Guitar riffs battle: Page vs. Lifeson?

[Texas King]

In your opinion, which guitarist created better guitar riffs?

 

 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

I'm going to vote Page in this one, but for one specific reason. When you're listening to a riff in a Rush song, it could have been written by Alex or Geddy. In fact, I'd estimate that Geddy was more the riff guy and Alex was the chord guy, especially all those beautiful and inventive arpeggios.

 

The more I think about it, I might have voted for Page anyway.

[treeduck]

I'll vote for Lifeson just because the first three votes have gone to Page, just to keep things from getting out of hand. 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

1 minute ago, treeduck said:

I'll vote for Lifeson just because the first three votes have gone to Page, just to keep things from getting out of hand. 

 

Disingenuous! 

[treeduck]

Just now, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

Disingenuous! 

I can always change it later when I see how the scoring had progressed. 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

1 minute ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

Disingenuous! 

 

Just now, treeduck said:

I can always change it later when I see how the scoring had progressed. 

 

Hmmm...

 

Still disingenuous! You're on record for being a flip-flopper.

[treeduck]

9 minutes ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

 

Hmmm...

 

Still disingenuous! You're on record for being a flip-flopper.

[Nova Carmina]

From the perspective of pure riffage, I'm going with Page. So many great riffs in a pretty short creative peak.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Page is one of those guys where the quantity of riffs never was at the sacrifice of their quality. Lifeson has a lot of great ones, but he’s just as much in the Townsend school of playing, which is less riffy. In other words, he just doesn’t have quite as many as Page, but he makes up for it in other ways.

[goose]

1 hour ago, Entre_Perpetuo said:

Page is one of those guys where the quantity of riffs never was at the sacrifice of their quality. Lifeson has a lot of great ones, but he’s just as much in the Townsend school of playing, which is less riffy. In other words, he just doesn’t have quite as many as Page, but he makes up for it in other ways.

Arpeggios.  That's Alex's wheelhouse

[zepphead]

Riffmeister

[Relayer2112]

I voted for the same player Alex would vote for...Jimmy.

[treeduck]

4 hours ago, zepphead said:

Riffmeister

What about if you put him against Iommi, Blackmore and May?

[zepphead]

49 minutes ago, treeduck said:

What about if you put him against Iommi, Blackmore and May?

That would indeed be a 'clash of the titans'!!

Having said that, as much as I really like Queen, and May as a guitarist, I didn't idolise him the way I did Page, Iommi and Blackmore. Those three are guitar gods in my eyes.

[TheAccountant]

Page gets my vote.  Just more of a gut reaction than anything else I guess.

[grep]

I mean.....Jimmy's got the riffs.  Solid heavy blues based goodness.

Al though - his imagination - that chaotic melodic atmospheric stuff, and the way he's adapted his playing across the different eras and sounds. 

They are different players, each epic in their own space.

[custom55]

Edited March 26, 2024 by custom55

[toymaker]

Page stole from the great blues musicians.

Lifeson ripped off the Looney Tunes.

[apetersvt]

On 3/24/2024 at 8:20 PM, Entre_Perpetuo said:

Page is one of those guys where the quantity of riffs never was at the sacrifice of their quality. Lifeson has a lot of great ones, but he’s just as much in the Townsend school of playing, which is less riffy. In other words, he just doesn’t have quite as many as Page, but he makes up for it in other ways.

Well said.  My thoughts exactly.

[Fridge]

Lifeson by a country mile.......yes, Page has an undoubted influence, but I just don't idolise him the way others do.

[treeduck]

23 hours ago, Fridge said:

Lifeson by a country mile.......yes, Page has an undoubted influence, but I just don't idolise him the way others do.

What about Johnny Red?

[Fridge]

On 4/18/2024 at 6:39 PM, treeduck said:

What about Johnny Red?

Sure, I bet the wartime comic hero could spank his plank

[Fridge]

On 3/24/2024 at 8:49 PM, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

I'm going to vote Page in this one, but for one specific reason. When you're listening to a riff in a Rush song, it could have been written by Alex or Geddy. In fact, I'd estimate that Geddy was more the riff guy and Alex was the chord guy, especially all those beautiful and inventive arpeggios.

 

The more I think about it, I might have voted for Page anyway.

That's an important point actually......particularly in the early albums Geddy will have written a fair percentage of guitar lines....because he was such a monster on the bass, he must be at least a competent guitarist, and probably a pretty good one.

[treeduck]

3 hours ago, Fridge said:

That's an important point actually......particularly in the early albums Geddy will have written a fair percentage of guitar lines....because he was such a monster on the bass, he must be at least a competent guitarist, and probably a pretty good one.

He did a few power chords on Xanadu at least!

[Timbale]

Jimmy Page by a large margin -- but I personally don't value guitar riffs very much.