Page vs Blackmore

The other night I put on some late Mark III - live in Europe or some such thing - and felt like I perceived a lack of depth in Blackmore's playing. Of course, this isn't his best playing - I'll have to put on some early Rainbow or something - his playing is kind of patchwork - lick after lick - I remember him saying that the only guitar solo he could remember was Highway Star - but solos can be constructed in a musical way - Jerry Garcia springs to mind, maybe Uli Jon Roth? Definitely Steve Howe. But of course these are all vastly different players. 

I think that Page was much more of a visionary, and I listened to Zep pretty intently for a year or two in high school. Actually neither band really draws me in right now, but even now if I had to choose one it would be Deep Purple. So I voted Blackers!

To be quite honest with you, I never see the point of these threads. Comparing one musician with another one is ... well, pretty pointless. 

The problem with "guitar idols" is that non musicians are told "this person is a good guitarist" by people who are trying to shift records. Non musicians don't actually know, and it's very difficult to convey to a fan that perhaps Slash et al are actually not good players and merely the tip of a marketing exercise. You will not convince a Led Zep or Deep Purple fan that their idols aren't very good, as they "know". Actually, they're confusing "opinion" with "knowledge", but there y'go. 

Before you, Dear Readers, read this and your hackles go up - "Do you actually play guitar to a high standard ??? " I'm not trying to stir anything here, I'm just giving you the musicians' perspective. 

From a musical point of view, Jimmy Page was, in the early days, good in a studio environment but absolutely horrendous live. His timing is atrocious and he chokes or misses notes. I wouldn't say "rubbish", but his reputation has been massively inflated. When the drugs kicked in, Page was worthless. There was apparently one particular gig where he was fretting chords on one neck of a double neck guitar, playing the other one, and either didn't notice or didn't care, he was so out of it. Some of his work is musically creative, but he's not particularly good, honestly. Massively overinflated reputation. 

Blackmore is several levels above Page and displays quite an amazing (for the time) level of musical creativity and concentration. He has a much wider range of influences to call on, he really was something special. And then, guess what ? He gets lazy and almost resentful of playing and being "a guitar hero" and it all goes sour. However, I rate Blackmore about ten levels higher than Jimmy Page. 

Of course, all the Zep fans will now be outraged, the Purple fans possibly as well, but..... the point I'm trying to make is "let's actually answer the question properly" rather than "what have I been told by marketing men and "best guitar player polls", written by people who don't actually play and are after your money or attention ? 

I have always preferred Page and Zep's music  to Blackmore and DP's music. 

Blackmore's 'ability' aside I always felt they were a bit boring and had some real mediocre tracks compared to what Zep were doing on their albums.