The Google says this is his (Steve Hackett's) bestest thing: Wolflight.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KLnVcWg3nw[/youtube]
I say, let me watch more? Prog rock guitar about monsters? I'm down with that. What's this vampire song? Listening now...

Cheers!

Google lies, in my opinion Wolflight is Hacketts worst album to date. Try any other of his solo stuff or his work with Genesis. The songwriting team of Steve Hackett and Tony Banks is a true delight. Also GTR in the 80's was fun, Hackett and Steve Howe. Also try Squackett, with the late Chris Squire and Hackett.

Wait a second--I always get Mike Rutherford of Mike and the Mechanics and Steve Hackett confused--which is weird, as they're both from Genesis. I'm being stupid--I'm a HUGE Genesis fan. But Tony Banks and Phil were more my guys. My apologies--WTF Google? Why wasn't Genesis top of the links? Bad Steve--sorry!

So, comparing this stuff to Genesis--I see the prog rock influence, but I prefer the older stuff. Yes, I could see how this would be his worst. Too many of us Steve's around for me to keep track of!

Mine would have to be...

• Keith Jarrett
• Claude Debussy
• The Beatles

Thanks for chiming in, Dan. I should really cite the Beatles as roots 1 through 5--throw in George Martin and Brian Epstein to make the count (maybe not Ringo--sorry! JK!)

Allow me to indulge myself with this favorite from Keith Jarrett. Tokyo '84 encore. Good stuff. Cheers!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPqK1JJOFxw[/youtube]

[quote="paigan0"]Thanks for chiming in, Dan. I should really cite the Beatles as roots 1 through 5--throw in George Martin and Brian Epstein to make the count (maybe not Ringo--sorry! JK!)

Allow me to indulge myself with this favorite from Keith Jarrett. Tokyo '84 encore. Good stuff. Cheers!

Thank you!
The Beatles taught me how to record and write songs and be part of a creative group. Jarrett and Debussy taught me how to play free with emotional expression. So many more influences, but I picked three. Stevie Wonder was a close fourth.

Too hard, anyway if it's three it would have to be.

Miles Davis
Eberhard Weber
Jerry Goldsmith

So that was awesome! I've never heard of Eberhard Weber, so I watched 7 different videos trying to get a sense of this cat. Finally I found this one with Pat Metheny on guitar, an homage to Eberhard (it's short!). Thanks for your 3! I know it's hard and horribly unfair. But I've learned a bunch so far. Yay me! Yay you! Here's Eberhard and Pat and 1 or 2 other cats you might recognize:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sEcdK72nZ0[/youtube]

Kris, show us the Bonamassa! (when it's ready. If it rocks, and how could it not?)

But to Rush--leaving aside the percussion, which is like saying "Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the show?" I never felt so much influenced by Rush as validated by them. They were doing cool stuff that I heartily approved but on a level I never thought I'd be able to achieve. Rush is and always will be the most bad-assed consummate musicians in the hard rock industry among many, many of course, and RUSH ROCKS HARD!!! (Sorry, you didn't see my Beavis and Butthead devil's horns when I said that. )

But Neil Peart is a gift from the gods of percussion, wherever they dwell. He's worth every bit of his grossly-over-inflated-legend. Yes, he is that awesome and I'm the hugest fan boy. Every silly drummer in every silly band I've ever ever been in has worshiped at the house of Peart and I am one of their large flock.

RUSH video (I was in a band that played every second and every note and lick of this wonderful, wonderful song (2112!):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZm1_jtY1SQ[/youtube]

Only three, you're saying. Tough one... Guess I could narrow it down to

- Jon Hassell
- Jimi Hendrix
- Vangelis

Those are my positive references, but I've also had a lot of negative references during childhood; people I don't want to mention that played in a way I did not like, and those painful experiences formed a sort of blueprint of how I wanted music to be made as I grew up and eventually started playing myself.

Per, I had a composition teacher that greatly influenced me but I hated the man, and swore never to be like him. A lot of musicians--and artists in general--are reacting to what they don't like by doing something different. That's a great observation!

Vangelis is someone I discovered later in life after I had already been doing stuff like his. People kept comparing me so I finally checked him out and liked what I saw. Somewhere I have a video of him doing some awesome orchestra composing and performing on the spot....digs....

Here it is. Watch the master in the studio--watch them foot pedals! Notice how his "score" is simply a graphic of the stereo "soundstage" and a libretto to his patch sounds. Mesmerizing for me to watch! Cheers and thanks!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b1xJYCrKDU[/youtube]