Monthly Archives: October 2023

Music

250 Guitars

After watching Rick Beato’s take on Rolling Stones’ Top 250 Guitar Players List I wanted to check out the list for myself.

Those unmarked I know of, by reputation or music.

Unknown artists are marked with * and those I would only know of by the band they are in are marked with the band name.

250 Andy Summers
249 Brittany Howard *
248 Robby Krieger (The Doors)
247 Ricky Wilson (B-52’s)
246 Paul Simon
245 Leslie West *
244 Edilio Paredes *
243 Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner *
242 Lindsey Jordan *
241 Keith Urban
240 Erin Smith *
239 Duane Eddy
238 Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices)
237 Jennifer Batten *
236 Greg Sage *
235 Laura Marling *
234 John McGeoch (Magazine)
233 H.E.R. *
232 David Williams *
231 Etta Baker
230 Gustavo Cerati *
229 Barbara Lynn *
228 Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)
227 Glenn Branca (Sonic Youth)
226 El Kempner *
225 Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith and Wayne Kramer (MC5)
224 Marv Tarplin (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)
223 Joseph Spence *
222 Molly Tuttle *
221 James Blood Ulmer
220 Courtney Barnett *
219 Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
218 Lzzy Hale
217 Thomas McClary (Commodores)
216 Steve Hackett
215 Kurt Vile *
214 Keiji Haino *
213 Lucy Dacus *
212 José Feliciano
211 Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
210 Kaki King *
209 Gary Clark Jr. *
208 Amadou Bagayoko *
207 Justin Broadrick *
206 Hugh McCracken *
205 Eric Johnson *
204 Lynn Taitt *
203 Grant Green *
202 Vince Gill
201 Garry ‘Diaper Man’ Shider (Parliament/Funkadelic)
200 Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram *
199 Bombino *
198 Jerry Reed *
197 Nuno Bettencourt *
196 James Taylor
195 Greg Ginn (Black Flag)
194 Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy)
193 David Lindley *
192 Lita Ford
191 Chalmers Edward ‘Spanky’ Alford
190 Lightnin’ Hopkins *
189 Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains)
188 Marnie Stern *
187 Marc Ribot *
186 Steve Lukather
185 Peggy Jones *
184 Eldon Shamblin *
183 Roy Buchanan
182 Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith *
181 Larissa Strickland *
180 Mike Campbell (Tom Petty)
179 Ernest Ranglin *
178 Skip James *
177 Rodrigo y Gabriela *
176 Sadie Dupuis *
175 Rory Gallagher
174 Marty Stuart *
173 Paul McCartney
172 Chrissie Hynde
171 D. Boon *
170 Phil Manzanera
169 Jessie Mae Hemphill *
168 John Cipollina
167 James Williamson (Stooges)
166 Johnny Winter
165 Rokia Traoré *
164 Dave Davies (Kinks)
163 Wah Wah Watson *
162 Rosinha de Valença *
161 Tim Henson
160 Kim and Kelley Deal *
159 John Lennon
158 Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls)
157 Pat Metheny
156 Carl Perkins
155 Yvette Young *
154 Bill Frisell
153 Otis Rush
152 Ani DiFranco
151 Pete Cosey *
150 Marissa Paternoster *
149 Ron Asheton *
148 Ike Turner
147 Memphis Minnie *
146 Mike Bloomfield *
145 Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers)
144 Odetta *
143 Ira Kaplan *
142 João Gilberto *
141 Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah)
140 Stephen Stills
139 Susan Tedeschi *
138 Teenie Hodges *
137 Liz Phair *
136 Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
135 Roger McGuinn (Byrds)
134 Bob Mould (Husker Du)
133 Robert Cray
132 Nils Lofgren *
131 Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)
130 Joe Walsh
129 Nita Strauss *
128 Bob Stinson *
127 Steve Vai
126 Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
125 Viv Albertine (Slits)
124 Mike McCready and Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam)
123 Steve Howe
122 King Sunny Ade *
121 Dick Dale
120 Warren Haynes *
119 Donita Sparks *
118 Adrian Belew
117 Albert Collins
116 Ana da Silva
115 Nels Cline (Wilco)
114 Robert Quine *
113 Allen Collins and Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
112 Rowland S. Howard (Birthday Party)
111 Kelley Johnson (Girlschool)
110 Lindsey Buckingham
109 Mick Ronson (David Bowie)
108 Merle Travis
107 Clarence White
106 Peter Buck (R.E.M.)
105 Slash
104 Ali Farka Touré *
103 Nancy Wilson
102 Billy Gibbons
101 John Fogerty
100 Kerry King (Slayer)
99 Tosin Abasi *
98 Link Wray *
97 Stephen Malkmus *
96 Mark Knopfler
95 Mary Timony *
94 Joe Satriani
93 Leo Nocentelli (The Meters)
92 Wata *
91 Cat Coore *
90 Mdou Moctar *
89 Lou Reed
88 Kurt Cobain
87 Poison Ivy (The Cramps)
86 Sonny Sharrock
85 Larry Carlton
84 Muddy Waters
83 Adrian Smith and Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
82 Wes Montgomery
81 Bert Jansch (Pentangle)
80 Derek Trucks (Allman Brothers)
79 Ernie Isley*
78 Charlie Christian
77 Willie Nelson
76 Joan Jett
75 Ritchie Blackmore
74 J Mascis *
73 Hubert Sumlin *
72 John McLaughlin
71 Franco Luambo *
70 Django Reinhardt
69 Robbie Robertson
68 Les Paul
67 Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine)
66 Ry Cooder
65 T-Bone Walker
64 Carrie Brownstein *
63 Richard Thompson
62 Peter Green
61 John Mayer
60 Scotty Moore *
59 Robert Fripp
58 Alex Lifeson (Rush)
57 Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth)
56 Johnny Marr (The Smiths)
55 Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones)
54 Bonnie Raitt
53 Trey Anastasio
52 John Lee Hooker
51 Tom Verlaine (Television)
50 Elmore James
49 PJ Harvey
48 Curtis Mayfield
47 The Edge
46 Frank Zappa
45 Steve Cropper (Booker T. and the MG’s)
44 Johnny Ramone
43 Jonny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien (Radiohead)
42 Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
41 Bo Diddley
40 John Fahey *
39 Chet Atkins
38 Angus Young and Malcolm Young
37 Pete Townshend
36 Elizabeth Cotten *
35 Eric Clapton
34 Jerry Garcia
33 Brian May
32 Jack White (White Stripes)
31 George Harrison
30 Neil Young
29 Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic)
28 David Gilmour
27 Buddy Guy *
26 St. Vincent
25 John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
24 James Burton *
23 James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett
22 Albert King
21 Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot)
20 Stevie Ray Vaughan
19 Freddy King
18 Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine)
17 Mother Maybelle Carter *
16 Robert Johnson
15 Keith Richards
14 Prince
13 Tony Iommi
12 Jimmy Nolen (James Brown Band)
11 Carlos Santana
10 Duane Allman
9 Joni Mitchell
8 B.B. King
7 Nile Rodgers
6 Sister Rosetta Tharpe *
5 Jeff Beck
4 Eddie Van Halen
3 Jimmy Page
2 Chuck Berry
1 Jimi Hendrix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books

Baba Ali

Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn
Danielle Ackley-McPhail (2014)

In England, far from his desert home, Ali bin-Massoud serves as apprentice to the famed Charles Babbage. One night a mysterious box is delivered by a clockwork falcon and Ali’s world is never the same again.

A mix of steampunk and eastern mythology. There is clear reference to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Reading the Wiki entry, most of the plot comes from the folk tale. But as I was not familiar with the detail of the story, it was an interesting story as the only part I recalled was the incident with the thief filled vases.

It all comes to a satisfying ending as any fairy tale should.

 

 

Technology

Nordpass

When I got the new phone I found that my password manager (KeePassDroid) could not load my database.

So I went looking for a new application.

Nordpass seemed to fit the requirements. It had PC and Android versions and could sync between them. These were easy to download and install.

For some reason you require both an account password, then a master password manager password. This may sound logical to separate the account from the data, but in practice it means there are two passwords to remember, not one when using the Android Version.

The interface is easy to use, clean and logical. It also allows importing (via .csv file) all the info from KeePassDroid. Then the issues began. It separates the items into two parts; one a set of items where the password was filled in. And another of ‘Notes’. I can see no good reason for this, other password managers just have one type of list item.

Then there are the folders. You can ‘move’ items to folders. But not really, it seems to tag the items as they still exist in the main list. So it’s more like tagging, but you can only have one tag per item. Strange, but I could work around this. There would be some work to do cleaning up the duplicates and merging data.

One good thing it has is a flag for weak passwords. You can see where passwords need to be changed.

The pricing isn’t too bad. $34.83 US for two years. But then the confusion began.

There are two extras:
NordVPN. (Virtual Private Network) I presume, although it’s not explained anywhere. It states: “Encrypt your internet connection to protect your data and privacy’.

But the connection between your PC and the server should already be secure, so why would you want this extra feature.

Is NordPass without this unsecure ?

NordVault: This one provides “Secure cloud for your files. Encrypt data and keep it handy. Again, isn’t NordPass doing this already for the  password database ?

The Android App works well but it is crammed full of nagware trying to get you to purchase. While the free one will work, these adverts would become really annoying over time.

I could probably work with these issues on the paid version. But what is inexcusable was when I discovered that the android app screwed with the internet icon on the front page of the phone. It inserted itself before the internet connection. At this point I uninstalled the apps.

That, along with having to use two passwords on the phone just put me off the program.

Then I discovered that I could get the old KeyPassDroid working. Great, no more passwords in the cloud.

Music, Technology

Cube

 

The Cube VST, from Lunacy Audio is a method of merging between samples. It’s ‘read head’ moves in the cube on a path that activates the samples. While the same effect can be achieved with automation. And Bitwig has a device that will operate in a similar manner. Plus there is all sorts of modulators and effects that can be used. A fascinating  instrument that could take hours to master.