John M.: It's certainly a candidate. Try the solo(s) in "Theme For An Imaginary Western", by Mountain. I think the greatest guitar solo has yet to be played, and that all the great solos we've heard so far are just a warm-up for that event. These two are part of that attempt. Remember always: it's not the amount of notes played that comprises a great guitar solo. The greatness comes when the solo satisfies your soul.
@@johnmavroudis2054 Check out the late Henry McCullough's solo on Wings' 'My Love' for the embodiment of that manifesto: simple and sublime - a one-take wonder.
These are both brilliant guitarists, and DG's ability to make his guitar sing is fantastic. However, when you see Hacket play The Shadow of the Hierophant, you see the true master of his art. The technical breadth and skill is just extraordinary. When Banks and Hackett inter played at Genesis, we were lucky enough to witness 2 true genius's at their peak.
I like David Gilmour and Pink Floyd, but I love Steve Hackett and Genesis. Hackett is technically a stronger guitarist than Gilmour, but Gilmour is also a great guitarist of course. And Genesis`compositions in their glory years were stronger than those from Pink Floyd. Comfortabely Numb is magic though. But it`s the strength of the compositions from Genesis that makes me still listen to their albums i bought in 1976, and rarely to Pink Floyds more simple albums With weaker songwriters than for example Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel. Genesis music from 71 to 77 would have been even stronger if Hackett could`ve been more involved in the songwriting.
Hackett's musicianship is top notch, which I guess was a requirement for a band playing as complex music as Genesis did. Gilmour only knows how to play one thing, and it's an easy thing to play, but at least he plays it well, which is more than you can say about other PF members.
@@kardRatzinger You are the only person with sense posting on this topic. Gilmour doesn't even know how to play and never learned. Hackett is an actual musician. It's unbelievable the praise that people heap on Gilmour.
Just think of how much poorer our lives would be without both of these beautiful musicians in them. Two of my favourite bands, two of my favourite guitarists.
Both fantastic soulful players. The solo's in Comfortable Numb (Pulse version) and Firth of Fifth are the most beautiful guitar solo's ever, in my opinion. Unique in their own way. Can't say who's better,
Just saw Hackett perform live (my first SH show ever) earlier this month, after having seen Floyd in 1994, and Dave Gilmour's solo show in 2016. Gotta say, I was really, really impressed. The solo on "Firth of Fifth" is truly Hackett's "Comfortably Numb" moment, for sure. Anyway, I hate to "rank" these two, against each other. Their respective bands were VERY different indeed, and I love both of them.
Man, I'm on the same position. I live in Italy. I Saw PF for the first (and last) time in 1994, then Gilmour in 2016 and SH for the first time last week, in 2017. Two giants. I will not chose. I love them both. Funny thing is both of them apologised, as englishmen, for the brexit thing. No joke. They did it.
Dude, that's awesome! Yeah, my PF show in 1994 was also my first and last, unfortunately. It's a show I'll never forget, though. I have more vivid memories of that particular show than of many others I've seen in much more recent years.
If only Hackett. Wrote more solos like this. I always felt that he didn't get enough spotlight in genesis he would just blend in to the music. Gilmore totally the opposite
saw hackett this past tuesday night only accoustic promo show seeing him feb 15th staten island saw him 9x so far past 5 years HE'S AMAZING TOTALLY AMAZING
Yes, they both have amazing skill in their craft. Dave has always been more of a bluesy, semi- slower, melodic player. Steve, on the other hand, is from the Robert Fripp/Genesis school of playing on more intricate compositions. Steve is also a very melodic player. If I had a decision to see Dave with Floyd or Steve with Genesis for the last time, .... I would have to choose Steve w/Genesis (or Steve with his band). I've seen him a couple times and met him once after the show outside signing cd's, and he chatted a bit with every one of us in line waiting our turn to say hello. He was just a really nice guy. I even met Chester Thompson hanging out after the show (Chester didn't play with the band, he was just checking out the show). Anyway, I love Floyd and Genesis. Cheers!
I agree with everything you say. I met Steve at the pub next door to the Shepherds Bush Empire a few years back (2013??) - we were both going to see The Musical Box - he was incredibly modest and was so happy to chat with everyone. I'm not exactly sure what he was doing there and I don't quite understand to this day why I didn't ask! Anyway, it was a privilege I will always remember. I can't wait to see him in November - if it's still on! I remember as a lad watching Steve on the Defector tour at the De Montfort Hall Leicester - it wasn't Genesis and I had to admit that it took me a few years to appreciate his stuff...but never looked back. I give Steve the advantage on the number of goosebumps I get when I listen to the firth.........or cinema show or....well a lot......Cheers!
Add Jeff Beck and Steve Howe to this group, and you have more british virtuosos!! And Richie Blackmoor, and Brian May and Robert Fripp, Allan Holdsworth, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, Clapton and Page, Gowan Guthrie (or whatever his name is) Richard Thompson, Paul Kossoff, Robin Trower, Gary Moore, Rory Gallaher (irish) the guitaristsfrom Iron Maiden, Deff Leppards and Judas Priest, Snowy White, Brian Robertson, John Sykes and the list goes on!!!, Alvin Lee, Albert Lee, Fred Frith, Mike Oldfield, the guitarist from Marillion etc.
Love the fact that most people coming on here are music fans.They may have a preference but,respect the other guitarist.Refusing to slag the other guitarist off.The winner being common sense and a love of music.
Different breeds. Masters of their crafts. Two of my most beloved artists of all time. No matter how much I listen to them there always seems to be more to discover.
Hackett is classically inclined, Gilmour is more a pentatonic scale guru. Nobody bends like Gilmour and not many play with complicated scales as hackett.
Hackett is skilled and Gilmour is ... well, I wouldn't call him a "guru." He's a one-trick pony who never actually learned how to play guitar. The accolades he receives are a mystery wrapped in an enigma and surrounded by a paradox.
The best comparison would've been Shine on you Crazy Diamond with Firth of Fifth. I think these are the two greatest guitar solos and I would give it to Steve Hackett. They're both phenomenal.
David's solo on "No More Lonely Nights" (McCartney) is sonically beautiful as it is melodic (I know that wasn't the song here). Steve's solo on "Firth of Fifth" (Genesis) is sonically beautiful as it is melodically dramatic. I dig em both.
Both superb guitarists both both so different. Shouldn't be called David Gilmour Vs Steve Hackett... More David Gilmour AND Steve Hackett. What tallent.
Wikipedia: The discography of David Gilmour, the lead guitarist of Pink Floyd, consists of four studio albums, two live albums and six singles. Steve Hackett recorded 30 studio albums, 20 live albums, and collaborated on at least 50 more. Dave is a very gifted guitar player, one of the best. Steve, though, is the Bach, Beethoven and Brahms (and Mozart) of rock combined. There is nothing to compare. He is incomparable. How well known he now is, is of no importance. His legacy will outshine that of almost all other bands and musicians. He is a category all in his own right. Shine on, Steve Hackett. One of a kind.
Boelo Boelens Zappa stomps hackett with 116 albums and counting. Also, Gilmour’s solo was improvised. Hackett plays it the same constantly. He thinks too much and that causes him to be a bit boring, much like bach.
frepi that’s your opinion as it is mine. Yeah I find classical to be quite boring sometimes. The composers themselves were quite pretentious too. Not my cup of tea. Zappa was an eccentric and colorful guitarist and composer. The hackett solo here is pretty bland. Seems like something a young guy would come up with and think of himself as hot shit. The hammer on part, seriously?!? Give me a break.
Two different styles....I love them both!!! Highly gifted artists. all depends on your mood at the time! I had the honor of seeing them both numerous times and trying to make one of them out as "better than the other" seems to be a totally moot point!!!!
I've seen both live several times including the original Wall tour and the Genesis Seconds Out / Wind and Wuthering tour. They are both amazing but very different. I never met David but Steve goes to great lengths to stay connected to his fans and he will talk your ear off if you get to meet him. Genesis lost it's soul when he left.
Thank you for posting what seems to be two of your favourite guitarists. I have met Steve several times. A great showman and guitarist, and a very humble person.
They are both masters of their musical times...captivating and able to grab an audience by the ears and heart and leave them in a higher plain...better for the journey...Love to them both...they have affected me...
Hands down absolutely and ttuely a crime to even begin to pretend to compare a perfect confection to the ear- ..listening to both of these incredible guitarist- as their guitars have a sweet conversation- to say you love music- you would not fall for pick one over the other.
Two fantastic guitar players and no doubt, two of the best in this world...But don't ask me to choose, i love them in their own respective work and their contribution to music .
Sustainer extravaganza. Love both. We just can't compare virtuosos. Modern guitar has Govan & the likes, but these guys (Gilmour & Hackett) have a different world of their own.
Honestly the leap in quality of equipment has helped both of these guys immensely... The emotions still there but now every nuance is brought to the forward by because technology has been able to do this
Genesis was GREAT before "Then There Were Three" but ... Gilmour doesn't even know how to play guitar and never learned. Pink Floyd was great as was AC/DC in their respective genres, but both were comprised of individuals who couldn't play their way out of a paper bag. Genesis, alternately, employed actual musicians.
Alan Price - Exactly right, sir! As grown-ups we're not limited by a 13-year-old's inability to admit to liking two things equally. Peer pressure? Cobblers! At school it was always, "Do you prefer the Beatles or the Stones?" or "Are you into Led Zep or Genesis?" My answer was invariably: "Yes. And King Crimson. And Yes. And Frank Zappa." (I was hugely unpopular in school.) I suspect that many of RU-vid's polarised Comment-columnists are quite young people...
This kind of comparison is totally out of the question. both possess their sonorous and melodic peculiarities and therefore, there is no choice to be made. both are great musicians and simply deserve our respect and admiration. that simple!
If you asked me five years ago, I’d say Gilmour. Ask me now, I’ll say Hackett. Dave has a simpler bluesy psychedelic approach while Steve incorporates more complex and classical elements. The 70s era of Genesis ages like fine wine. It’s absolutely timeless. Floyd is great but their music doesn’t really move or challenge me all that much anymore. But albums like Foxtrot, Selling England, and The Lamb still blow my mind to this day and make me wonder how they came up with this stuff and played it so perfectly, especially considering that they were in their early 20s while writing and recording it. Looking back at it now, PF seems more like a classic rock band whose music is commonly associated with a certain point in time, whereas Genesis doesn’t really fit into any particular decade or era of music. Their catalogue will continue to amaze and inspire with each new listen, outlasting many other musicians who came both before and after them
I got to see both in their heyday back in the 70’s, Pink Floyd on the “Animals/Wish You Were Here” tour in ‘77, and Genesis on the “Trick Of The Tail” and “Wind And Wuthering” tours! The one I saw is on YT, ‘Genesis Live ‘76’ I think it’s called, the bits from the Glasgow Apollo.
Love them both, but it is great to see Steve being recognized more these days for his extraordinary work with Genesis and beyond. He was more under the radar than Gilmour, let’s face it-Pink Floyd was just huge.
Both very different guitarist. Genesis was my first band I was into as a kid thanks to an older brothers record collection but most of my later teens and adult life has been with Floyd, though I don't listen much these days. I have always rated Hackett's more novel approach to the guitar and his tone, more accomplished with his classic style and his sound has always had a different quality compared to the other bands of the progressive rock era. Still both great guitarist. My first every guitar solo I learnt on guitar was Hackett's firth of Fith solo as a 16 year old some 35 years ago...we never forget our first guitar solo learnt.
Love them both, but even though Gilmour has a more smooth 'glide-y'/soulful feel to his playing, I prefer Hackett for a variety of reasons. 1) Hackett can be much more powerful and raw. He still loves dynamics. He also still loves to experiment with sounds. 2) His work is more diverse, and at his age, his workaholic tendencies have not slowed. 3) His acoustic playing is still wonderful. 4) YOU CANNOT COMPARE THESE TWO. As it comes down to apples and oranges and personal taste. 5) The vs should be replaced with an &.
Two of my favorite guitar players. This is so good (slight preference for firth of fifth, but that is just because I like that song so much. On an Island is also a very nice album btw)
Both are experts at playing their guitar(s). But different in styles for playing moody guitar atmospheres. However I have a small preference for Steve for the simple reasons that Genesis was and is still my favorite band and that I was lucky enough to talk with the man on a few different occasions. Mind you David Gilmour also draws an ace from my deck of cards when it comes to playing his instrument.
It's fun to watch two of the greatest back to back. If nothing else, guitarists should be familiar with both men. That Fifth of Firth excerpt, thanks a billion!
Both great soloists in their own right. Gilmour has the blues colors and that strat sound. Hackett has the classical guitar vein really strong. Two masters. Can't really pick one.
This is a great video! Genesis had their signature sound from the very beginning, years earlier than Pink Floyd. Steve's guitar textures were prominent to that sound. Of course, David Gilmour on guitar and vocals made the Pink Floyd sound we all know and love.
The best complement I could make for these two guitarists is since the 70’s I have wanted to get a tone, that was a cross of them both. The holy grail.....I am still searching !
In terms of technical ability Steve is streets ahead of Dave just listen to his tribute to Bach albums to prove that but interns of feel and expression both excellent players
There is absolutely no need to rank these Gods of Guitar...there both the best there ever was and i love their music dearly...hope they will be playing forever and i get lots of changes to be there as nothing beats a live performance
Steve Hackett. Shreds of moods. This period of Genesis from '73-'75 was more emotional, more evocative, more romantic than anything Pink Floyd did at the same time. Regardless of any "sheer talent". I love Pink Floyd for the same era-- and play them a lot, but they never brought a tear to the eye the way Genesis could. The Genesis sound was more sophisticated, more plaintive.
2 different master virtuosos unlike others they've maintained touring into late 60's music lovers are blessed for their art realization of mortality is upon them
Both have created some of my favorite music of all time. Just shake hands & keep on playing! As someone who doesn't play guitar, I can't attest to skill. But someone had to write those notes in the first place. That creativity is what I admire. I'm glad someone mentioned Andy Latimer. He has enriched my life with his playing & writing. Go listen to The Hour Candle or Ice. Both are up there with Firth of Fifth & Comfortably Numb.
I've loved them both from the early 70s. Saw Hackett at Trading Boundaries in December 17 doing an acoustic gig (with his brother, mum there too!) which was spellbinding - unplugged you get the raw genius of the man. Hackett is also a great song writer and has done some fabulous solo albums, though Dave Gilmours last two have been fabulous too. Hackett, I think, but after extra time and a penalty shootout.
There is no comparison, they're both incredible. I wonder if they know each other, or have ever jammed together. Boy! Wouldn't that be a music event I would pay a fortune for. Imagine either one of them doing each other's music. Kind of like the same thing Elton John and Billy Joel did when they took each other's bands and just played each other's music, singing and everything. Dear God! If anybody reads this, and happens to know either one of them, suggest it. They could make a fortune. 🤷♂️
