you about music, because you're clearly not hearing it. I've seen them many times as well over the course of 35 years. I probably hear at least 100 shows of various kinds a year. My guess is I've heard more different live musicians than you will in 10 lifetimes. If it doesn't make sense coming from me, listen to Dickey. They're both fine players. I'm guessing you think Berry was infinitely better than Oteil, too.
i'm not talking about the music itself, dumbass. I'm talking about the physical delivery when they play live. you should take your retirement money and invest in some fucking bi-focals instead of going to concerts! you're obviously a keyboard warrior, and i have better things to do than argue with your geriatric ass! now go and play some bingo before i break your hip!
Dickey Betts is absolutely right. I couldn't agree more, they're both wonderful players. I grew up with Duane's music, so he will always be one of my favourites, but it is probably as much to do with my youthful memories, as it does with his actual playing. I think our musical memories are always coloured by what was happening in our lives at the time the music touched us.
There will never be another Richard Betts, Duane Allman, Duane Betts, nor Derrick Trucks, people. Why can't we just take in what each person DOES, and go with their flow, and NOT ARGUEWho is best?
Dickey is a class act. He and great southern have become a window of what the Allman bros. sound was like in the past. His present line up in 2008 and 2009 just sizzle Derick is a great player but Duane was the king of this music and Dickey is the closest you will ever see come to that pinnacle in our lifetime. He and Duane had that clear as a bell style and tone that I have never seen from anyone else. Dickeys body of work speaks for Itself . SEE HIM WHILE YOU STILL CAN !
Just curious as to why everyone says Clapton's best stuff was with Allman? I don't even hear Clapton on most of the songs... Allman just blows him away... at least on my favourite songs... Layla solo before the piano, Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad, Keep On Growing.
Which songs exactly is Clapton great in? I'm not bashing Clapton at all, I love him, but I think he's done better stuff than with Duane.
Duane didn't play on Keep On Growing. He was doing a string of shows in Pensacola, Florida with the Brothers while Eric, Bobby, Carl and Jim recorded I Looked Away, Bell Bottom Blues, and Keep On Growing.
If it wasn't for guys like Elmore "Elmo" James, Robert Johnson, Diddley and Chuck Berry, most of the guys on your list would be playing surf music. Check out the You Tube video, Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley - The early days - Chuck Berry didn't even break a sweat and the record companies wouldn't let him really cut loose, because they didn't think it would sell records. Checkout Elmore's song, "It Hurts Me Too" by James, then listen to the cover by The Dead. Jerry isn't in the same class as Elmo.
1.Jimi Hendrix 2.Jimmy Page 3.Eric Clapton 4. Duane Allman 5. B.B. King 6. Robert Johnson 7. Chuck Berry 8. Jeff Beck 9. Carlos Santana 10. Peter Green* *Green may have been the best if he hadn't quit playing.
My list is subjective to rock or rock roots. I would not argue against a great guitar player like Chet Atkins being included on any list. After seeing Chet play he could have probably done any thing he wanted with a guitar, and done it very well. Chet could play with anyone. Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt is hard to beat. Wes Montgomery wasn't bad either.
Totally disagree...Hendrix in my opinion was sloppy and come on Page as number 2? None of your top three can hold a candle to Brother Duane Allman, he was so diverse and absolute best...
I've seen them all with the exception of Robert Johnson, and I think Duane was amazing, but as far as I'm concerned Hendrix could out play them all with his teeth.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
That's the list that everyone comes up with. I mean, come on! Chuck Berry? Gimme a break. Jimmy Page? Cheesy. Eric Clapton? I don't think so. And you can't have a top ten list without putting Garcia on it (certainly Garcia before Santana) Let's be a bit brave and think outside the box. How about this for a list:
My list is only my opinion but Garcia lists Chuck Berry as one of the top guitarist and a major influence as do most of rocks most talented. If the vote was left to only their peers, then Hendrix would win hands down. Many said that Peter Green may have surpassed Jimi if he had continued to play through the sixty's. I lived in SF when the Dead were at their peak, loved the concerts (I still have the handbills & some posters) but Jerry wasn't in the top 25. No one played like Jimi and Green did.
Your list is interesting. Jerry Garcia # 1....????. Don't know about that brother, but your list is commendable! Bottom line is that they are/ were all outstanding!
I agree, partly. Duane WAS an innovator, and on slide, my favorite. I wore out Fillmore and EAP more than once (but I'm quite impressed by David Lindley and Sonny Landreth as well).
As for Derek, I got hip to him later; saw some vids of him as a kid with GREAT BIG tone, pretty amazing! (Clapton must think so too, having invited him on tour.) I saw him last month and he was VERY good, hitting all the right notes. Didn't leave any out. IMHO, though, he should have, and let the music breathe.
I get your point, but I think you sell Derek short. Nobody has ever played all the Indian classical music influenced stuff on electric the way Derek does. He puts more microtones and expressive filigree on a note that any electric slide player I know of. I love Ry, Lindley, Dave Tronzo (he's a huge innovator) and many other great slide players, but Derek is innovating by digging into sources and extracting influences that never touched Duane.
Duane was the best, but, he was the best at what HE did. Derek is a great player as well. Like Dickey said, you can't compare two players from two different styles, eras, and backgrounds. Now, if Derek played the same as Duane, then you could have a little discussion.
I've seen em both . I agree with Dickie Betts - but must admit I'm as guilty as anyone of rating - but all that invites ego energy into each of our lives . le'ts all just play our asses of and have a good time and quit worrying about whos this whos that . easier said than done .
our culture puts WAY WAY toooo much emphasis on all this but I'll probably keep doing it even though I know better
Derek had explored where Duane didn't have the time to go. I see Derek EVERY chance I get. When I listen to the first Allmann Brothers albums I'm almost in tears because we don't know where Duane would have taken us. I guarantee you Derek feels the same.
another thought I might add is that Duane Allman didn't have "Duane Allman" to listen to while growing up. I love Derek too. Inspired by Duane, to some degree, Derek took what Duane did and carried it to another level.
*I* thought Dickey had a VERY good answer to a truly useless question. Given his substance abuse history, I didn't think he had it in him. Oh, it's a 'useless' question because you can't put the two of them together in a live setting and let them jam.
Hey cody10dd,ripoffhm,thorpy,smokehs,kingofthedeep, classic my russian Ass, Duane is better off selling popcorn at a zoo than play like some idiot who can't paly at all, can't hold a note, can't slide, can't tune a guitar, can't even ride a broom stick and now he's pushing up daisies and being worm food, they suck like skynard, SRV, all south is hicksville, long live Russian Rock, from Russia with love, Julia.
Russian Rock???You're fucking kidding me right???Stupid fucking Ruskies.I dont recall any Russian making Classic music such as any of the bands you mentioned,do everyone a favor and go jump off of the highest bridge you can find.
Great comment by the way...not to take anything away from Derek's own accomplishments but there's a very good reason why Duane Allman is legendary and it has to do with real substance the music he was able to lay down is mind blowing and still sounds fresh as it did way back when...
Good response from Dickey. Let's remember, though - Duane was writing a fucking BOOK everytime he played. Without Duane - there would be no Derek. While Derek is truly gifted, he's still got the "young guitarist gotta show his flash" thing going on. Sometimes he sacrifices feel to show off. With Duane - he was young, but it was all uncharted...
Another great comment and I agree completely...what always gets me about Duane's playing is that he's always there very responsible he didn't let his ego get in the way...while his playing was intense it was very thought out and very mature...amazing given his age at the time...a true legend.
Derek also has no ego. I met him in the alley behind the Iowa City bar he played a few years ago. His band played on a Wed. He sat in on Blues night(Mon) and Jazz night(Tue) free of charge. He's still the same and I believe he will acknowledge that Duane IS where he came from
Derek is doing some things technically that Duane didn't do, but I'm sure he would tell you he's standing on the shoulders of giants, mainly, Duane. And without Duane you wouldn't have Derek doing what he's doing. But hearing Derek talk, he's very humble and I personally love how he plays which doesn't take away from the fact that there will never be another Duane Allman. I thought Dickey answered the question very well.
Derek Trucks right now is a step below duane and if Duane didnt die in 1971 no one would be questioning Derek over Duane he was already the best slide player and one of the best guitar players if not the best even when he was that young there is no telling what he would have accomplished if he didnt die. Derek trucks is amazing number 2 for sure but still a step below duane allman later on maybe not but for right now he is below the master skydog
There really isn't a better guitarist only opinions. In MY opinion Duane was a ridiculously good guitarist with rememberable songs, but to me Derek is the better guitarist to me even though the DTB doesn't make famous works like the ABB. And yes i have seen the ABB while Duane was alive.
Well, I have seen Duane and the allman brothers play live at the auditorium theater in Chicago. Duane was a genius. I mean just listen to some of the wonderful melodies and sound he created, especially on his slide guitar cuts. Duane had that creative juice that only genius have when creating their art...seeing the allman brothers live at that time was a mind blowing event that you can only capture on the fillmore east album...it was even better in person......eletrifying.
Really class answer. I admire Dickey for that, if someone kicked me out of the band I couldn't say a single nice word about the guy who would take my place. God bless Dickey and his music!
interesting statement, but Skydog had the feel & passion like no other, he died so young ,hard to imagine how he would have progressed.
i like derek very much, but he is an extension of duane in some ways & also is prob more versatile & yes technical.still nobody moves me like a duane solo, like in "Dreams" or any of the live fillmore material.then there's "Little Martha" a perfect acoustic piece..everytime i hear Duane's slide on statesboro blues,its like whoa..
Bless your heart Dicky!!! I love it when you said: "This guitar plain' thing, you know, we don't just keep score and stuff". I know as a musician, myself, I'll get with the guys sometimes and talk about different "players", how good or bad we think they are, but when it comes right down to it, I feel like we all respect them as just whoever they are, good or bad. Marc.
the band is phenomenal! Mike Kach is every bit as good as Greg Allman and plays allot more keys. No dis to Greg.. I mean, Dickey named his son after Duane. Dickey and Duane are the real proprietors of the ABB and to get down to it, Greg was the last member. Point being, after everything this band has survived over the last 39 years, its wrong of people to disrespect its "aura" if you will by putting down the man who started it all. But knowing about Derek, he would never sit on that pedestal.
I never understand people arguing over who is better or the best.No such thing. It may be better to say I dig one over the other.Thank goodness every fine musician brings something a little different or it would be downright boring. The extended Allman family seem to me to be people who really love to play music.What a great circle it is.
MrBrainart 4 weeks ago
Duane was always very kind to Dickey whenever referring to his ability calling him the "True guitarist of the band" or the "legitimit player.. i forget exactly word for word, but thats what he would say, which i though was most gracious, i think they were both amazing and it was a very healthy relationship, i feel Duane kept Dickey inspired and as far as Derek i like his playing but not as much as either of the other two...
MOSKII58 1 month ago
@kvnshafer Butch is Derek's uncle -- as if I had to mention that -- and he is also a terrific person who naturally wants to heap praise upon his nephew. Would you expect less from such a close family? Butch is a great guy and no doubt, a loving uncle. The "reporter" who wants to "keep score" as Dickey put it is the jerk.
wdgeo 3 months ago
dicky is correct, i always preferred Duane but thats me. it s what moves me. Derek has a starnge style to me in that he plays more of a "Staccato type slide, it strikes me a bit strange and a bit annoying..he doesn't hold the notes long enough (to me anyway) i could be way off in saying this, but he seems to move off the notes too quickly i don't know how else to state it..anyone else know what i mean?
MOSKII58 5 months ago 2
Well said Mr. Betts. If I am to be honest with personal preference, I would probably have to say that I liked Jack Pearson better than Derek Trucks as a guitar player in the Allman Brothers Band. He was no slouch and the few years he was in the band in the late 1990s aren't officially documented, which is a shame. I really liked his playing, his writing and his singing. He is just a monster on the guitar and it's a shame more people don't know about him.
BlindArthurBlake 5 months ago
Well said, like the real pro and class act that he is. "There's no keepin' score." Each player is great and brings his own sound and style. Dickie Betts was one of the greatest ever.
MrOhjok 6 months ago
Personally, I think both guitarists made music the way thought it should be. Neither was looking for a competition,so why should we make it one?
MarctheManSeligman 6 months ago
Jimi Hendrix is/was better than all of 'em....hope that settles it... ;)
CoastGuardIDC 7 months ago
@CoastGuardIDC
umm, no.
mpgregor 6 months ago
@mpgregor ...prove me wrong....not saying Hendrix was my favorite-that title belongs to Jimmy Page-and, lately, Joe Bonamassa, but if one did a poll, Jimi would come out on top.....the guy was inhuman with a guitar...
CoastGuardIDC 6 months ago
@CoastGuardIDC i can't PROVE you wrong, we're arguing over taste. but i will provide my reasoning:
- duane played in other modes more
- duane had cleaner articulation, more spot on technique
- leading a 7 man band is harder than fronting a power trio. i've done both.
- duane's constantly and WIDELY varied his tone. solo in liz reed as example.
- duane could play slide.
- jimi never had to play together with other guitarists
- and more but i'm out of characters.
mpgregor 6 months ago 5
@mpgregor ....lol...OK, you win....I agree with your "dissection" of Duane's skills. BTW, Duane and Barry are buried in my hometown, Macon, Georgia. I used to go to their graves years ago to have a drink, a smoke, and say a few words.....they are resting in one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the US.- Rose Hill Cemetery. Go to: Find A Grave.com and put their names up and pics of their graves can be seen....let me know what you think...peace.
CoastGuardIDC 6 months ago
@mpgregor Duane was a genius the other person was not. End of story.
alexlancer11 1 month ago
now this is just my taste but i love duane's music and i love trucks when he is playing duanes music but trucks stuff i just dont like it
indaz1 10 months ago
Baseball fans: its like comparing Cap Anson to Ichiro. Hockey fans: its like comparing Terry Sawchuk to Marty Brodeur. Food fans: its like comparing a good ol' banana split to your favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor. Legendary status helps. In my opinion, Derek is a SLIGHTLY better player than Duane was, but to me they are literally right behind Jimi on the list of best rock/blues players ever.
theatlantisrise 10 months ago
@theatlantisrise How on God's good green earth can you say Derek is SLIGHTLY better? Do you realize that Duane was just as good of a lead guitarist as a slide guitarist. That's how he started out. Can Derek do that?
MrJuanlennon 8 months ago
Alot of you guys don't make any fucking sence. Duane this Duane that Dickey Dickey, blah blah blah trying to say that ONE musician is BETTER than EVERYONE else is futile. If you say Duane is the BEST tha'ts youre opinion, it doesnt make it true, except in youre own mind.
4fingersinge 11 months ago
This is a really sad discussion. Who knows how good Duane might have been if he hadn't died so tragically young? But Derek, Jack Pearson, Jimmy Herring, all continue the tradition of moving the guitar onward and upward just as Duane would have done. They're all great. The fact that Eric CLapton has started performing all those Dominoes songs again now that he has Derek on board should tell you something. He knows a thing or two about guitarists. Duane is definitely smiling down on Derek.
jackcame2 11 months ago
Well put Dickey.
budman2xxx 11 months ago
Duane Allman was and still is the best ever.....Dereck and Warren pale in comparison and Butch Trucks is a fool for having ever made that comment!!!!!
blu68caddy 1 year ago
Dickey Betts is a drunk and seldom sober enough anymore to play real Allman Bros riffs , I remember a Beacon gig when Derek had just joined the band and on the 1st and 2nd tunes of the night Dereks amp was having some serious problem and Dickey could have and should have jumped in there and covered for the kid until the amp problem cleared up !!! didnt matter the young gun blew Dickey away the rest of the night . !!!!!
williamgdrew 1 year ago
Few musicians would waste commentary on such comparisons. And, Butch said, "technically...a better player..." Well, who cares about "technical ability"? There are a thousand painters who can match every paint stroke in "A Starry Night". That doesn't make any of them close to being Van Gogh. We all can have favorites. There is no such thing as "best". (And Duane IS my favorite!!!)
jvdoak 1 year ago
@jvdoak Nicely put.
MrJuanlennon 8 months ago
Guys I'm, not entirely sure that Butch was referring to Duane ALLMAN. Dickey's son is named Duane and that is who he may have been referencing. Either that or he's high because Duane Allman is damn near untouchable.
joediver1119 1 year ago
After Berry and Duane passed, the ABB might have been another band from the south. Dickies Country shit slid out of control and is solo's where as long as pointless as the early Dead's stuff was. The ABB's music wasn't much different than the Atlanta Rythem Section. For me the music beyond Berry and Duane is just too painful. Angeline, WOW, what an embarrassment!!!! I'll give you Pony Boy, Jelly Jelly and maybe High Falls. Then it got down right ugly. Oh Ya Dicky's Nothin You Can Do.
stevenjmancini 1 year ago
Clapton was in awe of Duane. Bobby Whitlock stated that the Layla sessions where going nowhere till Duane showed up. I believe they got 4 songs in the can the first day. Clapton is great in his own right, but did not have the flow Duane had. Clapton also stated Stevie Ray had the best natural flow as a guitarist. I'm not even close to the level of these guys, but for my money, Duane had it over everybody! Yes that includes Derek too! Please post one of his own memorable licks if you can.
stevenjmancini 1 year ago
WTF is Butch smoking? Let's face it , Duane had flames coming out of every note he played. He could fit into any ones approach. There's not enough space to list the artist's he has backed and made their record successful . I will say this, "Everything after Eat A Peach went straight down hill. That includes Dickies last great work of art "Les Bres in A Minor and Greggs Aint Wastin Time No More". This is the period when the bass got lost in the mix and the band was drifting in the abyss.
stevenjmancini 1 year ago
well, duane started playing at about fourteen and died at 24. derek started at six and he's in his thirties. if duane allman was still alive there would be no question about who's better. honestly, sorry derek, duane is the better guitarist
classicrockNo1 1 year ago
diplomatic, but butch is full of shit on a huge level. dickey betts is pure class, and way too talented for the current allman "brothers" band.
putdownan8dude 1 year ago
Butch is talkin smack again...he once said"Berry O was not really a bass player".Really?!
Ze best ever in the annals of rock pal!
caryzia 1 year ago
@caryzia Butchie boy has a big mouth and likes to be heard...he has said a lot of ridiculous shit over the years.
Skyman46 1 year ago
Dickey's Right, as far as butch goes I Like Jaimo's Drumming over his......
NNYSPAZ 1 year ago
Betts should be president. Guitar players play differently at every level. You can compare, but it's like comparing painters. Who's better? It's all subjective. What wine is better? Red or white? If red.... Cab? Zin? Betts said it right.
RythmandStrings 1 year ago 2
@RythmandStrings I agree, everyone is good at something although no one is the best especially when you're at these guys level.
spreadneck7 1 year ago
@spreadneck7 Spread... so right. People play how people play You enjoy what you like. I couldn't sit and listen to Freddy Fender or Miles Davis for a few hours. But I could spend a day listening to some serious blues. It's everyone's personal choice. I just wish I could play at that level!!!! So talented.
RythmandStrings 1 year ago
And Trucks can play any style with a SLIDE, no one else plays jazz with a slide like that innovative young man. Duane rocks, but he could only play in his awesomely Duaney style.
spreadneck7 1 year ago
@spreadneck7 , Hey guy! If that's the way you feel about duane then why don't you just crawl up dereks ass, and get it over with once and for all!
MrSharkey11 1 year ago
@MrSharkey11 You're an old school head, I get it, but Duane is dead. Be happy that someone else is playing amazing music.
spreadneck7 1 year ago
@kvnshafer Yah, but i've heard tracks where Duane's slide sounded like a windshield wiper.
spreadneck7 1 year ago
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THIS IS A TOUGH THING FOR ME TO SAY, BUT I HOPE AND PRAY THAT SOMEBODY CHOPS OFF DEREK'S HANDS! i WOULD EVEN SETTLE FOR ONE HAND, OR MAYBE A THUMB AND A FEW FINGERS! LET'S SEE HOW GOOD HE'D BE THEN! UNLIKE DUANE AT LEAST HE WOULD STILL HAVE HIS LIFE! PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT!!!!!!!!!
MrSharkey11 1 year ago
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MrSharkey11 1 year ago
duane founded it and derek mastered it and brought it back to life
platter4 1 year ago
Class response from a class human being. But Dickey knows the real deal..
Bronxwest1 1 year ago 2
Duane was the best guitar player ever in my opinion. Southern Rock had some of the best guitar players in the history of music really. Duane Allman, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, and Dickey Betts could be the top five of all time.. but you still have to throw Clapton, Stevie, and Hendrix in there. Steve Gaines is really underrated. That guy could flat out play. Billy Gibbons is another great one. You cant really say whos the best. They all have things that make them great. RIP
josh1988ist 1 year ago
@josh1988ist Your list is a great start, but has to include Toy Caldwell, Ed King, Elvin Bishop, Hughie Thomasson (!), Charlie Daniels, Billy Jones and Ricky Medlocke, to name just a few.. Southern Rock will never die as long as people remeber these guys........
whooziss 1 year ago
@whooziss I def agree with this, all great players.
MrJimbo08 1 year ago
I have nothing against Derek, but The Allman Bros. were obviously better with Duane.
He had more soul and more energy. When i listen to them, Duane definitely had more expression and mojo.
prophetdude2 1 year ago 3
@prophetdude2
Couldn't have said it better with regards to Duane. I don't really feel that Derek is coming from a deep place when he solos. Sure he can play notes but even then I'm not a fan of any of the melodies he comes out with. He's way too busy. Derek's farting amp tone at the peak of his solos is pretty lame as well. And they are charging $100 to see them. Come on.
MrMightyslim 1 year ago 3
@MrMightyslim so true dude,
i hear many people praise his tone and sound but,
c'mon. It's pretty annoying after a while.
prophetdude2 1 year ago
@MrMightyslim Absolutely, Dude! Derek shows up and picks up his paychecks after playing the same ol' memorized tunes every night. He plays with no improvisation or feeling that are the foundation of the Allman Brothers. You can see it in Warren's face when he kicks out a fucking facemelter. He has lived the blues and he MEANS EVERY NOTE! It's just not the same unless they make you believe it.
shotgun042 1 year ago 2
@shotgun042 Warren is an over-playing wanker.Derek is way more subtle and tasty.ALL are great players!
caryzia 1 year ago
@caryzia Derek sucks. He's just in the band because he let uncle Butchie molest him.
shotgun042 1 year ago
@caryzia bit of a wank, but ill take overdone warren over ponytail yuppie, jr. derek anyday
putdownan8dude 1 year ago
Very well said, i wish dickey would return to the allman brothers.
Gradey3 1 year ago
If Derek has better technique than Duane, it's because he had the time the improve his technique over the years, a chance Duane didn't live long enough to have...They're both great.
Eh
The three of them are great!
foutupourfoutu 1 year ago
If it wasn't for Dickie ABB would def not be the same. He's just as talented as Duane IMO...
sirlovemehard 1 year ago
i think duaNE ALLMAN IS BETTER ONLY BECAUSE DUANE DIED REALLY YOUNG AND WOULD HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AND EVERY TIME I SEE DEREK HE IS BETTER THAN THE LAST.
gmfwilly 1 year ago
Well said Dickey! Would you penalize Derek for playing Duane's music? He is breaking new ground in DTB and with Susan. It would be impossible for me to choose one over the other.
EarthGirl1914 1 year ago
They are both great, but no one would play in the style that Duane played in if Duane hadn't created that style. So god bless Derek, but god blessed Duane.
Riv66 1 year ago 3
A gracious and eloquent response.
SurferJoe1 1 year ago
The man's right, score is not being kept. Take your best shot, and if that doesn't work out, try again tomorrow. Duane Allman was stunning, a stand-out in a decade that went from the Singing Nun to Jimi Hendrix and had just about everything in between. Derek Trucks is stunning, and smart enough to keep alive and keep growing. I'm happy to hear either of them, or Betts. LIke Raymond Chandler said, there isn't high art and low art, there's only art, and damn little of it. I love it all.
wbaiv 1 year ago 3
what about dickey versus duane?
dane4free 1 year ago 2
They both are AWESOME guitarists, but at the same time, you know he was tempted to blurt out Duane's name.
bomberbadj 2 years ago 3
Dickey is a class act.
impala327 2 years ago
Well said, Dickey. Why do people feel the need to split hairs when it comes to great guitarists? It's subjective, folks. I mean yeah, technical skill is an objective criterion but whether or not you're a great guitarist has to do with more than just technical skill. I mean, Albert King could solo for five minutes using only four notes and keep me absolutely riveted.
slowmonkey156 2 years ago
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caveman1968 2 years ago
ishkabibble von patton und die ecker und der darphonse este dickie and duanne and the kid, kimo sabe palefaces in da white powda
wildbillzz 2 years ago
Eric Clapton Said Duane Allman was the best he ever played with, I'll take his word for it. I kinda think he knows a little more than all of us combined!!!
dlfige 2 years ago 27
@dlfige where was this interview? I've been looking so hard for a full interview of Eric addressing Duane! haha thanks
athack014 1 year ago
@athack014 I've never heard or read anything resembling that comment...I've seen interview where Clapton praises virtual nobody's but have never heard him praise Duane Allman.
Skyman46 1 year ago
@Skyman46 agreed, I've just heard a few people mentioning a (possibly non-existent) Clapton interview addressing Duane and if it exists I'd just like to see it. but again, agreed
athack014 1 year ago
@athack014 it is real. guitar player magazine i am pretty sure. the eric quote as i remember it was "he (duane) scared the hell out of me" and as to the song layla : "it was his (duane's) riff."
putdownan8dude 1 year ago
@dlfige Never read or heard that. I worried about being good, better, best when I first started playing. Now I have favs and I know who is more accomplished than me. But as far as who is best? I'll leave that to the non-players and/or the critics.
robinjones251 10 months ago
@dlfige slide guitar. lets just cover the base and admit SRV is the bar.
wmc1103 9 months ago
Dickey is spot on. I have seen the Allman Brothers Band many times with all the lineups. I preferred the more original lineup. I don't knock Warren Haynes or Derek Trucks, they are so technically solid but the show feels more like a jazz improvisation than a rock show to me now. Some people may appreciate that now so Dickey's opinion is totally true. Hey I happen to like the sound of Dickey better than all of them.
mpb1472 2 years ago
I agree, I'll always love ABB, and I've always caught them live whenever they were within distance, but I prefer them with Dickey, because he added that crucial country/gospel element that is lacking from them now. Also, I've noticed that the ABB seem so much better in an outdoor venue, it just seems to fit their style so much.
klmullins65 2 years ago 2
@klmullins65 Great comment. I get you about adding the country/gospel element. I will never knock Trucks, as he is truly an amazing guitarist in his own right, but Betts just added that "Southern" feel to them.. and AMEN to seeing them outdoors. I have seen them 3 times, all outdoor venues. Something about a hot summer show.. outdoors watching the sun set.. and seeing everyone jamming and dancing and having a good time.. frosty beer in hand and just lovin' life at that moment.. nothing compares.
DixieRected 1 year ago 2
dickey's 100% right.. music isn't a sport or an ego game.. it's about expressing yourself.. that's why i love dickey as much as i love duane
ApexBozo 2 years ago 4
I heard Michael Jordan's response when they told him that people call him the best player to play basketball. His response definitely fits here. "It's an opinion. It's not fair to compare to others who came before him because it diminishes what they've accomplished, which in and of itself was amazing. Plus they never were able to play together or against each other."
abelt73 2 years ago 2
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gusherrusty1 2 years ago
"but it is probably as much to do with my youthful memories, as it does with his actual playing"
Allman was one of the top session men in the south for a time: Wilson Picket, Clarence Carter, King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Otis Rush, Percy Sledge, Johnny Jenkins, Boz Scaggs, Delaney & Bonnie and Herbie Mann. Eric Clapton (!) heard him on an album (not knowing who he was) and sought him out.
platypusbarack09 2 years ago 3
After all the comments I've seen posted it is only prudent to see the man who toured and played with them both offer the most responsible and accurate reply
mcamburn1 2 years ago
only the ones with small minds compare.
BLaZe071775 2 years ago
duane allman changed the idea of slide guitar... derek trucks took that idea and brought it to awhole nother level.. Technically Derek for sure... but duane wrote some of the classic songs and I dont think derek will ever live up to that. But music has changed and Derek will never be mainstream soo...
JxEngel 2 years ago 2
Duane Allman changed the idea of slide guitar... SONNY LANDRETH took that idea and brought it to awhole nother level
gbrycki 2 years ago 3
I defy anybody to replicate Duane's exquisite left-hand touch, slide or no slide. I'm as big a D-Trucks fan as anyone but what he does is *different* from, *not* superior to, Duane's playing. Same thing goes for Sonny in comparison to the other two. Duane wasn't really a songwriter . . . he wrote Little Martha and that's about it. But damn if he didn't play that guitar like nobody else . . .
emmoiv 2 years ago
get with the program. the dudes his nephew and i think betts &haynes. in 90s ruled.warm thanks to dan toler and jack pearson.everyone check pearsons solo on blue sky.sick
zackmax88 2 years ago 3
i can understand Butch praising his son. And maybe "technically" he's better. But Duane was never a technical player. I'm not sure that he even knew scales by heart or could even read music. I like Butch Trucks, being one of the originals and all- but i think he should have kept that one to himself. Duane was one of the best there ever was, and he made you believe it in his playing that he really felt and lived every note. Not an emotionless kid like Derek Trucks.
shotgun042 2 years ago
"Emotionless kid like Derek Trucks?" What planet are you on? Derek is older than Duane ever lived to be. He is similar to Duane in that neither one moves much on stage, but Derek is one of the most spine chilling emotional players I've ever heard, including Duane. I'm with Dickey. It's not about keeping score. We're lucky to get to hear both of them. I saw ABB with Derek a few weeks ago and it was mindblowingly good.
mbruns59 2 years ago
i'm happy your parents let you go to a concert . and now everyone who reads this will know that you got to go to a real concert. but don't talk shit to me- "What planet are you on?" I've seen this band more times than you can count, with and without dickey, derek, and warren. don't try to tell me about music, kid
shotgun042 2 years ago
When you call Derek an emotionless kid, somebody needs to tell you about music, because you're clearly not hearing it. I've seen them many times as well over the course of 35 years. I probably hear at least 100 shows of various kinds a year. My guess is I've heard more different live musicians than you will in 10 lifetimes. If it doesn't make sense coming from me, listen to Dickey. They're both fine players. I'm guessing you think Berry was infinitely better than Oteil, too.
mbruns59 2 years ago
i'm not talking about the music itself, dumbass. I'm talking about the physical delivery when they play live. you should take your retirement money and invest in some fucking bi-focals instead of going to concerts! you're obviously a keyboard warrior, and i have better things to do than argue with your geriatric ass! now go and play some bingo before i break your hip!
shotgun042 2 years ago
And by the way- while you're talkin shit: I think Allen Woody had more talent in his left nut than Oakley and Oteil put together.
shotgun042 2 years ago
@shotgun042
To quote the Fonz, "Exactamundo!"
MrMightyslim 1 year ago
Now why would a fool like Butch even say this?
Blucius13 2 years ago
Dickey Betts is absolutely right. I couldn't agree more, they're both wonderful players. I grew up with Duane's music, so he will always be one of my favourites, but it is probably as much to do with my youthful memories, as it does with his actual playing. I think our musical memories are always coloured by what was happening in our lives at the time the music touched us.
123billp 2 years ago 21
@123billp Dickey is right you dont keep score on players but I think Duane had what blacks call soul and they called hittin the note !
skydog81 1 year ago 3
Duane, Duane and more Duane! Johnny Winter too!
Bopalena 2 years ago
Duaneeeeeeeeeeeeee
zdoiron 2 years ago
There will never be another Richard Betts, Duane Allman, Duane Betts, nor Derrick Trucks, people. Why can't we just take in what each person DOES, and go with their flow, and NOT ARGUEWho is best?
Wallywind 2 years ago 3
Dickey is a class act. He and great southern have become a window of what the Allman bros. sound was like in the past. His present line up in 2008 and 2009 just sizzle Derick is a great player but Duane was the king of this music and Dickey is the closest you will ever see come to that pinnacle in our lifetime. He and Duane had that clear as a bell style and tone that I have never seen from anyone else. Dickeys body of work speaks for Itself . SEE HIM WHILE YOU STILL CAN !
bluesbatch55 2 years ago 3
nobody takes nobodies licks...and nobody keeps score
JayJoJonny 2 years ago
Just curious as to why everyone says Clapton's best stuff was with Allman? I don't even hear Clapton on most of the songs... Allman just blows him away... at least on my favourite songs... Layla solo before the piano, Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad, Keep On Growing.
Which songs exactly is Clapton great in? I'm not bashing Clapton at all, I love him, but I think he's done better stuff than with Duane.
mattmossop 2 years ago
Duane didn't play on Keep On Growing. He was doing a string of shows in Pensacola, Florida with the Brothers while Eric, Bobby, Carl and Jim recorded I Looked Away, Bell Bottom Blues, and Keep On Growing.
alig53 2 years ago
AMEN! Skydog blows Clapton away every f*&king time.
fabledmabel 2 years ago
yea zappa should definatly be on this list
Licci48 2 years ago
Duane will always be #1
sugarvalleysouth 2 years ago
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motthead69 2 years ago
thats a nice list motthead69 i'm think srv would fit on there somewhere allen collins gary rossington anyone?
vasser420 2 years ago
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danigoni 2 years ago
How true. As for the "It Hurts Me Too" by Elmo, some really rough stuff. Man, I wish I lived back in that era!
bart2463 3 years ago
If it wasn't for guys like Elmore "Elmo" James, Robert Johnson, Diddley and Chuck Berry, most of the guys on your list would be playing surf music. Check out the You Tube video, Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley - The early days - Chuck Berry didn't even break a sweat and the record companies wouldn't let him really cut loose, because they didn't think it would sell records. Checkout Elmore's song, "It Hurts Me Too" by James, then listen to the cover by The Dead. Jerry isn't in the same class as Elmo.
nickybadboy50 3 years ago
nickybadboy50 3 years ago
interesting, but like what about chet atkins or something...
dmellow45 3 years ago
My list is subjective to rock or rock roots. I would not argue against a great guitar player like Chet Atkins being included on any list. After seeing Chet play he could have probably done any thing he wanted with a guitar, and done it very well. Chet could play with anyone. Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt is hard to beat. Wes Montgomery wasn't bad either.
nickybadboy50 3 years ago
Totally disagree...Hendrix in my opinion was sloppy and come on Page as number 2? None of your top three can hold a candle to Brother Duane Allman, he was so diverse and absolute best...
Skyman46 3 years ago
I've seen them all with the exception of Robert Johnson, and I think Duane was amazing, but as far as I'm concerned Hendrix could out play them all with his teeth.
nickybadboy50 3 years ago
Well, to each their own...I like all of them with the exception of Chuck Berry, but not in that order. You're lucky to have seeing Duane in concert.
Skyman46 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
That's the list that everyone comes up with. I mean, come on! Chuck Berry? Gimme a break. Jimmy Page? Cheesy. Eric Clapton? I don't think so. And you can't have a top ten list without putting Garcia on it (certainly Garcia before Santana) Let's be a bit brave and think outside the box. How about this for a list:
1) Jerry Garcia
2) Derek Trucks
3) Stevie Ray Vaughan
4) Jimi Hendrix
5) Trey Anastasio
6) Leo Kottke
7) Dickie Betts
9) Prince (I'm not kidding)
10) Mark Knopler
gern74 3 years ago
My list is only my opinion but Garcia lists Chuck Berry as one of the top guitarist and a major influence as do most of rocks most talented. If the vote was left to only their peers, then Hendrix would win hands down. Many said that Peter Green may have surpassed Jimi if he had continued to play through the sixty's. I lived in SF when the Dead were at their peak, loved the concerts (I still have the handbills & some posters) but Jerry wasn't in the top 25. No one played like Jimi and Green did.
nickybadboy50 3 years ago
totally agree.
iry94 3 years ago
Your list is interesting. Jerry Garcia # 1....????. Don't know about that brother, but your list is commendable! Bottom line is that they are/ were all outstanding!
bart2463 3 years ago
I'm glad you like those guitarists. There are a couple of them that might belong on a list...
Most of them wouldn't make my list, though...
Garret00074 3 years ago
why isn't zappa on this list
themothaflippin 2 years ago
Personally, I'd mix up your top ten just a bit ,but you left one out; Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits!
bart2463 3 years ago
Thanks for the comment. Knopfler can play as well.
nickybadboy50 3 years ago
Ok
I really thought they were comparing Clapton to Allman.
Derek Trucks is being compared to Eric Clapton. Some folks are thinking Clapton and others, Trucks.
sharkduck5 3 years ago
i love them both, it's like your parents picking their favorite kid, just can't do it
Danjd1 3 years ago
THEY'RE BOTH GREAT. Right on Dickie.
fishinfool123 3 years ago
Duane was an inovation. Derek is elaboration.
selrahc2nd 3 years ago 3
I agree, partly. Duane WAS an innovator, and on slide, my favorite. I wore out Fillmore and EAP more than once (but I'm quite impressed by David Lindley and Sonny Landreth as well).
As for Derek, I got hip to him later; saw some vids of him as a kid with GREAT BIG tone, pretty amazing! (Clapton must think so too, having invited him on tour.) I saw him last month and he was VERY good, hitting all the right notes. Didn't leave any out. IMHO, though, he should have, and let the music breathe.
songster22046 3 years ago
I get your point, but I think you sell Derek short. Nobody has ever played all the Indian classical music influenced stuff on electric the way Derek does. He puts more microtones and expressive filigree on a note that any electric slide player I know of. I love Ry, Lindley, Dave Tronzo (he's a huge innovator) and many other great slide players, but Derek is innovating by digging into sources and extracting influences that never touched Duane.
mbruns59 2 years ago
Keep in mind that Derek was still basically a kid when these comments were made, and was still developing his style.
klmullins65 2 years ago
This kind of ego-driven comparative ricketyboop is an affront to any player who simply loves music. Kudos to DB for handling it deftly.
brianhic 3 years ago
Duane was the best, but, he was the best at what HE did. Derek is a great player as well. Like Dickey said, you can't compare two players from two different styles, eras, and backgrounds. Now, if Derek played the same as Duane, then you could have a little discussion.
RHMETAL 3 years ago
I've seen em both . I agree with Dickie Betts - but must admit I'm as guilty as anyone of rating - but all that invites ego energy into each of our lives . le'ts all just play our asses of and have a good time and quit worrying about whos this whos that . easier said than done .
our culture puts WAY WAY toooo much emphasis on all this but I'll probably keep doing it even though I know better
bigbuzman 3 years ago
not only was dickey's answer plan simple, but it was just right. if only more people had the same mentality towards music
ovneb 3 years ago
Bet there was a joint lit in the alley behind the Iowa City bar!
bilogger6179 3 years ago
What do you mean people up north? Im from New York and all i do is play guitar.
Obiwannabe 3 years ago
Derek had explored where Duane didn't have the time to go. I see Derek EVERY chance I get. When I listen to the first Allmann Brothers albums I'm almost in tears because we don't know where Duane would have taken us. I guarantee you Derek feels the same.
ewoldt 3 years ago
without a doubt, duane is better
thewhofan99 3 years ago
Both are great pickers.
ChuckMullis 3 years ago
another thought I might add is that Duane Allman didn't have "Duane Allman" to listen to while growing up. I love Derek too. Inspired by Duane, to some degree, Derek took what Duane did and carried it to another level.
8aPeach2 3 years ago
"This guitar playin stuff, you know, we don't keep score, nobody wins and loses"
Would that all these "guitarist X is better than Y" folks would listen to that and STFU.
DictionRedaction 3 years ago
I wouldn't get too excited about Butch's comment about his own nephew, after all, he is his uncle and there is more than a little bias there.
msbaj1 3 years ago
*I* thought Dickey had a VERY good answer to a truly useless question. Given his substance abuse history, I didn't think he had it in him. Oh, it's a 'useless' question because you can't put the two of them together in a live setting and let them jam.
dwnhllr1959 3 years ago
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Hey cody10dd,ripoffhm,thorpy,smokehs,kingofthedeep, classic my russian Ass, Duane is better off selling popcorn at a zoo than play like some idiot who can't paly at all, can't hold a note, can't slide, can't tune a guitar, can't even ride a broom stick and now he's pushing up daisies and being worm food, they suck like skynard, SRV, all south is hicksville, long live Russian Rock, from Russia with love, Julia.
juliatkachenkobich 3 years ago
Russian Rock???You're fucking kidding me right???Stupid fucking Ruskies.I dont recall any Russian making Classic music such as any of the bands you mentioned,do everyone a favor and go jump off of the highest bridge you can find.
dimez4ever 3 years ago
please don't read these comments derek, just keep playin' the guitar, it's not a command, obviously........
grailmastah 3 years ago
Derek is good. Duane is a legend.
citizenfitz 3 years ago 3
Great comment by the way...not to take anything away from Derek's own accomplishments but there's a very good reason why Duane Allman is legendary and it has to do with real substance the music he was able to lay down is mind blowing and still sounds fresh as it did way back when...
Skyman46 3 years ago
Duane invented Southern Rock.
uncpaul 3 years ago 2
Good response from Dickey. Let's remember, though - Duane was writing a fucking BOOK everytime he played. Without Duane - there would be no Derek. While Derek is truly gifted, he's still got the "young guitarist gotta show his flash" thing going on. Sometimes he sacrifices feel to show off. With Duane - he was young, but it was all uncharted...
wonderfulbob 3 years ago 5
Another great comment and I agree completely...what always gets me about Duane's playing is that he's always there very responsible he didn't let his ego get in the way...while his playing was intense it was very thought out and very mature...amazing given his age at the time...a true legend.
Skyman46 3 years ago
Duanne had no ego just a great talent. RIP my dear friend.
ChuckMullis 3 years ago
Derek also has no ego. I met him in the alley behind the Iowa City bar he played a few years ago. His band played on a Wed. He sat in on Blues night(Mon) and Jazz night(Tue) free of charge. He's still the same and I believe he will acknowledge that Duane IS where he came from
ewoldt 3 years ago
Derek is doing some things technically that Duane didn't do, but I'm sure he would tell you he's standing on the shoulders of giants, mainly, Duane. And without Duane you wouldn't have Derek doing what he's doing. But hearing Derek talk, he's very humble and I personally love how he plays which doesn't take away from the fact that there will never be another Duane Allman. I thought Dickey answered the question very well.
musoid 3 years ago
Derek Trucks right now is a step below duane and if Duane didnt die in 1971 no one would be questioning Derek over Duane he was already the best slide player and one of the best guitar players if not the best even when he was that young there is no telling what he would have accomplished if he didnt die. Derek trucks is amazing number 2 for sure but still a step below duane allman later on maybe not but for right now he is below the master skydog
Mastas999 3 years ago
There really isn't a better guitarist only opinions. In MY opinion Duane was a ridiculously good guitarist with rememberable songs, but to me Derek is the better guitarist to me even though the DTB doesn't make famous works like the ABB. And yes i have seen the ABB while Duane was alive.
poke1150 3 years ago
Well, I have seen Duane and the allman brothers play live at the auditorium theater in Chicago. Duane was a genius. I mean just listen to some of the wonderful melodies and sound he created, especially on his slide guitar cuts. Duane had that creative juice that only genius have when creating their art...seeing the allman brothers live at that time was a mind blowing event that you can only capture on the fillmore east album...it was even better in person......eletrifying.
vastrafrolanda 3 years ago
Really class answer. I admire Dickey for that, if someone kicked me out of the band I couldn't say a single nice word about the guy who would take my place. God bless Dickey and his music!
Wajlonis 3 years ago
Derek probably has more technical prowess, but there is so much more to guitar playing than technicality.
tehorix789 3 years ago
interesting statement, but Skydog had the feel & passion like no other, he died so young ,hard to imagine how he would have progressed.
i like derek very much, but he is an extension of duane in some ways & also is prob more versatile & yes technical.still nobody moves me like a duane solo, like in "Dreams" or any of the live fillmore material.then there's "Little Martha" a perfect acoustic piece..everytime i hear Duane's slide on statesboro blues,its like whoa..
MOSKII58 3 years ago
both bad asses at the guitar... but as far as writing, stucture, and pioneering u got to give it to duane
phishdawg 4 years ago 3
Bless your heart Dicky!!! I love it when you said: "This guitar plain' thing, you know, we don't just keep score and stuff". I know as a musician, myself, I'll get with the guys sometimes and talk about different "players", how good or bad we think they are, but when it comes right down to it, I feel like we all respect them as just whoever they are, good or bad. Marc.
marctrainor777 4 years ago 2
the band is phenomenal! Mike Kach is every bit as good as Greg Allman and plays allot more keys. No dis to Greg.. I mean, Dickey named his son after Duane. Dickey and Duane are the real proprietors of the ABB and to get down to it, Greg was the last member. Point being, after everything this band has survived over the last 39 years, its wrong of people to disrespect its "aura" if you will by putting down the man who started it all. But knowing about Derek, he would never sit on that pedestal.
lathan1977 4 years ago 2