May or Blackmore?

Me and my brother dissagree about who is better (or more popular since better is subjective).

Can you help us guys? Tell us what you think.

I don't know anything about May or Blackmore...

I like May more, cause of his perfection of sound, Blackmore is cool too though.

Blackmore

Hmm, tough one. Two of my favourite solos - Killer Queen and Highway Star.

I'd probably go for May on the basis that Blackmore was a bit of an egotist who tended to play everything in the same key. May is more innovative.

Blackmore.  Listen to 'Highway Star' and the solo in 'Child in Time'

Blackmore.

Blackmore is certainly better than May. He was one of the first guitarists to incorporate classical influences into popular music. One of the forefathers of the neoclassical movement. Not only that but his career is far more extensive. His works with Rainbow, Deep Purple and Blackmores night show evolution as a guitarist. He also did a lot of nice live stuff. Not to discount May but Blackmore is much better and greater.

MikeEnRegalia wrote: floydaholic wrote: Blackmore is certainly better than May. He was one of the first guitarists to incorporate classical influences into popular music. One of the forefathers of the neoclassical movement. Not only that but his career is far more extensive. His works with Rainbow, Deep Purple and Blackmores night show evolution as a guitarist. He also did a lot of nice live stuff. Not to discount May but Blackmore is much better and greater. This is highly subjective. May was much more innovative than Blackmore. Blackmore recorded more records, but they're all similar. His solos are quite melodic and sometimes really original and epic, but May composed music on a much higher level. His technical modifications of the electric guitar, the use of the electric guitar to simulate other instruments, his use of polyphony ... all that shows that he was superior to Blackmore.

What did May innovate? Blackmores record were in the same genre but by no means were his guitar compositions all the same. Mays solos on a higher level? What does that mean exactly. Complexity? Blackmore was a more technical guitarist than May. People consider him to be one of the first people to be able to shred. Technical modifications and simulating other instrument and polyphony are nice but there are other things that are more important when considerng better guitarists. Impact and influence would go to blackmore for practically starting a genre of rock, neoclassical. He has actually played the 9th symphony from beethoven with a full orchestra before. Versatility could really go either way though it should probably go to may. Creativity again goes to blackmore for the whole incorporation of classical music into his compositions. Technical ability would go to Blackmore as well, he can just do more things on the guitar. The things you mentioned for May are all nice things to have done but in all reality they are small feats. Modifying the electric guitar? No one has ever made changes to the guitar before right? Simulating other instruments? Jeff Beck used a talk box to Make words from his guitar. I'm not too sure what polyphony is as i don't play an instrument but thats simply one thing. Everything else wasn't very new or fresh. It had been done before or something similar had been. May is not a better guitarist than blackmore. I can understand personal preferences but he hasn't accomplished as much as blackmore.

Blackmore by a country mile.

Then again...he is my ultimate hero in music so i suppose I am a little biased.