Not only is Bruce Springsteen a highly sought-after musician due to his unique talent, but he also has a strong bond with his band. He seems to like the E Street Band’s presence on stage and is aware that they are comprised of some of the world’s most gifted musicians. Steve Van Zandt is stepping up his guitar efforts; he seems to know more about shredding than anyone else.
Van Zandt is a master of melody as well as soloing. He can play the guitar flawlessly on every song they are playing, whether he is soloing over the rest of the E Street band or serving as the rhythm section for Springsteen’s vocals.
He incorporates elements of his own original style of playing along with those of his inspirations to create something truly creative and expertly performed.
It makes sense that many people see Steve Van Zandt as one of the most significant guitarists in rock history. Given that he and Springsteen are the minds behind some of the biggest rock ballads of the last few decades, what he has accomplished with the E Street Band is nothing short of a miracle. If you were to ask him, he would, nevertheless, name one guitarist as being the most significant.
“Don’t argue with me on this; Eric Clapton is the most significant and influential guitarist that has ever lived, is currently living, or will ever live,” he declared. Before Clapton, there was the rockabilly sound of Scotty Moore, Carl Perkins, and Cliff Gallup, made popular by George Harrison, and the Chuck Berry technique, which was updated by Keith Richards.
“Clapton absorbed that, then introduced the essence of black electric blues: the power and vocabulary of Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, and the three Kings—B.B., Albert, and Freddie—to create an attack that defined the fundamentals of rock and roll lead guitar,” Van Zandt continued, describing how Clapton was able to take all of these various guitar-playing techniques and spin them into his own unique sound.
In praising Clapton, Van Zandt is not alone. Yes’ Rick Wakeman concurred, stating that Clapton and Cream’s debut of the song “Strange Brew” completely altered the guitar playing scene. When “Strange Brew” by Cream was released, everyone asked, “What’s that?” When discussing the significance of the guitarist, he stated.
“Every band was sounding like The Shadows until Eric came along and completely changed the way that guitar work was done.”
When it came to his guitar playing, Clapton was always inventive, whether he was with Derek and the Dominos, Cream, or the Yardbirds. It’s safe to assume that without him, our perception of the technical prowess and flair of the modern rock guitarist would be drastically altered.
